Zuppa Toscana ---- Instant Pot

Need something cozy to eat before cuddling in front of the fire this Fall and Winter. I have a great recipe for you. I've made this many times before in my crock pot and love it, but seeing that I have the Instant Pot I figured I'd attempt it in there. I love it even more in the Instant Pot because you take out the extra step of using a different pan on the stove...and I'm all for using one dish when cooking.

Zuppa Toscana --- Instant Pot
1 lb Italian Sausage
1/2 lb bacon chopped
3 cups chopped potatoes
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
4 green onions, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 cup kale or spinach
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Chop sausage and bacon into bite sized pieces
Turn Instant Pot onto saute on the hottest setting.
Add tbsp of oil or butter
Add garlic
Stir in bacon and sausage, brown completely.
Cancel the Instant Pot, drain the grease off bacon and sausage.
Add potatoes, broth, water, green onions and bacon and sausage.
Close Instant Pot and set to "Soup" mode.
Change time to 25 minutes.
Once done, release pressure and open Instant Pot.
Add whipping cream and spinach/kale.
Close Instant Pot and set for manual 7 minutes.
Release pressure and Enjoy!!!!

Cranberry Sage Pies

Every Thanksgiving we look for unique recipes rather than just sticking with the traditional dishes, this is a recipe I stumbled upon a few years ago and it's become a favorite. We all look forward to it every year, so much so that we now incorporate it in our Christmas Eve feast as well. They will not disappoint, and they'd be a great potluck dish that will wow the guests.






Cranberry Sage Pies

For the Cranberry Sage Filling:
2 Cups fresh cranberries
4-5 med/large fresh sage leaves (to taste)
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup brown sugar, not packed (to taste)

2 tablespoon orange juice, freshly squeezed
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

For the Pie Pastry:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
Zest from 1 orange
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup cold butter, cut into small squares
1 7.5oz container of creme fraiche
1 egg, lightly beaten

To make the pie pastry:
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, zest, salt and baking powder. Add the butter, with your hands until it resembles a coarse mixture. The butter should be pea sized when you stop working it in.
Stir in the Creme Fraiche. The dough will be very scraggly. Turn it out onto a well floured surface, and bring it together with a quick few kneads.
Pat the dough into a log, and roll it in a rectangle. Lightly flour the top of the dough, then fold it in half, then in half again, re-roll it out and repeat. Fold dough in half, then in half again and wrap tightly in saran wrap.
Chill for at least 1 hour. (I always make this the day before and refrigerate overnight, if you do this make sure to take out of fridge at least 2 hours in advance so that you're able to work with it).

Preheat oven to 425F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out your dough, use a circle cookie cutter to make the bottom. The tops can have a design (or you can just use a knife to make slices). Fill the bottom with 1 heaping teaspoon of filling. Fit the top and crimp edges with a fork, brush crust with the lightly beaten egg, sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake the pies for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

For the cranberry sage filling:
In a food processor pulse cranberries and sage until a fine texture.
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan set over medium high heat. Simmer, stirring almost constantly, until mixture starts to thicken --- about 5 minutes. Turn to very low heat and let cook another 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool, once cooled fill pies. (I always make this the day before and store in fridge until I'm ready to make the pies.).
If you have leftover pie filling it makes a great jam, or if you are like my kids you can eat straight out of the bowl with a spoon!