Soups and Sides: Pressure Cooked Split Pea soup with Beer Bread

1 lb dried split peas
about 8 cups water
2 pork chop loins (cubed)*
1 onion (diced)
1 potato (cubed)
2 carrots (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp lapsang souchong tea
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Fill Pressure cooker with all ingredients. Make sure the pot is no more than half full. Place pressure cooker lid on pot and lock in place, also place the weight/rocker on top. Bring to high pressure and cook for 30 minutes.  Let cool a few minutes- it will thicken up.

*For more flavor, cook up in a pan prior to putting into your pressure cooker.

Simple Beer Bread:
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar*
1 12 ounce bottle beer (I used Kirin Ichiban Wheat beer)
a pinch of salt
Heat oven to 375* Mix all ingredients well, place into bread pan, Bake for 45 or so.

*I recommend reducing the sugar content- as this bread is very sweet. I got this recipe in the comments of this http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/11/beyond-easy-beer-bread.html blog. I think the blogger's recipe would be delightful.


(I will be tweaking this recipe to see what happens. I really liked how this turned out but I can tell there is room for improvements. I may even try to make a gluten-free bread to eat with the soup, I haven't decided yet.)