Hot & Sour Soup

In interest of changing things up around here during Fall & Winter. I tried my hand at a Hot & Sour Soup. I can tell you it surprised me how well it turned out. We made it just spicy enough, next time we're going to do two batches one normal spice and one with extra heat for those who want it. The kids loved the way this one turned out, so I'll leave the recipe as is. I would consider this a 2-3 on the spice level, not burn your lips spicy but a nice warmth in the stomach. 

 Hot & Sour Soup

3 cups bone broth (or veg. I used chicken)

3 cups water

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup vinegar (rice, apple cider or white) 

1 whole head of garlic sliced in half (leaving skin on)

1 finger of ginger (about 1 inch long, sliced, skin on)

1 tsp Taekyung red pepper powder (or 1 Tbsp Sriracha to taste for spice)

Salt & Pepper to taste

2 eggs well beaten

Sliced green onions

1) In Instant pot place water, bone broth, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and Taekyung red pepper or Sriracha. Close and turn to "soup" cook for high for 20 minutes.

2) When done, strain and place broth back into IP. Taste and season as necessary 

3) Turn IP to Saute, when nice and hot pour in beaten eggs stirring constantly. 

4) Serve with green onions on top

Mangia!

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---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!

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!

Whole Chicken

I've finally mastered cooking a whole chicken. Now that it's Fall and we use our bone broth almost weekly in meals, we quickly run out of bone broth. In order to get the bones for bone broth, I need to cook a whole chicken.  This recipe took some work to perfect, but the last 3 times it's turned out perfect. So now it's time to share my secret.

Whole Chicken
2-5 lb whole chicken (I love the Organic, pre-brined chicken from Trader Joes)
4 carrots chopped
4 celery stalks chopped
5 red potatoes chopped (I sometimes substitute, sliced butternut squash, acorn squash or delicata squash)
1 whole onion (red or yellow) cut into quarters
1 large rosemary sprig
1 large thyme sprig
1 garlic head (peel each clove individually)
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Turn on oven to 275 degrees
Place Whole Chicken in cooking pan large enough for chicken and the vegetables
Put potatoes (or squash), celery, carrots, onion and whole garlic cloves around the chicken
Pull some rosemary and thyme off the sprigs and sprinkle around the vegetables
Drizzle top of chicken with olive oil, garlic powder, salt & pepper
Place in oven (no foil necessary) @ 275 until chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit
We then save the bones and that same night make our own bone broth (you can find that recipe in my archives on September 29, 2013). That broth I use for the base of all my soup recipes.
****Mix it up a little bit by substituting the potatoes for a squash, either sliced butternut, sliced acorn, or delicata squash.

Enjoy!