My friend Carolyn bought a stovetop pressure cooker, eager to make healthy meals as she endures the (everlasting!) east coast winter.  Here's a split pea soup recipe and  my top choices for pressure cooked meals (soup, stew, risotto, beans).  My spattered copy of Lorna Sass's Cooking Under Pressure has a risotto recipe that's worth the price of the book alone.

Split Pea Soup Adapted from Lorna Sass's Pressure Perfect (I took out the ham & butter) 

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1-3 stalks of of celery 
• 1- 2 cloves garlic minced, chopped, or even whole
• 2 cups (454g) green split peas, picked over - put them on a white plate or board and look for stones, then rinse them in a colander
• 6- 8 cups (1.5 liters) vegetable stock or water (use the larger amount to simmer the soup)
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• 1 t ground cumin or 2 t cumin seeds
• 1 t salt - plus more to taste - if you use vegetable boullion, try skipping the salt
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh cilantro or parsley or celery leaves for garnish

If you feel like being fancy, saute the carrots, onion, celery and garlic in the pot first.   Then add the peas, water, bay leaves, cumin & salt to the pot.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook 10 minutes. Turn off the heat. Allow the pressure to come down naturally. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow steam to escape. 

Remove the bay leaves.  Stir well, taking care to blend in the peas that have sunk to the bottom. Add additional salt to taste, as much as 1 teaspoon, if needed.  Add more water or broth if it feels too thick. Sprinkle with cilantro and cracked fresh pepper  just before serving.

Enjoy!

Sometimes you just need a little help.  It's hard to walk into your favorite coffee shop, or a splurge like Blue Bottle that I had two weeks ago, and not buy something "yummy" like a scone, muffin, donut, piece of cake, brownie, croissant.  Clearly I could go on and on.  

Do they sell fruit?  Sure, if you want to spend $5+ and also get some cheese & crackers. It's hard to walk in hungry and walk out with an unsweetened iced tea.  But I'm here to tell you it can be done - easier if I stop at the grocery store for some snacking fruit like grapes first. (damn, I mean praise those Chileans who send their grapes to my supermarket in March!) 

Some "greener" choices at Starbucks that feel like a treat?  Iced passion tea.  A fancy Clover brew with a little milk. And maybe some grapes from down the street.