Note: I was sent a copy of The Instant Pot Kosher Cookbook, 100 Recipes to Nourish Body and Soul in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
It is most certainly Instant Pot season! Work (at least for me) is busy this time of year, and yet, I crave meals that take a while to cook! Using an Instant Pot saves me a ton of time, so I tend to use it a lot this time of year.
I was recently sent a copy of The Instant Pot Kosher Cookbook by Paula Shoyer, which is filled with so many delicious sounding Kosher-friendly dishes! With The Instant Pot Kosher Cookbook (paid link) (paid link), Shoyer has curated 100 irresistible recipes for every table that even a novice cook can prepare in minutes. It is filled with modern takes on classic Jewish recipes, with all recipes offering options to adapt for special diets and allergies.
As I was paging through, I kept going back to a recipe for Persian Lamb and Herb Stew. I love a good lamb recipe, so I was excited to try this out! I adapted the below recipe ever so slightly from the original in the cookbook.
Before I get to this awesome recipe for One Pot Jamaican Curry Chicken and Potatoes, I wanted to share with you a new addition to my kitchen that I’m madly in love with. One of the most important tools in any cook’s kitchen is a skillet. I use my skillets more than any other pot/pan in my house (although my Dutch oven gets a pretty good workout too). So having a good, sturdy, evenly cooking skillet is super important. I’m not exactly kind to my pots and pans… they get frequent use, and my husband isn’t the best at remembering not to use metal utensils on my non-stick cookware (sigh)… so having a skillet that can put up with some abuse is really important to me.
Which is why I’m so excited to share the 11-Inch NanoBond Skillet from Hestan Culinary, handcrafted in Italy. Not only is it beautiful, the NanoBond technology makes this skillet darn near indestructible.
Here are some of the features:
Molecular titanium bonds thousands of nanolayers for a lifetime of beauty
400% stronger than stainless steel
35% better heat conduction than aluminum-clad cookware
Additionally, the skillet is high-heat tolerant to 1050°F! So it’s perfect for searing meats or even cooking right on the grill.
To test out my new skillet, I wanted to make something I’ve been craving for a while now: Jamaican Curry Chicken and Potatoes.
This one pot (or skillet) wonder simmers chicken and potatoes in a seasoned curry sauce until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender.
Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs and drumsticks
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons Jamaican mild curry powder (I used Jamaican Choice)
1 habanero pepper
2 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed and cut into bite sized pieces
Fettuccine Alfredo is essentially glorified mac and cheese (or more accurately, mac and cheese is a less glamorous fettuccine alfredo). I had a craving for some fettuccine alfredo on one of the multiple snow days we just saw in Philadelphia, and luckily I had everything on hand to make this ultimate comfort food, so it’s about time I shared a recipe for easy fettuccine alfredo!
This recipe for easy fettuccine alfredo uses just 9 ingredients, including salt and pepper. It doesn’t exactly reheat well though, so it’s not the best make ahead meal, but I have a good feeling it will be polished off in no time!
During these stay-at-home orders, there have been a few foods that I’ve been craving that I would order frequently from local restaurants. One of my biggest recent cravings was for Messina Social Club‘s pierogis. So, when I accidentally ordered 10 pounds of potatoes (?!), I figured it was the perfect time to try to make my own Homemade Pierogis.
This recipe is a very basic version, but once you try it out, you can add different stuffings to create different flavor profiles.
They also freeze really well, so feel free to double the recipe and stock your freezer for future meals!
Ingredients:
Dough:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
Filling:
1 cup mashed potatoes (I halved the recipe and substituted in sour cream for the Greek yogurt)
Note: I was sent a copy of The Big Book of Instant Pot Recipes: 240 Must-Try Dishes for Your Multi-Function Cooker for review. Opinions are mine alone.
I’ve mentioned many times before how much I love my multi-cooker. I tend to use it a lot on weekends to help prep meals for the week, but it’s also a life saver on weeknights — you can get a delicious meal that tastes like it’s been cooking all day on the table in 45 minutes or less!
So when I heard about a new cookbook that is going to be published soon (September 24, 2019 to be exact) that has a ton of awesome multi-cooker recipes, I was excited to check it out.
The Big Book of Instant Pot Recipes: 240 Must-Try Dishes for Your Multi-Function Cooker (paid link) by Kristy Bernardo, Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri, Amy Rains, and Stefanie Bundalo contains 240 recipes for every occasion that the authors have adapted for the Instant Pot, and the vast majority of these recipes take less than 45 minutes, making home-cooking and family meal time simple, fast, and delicious for readers of all levels of cooking experience.
Divided into eight thorough chapters, Breakfast, Lunch, Soups and Stews, Pastas, Mains, Sides, Desserts, and Condiments and Sauces, The Big Book of Instant Pot® Recipes offers readers a plethora of healthy dishes that will take less than 45 minutes to prepare and are great for every occasion. Moreover, nearly all the dishes are either vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, or paleo-friendly, accommodating all dietary needs.
I think most people know how great pressure cookers can be for tough cuts of meat, so I wanted to try one of the meatless options in the cookbook. This Pressure Cooker Mushroom Bourguignon is a simplified (and meatless) version of a French classic — typically a beef stew braised in red wine / beef broth.
Ingredients (serves 4):
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or margarine to make dairy free)
1 (8 oz) container sliced mushrooms
1 (8 oz) container whole mushrooms, cut in half
1 (4 oz) container gourmet mushroom blend
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 celery rib, chopped (or kept in larger pieces if you intend to remove)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup water
3/4 cup beef or vegetable stock, divided
1 oz dried mushrooms
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons tomato paste
cooked egg noodles (optional, substitute mashed potatoes for gluten free)
I thoroughly dislike rainy, cold weather. The only perk of this crummy weather is the awesome comfort food that typically emerges from it! Dublin Coddle is one of those dishes.
This slowly simmered dish uses all of the traditional Irish fixin’s — bacon, sausage, and potatoes. Dating back to the 1700’s Dublin Coddle makes use of leftover rashers (bacon), bangers (sausage) and potatoes and turns them into a wonderful winter comfort food dinner.
This dish is a great Saturday dish… it takes while to cook but is well worth the wait!
I’ve mentioned before how awesome the Philadelphia food scene is, and it seems to only be getting better! One of the latest additions to the Philadelphia restaurant scene is Makhani, which just opened in Old City. Owned by restaurateur Shafi Gaffar, the restaurant includes a 34 seat dining room as well as a private space on the second floor for up to 50 for special events. The restaurant also provides delivery throughout Philadelphia.
Makhani, which means “with butter”, specializes in North Indian curries that usually have thick, moderately spiced and creamy gravies. The use of dried fruits and nuts , as well as the incorporation of dairy products like milk, cream, home-made cottage cheese, ghee (clarified butter) and yogurt, play an important role in the cooking of both savory and sweet dishes. Everything in the kitchen, from the breads, to the sauces, to the desserts, are made in-house and from scratch using high quality, fresh ingredients from Chef and his culinary team. Makhani will also offer authentic Indian dishes in a specially designed Tandoori clay oven brought over direct from India. On the menu, look for an extensive list of notable vegan options, as 50% of the menu is vegan.
Source: Society Hill Films
The made-to-order, farm-to-table menu from executive chef Sanjoy Banik is a relatively uncommon approach to Indian restaurants in the region. The flavors of Indian food can take up to ten hours to develop, so many restaurants pre-batch their preparations. The menu includes modern spins on traditional North Indian cuisine, and also features some unexpected ingredients, such as lobster, scallops, and lamb shanks.
Source: Society Hill Films
Gaffar is originally from Bangladesh, where is family owns a mango garden/farm and works as inspiration for many dishes on the menu, including Indian Mango Chicken (shown above)- a dish made of “spiced chicken breast cooked in our homemade mango sauce with fresh mangoes.” I decided to try to make my own version at home using my multi-pot to mimic the flavors of a dish that requires cooking for a long period of time to fully develop its flavors.
My version uses chicken thighs and differs in overall flavor to the version at Makhani, so I strongly suggest trying out their version as well!
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
8 oz frozen mango chunks
1 (14 oz) can light coconut milk, thoroughly shaken
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
0-2 dried red chili peppers, depending on your spice tolerance
Have you ever used ground sumac? Ground sumac is made from dried ground berries from the sumac bush, which is native to the Middle East. The flavor is similar to lemons, sour and tangy, but less tart than lemon juice.
I purchased ground sumac a while back patiently waiting for the “right” recipe to cross my path. After receiving eggplant in my most recent Hungry Harvest, I came across this recipe for Sumac Scented Eggplant and Chickpeas, which I knew I had to make!
Note: I was sent a sample of Speck Alto Adige PGI in order to write this post. All opinions are mine alone. #sponsored
During the winter, I cannot get enough comfort food recipes. To me, Italian food is the ultimate comfort food — usually quite simple to make, with a few high quality ingredients that make the meal good enough to share with company.
I wanted to highlight an ingredient that you may not have heard about before: Speck Alto Adige PGI. From the Alto Adige region of Italy, Speck Alto Adige PGI is ham that has been air cured and lightly smoked. It can be used in recipes that call for bacon or prosciutto, and add a nice smoky, herby flavor to the dish. When buying, look for the PGI certification. The PGI certification of Speck Alto Adige means “protected geographical indication” and ensures that you are buying an authentic product made in its area of origin under strict guidelines.
To highlight the uncommon but delicious flavor of Speck Alto Adige PGI, I decided to make a speck and anchovy pasta topped with garlic breadcrumbs.
This recipe for Speck and Anchovy Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs is based off an Epicurious recipe and delivers great flavor without a lot of effort. It just so happens to mostly use ingredients that I tend to have around my house, so that was a nice perk too!
As the weather gets a little cooler, I begin to gravitate toward more comfort food recipes. Not necessarily bad-for-you recipes, recipes that are simple but flavorful and filling.
To me, there are very few things as comforting as this stew with ground sausage, cannellini beans, and kale. (I’m referring to this as a stew, but there is very little broth. It’s meant to be that way.) Something magical when these ingredients are cooked with onions and garlic!
This recipe is adapted from Simply Recipes, where it was originally intended to be a side. My version is pretty similar, but I make enough for it to be a nice dinner on its own; just serve with a side of crusty bread to sop up that wonderful sauce!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed (for gluten-free, make sure to use gluten-free sausage)
2 (5 oz) containers baby kale, divided
1 1/4 cups beef stock, divided
2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or any white beans you prefer)
I’m seriously loving using my pressure cooker! My husband was out of town while I was experimenting with this recipe, so I enlisted the help of a couple of friends to be my taste testers. Luckily they were willing to oblige!
The unsuspecting friends showed up without knowing what exactly I was planning on preparing – they are very trusting! 🙂
I had a craving for bulgogi recently, so I decided to make a pressure cooker Korean beef. Bulgogi is typically made with thin, marinated slices of beef that are then barbecued. The marinade is usually a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic with a touch of crushed red pepper.
This recipe is inspired by the flavors of bulgogi, but instead of grilling thinly sliced beef, it instead uses chuck roast beef and a pressure cooker to make a super tender, shredded version.
Ingredients (serves 8):
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more if needed
4 lbs chuck beef, cut into cubes, excess fat trimmed
1 small onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons beef stock
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
green onions, sliced, for garnish
white sesame seeds, for garnish
4 cups cooked rice
To make, cut the beef into large chunks. Season with salt and pepper. (Go light on the salt, the soy sauce will provide all the salt you need!)
Press the “saute” function on your pressure cooker. Press the “cook time” button and increase the time to 25 or 30 minutes (it took me about 25 minutes to brown up all of my meat.) Press the “adjust” button and choose “more/high.” Press “on/start.” The pressure cooker will beep five times when it is preheated.
Carefully add the vegetable, oil and then add some meat to the pressure cooker (without crowding the beef).
Brown the meat on all sides. Remove from the pressure cooker and continue with the remaining beef.
When done browning the last batch, remove the final pieces and set aside. Press “stop/cancel” to turn off the saute function.
If needed, add a bit more vegetable oil. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add a little bit of beef stock (1 or 2 tablespoons) to the pressure cooker and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pressure cooker using a wooden or plastic spoon.
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce (or coconut aminos), sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and ginger.
Add back in all of the beef to the pressure cooker, as well as any juices from the beef.
Pour in the soy sauce mixture, evenly covering the beef.
Close the lid, ensuring that the steam valve is closed. Select the meat/stew pressurized cooking function. Press the “adjust” button and choose “more/high” to set it for 45 minutes. Press “on/start” to begin cooking.
Once the unit has reached optimal cooking pressure (~15 minutes), the unit will beep once and start counting down from 45 minutes. You’ll notice that the pressure release valve (red) rises up during this time.
The pressure cooker will beep 3 times to alert you when cooking has finished. It will automatically go on to “keep warm” mode for up to 6 hours. Once cooking is complete, turn off the pressure cooker by pressing “stop/cancel” and unplugging the power cable.
Let the unit cool down for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the float valve drops down. Using an oven mitt, move the pressure release value to the “release” position to let out any remaining pressure in the unit. Wait again for the float value to drop down before opening the pressure cooker.
The meat should be really tender.
Remove the meat from the pot, keeping the liquid in the pot, and shred with two forks. Add to a large bowl.
Measure out about 1 cup of the cooking liquid and add to the bowl.
Fill bowls with rice and top with the shredded beef. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and serve.
The beef is wonderfully flavorful and juicy. My friends and I just gobbled this up! It’s most certainly not spicy so if you prefer some heat, add a bit more crushed red pepper.
This is a great make ahead dish as well. If doing so, add some more of the cooking liquid to the container before refrigerating, so that when you reheat it, there is still plenty of juicy liquid to drizzle over the top!
I also made the rice in the Cosori Multicooker and it came out great! (Tip: if you have extra cooking liquid, substitute some of that in for the water/broth in your rice.)
If you’re looking for more information about the Cosori Multicooker, check out my review post here (plus a recipe for Barbacoa Beef Tacos).
4 lbs chuck beef, cut into cubes, excess fat trimmed
1 small onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons beef stock
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
green onions, sliced, for garnish
white sesame seeds, for garnish
4 cups cooked rice
Instructions
To make, cut the beef into large chunks. Season with salt and pepper. (Go light on the salt, the soy sauce will provide all the salt you need!)
Press the “saute” function on your pressure cooker. Press the “cook time” button and increase the time to 25 or 30 minutes (it took me about 25 minutes to brown up all of my meat.) Press the “adjust” button and choose “more/high.” Press “on/start.” The pressure cooker will beep five times when it is preheated.
Carefully add the vegetable, oil and then add some meat to the pressure cooker (without crowding the beef).
Brown the meat on all sides. Remove from the pressure cooker and continue with the remaining beef.
When done browning the last batch, remove the final pieces and set aside. Press “stop/cancel” to turn off the saute function.
If needed, add a bit more vegetable oil. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add a little bit of beef stock (1 or 2 tablespoons) to the pressure cooker and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pressure cooker using a wooden or plastic spoon.
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce (or coconut aminos), sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and ginger.
Add back in all of the beef to the pressure cooker, as well as any juices from the beef.
Pour in the soy sauce mixture, evenly covering the beef.
Close the lid, ensuring that the steam valve is closed. Select the meat/stew pressurized cooking function. Press the “adjust” button and choose “more/high” to set it for 45 minutes. Press “on/start” to begin cooking.
Once the unit has reached optimal cooking pressure (~15 minutes), the unit will beep once and start counting down from 45 minutes. You’ll notice that the pressure release valve (red) rises up during this time.
The pressure cooker will beep 3 times to alert you when cooking has finished. It will automatically go on to “keep warm” mode for up to 6 hours. Once cooking is complete, turn off the pressure cooker by pressing “stop/cancel” and unplugging the power cable.
Let the unit cool down for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the float valve drops down. Using an oven mitt, move the pressure release value to the “release” position to let out any remaining pressure in the unit. Wait again for the float value to drop down before opening the pressure cooker.
The meat should be really tender.
Remove the meat from the pot, keeping the liquid in the pot, and shred with two forks. Add to a large bowl.
Measure out about 1 cup of the cooking liquid and add to the bowl.
Fill bowls with rice and top with the shredded beef. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and serve.
Romanesco is an intriguing little veggie. I don’t come across it terribly often, but when I do, I love using it in recipes like this recipe for Pasta with Roasted Romanesco and Capers.
Romanesco is similar to normal broccoli and cauliflower, and can be prepared the same ways. However, the flavor of Romanesco is much more muted. I personally love it roasted and tossed with pasta. The below recipe is heavily inspired by Bon Appetit’s Pasta with Roasted Romanesco and Capers recipe.
I received Romanesco in my latest Hungry Harvest (note: this is a referral link) and couldn’t wait to make this recipe!
Ingredients:
¼ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil; plus more for drizzling
2 tablespoons drained capers, divided
Salt, to taste
1 medium Romanesco, cored, cut into small florets
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
½ cup dry white wine (or chicken/vegetable broth, if preferred)
Have you ever purchased an ingredient at the supermarket that you have no clue how you’re going to end up using it? Months ago, I purchased a tube of prepared polenta and honestly just forgot I even had it. During a recent cleaning of my “pantry” (also known as a cabinet that holds dry goods), I came across it again and decided it was time to find a use for it! So now, I present you Grilled Caprese Polenta Rounds!
Prepared, or tubed, polenta is firm and can be sliced into rounds which makes it perfect for grilling. I figured it would make a great summery appetizer, topped with melted mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, and a balsamic reduction!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (16 oz) tube prepared polenta, sliced into 16 rounds
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 (8 oz) container cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade (directions below)
Psst. Save this recipe for Easy Grilled Marinated Chicken. It will definitely become a go to grilling recipe for you! If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you probably know how much I love my grill. I would grill absolutely everything if I could (and honestly, I’ve tried, including grilled guacamole, a grilled cocktail, and a grilled cheese plate.)
So, be prepared for plenty of grilling recipes this summer! I wanted to start off a bit simple – an easy grilled marinated chicken recipe.
This does involve some prep time, you want the chicken to sit in the marinade for a few hours at least. For the most flavor, add the chicken to the marinade the night before.
Note: I was sent a copy of Eating With Peter for review. Opinions are mine alone.
It comes as no surprise that I gravitate toward books that use food to tell a story. Eating with Peter: A Gastronomic Journey written by Susan Buckley tells the story of her adventures travelling the world with her husband Peter— a well known writer, food critic, and gourmand—exploring foreign cuisine and cultures, from the Michelin-starred restaurants to the sprawling souks of Morocco. Eating with Peter chronicles a life-changing journey of gastronomy and love across Europe, North Africa, and various less-known culinary corners. The book also features 28 recipes that will appeal to lovers of North African, Caribbean, and French cuisines.
Susan’s life would never be the same after she meets Peter Buckley. A man who was larger than life, Peter pulls Susan out of her comfort zone to taste the fine life, literally. Together they embark on a rollicking adventure through Michelin-starred restaurants in France to the souks of Morocco and the waters of the Red Sea and the Caribbean. They explore the world, and along the way discover the most desired tables (sometimes in a tent) and the best markets, moving from Peter’s adventures with Hemingway to sampling delectable treasures in an Alpine meadow. When they return to New York, Susan and Peter—a writer, photographer, gourmand, as well as an inventive chef—incorporate their adventures into their daily American life. As they explore three-star restaurants, French farms, and Italian cheesemakers, the reader gets a taste of famous gastronomic dishes and their chefs, in addition to learning about mouth-watering recipes, culinary moments around the Buckley’s kitchen and table with family and friends, and many of their New York food secrets.
Inspired by the chapter about their travels through Morocco, I adapted the recipe provided within the book to make this One Pot Moroccan Chicken with Couscous.
It’s a fairly simple recipe made with ras el hanout, a North African spice blend that makes this such a tasty dish. The name, which means “head of the shop” (which is similar to the English expression “top-shelf” is a mixture of the best spices the seller has to offer. As such, there is no definitive ras el hanout recipe. Common ingredients include cardamom, cumin, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, coriander, paprika, and turmeric. For those near Philadelphia, I picked mine up from The Head Nut in Reading Terminal, but it can be found in many supermarkets as well.
