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!

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!