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!

Instant Pot-----Whole Chicken

This recipe was super easy and tasty. I think what I loved most is that the leftover meat that we ate for lunch the next day had such a great depth of flavor. This isn't your typical, chicken, carrots and potatoes. It's a totally different spin on it. We served it with white rice, but you could use just about any starch with it. 

Instant Pot Whole Chicken

1 Whole Chicken

1/2 cup cilantro (no need to chop)

Whole head of garlic, peeled (I love garlic)

6 green onions, chopped

1 inch of ginger root (no need to peel)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

Rinse your chicken, and sprinkle with salt

Turn your Instant Pot onto saute, adjust to the hottest setting

Put cilantro, 1/2 the green onions, 1/2 the garlic and the ginger root inside the chicken

Place chicken in and turn to brown on all sides

Add the remaining garlic and green onions

Add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of Instant Pot

Pour the soy sauce over the top of the chicken

Close the Instant Pot

Cook on Poultry on high for 25 minutes

Enjoy!

Instant Pot----Creamy Cauliflower & Fennel Soup

It's the first day of September which means Fall is coming, when I think of Fall I think of cozy sweaters and scarves. Now I don't really live in a place that gets "really cold" but I can't help but love pulling on a sweater, wrapping a scarf around my neck and throwing on my boots. And of course when the weather is scarf worthy what is better than a nice warm soup for dinner. When I saw this recipe I knew we'd like it, and as always I tweak it to make it mine, to add flavors I know my family would enjoy. This soup really hit the spot, so creamy and flavorful, and easy.
Creamy Cauliflower & Fennel Soup
1 lb cauliflower
2 medium sized fennel bulbs, fronds removed
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 white onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic peeled, left whole
1 cup coconut milk
3 cups bone broth
2 tsp salt
1 lb cooked chicken (I used my Instant Pot and cooked my chicken first, then picked it off the bone and kept the bones for bone broth and used the chicken in the soup)

Turn Instant Pot onto saute on high
Add coconut oil, onion and garlic cook for 2-3 minutes
Add cauliflower and Fennel and cook for 5 minutes, make sure to stir them up a bit
Pour in the coconut milk, bone broth, and salt
Cook on soup setting for at least 5 minutes
Once done release pressure, and remove the lid
Use a hand blender to blend until creamy and smooth.
Once smooth pour into a bowl and add chicken to the top and serve.
Enjoy!

Instant Pot---Chili Verde

Having never cooked with Tomatillos before I was excited to try this recipe. And I can tell you I'll be cooking with Tomatillos more often. They were so easy to use and the flavor was spot on. This dish was put together in 5 minutes and then 15 minutes to cook. Couldn't ask for an easier recipe.

Chili Verde
1 white onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled (but left whole)
15 tomatillos, husked and quartered
3 anaheim peppers, remove seeds and chopped
1-2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp salt
3 lbs chicken Chicken, skin on bone in
1/2 cup Cilantro, more for garnish
Green onions
corn tortillas
sour cream

Add chicken, tomatillos, anaheim peppers, onion, garlic, cumin and salt to pressure cooker. Heat on high until gently sizzling, seal Instant Pot and cook for 15 minutes.
When it's done release the pressure take the chicken out and pull off bone.
Add cilantro to Instant Pot and with a hand blender blend until smooth. Taste test to see if it needs more salt or cumin
Add chicken back to sauce
Serve with green onions, tortillas, sour cream & cilantro

Now keep in mind while making this the tomatillos and peppers become your sauce, so the more sauce you want the more tomatillos and peppers you add. Now don't forget if you add more tomatillos and peppers you want to up your onion, garlic and cumin too. You can even spice it up a bit by throwing in some jalapenos or a habanero if you like it really spicy. I didn't go that route as I still have little mouths to feed and was worried I'd get it too spicy for them. But next time I think that I could get away adding a jalapeno as it would add a nice spice.

Enjoy!

For my crock pot folks, don't think I've forgotten about you. This could easily be done in the crock pot, just follow the same recipe cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Lemon Butter Chicken---Instant Pot

This, this is quite possibly an all time favorite way to eat chicken. It was so moist and the flavor was perfect. We served it over rice pilaf, but could easily be served over brown rice, white rice, noodles or even quinoa. 

Lemon Butter Chicken

Chicken bone-in, skin on (I used 2 legs and a large breast)

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp sea salt and fresh ground pepper

5 tbsp butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup bone broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Juice of 2 lemons (or 1 big one)

1 tbsp fresh or dry thyme

2 cups spinach, chopped (I used fresh could easily use frozen)

2 tbsp cornstarch

3 tbsp cold water

Set Instant Pot to Saute and Adjust to the hottest Saute mode

Season chicken with paprika, salt & pepper

Once the pot is hot add 3 tbsp of butter to melt

Add seasoned chicken a few at a time skin side down and sear both sides

Remove from pot and drain excess fat & discard

Melt the remaining butter in the empty pot and add garlic until fragrant

Stir in bone broth and heavy cream use wooden or nylon spatula to scrape bottom of pot

Stir in Parmesan, lemon juice from one lemon and thyme

Add the chicken back to the pot skin side up.

Press Cancel, then Press Poultry (or Manual) and adjust time to 8 minutes.

When done allow it to Natural Pressure Release for 5 minutes, then release remaining pressure

Use a thermometer to check chicken is done

Set oven to broil and place chicken in oven skin side up for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown

Press cancel on the Instant Pot, then press Saute

Stir in chopped spinach, stirring until the spinach has wilted

Mix 2 tbsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp cold water

Add to the sauce and wilted spinach and stir until it has slightly thickened. 

Press Cancel

Serve the lemon spinach over rice, noodles, quinoa...etc

Add chicken on top

Squeeze additional lemon juice over the entire dish

Enjoy!!!

Instant Pot---Bone Broth

When I make bone the first thing I do is collect all my vegetables and herbs that I'm going to use. I cut the entire bottom off of a head of celery and cut the tops off to all go in my broth. I cut the tops off my carrots (no greenery) and bottoms off. Then go get fresh rosemary and thyme from our garden. Then I get my garlic ready, an entire head sliced in half skin on and all. Lastly I grab my onion and slice it in half as well, skin on. Now I don't have any pictures, because I forgot. But here's the basic recipe. What I love most about the Instant Pot is something that used to take 24 hours, now takes 2. Now seriously, what am I going to use those other 22 hours for...oh I have plans.


Bone Broth

Chicken bones (or beef bones)
Celery, use all of it the heart, leaves
Carrots, tops (no greens) all of the carrot
Onion cut in half skin on
Garlic, whole head cut in half skin on
Sprig of Rosemary (or if using dry 1 tbsp)
Sprig of Thyme (or if using dry 1 tbsp)
Bay leaf
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Water to cover

I start by adding my bones to the Instant Pot and adding the vinegar. This is a very important step as the acid helps make the nutrients in the bones more available. Add water to cover. Let this sit for 10 minutes or so. Then add all other ingredients, Cook on high pressure for 120 minutes.

That's it.
We actually go through so much bone broth we make it weekly, and now that it's only takes 2 hours instead of 24 I can fill my freezer for Fall/Winter.
Enjoy!

Carnitas

Carnitas in the Instant Pot. I wanted to mix it up a bit and try something other than a soup. I knew I wanted to test a Carnitas recipe as that is one of our very favorites that I make in my Crock Pot. So I thought I'd give this a go and we ate every last bite. 

Carnitas

Pork loin (mine was 1.3lbs but next time I need bigger)

4 garlic cloves, whole and peeled

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp of ground chipotle pepper (more to taste)

1 white onion sliced

Brown pork in the Saute function with a little oil, sliced onion and garlic cloves.

Add all seasonings

3/4 cup of water

Close the Instant Pot, choose Meat function for 30 minutes (more time for bigger pieces of meat)

Serve with corn tortillas, fresh avocado, green onion, and I made a sour cream and lime juice sauce!

Enjoy!

Instant Pot---Phake Pho

Pho real, this was so so good and easy. I easily could see eating this in different variations weekly. The kids each had two full bowls; note to self next time double recipe.
Now this isn't going to be a traditional Pho, why for a few reasons. I didn't have all the spices of traditional Pho and to be honest I'm not a huge fan of the cinnamon and other spices that typical Pho is. But it doesn't mean that this isn't an absolutely fantastic soup and so easy. You can mix up the vegetables you add








Pho
2 lemongrass stalks, cut in 2 inch pieces
3/4 of a leek sliced
3 green onions, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fish sauce (optional)
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, can leave whole skin on
3 large pieces of ginger, no need to peel
Pieces of chicken bone in, skin on (I used a huge breast and two legs)
Water to cover (add extra if you like lots of broth)
Bok choy, chopped
Noodles (***see note below)

Add all spices, fish sauce, soy sauce, place chicken on top and cover with water.
Turn on Instant Pot for 30 minutes on high, I used the "meat" button.
When done release the pressure.
Strain the broth and shred meat off the bone. (make sure to save your bones for bone broth, stay tuned for my Instant Pot bone broth recipe)
Place all back in Instant Pot and add additional vegetables of your choice for 5-6 minutes
Additional vegetable options:
Bok Choy, snow peas, bean sprouts, daikon,carrots, celery...
Serve with Jalapenos, Limes, Basil, Cilantro, Green onion

***Noodles, now I'm sure this can be added to the Instant Pot, but I haven't been brave enough yet as we are very particular at the al dente "ness" (that's totally a word if not, I'm making it one) of our noodles you know being Italian and all.  So we cooked these in a pot on the stove, totally defeating the purpose of one pot cooking but I can't risk soggy noodles. I will get brave enough to add noodles, I will, I'm just not that confident yet...Soon...Soon.

Now go make this, eat it all, and enjoy!

Instant Pot---Congee

 I've resisted buying an Instant Pot for a while but have desperately wanted one. Finally it was on sale and I had a little extra funds to buy it, and the timing couldn't be better. If you know me you know that I LOVE my crock pot, I typically use it at least two times a week. Well, so far I've used the Instant Pot everyday since I got it on Saturday. I've steamed corn, artichokes, roasted potatoes, and made ribs. I plan to post the rib recipe but I didn't get any pictures because they were so darn good they were gone before I remembered to get a picture. Last nights recipe, oh I cannot even put into words how much we all enjoyed it. I knew I wanted to try something I've never attempted to cook before, so I found the perfect recipe, tweaked it a bit and made what is definitely a family favorite. Although it's still summer this tasted really good but I can picture eating it on a cool Fall/Winter night and know that it will taste even that more satisfying. 

Congee
2 tbsp fat/lard of your choice
4 ribs of celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 a leek, sliced
4 tbsp grated ginger
1 lb ground pork (or any meat of your choice)
1 1/2 cups rice (rinsed until water runs clear)
9 cups bone broth/water (I dilute my bone broth some as the cooking adds an additional depth of flavor and we use a ton of bone broth throughout the week)
1/2 tsp salt
Napa cabbage, chopped
Green onions, sliced
Start with the aromatics:
Turn Instant Pot on to Saute, add lard/fat, celery, garlic, leek and let cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Turn off Instant Pot.

Add the ground meat, salt, ginger, rice and broth.
Attach lid, close the vent and press the "porridge" button, for 30 minutes.
When done, open lid and stir to break up any big pieces.
Stir in Napa cabbage and green onions.
Enjoy!