Instant Pot Sesame Peanut Noodles

I found this recipe and I made it last night.  It turned our great, but there are some changes I would make to this recipe to make it even better.  It is super easy to make in an Instant Pot.

 Ingredients

- 1 pound linguine

- 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups chicken broth

- 1/4 cup sesame oil

- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

- 2 tablespoons honey

- 1 tablespoon minced ginger (I used Squeeze Ginger)

- 1/2 - 1 cup crushed peanuts

- 1 bunch scallions, sliced for topping.

- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for spice and to taste)

Instructions

1.  Break the linguine in half and add it to the Instant Pot.  

2.  Add in the chicken broth, sesame oil, and soy sauce.  Secure the lid and pressure cook for 6 minutes.  Do a quick release when the pressure cooking is completed.

3.  When you open the lid, the pot may look a little liquidy with some of the noodles clumped together, but that will change soon.  Using a spoon, stir the noodles until they become freed up and springy.

4.  Add in the hoisin sauce, honey, ginger, peanuts and half of the scallions.  Stir the pot until everything is well combined, then serve.  Sprinkle the remaining scallions over the noodles.  Yields four servings.

Cook's Notes

1.  I followed this recipe as written and I ended up with a lot of pasta.  Also, the end result, while delicious, had a little too much peanut butter for my tastes, and there was no real need to crush the peanuts.  I would reduce the amount of peanut putter down to 1/4 cup and leave the peanuts whole.  I added a cup of sliced pre-cooked grilled chicken to the noodles after the pressure cooking was done, and that made the noodles a meal.  The next time I make this recipe, I will add the chicken into the Instant Pot so the meat can warm up under pressure cooking.

2.  I used three cups of broth in the original recipe.  If I made the original recipe again, I would increase the amount of broth to three and a half cups of broth

3.  The original recipe yields four servings of noodles.  I could make this as a "Half Recipe." I would cut all the ingredients in half, and use two cups of chicken broth, and reduce the amount of peanut butter down to three tablespoons.

Crockpot Beef Stew

 This was a great recipe for a cold Saturday night.

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 2 pounds stew meat, cut into 1 inch square cubes

- Kosher salt and pepper to taste

- 1 pound baby red potatoes, quartered

- 4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices

- 1 small onion, diced

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 3 cups beef broth

- 2 table spoons tomato paste

- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

- 1 teaspoon dried thyme

- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

- 1 teaspoon paprika

- 2 bay leaves

- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

1.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2.  Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the beef to the skillet and cook until evenly browned, about 3-4 minutes.

3.  Place the beef, potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic into a slow cooker.  Stir in beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, paprika, and bay leaves until well combined.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours, or high heat for 3-4 hours.

5.  About 30 minutes before cooking is done, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour and 1/2 cup of the stew broth.  Stir in the flour mixture into the slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until the stew has thickened.

6.  Remove the bay leaves and serve.

Cook's Notes:

This was an incredibly easy recipe to make.  I served it with a fresh baguette and a bottle of Zinfandel wine from California.  The next time I make this dish, I will add more paprika.

Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

This is an easy to make version of Filipino comfort food, Chicken Adobo.  The chicken comes out of the Instant Pot tender and flavorful.

Ingredients:

- 2 to 2 1/2 pounds of chicken thighs or breast, cut into bit-size pieces

- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

- 1/3 cup white vinegar

- 1 small white onion, sliced

- 3 bay leaves

- 5 cloves garlic. minced

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

- Salt and pepper to taste

- 2 scallions, sliced

Directions:

1.  Sear the chicken.  Select saute mode on your Instant Pot.  Season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper.  When the display reads HOT, add the olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot.  Add the chicken and sear the meat for 3-4 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the pot.

2.  Pressure cook.  Add the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and cayenne to the pot, stirring well.  Deglaze any bits stuck to the bottom of the bot.  Place the sliced onions in the pot, and then add the chicken in a single layer.  Top the chicken with the bay leaves.  Secure and seal the lid.  Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.  When the cooking time is done, do a quick pressure release.

3.  Thicken the sauce.  Uncover the Instant Pot and select saute mode.  Keeping the chicken in the pot, boil the liquid is reduced, about 10 minutes.  Remove the bay leaves and serve the chicken and sauce over rice.  Sprinkle the sliced scallions over the chicken and enjoy.

Cook's Notes:

It is important to use low sodium soy sauce, otherwise the sauce will likely be too salty.  I did not season the chicken with salt and pepper as I thought that the soy sauce and cayenne would provide enough flavor, and I was right.  The onions literally disintegrated in the pressure cooking process.  I served this over white rice, but it can be served over just about any rice or noodle.

Instant Pot Egg Roll in a Bowl

This is a simple recipe for a healthy low-carb and celiac friendly dish that can be served as is, or over rice, orzo, or noodles.

Main Ingredients:

- 1lb ground pork, beef or turkey
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
- 8-10 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 lbs coleslaw mix, divided in half
- 3-4 scallions, chopped
- 1 small can of water chestnuts, drained (optional)
- 2-3 Tablespoons unsalted peanuts (optional)

Sauce Ingredients:

- 10 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Directions:

1.  Whisk together the Sauce ingredients and set aside near the Instant Pot.
2.  In a skillet, add the olive oil and the sesame oil.  Heat over medium high heat until the oil is sizzling.  Once the oil is hot, add the meat and brown it for 3-4 minutes, making certain to mash the meat well.  After the meat is browned drain the fat by using a sieve to separate the meat from the fat.  Set the meat aside.
3.  Add the ginger and garlic to the Instant Pot and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Place the meat mixture into the Instant Pot, along with half of the sauce, half of the cole slaw mix, the water chestnuts (if using), and the peanuts (if using).  Stir the ingredients so that they are mixed well.
4.  Lock the lid on the Instant Pot and close the pressure valve.  Set the Instant Pot to Manual for 4 minutes.  When the Instant Pot beeps that the cycle is complete, carefully release the pressure.  Remove the lid to the Instant Pot.
5.  Select Saute and add the rest of the sauce, the rest of the coleslaw, and the chopped scallions.  Saute for 3-4 minutes and serve in a bowl as is, or serve over rice, noodles, or orzo.

Cook's Notes:

When we first made this, we used ground beef and the results were good.  The second time we made this, we used ground pork and it was amazing.  We added the peanuts and water chestnuts the second time we made it and it gave the "Egg Roll in a Bowl" a nice crunch.  Also, we purchased a bag of pre-cut coleslaw, that happened to be 14 ounces, which worked just fine.  Buying the coleslaw pre-cut made making this recipe a breeze.  From start to finish, this meal took about 30 minutes to make and the results were delicious.

The third time I made this dish I drained the fat after the meat had been thoroughly browned.  This removed the greasy taste from the dish.

Instant Pot Home Made Spaghetti Sauce

Last fall year we bought an Instant Pot.  We have been trying different recipes, and now it is time to share one we have tried, adapted and really like. 

Ingredients:

-  1lb ground beef (or turkey or Italian sausage)
-  1 medium white onion, diced
-  1 cup beef broth
-  1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
-  1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
-  2 tablespoons tomato paste
-  1 bay leaf
-  2 teaspoons dried basil
-  1 teaspoon garlic powder (see Cook's Notes)
-  1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
-  1 teaspoon brown sugar
-  Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE, and when the display says HOT, add the meat.  Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat, and brown the meat for about 5 minutes.  Add the white onions and cook the meat and onions for 3-5 minutes.  Once the onions are softened, deglaze the pot with the beef broth.  Once the pot is deglazed, add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, basil, garlic power, oregano, and brown sugar.

2.  Cover the pot and secure the lid.  Made sure the valve is set to "sealing."  Set the manual/pressure cook button to 15 minutes on high pressure.  when the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes, then manually vent the pressure.

3.  Remove the lid and discard the bayleaf.  Stir he sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook's Notes:

I followed this recipe exactly the first time I made it, and it was fantastic.  I tweaked the recipe a little substituting 3-4 freshly pressed garlic cloves for the garlic powder.  I prefer the taste of the sauce with the fresh garlic cloves over the garlic powder.

From start to finish, this recipe took a little under an hour to make and the taste of the sauce was fantastic.  You could easily substitute ground turkey for ground beef.

Hobo Potatoes

This is a simple grilled potato recipe that Deirdre made up a few years ago.  We titled the name of this dish "Hobo Potatoes," after its similarity to this recipe titled a "Hobo Dinner."  Here is the recipe for Hobo Potatoes:

Ingredients:

- 4-6 potatoes, cut into quarters
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Olive oil
- 2-3 rosemary sprigs

Directions:

1.  Place the potatoes in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil over the potatoes and toss them to coat.
2.  Lay out a piece of aluminum foil.  If you have it, spray that aluminum foil with Pam or any spray oil.  
3.  Place the potatoes in the foil, and place on top of the spuds the rosemary sprigs.  Seal up the aluminum foil pouch.
4.  Place the foil pouch on a heated grill and cook for 45 minutes.  Turn the pouch over about every 15 minutes.
5.  After 45 minutes on the grill, remove the pouch.  Open the pouch and discard the rosemary.  Serve the potatoes and enjoy!

Cook's Notes:

We prefer to use Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe, but any potato will work.

Simple Roasted Rack of Lamb with Red Wine Pan Sauce

Ingredients:

- 2 racks of lamb (1 1/2 - 1 1/3 lbs), frenched and trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 cup (8 oz.) dry red wine
- 2 1/2 teaspoons fresh minced rosemary
- 1 cup (8 oz) chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Adjust your oven rack to the lower middle position, and preheat the oven to 425F.
2.  Season the lamb with salt and pepper.  Heat the olive oil in a skillet over high heat until the oil shimmers.  Place the racks of lamb in the skillet, meat side down in the center of the pan, with the ribs facing outward.  Cook until well browned, about 4 minutes.  Using tongs, stand the racks up in the skillet, leaning against each other to brown the bottom of the racks (see image above).  Cook until the bottoms of the racks have browned, about two minutes.
3.  Transfer the racks to a roasting pan.  Roast the racks until the center of the racks register 130F (for medium rare).  Adjust final temperature to your taste.
4.  When the racks are done, remove from the oven and place on a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil to rest for about 10 minutes.
5.  While the racks are roasting, pour off all but 1 1/2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet used to brown the racks.  Over medium heat, add the shallots and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
6.  Add the red wine and the rosemary and cook over medium high heat until the wine is reduced to be dark and syrupy, about 7-8 minutes.
7.  When the wine has been reduced, add the chicken broth and simmer until the sauce has been reduced to about 3/4 of a cup.  This should take 5-6 minutes.  
8.  Once the sauce has been reduced, take the skillet off heat and whisk the butter into the sauce.
9.  After the racks have rested, carve, slicing between each rib, into individual chops.
10.  Serve the chops, and spoon the wine sauce over the chops.

Cook's Notes:

This was an incredibly easy recipe to make and the results were nothing short of outstanding.  The wine reduced quickly, as did the chicken broth.  The resulting pan sauce was thick, but easily spooned over the chops.  I added an addition tablespoon of butter to the reduction.  You can never add too much butter to a reduction.

Total cooking time for the racks was just under 20 minutes.  I roasted the racks to 130F, and they were on the rare side of medium rare.  Next time I make this recipe, I will up the final internal temperature to 133F.  I used my remote sensing thermometer to monitor the temperature of the lamb.  Here is a link to the thermometer I have.  Once you have cooked with a remote sensing thermometer, you will wonder how you lived without it.