New Year's Resolution

Do you make a New Year's Resolution?  Usually I have a theme or intention for the year and don't make specific resolutions but this year I was inspired by Big.  She is super goal oriented and on Christmas Eve, she read me a list of about 10 of hers . . . a few of which she's already made happen (like getting her Etsy shop up and running).  I was inspired by how she read through the Bible in a year and one of my goals this year is to do the same.  21 days in and so far so good.  

One of my other goals is to make some different recipes instead of the same old standbys.  It's easy to just make the same rotation over and over so that the girls don't complain about what's for dinner, but we all need to branch out a bit and try some new things.  My initial idea is to take something they like and make a different version.  I saw a recipe for a Moroccan Tagine that looked delicious and I thought that a tagine is basically a chili (right?).   Everybody ate some of it - it was a little too spicy for Little and Big didn't like the texture and I had leftovers for days.  

I like how it has lots of flavor, lots of vegetables, and you can easily omit the cooked chicken and double the chickpeas to make it a vegetarian main dish.  I used the harissa from Trader Joe's instead of just a paste so that may be why mine was a little spicy . . . but I added even more to my dish.  I served it with naan bread and you could also serve it over rice or cous cous.

Moroccan Chickpea & Chicken Tagine (recipe from Half Baked Harvest by Tieghan Gerard).

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped

1 T grated fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes

2 T harissa paste

2 tsp smoked paprika

3/4 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup cooked chopped or shredded chicken

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, for serving

Instant Pot Instructions:

In the Instant Pot, combine onion, ginger, garlic, carrots, bell pepper, tomatoes, harissa, 1 cup of water, the spices and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.

Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.  Use a quick or natural release.  Open the pot and put it on saute.  Stir in lemon juice, chickpeas, chicken, and simmer on low until the protein is heated through, about 5 minutes.  Add more water to thin if needed.  Top with cilantro to serve.

Stovetop Instructions:

Heat 2 T olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.  Add the onion, ginger, garlic and cook until fragrant 3-5 minutes.  Add the carrots and bell pepper and continue cooking for about 5 more minutes or until the carrot is softened.  Add tomatoes, harissa, 1 cup of water, the spices, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir, cover, and cook until the tangine has thickened and is stew consistency (about 15-20 minutes).

Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice, chickpeas, and chicken and cook until the protein is heated through, about 5 minutes.  If it's too thick, add more water.  Serve with cilantro on top.

Fake Out Take Out

During Covid-19 days, we have done a lot of cooking and eating at home and tried to approximate versions of restaurant cooking that we miss.  While take-out is readily available in our area, we haven't ordered too much and a few weeks ago, I made this version of Orange Chicken that was delicious, not deep fried, and will continue to satisfy my craving for Orange Chicken.  The girls all enjoyed it and it was a hit all around.

Instant Pot Orange Chicken (serves 4)

Recipe from A Fork's Tale

4 chicken breasts

3/4 c. barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)

2 T soy sauce

3/4 cup orange marmalade

2 tsp cornstarch

Chopped green onions (for garnish)

Optional:  Cooked white rice or cooked ramen noodles (for serving)

Chop the 4 chicken breasts into large chunks.  If the breasts are sliced too thin or the chunks are too small, the end result will be dried out.  Add the chunks with eh barbecue sauce and soy sauce to the Instant Pot.  Cook on manual high for 4 minutes.  When it's done, do a fast release.  Take 1/4 cup of the liquid from the instant pot and put it in a bowl.  Whisk in the 2 tsp cornstarch.  Return it to the instant pot (the whisking should eliminate lumps).  Then, stir the marmalade into the instant pot.  Mix well and then change the setting to "Sauté" and leave it there for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Turn the heat off and let it sit for 5 more minutes.  The sauce will thicken.  Garnish with green onions.  Serve over rice, noodles, or by itself.

Enchilada Verde Soup

Some things my girls have done to amuse themselves while we had to stay at home . . . 

Taking glamour shots of each other on my iPhone

Lots of drawing (check out Art Hub for Kids)

Visiting local farms / produce stands

Jedi light saber battles

Painting random crap (she's getting really good!)

Studying (so glad we got the new desk set up before all this) 

Riding bikes

Swimming

Dyeing hair and holding the guinea pig

Back when it was raining while we were doing "stay at home" I was craving some comfort food.  From, chicken enchiladas are the ultimate comfort food but I had also been wanting to make white chicken chili - this is a combination of both. I had some of these ingredients, an old recipe and wanted to remake it for the Instant Pot.  I'll give the IP directions first using frozen chicken and then the way to make it in a slow cooker or on the stove.  I know that using the cooking liquid might seem a little gross at first but it just made a really flavorful chicken broth and since I was using boneless, skinless trimmed chicken breasts, it wasn't very fatty.

I served it with a sheet pan of nachos from the oven which was delish but tortilla chips to dip into it or crumble on top will also work great!

Enchilada Verde Soup (serves 6)

1 lb frozen chicken breasts
1 can of chicken broth (or about 2 cups)
1 can of diced green chilis
12 oz salsa verde or green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1 T cumin
1/2 T chili powder
1 cup frozen corn
8 oz block cream cheese

Place the frozen chicken breasts in the instant pot with the chicken broth and pressure cook at high pressure for 12 minutes.  Do a 5 minute natural release.  Leave the liquid in the pot and remove the chicken and shred it (if it's not shreddable, you can put the lid back on and pressure cook for 2-3 more minutes and do the natural release again.  Mine was good with this amount of time).

Put the shredded chicken back in the pot in the cooking liquid and add the green chilis, salsa verde, frozen corn, diced onion, cumin, and chili powder.  Pressure cook 3 more minutes and do a natural release.  Open the pot up and  add the cream cheese.  Put it on sauté and stir it until the cream cheese is melted and incorporated.  If it's too thick, you could add a little water or chicken broth.  Taste and add salt / pepper / something spicy (tabasco or cayenne pepper?) if desired.

*With chicken that's not frozen:  Adjust the initial cooking time (probably only 7 or 8 minutes)

*Without an Instant pot:  Cook the chicken in some broth on the stove top or in a slow cooker until it's super tender and will shred.  Then add the rest of the ingredients except the cream cheese and simmer for about 20-30 minutes on the stove top or slow cook for 2-3 hours on low.  On a low simmer, do the rest of the steps (stir in cream cheese / check seasonings).

Taco Tuesday

#32 - Big's first season of basketball just ended

The little girls maximize our time running errands in the afternoon

Homework in Zeus's playpen

My three enormous humans!

When the girls got home one night recently and asked, "What's for dinner?"  When my reply was, "well, it's Tuesday!"  They yelled "Tacos!!"  Tacos are a go-to in this house (although it's not often actually on a Tuesday) and my usual recipe is ground beef and hard shells.  I've been looking for a shredded beef recipe and this one did not disappoint!  The rub & combination of orange juice and beef broth was delicious.  The last photo above is some of the citrus that the girls picked in our yard and our neighbor's yard so I used fresh squeezed juice.  We all have our own topping preferences so the most "work" involved in taco night is getting out all the toppings and putting them away.  I usually make a big taco salad for myself with black beans & I use the salsa as dressing.  

If you don't have an instant pot, this could go in the crockpot for 8 -10 hours.  I would usually sear the beef first if I wasn't going to pressure cook but it's probably not necessary.

Instant Pot Shredded Beef (serves 6)

from 365days of Slow & Pressure Cooking

1.5 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp cumin

1.25 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 T olive oil

2-3 lbs beef chuck roast trimmed of excess fat & cut into 4 equal pieces

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 cup beef broth

1 yellow onion, quartered

4 garlic cloves, minced

In a small bowl, stir together the spices and olive oil to make a paste.  Rub this mixture over the 4 pieces of beef.  Add the orange juice & broth to the pot. Lay the pieces of beef in the liquid and spread the onion slices on top.  Sprinkle the garlic on top.

Make sure the valve is closed and set the manual / pressure cook button to 50 minutes on high pressure.  I used a full natural release but you can move the valve to venting after 15 minutes if you want.

Remove the beef from the pot and shred.  I also fished out the cooked onions and served them as a taco topping.

Instant Pot Minestrone

My kids like chili and I make it pretty often and thought minestrone would be a good alternative to change it up.  Two out of three enjoy it so that's not bad!    I served it on New Year's Eve and had the spinach and pasta on the side for people to add to their bowl and then had toppings of parmesan cheese, parsley, and red chili flakes.

Recipe notes:  I like to make the pasta separately and just stir it in at the end - I think the results are better - but you could also add it to the pot when you add the zucchini.  If you want thinner soup, add more water and if there is a particular thing your people don't like (zucchini, spinach) you can leave it out.  I buy the prechopped mirepoix from Trader Joes so this comes together really quickly.

If you don't want to make this in the Instant Pot, you could do it all on the stove top.  Simmer the soup instead of the pressure cook part for 10-15 minutes and add the beans and zucchini and return to a simmer until the zucchini is cooked.

Minestrone Soup (makes about 8 cups)
Adapted from LifeMadeSweeter blog

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp dried thyme
32 ounces diced tomatoes
3 T tomato paste
1 bay leaf
4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 medium zucchini, small dice
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 cups fresh baby spinach chopped (optional)
1-2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
shredded or grated parmesan cheese (for serving)
fresh parsley, finely chopped (for serving)
1-2 cups cooked (al dente) small shell or macaroni pasta

In the instant pot or a stove top pot, sauce the onions, garlic, carrot and celery for about 3 minutes.  Add the seasonings and tomato paste and saute 30 seconds more.  Dump in the diced tomatoes and broth. Turn your instant pot to pressure cook on high for 2 minutes (make sure valve is set to sealing).  When the time is up, do a quick release.  Then, turn the instant pot to saute.  Add the zucchini and beans and cook for another 10 minutes.  Stir in the spinach (if using) and allow it to wilt (1-2 minutes).  Add more water if you want a thinner soup.  Stir in balsamic vinegar, cooked pasta and serve with parsley and parmesan cheese.

Soup in the Instant Pot

I know that soup is a popular type of recipe in the instant pot, but so far this is the first one that I've made.  I was initially resisting the instruction to dump it all in and turn it on without sauteing the onions or browning the chicken, but I needed a quick meal on a busy evening so I followed the instructions - measured, dumped, and pressed the button.  Because I haven't made something with so much liquid before, I was worried that I pressed something wrong because it took a lot longer than normal to come up to pressure and start counting down the minutes.  I texted my sister about this and she told me it would be okay . . . and it was!

Bottom line:  Although the setting is for 13 minutes of pressure cooking, plan on 40 minutes total start to finish.  I don't think it would have been any better with additional steps of sauteing so go ahead and put all the ingredients in and start it up.

Recipe notes:  No instant pot?  I think the same results could be achieved with 4-6 hours in a slow cooker.  My kids added sour cream and all 3 ate it!  I wanted more spice which I achieved with the optional chopped jalepenos.  Chicken breasts would probably work just as well.

White Chicken Chili (non-dairy / Instant Pot)
serves 6
Original Recipe from A Pinch of Healthy

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
5 cups chicken broth or stock
2 cans white beans (like cannelini), drained and rinsed
1 can diced green chilis (mild)
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
For serving:  chopped cilantro, chopped jalapenos, sour cream (all optional)

Add all the ingredients (except cilantro, jalapenos, and sour cream) to the instant pot.  Place the lid on and lock it.  Make sure the valve is seat to "sealing."  Use the manual setting to pressure cook for 13 minutes.  Do a quick release.  Remove the chicken thighs and shred them with two forks.  Return to the pot and serve immediately.  Serve the cilantro, jalapenos, and sour cream on the side.
4sp (0sp with chicken breasts)

Instant Pot (Kid) Flop

My kids are quite the food critics and will often voice their opinions in a constructive way (this is good but too spicy, I don't like this together with that) but not this time.  I made a new instant pot recipe which I could barely get them to taste and paired it with potstickers which they've loved in the past but also would barely taste this time around.  Sigh.

I, however, was a big fan.  I like cooked cabbage, I like egg rolls, and I've wanted to try a "deconstructed egg roll" recipe for awhile.  It was quick, nutritious, and tasty.  I made some plain chicken potstickers for the girls but the Trader Joe's Chicken Cilantro Wontons for me.  This would be a good low-carb side dish with the previous short rib recipe, with grilled fish, or even with sashimi.  If you use a GF soy sauce and teriyaki sauce, it would be gluten free.

Deconstructed Egg Roll (in an instant pot) makes 6 cups
from You Brew My Tea blog

4 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups bean sprouts (I used fresh but you could use 1 can, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste after cooking

In a bowl, mix the broth, sesame oil, soy sauce, teriyaki, ginger and garlic.

Pour broth in the bottom of your instant pot.  Pour in cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts.  Cover with the sauce mixture and stir it all together.  Set to manual / pressure cook and cook for 7 minutes.  Do a quick release and remove lid.  Stir well and taste.  Add salt and pepper if desired.

1SP / half cup

Inspiration

What inspires you to make the food you make?  To try new recipes?  For the last year and a half, I've been more intentional about eating healthy (and, if I'm being honest, eating less).  It hasn't been the most inspiring since I don't bake as often or make many indulgent recipes.

But, for my birthday, my mom bought me an Instant Pot.  I've decided that sometimes having a new "toy" or a new method to experiment with is inspiring.  Last year, I got a spiralizer and I use it probably weekly.  I may not have bought myself an instant pot since I'm generally a late adopter but having a shiny new one as a gift got me cooking!  My sister gave me some invaluable tips and I got some recipes from a tennis friend and some cookbooks I found at the library.  I'm not yet ready to modify my existing recipes to work in a pressure cooker, but I've been using it a ton and really enjoying the Instant Pot experience.

One of the misconceptions about the instant pot is that it's, well, instant.  It's not.  There are things that cook much quicker than normal like the short rib recipe below but depending on the recipe, you also have to take in account the amount of time it takes to come up to pressure (about 10 minutes) and to release pressure (could be instant, could be 30 minutes or more).  So far, this recipe has been one of my favorites!  I served it with steamed white rice and some green veggies.

Five Spice Short Ribs  (serves 6)
from The Instant Pot Cookbook

6 boneless beef shortribs, trimmed
2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
kosher salt
2 T canola oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 T rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar (or raw sugar)

Preheat oven to broil.  Coat both sides of the shortribs with the five-spice powder and sprinkle with kosher salt.  Line a sheet pan with foil and place the short ribs on top.  Place under the broiler for 3 minutes each side. 

Preheat the Instant Pot by selecting "Saute."  Add the oil.  Saute the garlic and ginger for 2 minutes, or until starting to brown.  Add the vinegar and cook for 1 minute.  Select "Cancel" and add the broth, soy sauce, and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.  Add the ribs and secure the lid.

Select "Manual" and cook at high pressure for 35 minutes.  Once the cooking is complete, use a natural release.  This took about 20 minutes. 

Remove the ribs and place them back on the same foil & baking sheet.  Brush with he cooking liquid and broil again for 3 minutes per side to form a crust.

Meanwhile, select "Saute" on high heat and reduce the sauce by half.  After broiling, brush the ribs with the sauce again and serve with the extra sauce on the side.

(6sp)