Posted on 06/01/2018 4:24:29 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
Last week we tried ‘roasting’ a whole chicken in the Instant Pot, and used the Lemon and Herb Chicken recipe on the Instant Pot website. The meat itself turned out amazing, very moist and tender; but as we suspected when discussing this last month, the skin was not crispy. We got around this by giving the chicken a few minutes under the broiler after cooking, and as Liz suggested one could use a chef’s torch. We came away from the experience thinking that it’s a great way to do a chicken if you want to use the meat in a recipe, or don’t mind the skin not being crispy; but we will probably roast future chickens in the oven.
A second experiment, however, turned out wonderfully. We tried the ‘Now and Later Butter Chicken’, from ‘The Keto Instant Pot Cookbook’ by Urvashi Pitre. This recipe has become a sort of Internet sensation since the author first posted it, and it was just as interesting and satisfying as the Chicken Biryani that my husband makes, but takes far less time and work. It’s called ‘Now and Later’ because it makes a lot more sauce than you need, which you can freeze and use later with leftover chicken. My husband actually used more chicken than called for, and we still had leftover sauce! The recipe is endorsed by Instant Pot, and can be found on their website:
https://recipes.instantpot.com/recipe/butter-chicken-murgh-makhani
And here is a link to Pitre’s blog, where she chronicles her weight loss journey and makes available lots of recipes:
With summer and gardens coming on, I thought I’d repost here one of my favorite recipes for Summer Squash. I found the following in the Smith and Hawken 'Gardeners' Community Cookbook' (a great recipe book!) and it is one of my husband’s favorite recipes:
Summer Squash with Spinach Filling
For the Squash:
Boil 2 large or 4 medium, whole Summer Squash until they can be easily pierced by a knife tip, but are still firm. Allow to cool slightly, and then split them lengthwise, and remove the seeds with a spoon. Set Aside.
Spinach Filling for Summer Squash
1 large bunch spinach, using leaves and tender stems, coarsely chopped and well-drained (3/4 lb.) (often I just buy bags of baby spinach for this, and steam them slightly in the microwave.)
4 T butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
Salt
Wilt the still-moist spinach in an ungreased, heavy saute pan over medium heat, or in a microwave bowl at high heat. Drain briefly and then squeeze dry and set aside. (I have found a potato ricer to be the ideal tool for squeezing out steamed spinach.)
Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and stir until wilted, about 3 minutes.
Add the spinach, sour cream and vinegar, and salt to taste. Stir to blend.
Spoon the spinach mixture into the hollows of the squash halves. Place in an oven proof tray and bake at about 350 degrees until heated through and the squash tender.
Filling can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator overnight.
(I've also seen similar recipes that add some cheese to the spinach mixture; I think Parmesan would be great.)
-JT
Get the big oval. It is heavy to handle and wash but if you are strong enough, it is a heavenly tool in the kitchen. Stews, roasts, Cioppino, Bouillabaisse, chowders, gumbo, short ribs, cleans up easily if properly used.
Great recipe———sounds like my Mom’s.
I usually make chili by just adding this and that as I go. It’s always decent. Once it was amazing- made it for a church potluck and I can’t replicate it.
Your recipe sounds fantastic. Thanks for including the source for ground chili peppers.
Since you enjoy your Instant Pot so much, you might want to delve into stainless steel pressure cookers. I think you’ll find that you prefer them after you get used to the faster cook times, less prone to scorching, and higher quality. I use mine most every day.
I had two Instant Pots. The first one quit fairly quickly. When the second one went kaput, I decided to hunt a lid for my old 8 quart B/R/K Alpha pressure cooker as it was lost in a move. While hunting a lid, I discovered Kuhn Ricon, found the largest Duromatic on sale for half price at Pleasant Hill Grains and have never looked back. I’ve since picked up other brands and also finally found a lid on eBay Germany, but the Kuhn Ricon is my go to PC. I gave the others, with the exception of my old B/R/K that I use for small amounts, to family and friends that like to cook.
I highly recommend a Kuhn Ricon when on sale. Honestly I’d pay regular price for it now that I know how good it is, but it is pricey but worth it, providing you use it often as you do your Instant Pot.
Just a thought for when and if your Instant Pot ever goes kaput.
Tortilla Stack
METHOD brown lb grnd beef, chp onion, 4 chp gar/cl, cumin, chili pwder,
s/p. Add shredded sweet potatoes; cook 5 min. Offheat add chp cilantro.
ASSEMBLY Layer on sheetpan, tortilla, 3/4 c meat mixture, diced
tomatoes, 1/2 c shredded cheese; repeat w/ rest; top w/ shredded cheese.
Bake 400 deg 20 min, broil 2 min to freckle top. Cut into wedges.
SERVE w/ salsa verde, sour cream, chp olives, side of green salad.
Salsa Verde
Saute/soften 10 diced tomatillos, 2 diced jalapenos, 2 rough-chp white onions, 2 diced gar/cl, 1/4 c Spanish olive oil.
Add sea salt and cumin to taste; processor w/ 20 cilantro leaves, avocado, tb honey, juiced lime. Pulse chunky smooth.
Fridge in serving bowl til needed.
Thanks for the butter ck recipe. Will try it tonight.
This is a really nice recipe:
https://www.tastecooking.com/recipes/instant-pot-pomegranate-walnut-chicken/
Cafe de Olla Ice Cream
METHOD Stir/dissolve cup hot brewed coffee, 1/2 c dk br/ sugar, tea cinnamon,
dash cloves. Stir in 14 oz can Sweet/Cond/Milk. Cover/chill very cold 4-24 hrs.
FINAL Stir in 2 c cold h/cream, 2 tsp orange zest, tsp vanilla.
FREEZE as per mfg. Pack into freezer container. Cover/freezer/ripen 3 hours
SERVE w/ heated Hot Fudge Topping; add a cookie.
Mexican Chocolate Pot de Creme / Candied Pumpkin Seeds
METHOD Bring to simmer 1 1/2 c whole milk, 1/2 c h/cream. Whisk 6 egg yolks;
temper w/ 1/4 c milk mixture. Return to pan; whisk combine. Cook/stir/slightly thicken.
Immediately add 6 oz ea Mexican chocolate (preferably Abuelita), bittersweet chocolate, both fine-chp.
Offheat, stir/incorporate. Strain into large glass measure. Pour into dessert cups. Frige/set/chill 6-24 hours.
SERVE w/ dollop whipped cream, sprinkling of candied pumpkin seeds, pinch Maldon coarse sea salt.
CANDIED PEPITAS Cook/stir/melt/coat 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, tbl sugar. Spread on greased sheetpan; cool.
I’m not even going to LOOK, LOL!
That’s very interesting, and I’ll look into it. This was our first foray into pressure cooking - I had always been a little afraid of it, and decided to go with an electric one first. I will save your post.
It’s very funny. She even looks like Martha Stewart.
Today’s STAINLESS STEEL pressure cookers are not the pressure cookers of old. They have multiple safety mechanism to prevent trouble. Steam does not blow out of them while cooking, nor do they have a regulator that rattles on the top of the lid. The Kuhn Ricon has five safety mechanisms. As few brands have even more. I am a bumbling, forgetful ditz and have yet to have a problem with mine after years of using them. If they overheat, they do release the steam to normalize the pressure.
Don’t get aluminum as it leeches into the food. They’re also not as thick, and heavy duty which makes them susceptible to exploding. I would not risk cooking with one of the old ones; although I did in my younger years, but not often. I use my stainless steel cookers near daily.
Hi JT! Thanks for the new month. We don’t have any squash in the garden though we are trying for some Halloween pumpkins. Wish we had squashes growing just for the flowers to fry! One of my favorite treats in the world. Not even stuffed.
Look what you made me do!
I started buying all the ingreds for the raspberry tiramisu and thought I was ready to go. Our Sprouts market has big containers of organic USA raspberries too!
So here I was, ready to make. And I had forgotten the ladyfingers. So now here I am baking my second tray of ladyfingers! (I can’t get out to the store)
Will keep you posted how this all turns out.
This sounds like great hockey snacking food. I have a ton of broccoli right now. Might make this now too.
Amazing how good it is when you “reverse sear” meat. Whether it’s slow cooker, insta pot, sous vide, and then after, a bit of a sear in high heat. And so much less messy than searing it raw, and so much more taste. I’ll never sear first again.
Me too.
Thanks for the information. The Instant Pot is stainless steel, but probably not of the same quality as yours.
(I remember the old aluminum ones - I never used them, but one was given to my family, and we just used it as a big stovetop pot without the lid and mechanism ;-)
I’ve always been intrigued by recipes for squash flowers, stuffed or un-; but I’ve never had the opportunity to try or make them.
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