Pressure Cookers and Polenta

Mom has been encouraging me to get a pressure cooker for quite a while. I had an irrational dislike for pots that you have to lock shut and then you don't know when it's safe to open and the consequences for opening too soon are that boiling hot food is sprayed all over the kitchen. Theresa sent me a link to an electric pressure cooker where there are built in safety interlocks so you CAN'T open it when it would spray boiling hot food all over the kitchen so I got one. The children were very pleased with the box that my new purchase arrived in.

It only lasted for about 3 days as a toy before it got destroyed.

This is what the pressure cooker looks like:



My first attempt was to make some creamy polenta which I quite like but it's a pain because you have to sit there and stir and stir if you don't want lumps.
Theresa had sent me a recipe that she got from a friend and I modified it slightly.

Turkey sausage
Onions
Corn (had some left over ears so I cut the kernels off but you could use frozen or canned too)
1 1/2 c polenta
6 c of chicken broth (I used 3 cans plus water to make up the difference)

Saute the onions and sausage in the pressure cooker (there is a couple of settings that allow for browning things in the pot, I used the wrong one so I didn't get good color)

Remove half the mixture to top with later (I skipped this)
Add the broth and the corn.
Bring to a boil
Add the polenta slowly while stirring
Bring back to a boil


Cook under high pressure for 7 minutes (there is a timer, you just pick the type of pressure you want and the time.
Open the fast pressure release valve.

And you have polenta!


I thought it was quite tasty, the texture was just PERFECT. No lumps at all. Patrick said it was too bland and I can understand that because I don't think the sausage and corn and onions were enough of a contrast. I'd make this again as a side dish for pasta sauce or something I think.
Alex tried it. Elizabeth declared that it looked "icky" and almost made herself throw up when we made her take the courtesy bite. (I think she gets that from the McKinney side :) )