Creamy Rice Pudding from the Electric Pressure Cooker

Cooking rice in the electric pressure cooker speeds up the process and results in tender rice that is then turned into pudding using the cooking (sauté/sear) setting.  This is a tasty dessert but I really like to eat it for breakfast, too.

Creamy Rice Pudding from the Electric Pressure Cooker   6 servings
1 cup Arborio rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk, divided*
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins or craisins
Toasted almonds for topping if desires
  1. In pressure cooking pot, combine rice, water, and salt. Lock the lid in place and cook according to electric pressure cooker directions. (I used the rice setting—5 minutes at low pressure, allowing for natural drop in pressure before opening.)
  2. Add 1 1/2 cups milk and sugar to rice in pressure cooking pot; stir to combine.
  3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk eggs with remaining 1/2 cup milk.
  4. Pour egg mixtures through a fine mesh strainer into pressure cooking pot.
  5. Select the sauté/sear setting and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil.
  6. Turn off pressure cooker. Remove pot from the pressure cooker.
  7. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and raisins.
  8. Pudding will thicken as it cools. Serve warm or pour into serving dishes and chill.
  9. Served topped with toasted almonds if desired.
  10. The rice will continue to absorb liquid as it cools. Stir in additional milk or cream until your desired consistency is achieved.
Recipe without photos . . .
Creamy Rice Pudding from the Electric Pressure Cooker   6 servings
1 cup Arborio rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk, divided*
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins or craisins
Toasted almonds for topping if desires
  1. In pressure cooking pot, combine rice, water, and salt. Lock the lid in place and cook according to electric pressure cooker directions. (I used the rice setting—5 minutes at low pressure, allowing for natural drop in pressure before opening.)
  2. Add 1 1/2 cups milk and sugar to rice in pressure cooking pot; stir to combine.
  3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk eggs with remaining 1/2 cup milk.
  4. Pour egg mixtures through a fine mesh strainer into pressure cooking pot.
  5. Select the sauté/sear setting and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil.
  6. Turn off pressure cooker. Remove pot from the pressure cooker.
  7. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and raisins.
  8. Pudding will thicken as it cools. Serve warm or pour into serving dishes and chill.
  9. Served topped with toasted almonds if desired.
  10. The rice will continue to absorb liquid as it cools. Stir in additional milk or cream until your desired consistency is achieved.

Focaccia in 5: Parmesan & Thyme Focaccia Bread

Another version of Focaccia in 5 using Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day, Same technique as that used in our Rosemary and Onion Focaccia but simpler because there are no onions to soften. This bread is SO GOOD and SO EASY!

Parmesan and Thyme Focaccia Bread
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day
Leaves from 4 to 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Coarse salt
  1. Preheat a baking stone near the middle of the oven to 425°.
    I don't have a baking stone so used a flat cast iron skillet.
  2. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 9” cake pan (square or round) and evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
  3. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit size) piece. 
  4. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
  5. Using your hands, flatten it into a 1/2” thick round. Place the dough top side down into the cake pan, and move it around a bit to cover it in olive oil. Turn the dough over, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Use your hands to gently push the dough to the edges of the cake pan. Arrange the thyme leaves, Parmesan and coarse salt (to taste) over the surface and push into the surface.
  7. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and allow the focaccia to rest and rise for 20 minutes.
  8. After the focaccia has rested, use your fingers to stipple the surface of the dough and then place the cake pan on the baking stone in the oven.
  9. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the crust is medium brown and crisp on the bottom.
    The baking time will vary according to the focaccia’s thickness.

  10. Cut into squares or wedges and serve warm.
    Lentil Sloppy Joes on Parmesan & Thyme Focaccia with Cheddar cheese.
Recipe without photos . . .
Parmesan and Thyme Focaccia Bread
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day
Leaves from 4 to 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Coarse salt
  1. Preheat a baking stone near the middle of the oven to 425°.
  2. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 9” cake pan (square or round) and evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
  3. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit size) piece. 
  4. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
  5. Using your hands, flatten it into a 1/2” thick round. Place the dough top side down into the cake pan, and move it around a bit to cover it in olive oil. Turn the dough over, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Use your hands to gently push the dough to the edges of the cake pan. Arrange the thyme leaves, Parmesan and coarse salt (to taste) over the surface and push into the surface.
  7. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and allow the focaccia to rest and rise for 20 minutes.
  8. After the focaccia has rested, use your fingers to stipple the surface of the dough and then place the cake pan on the baking stone in the oven.
  9. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the crust is medium brown and crisp on the bottom. The baking time will vary according to the focaccia’s thickness.
  10. Cut into squares or wedges and serve warm.

Slow Cooker Lentil Sloppy Joes

Lentil Sloppy Joes on Parmesan & Thyme
Focaccia with a slice of Cheddar cheese.
A meat-free sandwich filling that is filling and satisfying. This recipe makes enough to serve a small crowd; too much for us but I did freeze part of it for later use. Think I’ll cut it in half in the future.




Slow Cooker Lentil Sloppy Joes
½ cup finely chopped carrots
½ cup finely chopped mushrooms
¼ cup finely chopped onions
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¾ cup brown lentils
¼ cup rinsed & drained quinoa
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup ketchup (or salsa)
1 tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
Pinch of salt & pepper
1 ½ to 2 cups broth (vegetable, beef or chicken)
  1. Add everything into the slow cooker; stir to combine, cover and set to high. Cook on high for 2 to  3 hours or low for 4 to 6 — until lentils are soft. Check and add more liquid and adjust seasonings as needed. 
  2. Serve warm on a bun — I served in on Parmesan & Thyme Focaccia in 5 (recipe to be added soon) with a slice of Cheddar cheese.
Recipe without photos . . .
Slow Cooker Lentil Sloppy Joes
½ cup finely chopped carrots
½ cup finely chopped mushrooms
¼ cup finely chopped onions
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¾ cup brown lentils
¼ cup rinsed & drained quinoa
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup ketchup (or salsa)
1 tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
Pinch of salt & pepper
1 ½ to 2 cups broth (vegetable, beef or chicken)
  1. Add everything into the slow cooker; stir to combine, cover and set to high. Cook on high for 2 to  3 hours or low for 4 to 6 — until lentils are soft. Check and add more liquid and adjust seasonings as needed. 
  2. Serve warm on a bun — I served in on Parmesan & Thyme Focaccia (recipe to be added soon) with a slice of Cheddar cheese.

Pizza in 5 -- artisan make ahead crust + a couple of toppings

In an early step in the original pizza recipe  from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Herbzberg and Zoë Francois, they state, “Thirty minutes before you’re ready to bake, preheat a baking stone at your oven’s highest temperature, with the baking stone placed in the bottom third of the oven (consider a longer preheat if you’re finding the crust results are too soft.) Later on they tell you to transfer the prepared pizza to a pizza peel and then to slide it from the peel to the heated stone. I have neither stone or a pizza peel but I do have a pizza pan with holes (for air circulation) and so decided to see if I could adapt the recipe to use what I have. It worked and I’ve included the directions based on my adaptations. I also baked the pizza in a countertop Breville oven and I think this helped with the browning process, too. (When Jeff demonstrated at the 2017 National Festival of Breads he mentioned, "The smaller the oven, the better flatbreads brown." )

The resulting pizza crust is crisp and just a little chewy. We think it is the perfect crust for a wide variety of topping and it is our new favorite!
The other great thing about this pizza – the dough is ready to use! Just roll it out, add topping and bake.

Pizza in 5
Toppings of your choice
Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day (website: BreadIn5)
  1. Prepare toppings in advance.
  2. Spray pizza pan (with holes) with pan spray.
  3. Sprinkle the surface of the refrigerate dough with flour. Pull up and cut off a half-pound (orange-sized) piece of dough using a serrated knife or kitchen shears.
  4. Hold the piece of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the dough a quarter-turn as you go to form a ball. Most of the dusting flour will fall off.

  5. Flatten the dough with your hands and a rolling pen on the counter to a 1/8” thick roud, dusting with flour to keep the dough from adhering to the work surface. Use a dough scraper to “un-stick” the dough as needed.
  6. When done, carefully transfer to prepared pizza pan and stretch to adjust to cover pan.
  7. Add toppings.
  8. Place the pizza in a preheated oven at high temperature (highest temp on our Breville oven is 450°) and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until crust is brown on top + browned and crisp on bottom – this usually takes an extra 2 to 5 minutes in the Breville.
A couple of Topping Ideas . . .
Classic Pizza Margherita (Mozzarela, Tomato & Basil) from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day
About 1/3 cup tomato sauce
3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut or torn into chunks
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly slivered or torn
Coarse salt + Olive oil for drizzling.
  1. Spread tomato sauce over dough leaving a half-inch border at edges.
  2. Add cheese and basil + a sprinkle of salt. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
  3. Bake according to directions above -- step #8. 
Cheeseburger Pizza
About 1/3 cup tomato sauce 
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1/4 cup each of chopped peppers and onions
1/4 to 1/3 cup sliced black olive
About 1/2 to 3/4 lb. browned ground beef
3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese (cut or torn into chunks)
About 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly slivered or torn
  1. Spread tomato sauce over dough leaving a half-inch border at edges, sprinkle with Italian seasoning. 
  2. Add peppers, onions and black olives.
  3. Distribute browned ground beef over the top and then add cheeses.
  4. Bake according to directions above -- step #8.
  5. Sprinkle with fresh basil once pizza comes out of oven.
Recipes without photos . . .
Pizza in 5
Toppings of your choice
Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day (website: BreadIn5)
  1. Prepare toppings in advance.
  2. Spray pizza pan (with holes) with pan spray.
  3. Sprinkle the surface of the refrigerate dough with flour. Pull up and cut off a half-pound (orange-sized) piece of dough using a serrated knife or kitchen shears.
  4. Hold the piece of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the dough a quarter-turn as you go to form a ball. Most of the dusting flour will fall off.
  5. Flatten the dough with your hands and a rolling pen on the counter to a 1/8” thick roud, dusting with flour to keep the dough from adhering to the work surface. Use a dough scraper to “un-stick” the dough as needed.
  6. When done, carefully transfer to prepared pizza pan and stretch to adjust to cover pan.
  7. Add toppings.
  8. Place the pizza in a preheated oven at high temperature (highest temp on our Breville oven is 450°) and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until crust is brown on top + browned and crisp on bottom – this usually takes an extra 2 to 5 minutes in the Breville.
A couple of Topping Ideas . . .
Classic Pizza Margherita (Mozzarela, Tomato & Basil) from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day
About 1/3 cup tomato sauce
3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut or torn into chunks
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly slivered or torn
Coarse salt + Olive oil for drizzling.
  1. Spread tomato sauce over dough leaving a half-inch border at edges.
  2. Add cheese and basil + a sprinkle of salt. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
  3. Bake according to directions above -- step #8. 
Cheeseburger Pizza
About 1/3 cup tomato sauce 
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1/4 cup each of chopped peppers and onions
1/4 to 1/3 cup sliced black olive
About 1/2 to 3/4 lb. browned ground beef
3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese (cut or torn into chunks)
About 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly slivered or torn
  1. Spread tomato sauce over dough leaving a half-inch border at edges, sprinkle with Italian seasoning. 
  2. Add peppers, onions and black olives.
  3. Distribute browned ground beef over the top and then add cheeses.
  4. Bake according to directions above -- step #8.
  5. Sprinkle with fresh basil once pizza comes out of oven.

Flatbread in 5: Rosemary & Onion Focaccia Bread

The base for this recipe is the Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day that I recently posted. It's a recipe I found on Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë Francois' website BreadIn5 and adapted it slightly to utilize the equipment I have on hand.
The recipe specifies using a baking stone. I do not have one but I do have a flat cast iron skillet that I substituted with no problem.
When Jeff demonstrated at the 2017 National Festival of Breads he mentioned, "The smaller the oven, the better flatbreads brown." That means our countertop Breville oven was perfect for baking this focaccia. The bread was crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Delicious to eat as bread or to slice open and fill with sandwich ingredients. 

Rosemary and Onion Focaccia Bread
1/4 medium white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves  (or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh)
Coarse salt
  1. Preheat a baking stone near the middle of the oven to 425°.
    I don't have a baking stone so I used a flat cast iron skillet. 
  2. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 9” cake pan (square or round)  and evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
  3. In a skillet, sweat the onions slices over low to medium heat in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until softened but not browned (if you brown the onions they’ll burn in the oven). Set aside to cool slightly.
  4. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit size) piece. 
  5. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
  6. Using your hands, flatten it into a 1/2” thick round. Place the dough top side down into the cake pan, and move it around a bit to cover it in olive oil. Turn the dough over, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
  7. Use your hands to gently push the dough to the edges of the cake pan. Arrange the onions over the surface of the dough, leaving about a 1” border at the edges. Allow some of the dough surface to show through the onion. You may not need to use all of the onions—if you can’t see much dough surface, you’re using too many and your focaccia won’t brown attractively. Sprinkle with rosemary and coarse salt (to taste).
  8. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and allow the focaccia to rest and rise for 20 minutes.
  9. After the focaccia has rested, place the cake pan on the baking stone in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the crust is medium brown and crisp on the bottom. Be careful not to burn the onions. The baking time will vary according to the focaccia’s thickness.
  10. Cut into squares or wedges and serve warm.
    Turkey sandwich between sliced Focaccia bread w/ potato salad on the side.
Recipe without photos . . .   Rosemary and Onion Focaccia Bread
1/4 medium white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Olive Oil Dough from Artisan Pizza and Flatbread In Five Minutes a Day
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves (or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh)
Coarse salt
  1. Preheat a baking stone near the middle of the oven to 425°.
  2. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 9” cake pan (square or round)  and evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
  3. In a skillet, sweat the onions slices over low to medium heat in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until softened but not browned (if you brown the onions they’ll burn in the oven). Set aside to cool slightly.
  4. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit size) piece. 
  5. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
  6. Using your hands, flatten it into a 1/2” thick round. Place the dough top side down into the cake pan, and move it around a bit to cover it in olive oil. Turn the dough over, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
  7. Use your hands to gently push the dough to the edges of the cake pan. Arrange the onions over the surface of the dough, leaving about a 1” border at the edges. Allow some of the dough surface to show through the onion. You may not need to use all of the onions—if you can’t see much dough surface, you’re using too many and your focaccia won’t brown attractively. Sprinkle with rosemary and coarse salt (to taste).
  8. Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and allow the focaccia to rest and rise for 20 minutes.
  9. After the focaccia has rested, place the cake pan on the baking stone in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the crust is medium brown and crisp on the bottom. Be careful not to burn the onions. The baking time will vary according to the focaccia’s thickness.
  10. Cut into squares or wedges and serve warm.