POTATO COOKING POT RECIPES

Steps:

• Turn on a 6- to 8-quart electric pressure cooker and select the sauté setting (on the more, or hot, setting, if you have it). Add the vegetable oil, then half of the mushrooms. Season with salt, and brown for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove the first batch of mushrooms and place on a plate. Add a little more oil if the pot is dry, and brown the second batch the same way, seasoning with salt and transferring the mushrooms to the plate when done. 
• Add the butter to the pot, then the onion. Season with salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the onion just begins to soften. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute more, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the sweet and smoked paprikas; stir well to combine the spices with the onion. Add the wine and carefully scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a spatula. Add the vegetable stock, then the potatoes and mushrooms, along with any accumulated liquid on the plate. Season generously with black pepper. Turn off the sauté setting. Close the lid and twist the pressure knob to seal. Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes. 
• Turn off the pressure cooker and quick-release the pressure by carefully turning the pressure knob to venting. While the steam releases, combine the sour cream with the flour in a medium bowl. Uncover the pot and stir in the crushed tomatoes. Whisk a few ladlefuls of the hot liquid into the sour cream mixture. Add the sour cream mixture and the herbs to the pot. Stir well, and adjust the texture of the stew with up to ½ cup of water if it is too thick for your taste. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if you like.

Steps:

• In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon (if using) until crisp, 12 to 13 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate or cutting board. Return the pot with just 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat to the stove. (If there’s not enough fat, supplement with butter to total 3 tablespoons.) If making the soup vegetarian, melt butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Over medium-low heat, sauté the white parts of the scallions and the garlic until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently and adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid burning the garlic. Add the potatoes, milk and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (resist the urge to heat it faster as this can lead to curdling). Once at a boil, lower the heat and simmer covered until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• As soup simmers, prepare the potato skins: Warm the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Working in batches if needed, add the potato peels in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until crisp and golden-brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or cutting board, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic powder. Crumble and set aside.
• Once the potatoes are tender, take the pot off the heat, and purée the mixture with an immersion blender if you’d like a smooth soup. (Mash with a potato masher if you’d like a chunkier soup.)  Stir in the sour cream and cheese until combined, then season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with crumbled bacon, more sour cream and Cheddar and the green parts of the scallions. Top with potato peels (eat any extra as chips, dipped in ketchup and mustard).