The Ultimate Instant Pot® Cookbook for Two

by Janet A Zimmerman

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook for Two is a new tutorial cookbook and guide aimed at recipes with smaller portions for two (or for one with some leftovers) which uses the Instant Pot brand programmable multi-function cookers. Released 26th Feb 2019 by Rockridge Press, it's 275 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. Author Janet Zimmerman is a food writer, educator and blogger who is one of the creative writers behind The Spruce Eats.

I'm on the verge of being an empty nester. Our three kids are (mostly) grown and away at school or other activities. Additionally, we have a little more relaxed schedule now and can spend a little more time and be a little more adventurous with meal prep.

The book is lushly illustrated and written in an accessible easily understandable style. There is a really good introductory chapter about the subtleties of portion cooking with a pressure cooker and control when cooking for two; if a recipe calls for half a fennel bulb or half a can of tomatoes, she has suggested recipes for using up the excess at a later point in time whilst the ingredients are still fresh. This helped a lot with meal planning for me.

The chapters are arranged thematically: breakfasts, vegetables and sides, beans and grains, meatless main dishes, seafood and poultry, beef and pork, desserts, and kitchen staples/sub-ingredients to be used in other recipes. I didn't count the number of the recipes included, but it must be over 80, possibly closer to 100.

The instructions (especially the introductory how-to's aimed at operating the instant pot itself) are easy to follow and logical.

I trial tested three recipes on my 6 quart ultra. All three came out perfectly, and there were no leftovers to speak of.

Thai Red Curry Beef was mild and sweet. We had a little bit of sauce leftover but it disappeared as a snack on rice a little later the same evening.

Ginger Oatmeal Muffins were very dense and flavorful. The recipe makes 4 muffins, enough for breakfast and one for my tea break at work. These are quite solid and my husband calls these Lembas (because we're huge Lord of the Rings nerds and that's how we roll).

Browned Butter Risotto is a hearty side dish with a creamy slightly sharp cheddar element. This went very very well with pork chops, some pickles and steamed broccoli.

Very tasty recipes made with easily sourced ingredients.

Four stars, my pressure cooker is getting a LOT more use these days.
Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. This cookbook is included in the KU subscription. Worth a look!

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes