Tag: instant pot

Cuban Style Citrus Garlic Bowl

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This recipe came out of missing the goodness that is Trader Joe’s grab-n-go food. DH stumbled upon a roundup of the top go-tos for nutritionists somewhere on the Internets, and thought a few of the dishes sounded great – too bad we don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby.

I was sure I could create something that tasted at least good from the description. Probably isn’t what their version tastes like, but good nonetheless. We also didn’t know at the time, but we have been sorely missing Cuban food. Semi-passable Mexican is hard enough to find here; Cuban is impossible.

This recipe also uses cocktails in place of the bitter or sour orange featured heavily in Cuban meat marinades – I think it worked out pretty well, but were I to make this again, I’d maybe slip a teaspoon or two in after cooking to add a little bitter punch to the dish. I don’t think it would taste *quite* the same, but it will at least give that element that’s present in my favorite Cuban dishes. If you have access to mojo sauce, that would also be fantastic sprinkled over top.

gluten-free, can easily be made paleo with substitutions

Cuban Style Citrus Garlic Bowl

For the chicken:

1 roasting or stewing chicken

4-6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small white onion, chopped

1 bell pepper – any color, chopped

4 ounce can puréed tomatoes

2 teaspoons salt

Generous sprinkle black pepper

3-4 bay leaves

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

Juice & zest of 1 orange

1 Tablespoon orange cocktail bitters + more if desired

1.5 cups nice broth

1.5 cups water

1.5 teaspoons your favorite stock starter powder (you want about 3 cups of liquid – I had some nice mixed meats bone broth and use chicken-free chicken bouillon starter powder to make my quick-n-dirty stocks)

For the bowl base:

1 cup long grain rice (or cauli rice if you’re paleo)

1 cup reserved stock from the (cooked) chicken

1 cup water

Generous pinch salt

1 Tablespoon ghee or butter

Bowl accents:

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small white onion, diced (reserve 2 Tablespoons)

1 bell pepper of any color, diced (reserve 2 Tablespoons)

Neutral oil

Salt & pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon “chicken” bouillon starter

Your favorite black beans (optional. DH found some pre-cooked Cuban style beans in a pouch – they’re amazing if you can eat them. Fillos is the brand)

2 plantains

Toppers:

Reserved raw pepper & onion

Chopped cilantro

Your favorite hot sauce (ours came from the Hot Ones sampler pack we got for Christmas – Hot Ones, if you’ve never heard of it is not only a hilarious YouTube channel filled with celebrities eating ridiculously hot wings, but is also a fun way to play wing roulette at home )

First, dump all the chicken ingredients in your electric cooker or stew pot. I cooked mine for 1 hour on the “meat” setting of my electric cooker. Your mileage may vary.

When the chicken is cooked through and falling off the bone, remove from the cooker and set to cool.

Add the rice ingredients to your cooker (swiping a cup of that yummy chicken liquid you just emptied out of the pot). Set your rice to cook. I left mine in the pot on the warming setting for awhile (half an hour-ish) after it finished, and the bottom browned and crisped a bit – y-u-m.

While the rice is cooking, sauté your diced pepper and onion in 1 teaspoon neutral oil. Season with cumin, chicken bouillon, salt and pepper. Remove when softened and starting to brown. Wipe the pan.

To your wiped pan, add enough neutral oil to cover the bottom. Set over medium-high. Quickly slice the plantains into half inch thick rounds while the oil heats to shimmering.

Add the plantains one at a time (carefully so you don’t splatter oil on yourself) so they are flat and not crowded in the pan (I did mine in two batches). Once they are all nestled in the pan, flip, starting with the first. Let brown and remove to a few paper towels folded in on themselves a few times. Sprinkle immediately with coarse salt.

Repeat with your second batch, remove and salt.

Heat your black beans if using.

To serve, use the rice (or rice analog) as a base, add the chicken and accents and sprinkle with the toppers. Add some hot sauce if desired.

Serves 4 (the rice and accents) and more (the chicken)

Thai-Style Red Curry

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Finally! I’ve been trying to make a silky, luxurious feeling Thai-style red curry for a minute and keep screwing something up. Either I don’t let it reduce long enough, or I drown the flavors some how – or I forget a key component like curry paste or coconut milk.

This go round, I forgot to pick up coconut milk. I swear my kitchen eats the stuff. I’ve lost like 3 cans of it in the last few months. But, with a last-minute grocery trip I was all ready to go. Whoo. I’m glad I was, too – this is a good one.

gluten-free, paleo, pescatarian

Thai-Style Red Curry

1 can coconut milk

Veggie, fish or chicken stock (1 of the empty coconut milk cans’ worth)

2 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste

2 tsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

2 Tbsp. soy sauce/coconut aminos

Zest and juice of 1 lime

2 stalks fresh lemongrass, peeled to reveal the soft center – mince 1 and whack the other with the back of your knife to release its flavors while cooking

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 scallion, thinly sliced

2 Thai red chilis (optional), minced

1.5 cups pumpkin or butternut squash, chopped

3/4 cup chopped okra

2 Tbsp. minced basil

Minced smoked salmon (optional)

Rice to serve

This is a simple slow-cooker dump meal. Prep all ingredients and dump into your cooker (minus the salmon, basil and green parts of the scallions). Cook however you would make a stew.

When complete, add to a saucepan and simmer until reduced a bit and silky. Serve over rice, topped with the green parts of the scallion and chopped basil.

Serves 4

Bulgogi Chicken Bowl

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Another dinner from my week whose directive from the hubbs included chicken & rice. This was another fantastic one – though fair warning: it’s a bit spicy. Deliciously so.

gluten-free

Bulgogi Chicken Bowl

1 Fuji or Gala apple

1 pear

1 thumb ginger

1 green onion

1 white onion

5 cloves garlic

1/2 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos

1/2 cup gochujang

Sprinkle black pepper

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 – 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken (I used thighs and breasts)

A second green onion

A sauce you enjoy (I used Bulldog bbq in place of the brand of slightly sweet teriyaki I was searching for)

Kewpie mayo

Toasted sesame seeds

1/2 – 1 cup cooked short grain white rice per person

Make the marinade by blending all ingredients above the chicken until mostly smooth.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the marinade. Let sit an hour to the next day.

Place into your favorite multi or slow cooker. Mine has a button for “meats”. I punched that and 20 minutes later, the chicken was done.

Serve over rice, garnished with the sauce, mayo, second green onion and sesame seeds.

Serves 4 – 5

Fall Harvest Soup

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This soup feels like a hearty, warm hug but gives a nice light dinner that doesn’t weigh one down.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, halal, Whole30

Fall Harvest Soup

1 medium carrot, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cups kale, chopped
2 Tbsp. stock powder (I used a vegan chicken stock)
48 ounces water
1/2 can coconut milk
Generous sprinkle oregano
Generous sprinkle cumin
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Liberal sprinkle black pepper
Liberal salt
1.5 Tbsp. butter or vegan equivalent
Big hand full pepitas toasted in 1/2 tsp. coconut aminos
Optional: 4 ounces turkey bresaola, crisped until browned in a dry pan

Prep all veggies and add to a slow or multi cooker with spices and liquids (everything but the butter, pepitas and bresaola).

Press the stew/soup setting.

When complete, open the lid and add the butter/butter substitute. Let cool a bit and blend all but 1/4 until smooth. Add the reserved 1/4 back in for texture.

Serve topped with the pepitas and bresaola if desired.

Serves 6

Low Carb Instant Pot Bulgogi Bowls

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We’ve been on a Korean kick lately – and it’s been delicious. This recipe comes together relatively quickly, can be eaten hot or cold, and can accommodate a bunch of different eating styles.

Gluten-free, paleo-ish, keto-ish

Low Carb Instant Pot Bulgogi Bowls

For the Beef

3 – 4 lb. chuck roast
4 Tbsp. ginger garlic paste (or the equivalent chopped fresh)
1 small apple or pear, cored (I used Granny Smith, but I’ve heard Fuji is closest to a pear)
4 Tbsp. gochujang
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/4 c. tamari, soy or coconut aminos
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. avocado or other neutral oil
1 date, pitted

Whiz all ingredients but the beef in your blender. Cut the roast into bite sized chunks and marinate 2 hours to overnight.

To prepare, pressure cook 12-14 minutes.

Bowl Fixins

Baby asparagus (I lightly sauteed in sesame oil)
Enoki mushrooms (I lightly sauteed with the asparagus)
Green onion slivers
Shredded carrots
Fried eggs
Bowl filler – I tried to “rice” cucumber, which ended up with cucumber pulp – which was a hot mess, but wasn’t bad when drained — DH had sushi rice, which he also pressure cooks and makes in big batches. Cauli rice would be great here, as would broccoli rice. Zoodles would work, too

Bulgogi Sauce

1 Tbsp. gochujang
2 Tbsp. tamari, soy or coconut aminos
1 Tbsp. ginger/garlic paste (or equivalent)
2 Tbsp, sesame oil
3-5 drops stevia

Whisk together and drizzle over the top of each bowl.

Instant Pot Lamb with Gremolata

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I’ve been craving lamb a lot lately – not sure what’s behind that … maybe oncoming Spring? Is it possible to have Spring when one’s Winter doesn’t dip below 50 F?

Whatever it its, I’ve been wanting some slow cooked carnitas-style lamb in my life and recently found an electric pressure cooker — unfortunately not an Instant Pot since those don’t exist in this country yet, but it does the same thing.

gluten-free, keto, paleo

Instant Pot Lamb with Gremolata

3-5 lb. lamb roast
2 Tbsp. fat of choice
1/2 cup mixed shallots and garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
2 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup wine (red would be best; I had zinfandel – optional)
Salt & pepper

Gremolata

Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. parsley
4 cloves garlic
Salt & pepper

Add 2 Tbsp. fat of choice to a large pan over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the lamb liberally on all sides. Add the lamb and brown on 3 out of 4 sides. While cooking, mince the shallots and garlic and add when you’re mostly done with the lamb. Sautee until the lamb is browned and the aromatics are soft. Hit with a little salt and pepper.

Add to your pressure cooker with the rest of the ingredients and set the timer for 50 minutes.

When your lamb is done cooking, release the pressure, pull the lamb, and shred with forks. You will have a lot of liquid left over – make a pan sauce by reducing in a saucepan by half or so if desired. I was too lazy and was really craving gremolata.

Chuck the shredded lamb under the broiler with 1-2 additional Tablespoons fat for 5 – 7 minutes or until browned and crisped up a bit like carnitas.

On to the gremolata. Blend all the ingredients together. Pour over the lamb.

This is fantastic served with leftover spaghetti squash reheated and fried a bit in a little butter, salt & pepper. Spaghetti squash can also be cooked in the pressure cooker – and quickly. I think it took 15 minutes? Nom Nom Paleo has an easy recipe.