Instant Success

My graduation from the Notre Dame Remick Leadership Program was in July...but it took me awhile to think of a graduation gift that my parents wanted to get me. (Understandably, there was quite a bit that was happening right afterwards - my sister's wedding, a change of schools and position, the start of the school year...)

But right after Thanksgiving I decided what I wanted - an Instant Pot. Thanks to the combination of Cyber Monday and a snow day I was able to get quite a deal on it. So, technically I bought it...but then my parents paid me back.

I'll readily admit that it stayed in the box until today. I wasn't ready to read the instructions before the Christmas break, as there was too much going on between school and personal commitments. (Heck, I didn't even get a chance to practice my guitar during that time.) Over the break, though, I browsed Pinterest and started my own board of recipes to try, and I picked a chicken curry one to make first. (My board also has some tips and tricks, so you can be sure I read up on those blogs and sites ahead of time.)

Seeing how I got back from Michigan at a rather decent hour, which allowed for a grocery run in the daylight (even if it was overcast), I decided today would be the day when I would put the Instant Pot to the test and see what all the hype is about.

These were the steps I took to Instant Pot success:

Step 1: Take Instant Pot (and accessories) out of box.

Step 2: Read instruction manual. (This is where I diverge from the other Foyles in my family who take the instruction manual only to throw it over their shoulders.)

manuals are important

Step 3: Prepare ingredients. (I made a mistake here and could not cube the chicken because it was still frozen, but it all worked out in the end because the chicken still cooked and it saved me some chopping.)

Step 4: Follow the instructions on the blogpost. (And make sure you know which button is which on the device.)

Step 5: Step back and let the pressure cooker do its thing. (This was slightly frustrating the first time, as the Instant Pot is not quite as instant as you might think.)

Waiting for the pressure cooking to finish

Prepare yourself mentally and physically (step away from the pot) for the part where the steam lets off.

Check out the steam from this sucker! 

(5 sec video - turn sound on)

Step 6: Let the steam clear and the pot cool before serving. Then, enjoy!

chicken curry over cauliflower rice = success!

The chicken curry dish was quite tasty (even though it wasn't as thick as I would have liked), so I'd be interested in trying it again at some point in the future. And I'll consider this first try a success! I definitely want to explore some soup options in the coming weeks and see how those go, and apparently you can hard boil eggs in this gadget, so that's exciting.

I can't instantly say anything along the lines of "Instant Pot changed my life," but who knows...maybe it will one day. Till then, I can honestly say that I'm satisfied with my graduation gift. (Thanks mom!)