#159: PLANTSTRONG Snackables - Is the Instant Pot® Really Worth It?
Pam “Trail Momma” Kropf Shares Why She Can’t Live Without Her Instant Pots!
We’re here to make PLANTSTRONG living as simple as possible and one of the topics we receive a ton of questions about is batch cooking, or prepping food for the week all at once.
Well, as the kids head back to school and we enter into Fall activities season, I wanted to talk to one of the experts about her game-changer appliance in batch cooking - the Instant Pot®.
Pam Kropf, known as TrailMomma on Instagram, is a long-time PLANTSTRONG athlete, a busy mother of two active kids, and in between her own training and coaching, she also works a full-time job.
She is the definition of time-starved, which is why we could think of no better person to have on this episode to talk about how she uses the Instant Pot® to make delicious, easy, and fast meals for her family.
We dish on:
How to get started with the basics in your Instant Pot®. Not ready to cook a full meal? No problem! Use it to cook oats, rice, or quinoa for the week (3 parts water/liquid to 1 part grain). The “set it and forget it” aspect is great for a busy schedule
The many benefits of the Instant Pot® vs. Using Your Stove
How fast does it really cook?
What are some easy go-to recipes for a family that is also constantly on-the-go?
We discuss this and more, so if you’ve had your Instant Pot® in a box since the holidays, it’s time to break it out and get cooking!
Koles Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Found on page 219 of the Engine 2 Diet book
1 head of cauliflower
3 cups yukon gold potatoes, usually 3-4 (skin on)
1 large onion
2 large carrots
2 stalks of celery
4 cups low sodium veggie broth
2 T peanut butter
2 T Tamari
Chop the first 5 ingredients and put into your Instant Pot®.
Add the veggie broth.
Close the Instant Pot®, make sure the vent is set to sealing.
Set manual cook time for 8 minutes.
Let pressure release naturally (let the button come down all by itself) - about 10 minutes
When the button falls, open the lid carefully, add the peanut butter and tamari.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup to a creamy consistency.
Optional: Add kale, red pepper flakes and smoked paprika.
Episode Resources
Follow Pam on Instagram: @trailmomma
Pam’s Favorite Instant Pot® Recipes
PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 10th-15th, 2022 - Dr. Doug Lisle - the esteemed evolutionary psychologist and co-author of The Pleasure Trap - is attending our upcoming Sedona Retreat to give three of his paradigm shifting lectures that help us understand all the forces working against us in our quest to live plantstrong. Once you SEE the system we live in - you can’t UNSEE it. And Dr. Lisle is a master in giving us language and tools to set ourselves on a permanent path to success. And great news! Our Sedona retreat has been approved for 21.5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants. And 21.5 Nursing Contact Hours for nurses…. And 2.2 CEUs for other healthcare professionals as part of the registration fee for our PLANTSTRONG Retreat.
To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE.
Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there!
We’ve also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don’t forget to tag us using #goplantstrong 🌱💪
Want to live your best PLANTSTRONG life? Join our exclusive PLANTSTRONG Community of friendly, plant-loving peeps! This is a goldmine of resources, recipes, and incredible support to feed your PLANTSTRONG life.
Full YouTube Transcript
Rip Esselstyn:
This is a reminder that we have our last live in-person retreat this October 10th to the 15th, it is in magical Sedona, Arizona nestled in the Red Rock Mountains. We've got eight spots available. We have a full itinerary, designed a faster connection and inspire all kinds of new ideas on how you can enhance your lifestyle. We've got stargazing, pickleball, ghost stories, vibrant plant strong meals, world class lectures, yoga, hiking. It is incredible. Come spend a week with us and discover all that's possible with a plant strong lifestyle, simply visit plantstrong.com/sedona for all the details. And as a bonus, healthcare providers can earn continuing education as part of the registration fee.
You've said that this is one of the most important tools that you have in your kitchen. You couldn't live without it. Can you just sum up for me as a busy mom and everything else you have going on, how this has been such a game changer for you?
Pam Kropf:
You're right, Rip. I could not live without the InstantPot. I work a full-time job. I have two kids, 11 and 14. They play five different sports. I help coach three different teams. And eating healthy food is important to me and to my family. And without these, I don't think we could do it because we would just be short on time and reaching for last minute foods. And this help keeps us on track, healthy and still playing sports and running and riding trails.
Rip Esselstyn:
I'm Rip Esselstyn and welcome to the Plantstrong Podcast. The mission at Plantstrong is to further the advancement of all things within the plant-based movement. We advocate for the scientifically proven benefits of plant-based living and envision a world that universally understands, promotes and prescribes plants as a solution to empowering your health, enhancing your performance, restoring the environment and becoming better guardians to the animals we share this planet with.
We welcome you wherever you are on your Plantstrong journey. And I hope that you enjoy this show. One of the topics that we receive so many questions around is the idea of batch cooking. How do I do it? How can I make it easier? What types of food should I be batch cooking? Why does it seem to take so long? And as the kids head back to school and we enter into fall sports season, I wanted to talk to one of Plantstrong's finest, Pam Kropf, about one of the game changing appliances in batch cooking, the InstantPot.
Now Pam, known as trail mama on Instagram, is a longtime PlantStrong athlete. She's a busy mother of two active kids and also works full time in between her training and her coaching. She is the definition of time starved, which is why I could think of no better person to have on this particular episode of snackables to talk with me about batch cooking with her InstantPot, actually InstantPot because she owns more than one.
So how exactly do you use it? What are the benefits of an Instantpot verse just cooking on the stove? What are some of her favorite recipes for the family? We discussed this and much more today. So if you've had that Instantpot in your cupboard since purchasing it over the holidays, let's break it out and get cooking. And if you're listening to this podcast and you want to see her demos and photos, visit the episode page at Plantstrong podcast.com and we'll have a clickable link to the YouTube video.
Hey, Plantstrong gang, welcome to another episode of snackables, where we chew on all things plant based. Today I've got a very special guest for you all. Her name is Pam Kropf and I've known Pam since about 2015 when she attended one of our plant stock events at the Esselstyn Family Farm and farm in Upstate New York. And she has been just a fantastic supporter of all things, plant based, all things in the Plantstrong world. And she's a very busy, active mother. And so I thought it'd be great to get her on and we can talk to her about running, we can talk to her about cooking, Instantpot, kids. Yeah, so this is just perfect for snackables. Pam, hello?
Pam Kropf:
Hi, Rip. Thanks for having me.
Rip Esselstyn:
Oh, yeah. So tell me, where do you live? Where are we talking to you from?
Pam Kropf:
I am in Northern California, up near Sacramento, Folsom area, that way. And I just came from soccer practice.
Rip Esselstyn:
Okay. And so you guys are feeling the heat there?
Pam Kropf:
It's getting warm. It was 102 on Friday. We're about 89, 90 this morning at around 8:30 or so. So it was a cool breeze at soccer. So, that was nice.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. And so you have been a very avid runner for a while. What started that?
Pam Kropf:
Well, I did team sports in high school. I did soccer, I did basketball. I did softball all through high school. I got to college and my freshman year we had four roommates in a small little room. And then it progressed to, I think, about seven by the time I was a senior. And I unfortunately didn't do sports when I went to college. I did all the intermural stuff but I started really just missing the active stuff. And with seven college roommates in one little dorm, it was really nice to just go out and go for a run to clear my head, think about my schoolwork.
And so that's where it started. And then I moved to California and there's like a race out here every single weekend. And I just started volunteering at those because they seemed really cool. And then I'd get inspired. I volunteered at the marathons, saw them finish and was just blown away. And so started doing marathons and then jumped into Ultras and the rest is history.
Rip Esselstyn:
And so when you say Ultra, what does that mean to you?
Pam Kropf:
I ran my first 100 back in 2019. So a hundred miles up in Southern Oregon, anything over a marathon distance. So 50K, 50 miler, 100K. I just ran a 100K last month to get my fifth time qualifying for Western States. I've been trying for the last five years.
Rip Esselstyn:
Oh, my gosh. So this will be your first time doing the Western States 100.
Pam Kropf:
No, no, I didn't get in yet. I have fingers crossed. I got my tickets to get into the lottery to get pulled. So I should have 16 tickets, if you do the Western States math. The Ultra runners will know what that is. I'll have 16 tickets in the lottery this year. So fingers crossed. We'll see.
Rip Esselstyn:
Wow. And so you've been doing this for a while. And how long have you been eating kind of Plantstrong?
Pam Kropf:
28 years.
Rip Esselstyn:
Really? And so what started that journey?
Pam Kropf:
It started back in high school. I've always been an animal lover. So it sort of started with that. I also really never liked the taste of meat growing up. I was that kid that would hide my turkey under the mashed potatoes. Or we didn't have a dog, unfortunately, so I'd give it to my brother or whatever. And then when I got to high school, it was, you're under my roof you have to eat the way that we're feeding you. And I wasn't on the ball enough to go out and research beans and tofu and all those other things that could substitute it.
So I continued sort of hiding it. And then 1994, my junior year, my mother passed away from a heart attack. She was 47, totally unexpected. And that sort of subconsciously just switched in something in my head. And back then, no one knew what meat and everything and dairy did really to your heart and your body. But me, subconsciously, I was like, that's it. So 1994, I cut the ties, went all plant based, maybe not the healthiest at first, but then I eventually found my way.
Rip Esselstyn:
And so your mother passed away from a heart attack at 47. Is your father still alive?
Pam Kropf:
He is. He had a heart attack, I believe, in his 70's. And he had three stents put in and it just increased. Then I had two kids of my own and I was like, "There's no way I'm leaving this world early. I want to see them get married, have their own kids, all the milestones that my mom missed. My prom and my wedding and the birth of my children." And I'm 45. So I'm getting close to that age where she passed. So it was more important than ever to eat healthy, stay active, be active, keep the family active. That's always been my inner drive.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. Well the good news is that we now know that genetics does not determine your fate, right? What really determines your fate is lifestyle and what's on your dinner plate.
Pam Kropf:
Yep.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. And so you've got two kids. You've got a also, oh, a husband that's very active, as well. He's really into mountain biking. What's his name? Vans.
Pam Kropf:
His Instagram is Vans, yeah. We got married in Vans. He wears Vans all the time, so he kind of got stuck. But his name's Charlie.
Rip Esselstyn:
Charlie who likes to wear Vans. Nice. I actually love Vans, too. They're so easy just to slide in and out of.
Pam Kropf:
Absolutely.
Rip Esselstyn:
So let me ask you this. So on your Instagram, you have a post where you say, jobs fill your pockets but adventures fill your soul. What's the latest adventure that you've been on, Pam?
Pam Kropf:
I drove to San Jose all by myself. I ran a 100K, which is 62 miles. No crew. Finished, got third in my age group. Went back to my hotel, showered, slept, woke up, drove home, went to soccer tryouts the next morning, straight there. And then next weekend or next month, I'm going to Tahoe for a 55K race up in Tahoe. So I try to plan a little adventure if I can each month.
Rip Esselstyn:
Lovely. Now when you're out there running, is there a favorite surface you like to run on?
Pam Kropf:
Oh, trails. Single tracks, soft trails. The Western Stage trail's perfect. I love Auburn, which is the endurance capital of the world. It's just beautiful. Some shade, a little bit of sun. I'm one of those weird people that like the heat sometimes. So I don't mind it if it's a little bit hot but nice soft trails. Perfect.
Rip Esselstyn:
So your Instagram handle is Trail Mama. How did that come to pass?
Pam Kropf:
Back in 2009 ... So I've always been obsessed with Western States. My previous life, I was a producer for PBS and they did a documentary on the Western State's race. And I thought, "Holy cow, this is amazing." And so I went out and I volunteered two years in a row, actually dragged my husband out there one year. And he was like, "Why would anyone want to do this?" I'm like, "I want to do this."
So I researched how you had to do it. And you had to run a certain distance and qualify and all this stuff. So I signed up at my local running store to do their ultra training program. And they would show you the trails around Auburn and cool, which is fantastic because I had nowhere to go. So I ran my first 50K and then a month after that I ran a 50 miler, all with this group right before my daughter turned two. My first daughter turned two. So you met some great people. You learned all the trails and then I've been sticking with it ever since.
Rip Esselstyn:
Well, being such a fan of the Western States, it must have been a real thrill for you to attend Plant Stock in 2016, when we had Scott Jurich there. And when everybody went on a run with Scott.
Pam Kropf:
He was amazing. He ran with me and he told me, he said, because we talked for a little bit on that run. And he's just like, "It's really hard to get in. Just be patient with the lottery because not many people get in with one ticket." Five years later, I'm still trying.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yes, you are. Well, and for the listeners that don't know, Scott Jurich, he's all plant based and he has won the Western States 100 mile run seven times.
Pam Kropf:
Crazy. I saw him finish quite a few times, too. I would drive out there and watch him finish.
Rip Esselstyn:
Wow, wow. Fantastic. All right. So Pam, I want to pick your brain today on the InstantPot. I think people call it Insta, but it's spelled instant. I mean, some people they swear by this thing. It has changed their lives, they couldn't live without it. I want you to know that we do not have an InstantPot. I'm kind of a little bit intimidated and overwhelmed by it.
So I'd love for you to kind of assuage my concerns about the InstantPot. So how long have you had 1, 2, 3 in your house? How do you use it? What do you use it for and all this stuff? And let me also say to everybody listening that I have no affiliation with InstantPot, I'm not making a penny off them. This is purely just kind of curiosity. And, of course, Chef AJ screams from the mountain tops about the InstantPot. So let's dive in. Where did we start, Pam?
Pam Kropf:
Okay, well, I got my first InstantPot, which is the six quart, seven-in-one duo in January of 2015. And I think I saw some ... It might have been Chef AJ. It might have been somebody else on YouTube. And I thought, "What is this thing?" Because I would spend weekends with four pots on a burner trying to make beans, trying to make rice, trying to make quinoa, so I could have batch cooking. And it was horrible because I'm terrible at staying by the stove. So I would wander off and everything would bubble over and then I'd have to clean my stove, it was just a nightmare.
This thing has changed my life. So in 2015, I got my first one. I got it on Amazon and I think I paid $147 for it. I went back and I looked and now they're like 80 at Target, Amazon. And then two years later, yeah 2017, 2 years later, my husband decided we needed to have another baby. And so he got me the three quart version because I was lugging the six quart on our vacations, on my trail runs, like destination races, where we would be staying in a hotel, I'd bring it with me.
We'd bring it every time we go to Tahoe, we'd bring this. So he got me the smaller one in hopes that I'd bring the smaller one. I still bring the big one because it just makes so much. But now oftentimes I use both at the same time, almost every single day. So I make anything from soups. I make my beans for the week in there. I make quinoa, I make rice. I basically batch cook everything in the InstantPot and then it's just grab and go all throughout the week in the fridge.
Rip Esselstyn:
So you say you like to make soups in there. Give me an example of some soup recipes that people might be able to cook in their InstantPot.
Pam Kropf:
Absolutely. So I do create my own from time to time, but I'm terrible about writing down ingredients. I usually throw things in. But I do love looking at a recipe and then trying to morph it into an InstantPot recipe. So Cole's Cauliflower Soup from your book, my kid's favorite. So I've morphed that into an InstantPot recipe.
Rip Esselstyn:
Hold on. Now, you know, you got to let me jump in here. Especially when you say Cole's Creamy Cauliflower Soup. So for people that don't know, that was the first solid food that my son Cole ate when he was, I don't know, one and three quarters or two. And it's really, it's a creamy cauliflower, onion, cauliflower, I think onion, carrots-
Pam Kropf:
Celery,
Rip Esselstyn:
Celery, nutritional yeast. The optional ingredient is throwing in some peanut butter but it is really nice.
Pam Kropf:
My kids love it. And it's funny because give them a carrot or celery or an onion and they won't eat it but it's in there.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. It has to be prepared the right way.
Pam Kropf:
Yeah, yeah. And then the Sweet Holy Deliciousness Soup. I love that out of the PlantStrong cookbook or one of your cookbooks. And then, oh Pierce's Red Lentil, that's from the cookbook. We love that one, as well. So I make all of those in the InstantPot. I just adjust the liquid because that's really all it is. And then that's what we have for dinner every week and then lunch for leftovers.
Rip Esselstyn:
Now do you ever do oatmeal in the InstantPot?
Pam Kropf:
So this is more for my husband and I. Some nights the kids want something else. They're not into the savory oats yet, but I love steel cut oats and making savory oats. So I morphed my own recipe and that's what we have for dinner most of the time. I don't mind it for breakfast but my husband, he's not a savory breakfast person, he's a sweet guy. So we have that for dinner probably once a week, I'd say. I just change up the greens.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. Well that's fun. And that's one of my mother's favorite recipes on the planet is those savory oats with the greens. She also loves to put in some Shiitake mushrooms, the nutritional yeast, the Turmeric because it's so anti inflammatory. For some reason I'm not a huge fan of the savory oats but for dinner I could see getting into it, but not for breakfast.
Pam Kropf:
Do you like salsa?
Rip Esselstyn:
I do.
Pam Kropf:
Add some salsa to your savory oats, that changes the ball game. Makes it so good.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. Well my mother's a big fan of putting in the sriracha.
Pam Kropf:
Okay, yes.
Rip Esselstyn:
But sriracha's salsa, yeah. Okay. So in doing my research for the InstantPot, some of the things that I really liked about it, obviously I love how inexpensive it is. I think that's really important right now with inflation and everybody's hurting right now. I mean the fact that you can get one of these for anywhere from 50 to $100 is, I think, phenomenal. As you said, it's super convenient. So you can just, if you don't like being in the kitchen, you can throw all your ingredients in there and then you set the timer and then come back. Do you ever run the risk of overcooking something?
Pam Kropf:
I haven't yet. It's been great. I am not a fan of InstantPot lingo. There's the natural release and then there's the pressure release, where you release the pressure yourself. I tend to just let it all go. And I leave the house and I go to soccer practice or basketball practice and I come home and it's done and it's super hot. My kids learn the hard way that you can't just go dig in right in. You have to let it cool because it is quite warm. But I haven't, knock on wood, had any mishaps by letting it cook.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. Well, several years ago, pre-COVID when I'm in LA, I like to usually hang out with the Nelsons. I don't know if Jeff Nelson and his twin daughters, Will and his wonderful wife. They always have three InstantPots going literally. I don't know if you knew this, but three and in one they have oatmeal. In one, they have rice and in one they have the beans of the day. And so, any point during the day, you can just grab a spoonful of either beans, rice, oats or a combination and you're off to the races.
Pam Kropf:
And there's a warming feature. So in some of the InstantPots, like mine's old school, this one's old. When it finishes cooking, it automatically switches to warm, so it stays warm until you shut it off. The newer ones have a feature where you can say warm on or off. So when it finishes, you can make sure that it turns off automatically and doesn't stay warm or you leave the warm on. So if I'm making rice or something and I know we're not going to be home for a few hours, I kind of leave it on. So it just stays warm and then dinner's ready as soon as we walk in the door.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah, yeah. What I also like in doing my research is the fact that it's not made of aluminum or some of these non-stick surfaces. It's all stainless steel, which is something that makes me feel really good when I'm cooking with something that I know is not going to be somehow toxic.
Pam Kropf:
And it's super easy to clean. I have not had an issue cleaning it once. And even if I have burned something on the bottom, it comes off super easy.
Rip Esselstyn:
And so you say you like to really batch cook.
Pam Kropf:
Yes.
Rip Esselstyn:
And so show me if you have it there, how easy is it to put something in the fridge after you've made a lot of rice or beans or a soup or something?
Pam Kropf:
Absolutely. Well, so the InstantPot comes with the normal pot. You can buy lots of accessories. I love accessories. So I have these silicone lids, one for each size of the InstantPot. So basically, if I cooked rice in here and I wanted to cook something else in there, you can put these silicone lids on the InstantPot and you can just store it in the fridge this way. So then your kids can pull it out, pull off the silicone lids, scoop some rice into a bowl and heat it up for themselves. That way you can make multiple things at one time.
And the other thing I love is the steamer basket. I like the basket because in the winter, especially, I save all my veggie scraps when I'm making anything. I save the ends of the carrots, the skins of the onions, the skins of the potatoes. I store them in my freezer and I put them all in here and I make my own veggie broth. So you just lift this up out of the InstantPot with all the veggies in here and all the broth pouring through. This goes in my compost, all the scraps and I have fresh made veggie broth that I store. And usually I do this in the winter because it's so darn hot, I make soup ... Or in the summer it's too darn hot. In the winter, I make so much soup.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. Well that is very trick. Can you pull up, show me the basket ... Not the basket but the pot again with the lid on it?
Pam Kropf:
So here's the pot. This is the three quart version.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. So if, let's say, you pull that out of the refrigerator and if I want to heat something up, do I have the option of putting it back in the InstantPot and then turn the InstantPot on? Or do you just put it into a microwave safe dish and do that?
Pam Kropf:
If there was soup in here, I would a hundred percent say you could put this back in the InstantPot, turn on the warm feature and let it sit for a little bit and it would totally warm up. Rice, I don't think would get soft enough or quinoa or anything like that. But totally you could totally put this back in the InstantPot, turn on the warm feature and you'll have your soup in a couple minutes.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. No, I'm glad you said that because, again, in doing my research, what I discovered was that you need at least a half to one cup of liquid in your recipe. Otherwise, the unit won't fully pressurize.
Pam Kropf:
Right. But the warming feature can turn on. I used to do cooking demos at my work and I would bring the InstantPot because I don't have a hot plate and so I would just use it as a warming feature. It's kind of like a warming button is a hot plate sort of, for the most part.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah, yeah. Another thing that I discovered was that, which I really like because we love using frozen ingredients in just about everything that we make. And with the InstantPot, there's no need to defrost frozen ingredients, you can just throw it in, right?
Pam Kropf:
Absolutely.
Rip Esselstyn:
Just put the temperature up or not the temperature, increase the time by maybe a few minutes.
Pam Kropf:
Yeah, absolutely. Depending on what it is. And I will often make a big batch. We love chickpeas in my house. I make a huge batch of chickpeas and then I'll freeze some of them. So when I do make a soup, rather than dumping canned beans in there, I just take the frozen chickpeas out of the freezer, dump them in with the soup and cook everything up.
Rip Esselstyn:
And then if you're using dried beans, there's no need to soak or pre-cook, you can just throw them in with the other ingredients, which is really nice.
Pam Kropf:
Yes, yes.
Rip Esselstyn:
And then the other thing that I saw is that besides cooking rice, beans, grains, oats, chilis, stews, some people make yogurt with this thing. You can saute vegetables in this thing as you showed us with that basket or doing the broth. You can bake in it.
Pam Kropf:
Yes. I've made a cake in mine.
Rip Esselstyn:
Trick. And then also you can pop popcorn using the saute function.
Pam Kropf:
I haven't tried that. I need to try that. My kids love fresh popped popcorn. So I'll definitely have to try that.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah, yeah. Is there anything else you want to say about the InstantPot? I mean, I think that's pretty darn cool.
Pam Kropf:
I love it. And if you're new to it, the one thing I would say is, start out easy. So for me and by easy, I mean, start with lentils. I love red lentils, yellow split peas. You can't go wrong trying to cook these because they cook quickly and they absorb the water. If you start off with something like chickpeas in a soup, you run the risk of not cooking them long enough. And then you have to keep putting it back in and making it longer.
But lentils are easy, split peas, green peas and then grains. I would start off with those if you're new because it's super easy to add those. My trick is always one cup of the red lentils and then three cups of liquid is sort of your range. If the recipe calls for one cup and you add three cups of liquid, that's kind of my easy makeshift.
Rip Esselstyn:
Is it safe to say that out of every instrument tool that you have in your kitchen, the InstantPot is the most valued in the Kropf household?
Pam Kropf:
Hands down, a hundred percent. It's probably the one used the most, multiple times a day.
Rip Esselstyn:
Well, okay. You've inspired me. I will definitely have to go out and get one. And I think what do we have currently? We just have some rice cooker, it's called a Zimbab ... I don't even know what it's called. I don't even want to try and pronounce it. Do you have anything currently brewing in those two pots in front of you?
Pam Kropf:
I sure do. Big surprise. I have Cole's Creamy Cauliflower Soup in here. I made it before I went to practice today because my kid was so excited, she wanted to have it for lunch. So this is the easiest thing to make. The ingredients are cauliflower, Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, celery and onion. And you put all of that in the InstantPot with four cups of broth and you set it for eight minutes. You let the steamer button come up. Don't touch that button, let it sit.
I let the pressure release naturally. And then when it's done ... Another tool to have with your InstantPot, I find and it's an extra, is the immersion blender. I couldn't be without this either because it's so hot, you don't want to have to transfer to a blender of any kind. So I just use this. I puree everything up, so my kids have no idea what's in it. And I think we also add either some cashew butter or some peanut butter and then Tamari. We have two tablespoons of Tamari in there, as well to kind of spice things up just a little bit.
And then, I usually, for my kids, I take a bowl just like this and I will put that in the bowl for my 11-year-old and 14-year-old. And that's what they'll have for dinner. And then for the adults, now it depends. Usually I serve them, then throw the kale in. But if I do that today, my 11-year-old's going to be furious.
So I have a bowl with just shredded kale in here and then you're going to take it and you're going to put your soup right over there. And it wilts the kale because the soup's so hot. You wilt that up and then the kick it up a notch adult part of me that loves this is red pepper flakes. You add that on top and some smoked paprika and that's it. It's so filling and so good. Generally, we don't have much for leftovers between the four of us but sometimes we do. But my kids and I love this.
Rip Esselstyn:
And is Vans as nutty about eating this way as you are?
Pam Kropf:
He is and you know what? The first seven years of our marriage, he tried to stay his own course and he did okay. And I told him, I said, "Look, I've been plant based for so long you don't want me cooking meat for you. I might give you salmonella. I have no idea how to cook meat." So he kind of did his own thing on the barbecue. Whenever I'd make dinner, he'd make his own thing. And then I think he just started going, "Gosh, she ran a 50 mile and a 50K and she's back out, she's doing something." And I went for a 50 mile bike ride and I'm sore. So he started figuring it out and then he watched, Forks Over Knives, and that was the end of that.
And it's been over 10 years, he's been plant-based himself. And you know how it is with the guys riding bikes, they give him a hard time. And so they call him, he's plant based Charlie or plant Charlie or whatever it is. But what was great was, 2016 at Plant Stock we had Rich Roll and he was so gracious. He it was also Vans' birthday that day. So he did a birthday video for Vans that said, "Don't let the guys rile you up, stay Plant Strong. It was awesome."
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. And I'm sure he's also seen the game changers.
Pam Kropf:
Yes. Oh a hundred percent. We saw that when it came out and then we've watched it multiple times since then. He's a believer. He knows how he feels when he doesn't eat PlantStrong. And he accidentally veered off once, six or seven years ago. He didn't know something had something in it and he said he felt awful, awful. So he's on board.
Rip Esselstyn:
And so after doing one of your Ultras, typically how long does it take you to recover? I mean, I would imagine it's a couple days.
Pam Kropf:
It is. So my 100K was last May or last month in May and I was pretty beat up after that one. But I also ran harder, ran faster. It was a super hot day. It was the hottest day of the year, so far. So it really got hot and it was kind of the first hot day. So it was kind of a shock to the system. But I was out walking within a few days. I mean, I walk anyway but power walking and then I think I was running about a week later. My coach wanted me to be really smart about coming back. I had torn my calf a year and a half ago, so she wanted to make sure that I was pretty solid coming back and not rushing anything too much.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. Yeah, it's remarkable just by eating this way how ... Because it's such a anti-inflammatory, just way of eating after pummeling yourself for 50, 75, 100 miles, it allows you to recover. I actually don't know how much quicker than if were comparing it to a typical omnivore, but I would imagine it's probably somewhere in the neighborhood of twice as fast.
Pam Kropf:
I agree. I would agree.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. All right. Do you have something in the other pot, as well?
Pam Kropf:
I don't. I was going to make my beans and then I'm going to do that when we get done.
Rip Esselstyn:
Got it. And will you show me, so how do you take the top off of that thing?
Pam Kropf:
So yeah, I'll do this one so you guys can see on the ... So it twists and then this is your steamer button when you want to vent the steam. So this thing right here is the super hottest thing in the world. So you never, ever want to touch that. So when it does cook, it'll come to pressure and the button will pop up and then that's when you know it's doing its thing. And then when it's done cooking, the button will go down or you can release via this knob but you don't want to have anything over this because that's hot steam coming out of there. And they do sell little things you can put on your steamer knob that will direct the steam out and away from cabinets or hands or whatever you have. But it's perfect. And then you just turn it and you lift.
Rip Esselstyn:
Right.
Pam Kropf:
And one more trick of the trade. You see these things that you get at the Dollar Store, this cleans the sides of your InstantPot perfectly. It's a little paint sponge. So it's really hard to get into these nooks and crannies.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah, nice. And for that steam, you can get a Game of Thrones dragon that you put on top of there?
Pam Kropf:
It's awesome. And it comes flying out, it's so cool. I have to get one. I got one for a gift.
Rip Esselstyn:
And so when that steamer thing goes back down, does that mean the dish is done?
Pam Kropf:
Yes. It means that the lid can be unlocked. You cannot get this thing off if that button is up. So you don't have to worry about your kids strolling in and trying to open it or anything, it will not open until that button is down.
Rip Esselstyn:
Wow. Even if I unplugged it?
Pam Kropf:
Even if you unplugged it.
Rip Esselstyn:
Wow.
Pam Kropf:
You have to wait for that button to get done. That means all the pressure building inside has been released.
Rip Esselstyn:
All right. I have a few questions for you.
Pam Kropf:
Okay.
Rip Esselstyn:
The first is, you say that you prefer hammocks to hot tubs. Why is that? What is it that you don't like about hot tubs?
Pam Kropf:
I-
Rip Esselstyn:
Because you say you like the heat.
Pam Kropf:
I do like the heat. To me, it feels like you're sitting in a bathtub with a bunch of people.
Rip Esselstyn:
Right.
Pam Kropf:
I mean, I know it's good for your muscles and I guess if it was my own hot tub, I'd be fine with it. But it's very rare you'll get me in a hot tub. My kids love it. My husband love it. I'll just sit in the hammock and read my book.
Rip Esselstyn:
We just got to pretend you're sitting in an InstantPot with a bunch of your friends.
Pam Kropf:
Exactly.
Rip Esselstyn:
Okay. You also say that when you're on your trail runs and you come across a tree swing, you got to swing in it. Have you ever gotten in trouble for swinging on a swing that you had no business swinging on?
Pam Kropf:
Nope.
Rip Esselstyn:
Nope, nice.
Pam Kropf:
Record still stands, but you have to. Even at a playground, you got to matter your age. You got to get on that swing.
Rip Esselstyn:
Now when you're running, do you wear earbuds? No. Do you listen?
Pam Kropf:
No.
Rip Esselstyn:
No.
Pam Kropf:
I'm a big proponent of listening to nature and where I live there's mountain lions, there's bears. We have rattlesnakes galore, so you really need to pay attention to your surroundings. But I just love the sounds of nature. The birds. I don't love birds but you can hear the turkeys really early in the morning, gobbling everywhere. I love it.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah, yeah. I am the same way. I've been training, whether it's swimming, biking and running or hiking for ... I don't know. Gosh, close to 50 years now. Obviously in the pool, although with technology these days, you can wear some headphones in the water but I don't like that. But whether it's running, biking, I've tried it for 30 minutes and I just feel very detached from myself, my surroundings-
Pam Kropf:
Your breath, your breathing, everything.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So to me it's a bit of a mess trying to listen to music and work out.
Pam Kropf:
I ran 100 miles and I didn't listen to music once, the whole time.
Rip Esselstyn:
Very, very, very nice. All right. So I saw on your Trail Mama Instagram, you made a breakfast that I want to ask you about. It was your gluten free oats and then it was some riced cauliflower, flax seed, dark chocolate chips. And then I think some peanut butter powder and then-
Pam Kropf:
Yeah, peanut butter flour.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah, yeah. And so tell me a little bit about that and why the riced cauliflower? Is that because you're trying to get your leafy greens?
Pam Kropf:
Absolutely. You got to get them in at every meal. And I don't mind kale at breakfast but I don't have the time, especially with kids and work and coaching, to make two separate things. So I just throw it all together and have my cauliflower with my oats.
Rip Esselstyn:
Well that's brilliant. And you used a frozen riced cauliflower-
Pam Kropf:
Yep.
Rip Esselstyn:
... that you just threw in there on top of the oats. I'm going to start doing that, too, because cauliflower is kind of very neutral, right? And I love the fact that you get the benefit of eating a green leafy with all the nitrates. And as everybody out there knows, we want to protect our endothelial fortress, as my father likes to say.
Pam Kropf:
Yes, absolutely and it's delicious.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. What have you had to eat today? Anything?
Pam Kropf:
Today I've been running around like crazy. I did have a bowl of oatmeal. I didn't do the riced cauliflower. It was kind of one of those quick get out the door. The other thing my kids love, the labor day banana bread made into muffins. So I make double batches and I keep them in the freezer. And my 11-year-old comes out every morning and she'll defrost it in the microwave and head off to soccer practice. And so sometimes I have one of those, too.
Rip Esselstyn:
Yeah. That badass banana bread. That's a winner in our house, too. This has been really wonderful. It's been a long time. I really appreciate you joining me today. And for another episode of snackables and kind of getting us all up to speed on the InstantPot.
Pam Kropf:
Yeah. It's not something anyone should be afraid of. It's really easy to use. There's a million different videos out there. I've had friends FaceTime me, text me, "I've got an InstantPot. What do I do? Give me the play- by-play. Give me the step-by-step." And I usually start them off with Cole's Cauliflower Soup because that's one of the easiest things to make and the most delicious. So start small, work yourself up.
Rip Esselstyn:
What does the InstantPot mean to you?
Pam Kropf:
I could not live without my InstantPot. I work a full-time job. I have two very busy kids that play five sports each. I help coach three different teams. I love to run. My husband loves to mountain bike. And eating healthy is super important to us and I couldn't do it without these devices right here because it just makes meal prep so much easier and helps keep us on track so that we're still riding and running those trails and playing soccer and all that stuff.
Rip Esselstyn:
Woo-hoo. All right. Trail Mama, Pam Kropf. How do you pronounce your last name exactly? Krop?
Pam Kropf:
The P is silent. So it's Kropf.
Rip Esselstyn:
Kropf. Oh, the P, Kropf. All right.
Pam Kropf:
Yep. The P is silent.
Rip Esselstyn:
Pam Kropf. Thank you.
Pam Kropf:
Thank you.
Rip Esselstyn:
Hey, give me a little PlantStrong bump.
Pam Kropf:
Boom.
Rip Esselstyn:
Boom.
Pam Kropf:
It's good to see you.
Rip Esselstyn:
Thanks Pam for taking the time to show us just how easy and delicious it can be to use the InstantPot. And as she said, start with easy ingredients like oats, rice, quinoa, soups and then you build from there. Just having a base of grains for the week can go a huge way in building nutritious meals for the entire family that is on the go. We'll be sure to put a link to some of the recipes, including Cole's Cauliflower Soup in the show notes at plantstrongpodcast.com.
Thanks for listening and always keep it PlantStrong. The PlantStrong Podcast team includes Carrie Barrett, Laurie Kortowich, Ami Mackey, Patrick Gavin and Wade Clark. This season is dedicated to all of those courageous true seekers, who weren't afraid to look through the lens with clear vision and hold firm to a higher truth. Most notably my parents, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. and Ann Crile Esselstyn. Thanks for listening.
