Sassy Sesame Tofu with Sweet Potato, Carrots and Sugar Snap Peas & Vegan Under Pressure GIVEAWAY

I have had my Instant Pot almost one year and it wasn’t until I stumbled upon Jill Nussinow‘s Vegan Under Pressure that it really clicked. I knew it didn’t have to only be rice and beans, but I finally took the leap to other meals with the cookbook. Quick and easy orange-scented beet salad, maple mustard brussels sprouts, potato salad, and this delicious Sassy Sesame Tofu. There are so many more recipes I still want to try: Lemon Cashew Cheesecake! (in a pressure cooker!) Red Lentil, Sweet Potato Hemp Burgers!

I suppose it was stuck in my head that when you have to wait for the pressure cooker to come up to pressure, pressure cook and naturally release, it can take a long time. However, what I forgot to realize is that it is mostly really long wait times when the pot is filled with liquid. Lots of liquid. When I made this dish, filled with vegetables, tofu and a bit of stock, it took very little time to come up to pressure and to release it naturally. It was a quick meal! Game changer!

The flavours here were great: al dente sugar snap peas, tender (purple) sweet potatoes and carrots with a creamy sweet chili sauce that coated the tofu. Just like a perfect stir fry, except in a pressure cooker (and let’s be honest, cooked sweet potato would never work for a quick stir fry). Serve with fresh rice for a complete meal.

Thankfully, the publisher allowed me to giveaway the cookbook to a reader living in the continental United States. To be entered in the random draw for the book, please leave a comment below telling me about your favourite pressure cooker recipe or your experience with pressure cookers. The winner will be selected at random on December 4, 2016. Good luck!

Recipes from Vegan Under Pressure shared elsewhere:

4 Cs Warm Rye Berry Salad
Herbed Polenta
Greek Stewed Lima Beans
Maple and Vinegar Braised Parsnips
Orange Scented Beet Salad
Thai Red Curry
Borscht
Sassy Sesame Tofu
Garlic Parsley Mashed Potatoes
Red Lentil, Sweet Potato Hemp Burgers
Straight Forward Cashew Lemon Cheezecake
Tapioca Berry Parfait

I am sharing this with Meat Free Mondays and Healthy Vegan Fridays.

Sassy Sesame Tofu 
with Sweet Potato, Carrots, and Sugar Snap Peas
Time: 10 minute prep, 3 minutes high pressure, quick release, 1 minute high pressure, quick release

Author’s note: This crowd-pleasing recipe is a simple and delicious way to prepare tofu, which gets firmer under pressure and absorbs the flavors of the cooking liquid. It cooks very quickly. It’s best to cook the sugar snap peas on low pressure for just a minute so they don’t become mushy. The sweet and spicy sauce at the end makes it even more special. Serve this over any type of rice or other grain.

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 medium yellow, white, or sweet onion, sliced from top to bottom to equal about 2 cups
1 carrot, peeled and cut on the diagonal into ½-inch pieces
1 cup diced peeled sweet potato
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 pound extra firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 to 2 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable stock
2 cups sugar snap or snow peas, cut in half
2 tablespoons Sweet and Spicy Red Pepper Sauce or sriracha (I used sweet chili sauce)
2 tablespoons tahini, optional, for a richer dish
2 tablespoons chopped scallion, for garnish

1. Heat a stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat or set an electric cooker to sauté; add the sesame oil. Add the onion, carrot, and sweet potato and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds and sauté another minute. Add the tofu, tamari, vinegar, and stock.

2. Lock the lid on the cooker. Bring to high pressure; cook for 3 minutes. Quick release the pressure. Carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from you.

3. Add the peas and lock the lid back on. Bring to low pressure; cook for 1 minute. (If you do not have a low pressure option, lock the lid on and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes.) Quick release the pressure. Remove the lid, carefully tilting it away from you.

4. Stir in the pepper sauce and tahini, if using. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and the chopped scallion and serve.

Variations: Use broccoli florets or 1-inch pieces of green or wax beans instead of the peas. Cook at low pressure for 2 minutes with a quick release.

Serves 4.

Text excerpted from Vegan Under Pressure, © 2015 by Jill Nussinow. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. Photo © Lauren Volo. Available wherever books are sold.

Contest Rules: No purchase necessary. Contest period begins Saturday, November 19, 2016 and ends Sunday, December 4, 2016. For American and Canadian residents only. Approximate retail value US$18. Enter by writing a comment answering the prompt for a chance to win.  Entrants must supply a valid email address. Winners will be notified by email and must respond within 48 hours.