Last week, I sung the praises of having a pressure cooker in your kitchen arsenal. Here are several simple recipes you can try with one.

We’ll be having a pressure cooking demo in the gym’s upstairs kitchen soon!

Creamy Chicken Broccoli Soup
Time: 10 minutes

• 10 oz chicken breast
• 1 lb broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• fresh ground black pepper

Place the chicken, broccoli, and beef broth into the pressure cooker. Close the lid, and heat on high until the pot is up to pressure. Transfer the pressure cooker to another element that has been preheated to medium. Cook 5 minutes. Cool the pressure cooker quickly under cold running water, then remove the lid.

Remove the chicken breasts and set aside. Next, empty the broccoli and broth into a blender. Add the coconut milk. Puree the mixture, then add the chicken. Blend the chicken on low until the meat is shredded – around 20 seconds maximum. Don’t blend the meat too finely, or the soup will resemble baby food! Serve in bowls, top with fresh ground black pepper to taste.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, boil the chicken for 20 minutes, and steam the broccoli for 12 minutes separately.

Nutritional info: 2 servings at 5g carb, 35g protein, 12g fat.

Quick Cooked Veggies
Time: 5 minutes

• veggie of your choice (broccoli or cauliflower, for example)
• 1/4 cup water

Add veggies and water to the pressure cooker. Close the lid and heat over high until the unit is up to pressure. Immediately transfer to another element set to medium and cook for 3 minutes. (this is to prevent overcooking) Quickly cool the pot under cold running water until the pressure releases. Open and serve.

Nutritional info: this will depend on which veggies you have chosen, of course!

Cornish Game Hen
Time: 25 minutes

• 1 Cornish game hen
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil or lard
• 2 Tbsp rosemary
• 2 Tbsp thyme
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup chicken broth

Heat the oil in the pressure cooker. Lightly brown the outside of the bird by turning it in the oil. Place half of the rosemary and thyme inside your bird, and the other half on the outside. Stuff the garlic inside the bird. Add the broth, then close the lid. Bring the heat up to high until the pot is up to pressure. Reduce to medium, then cook 22 minutes. Cool the cooker and release the pressure; it’s done!

Nutritional info: this will vary depending on your bird. 1 oz chicken = 7g protein.