Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Who doesn't love mashed potatoes.  I cook for Beth's family and they are bonkers over mashed potatoes.  I only use Idaho potatoes when making mashed potatoes.  This is so much faster and cleaner than boiling on top of the stove. If I'm in a hurry, I have the pot heating up on saute and put the water in first and then the potatoes.

5-8 lb. peeled and cut up potatoes (I cut a medium potato into quarters)

1 c. water

 2 cubes butter

milk 

salt and pepper

 

Pour the water into the Instapot.

Pour the water in.

Cook for 8 min. with a fast release.

Mash the potatoes a little at a time in a separate bowl.

 

Chicken Fried Rice

 I love this recipe only I usually use Spam...really, I do.  I don't eat Spam any other way, but in this, it's yummy.  This also makes up really fast.

2 Tblsp. toasted sesame oil (or veg. oil, even though it's bad for you unless it's olive or avocado)

1/2 c. diced onion (I really like sliced green onion instead)

1  frozen bag carrots and peas

4 eggs, scrambled

3 c. cooked rice

2 c. cooked chicken shredded or 1 can Spam

2 Tblsp. butter

salt and pepper

 

Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add the sesame oil, onions, and carrots; saute until the carrots and onions are starting to become tender.

Add the peas to the pan and stir well.

Scramble eggs 

Add the soy sauce to the onion, carrots, peas, chicken (Spam), rice, butter, salt and pepper.

Serve with Yum Yum sauce if desired

Instant Pot Refried Beans

I LOVE homemade refried beans.  This is a recipe I've tweeked a few times, but I think I've got a version I'm happy with.  It's super easy and super good. I use anywhere from 2-4 c. pinto beans (usually 4c. cause I love them so much)

2-4 lbs. picked over and washed pintos

chopped onion

1 32 oz. box chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. garlic power

6-8 Tblsp. bacon fat or butter (bacon fat is yum)

 3 c. water

Salt to taste after cooking

 

Place pintos, water, broth, onions, in the instant pot.

Move the vent to "seal". Press MANUAL and cook on HIGH for 45 minutes

Once the 45 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally for 25 minutes.  Then, move the vent to "venting" and let the remaining steam release.

Open the lid. Ladle 2-3 c. of the cooking liquid into a bowl or measuring cup. Drain the beans into a large colander.

Return the beans to the pot and use an immersion blender (or potato masher) to puree the beans.  Add in some of the cooking liquid until your desired consistency is reached.  Add the bacon grease or butter and stir until melted and add cumin, oregano, garlic, salt.  

You can also spice it up with jalapeno and fresh cilantro

 

 

 

Chocolate Cookies with Raspberry Frosting

Nathan needed some valentine cookies so I found this on Pinterest from Two Sisters.  I like to use one of the smaller scoopers because this is a cookie that's a bit thinner if it's bigger but great if it's smaller. I didn't make this frosting but just made a buttercream with raspberry flavoring instead of vanilla.

1 c. softened butter

3/4 c. sugar

2/3 c. packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/4 c. flour

2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutch Processed)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 batch  The Best Raspberry Frosting

10-12 Ghirardelli Chocolate Melting Wafers

 

1. Add the sugars and softened butter to a mixing bowl

2. Cream together until light and fluffy

3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract.

4 Mix until thoroughly combined.

5. Add all the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda) to a separate bowl.

6. Whisk the dry ingredients together until combined.

7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet.

8. Mix until just combined. (Do not overmix after you add the flour mixture).

9.Bake the cookies in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.  Allow the cookies to cool.

10. While the cookies cool, make up a batch of our delicious homemade frosting.

11.Using a knife, frost the cookies

12.Place 10-12 Ghirardelli Chocolate Melting Wafers in a freezer bag.  Make a very small hole in the corner after microwaving the chocolate for 1 minute.

13.Drizzle over each cookie 

This raspberry frosting gets a stronger taste after several hours.  Consider making it the day before.

 

Frosting:

1/3 c. Raspberry Puree

1 c. butter softened

5 c. powdered sugar

 

1. 1 6 oz. clamshell of fresh raspberries (1 c.)

2. place in a food processor and puree them

3. place in a sieve to remove seeds

4. Add the butter and 1/3 c. raspberry puree to a mixing bowl. Add more puree if it's too thick.

5. Mix the butter and puree until they are completely combined (about 3 minutes). Stop halfway through and scrape the butter/raspberry mixture off the mixing paddle and the side3s of athe bowl.

6. Add the powdered sugar

7. Start the mixer on your lowest speed working up to high speed and mix till light and fluffy, scraping down once in a while.

8. Add more puree if too thick or 1/2 c. powdered sugar if too thin.

 

Easy Asian Cucumber Salad

I went looking for a recipe for Asian cucumbers when Genevieve told me that a mother of a friend of her's made the most amazing Asian cucumbers.  Challenge taken...I've found the most amazing Asian cucumbers....I'm not to be outdone ;) Vieves will sit and eat an entire container of these.

For 1 English cucumber:

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 Tblsp. sesame oil

3/4 Tblsp. soy sauce

1 Tblsp. sugar

3/4 Tblsp. rice vinegar

1 Tblsp. chili oil (I don't use that much)

1/2 Tblsp. sesame seeds (just use however much you like)

 

I make this in a mason jar...it's like 10 recipes all put together.  If you're going to the effort to make the small batch, you might as well just make the big batch and keep it in the fridge. I keep adding more cucumbers to the liquid in the container...I don't pour all of this big batch all at once onto a batch of cucumbers.  I just like having more in the fridge when I need more.

 

1 tsp. salt

1/4 c. sesame oil

1/3 c. light soy sauce

6 Tblsp. sugar

1/3 c. rice vinegar

2 Tblsp. chili oil

2 Tblsp. sesame seeds

 

1.  Rinse and slice one end of the cucumber at an angle.

2. Continue slicing at an angle. Slices should look more oval than round.  Thickness should be up to preference.

3. Put cucumbers into a container with a lid and pour some dressing over the top and shake with the lid on.  

Best Homemade Mac and Cheese

 This was a Pinterest find...and probably around the 5th or 6th mac n cheese recipe I've tried. I also like the other recipes I've posted on my blog, but this one stays true to what I think mac n cheese really is and is also very close to Mom's recipe.  I haven't made this one with the cheddar cheese soup like the recipe suggests is good...I find it really good without but maybe I'll try it one day. As always, I get into some things where I have to find the absolute premium recipe, so who knows, I may find a better one after this.

12 oz. dry elbow macaroni (I sometimes use cavatapi)

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. flour

1 1/2 c. milk

1 c. half n half or light cream

1/2 tsp. dry mustard powder

1 tsp. onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup (optional)

 4 c. sharp cheddar (I like provolone and mozzerella with it)

1/2 c. fresh parmesan cheese

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cook macaroni al dente (firm) acccording to package directions.  Drain and run under cold water to stop it from cooking further.  It will cook more in the oven, you just don't want to have mushy pasta.

Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Whisk in flour and let cook 2 minutes while stirring.  Slowly whisk in milk, cream, mustard powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat while stirring until thickened. 

Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheeese and 3 c. cheese until melted.  Add soup if using.

Toss cheese sauce & macaroni noodles together.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Top with remaining cheese.

Bake 18 to 24 minutes or until bubbly. Do not over cook. Cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Super Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread

 I've been on the search for the best, soft, easy, sourdough sandwich bread and I think this is it.  I've tried probably 10 different recipes...some with olive oil, or butter, or sugar, or honey, and I've found they are all about the same.  This recipe, though, is super simple and very soft.  Not as soft as the recipe I found that also has yeast, but very close and it has no yeast just 100 per cent sourdough starter, which is exactly what I've been looking for. I found this on Pinterest courtesy of "Beauty that Moves".

1/2 to 3/4 c. sourdough starter (if the starter is runny, add less, thick, add more)

2 Tblsp. maple syrup (This contributes to the softness of finished loaf) I might try honey sometime

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tblsp. olive oil or melted butter

1 c. water

3 - 3 1/2 c. All Purpose flour (I use bread flour)

 

1. Mix starter, maple syrup, salt, olive oil and water together in a stand mixer with dough hook or by hand. Add flour until dough does not stick to side of mixing bowl (or hands if kneading with hands). Remove from mixer. After the first rise, it's time to shape your loaf.  Dump dough onto floured counter and knead for about 30 seconds on a lightly floured surface, place in a large oiled bowl, cover with towel for 30 minutes.

2. After 30 minutes, knead for a few minutes till soft and form into a ball.  Put into a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a towel overnight.  In the winter I put it into the oven to stay warmer.

3.Allow to rise overnight or until at least doubled in size.

    -Winter - first rise 12-18 hours/second rise 2-3 hours

    -Summer - first rise 6-8 hours/second rise 1-2 hours

4. After the first rise, it's time to shape your loaf.  Dump dough onto floured surfaced.  Gently press into a 6x8" rectangle, fold into thirds (like a letter) with long sides in, turn so it is seam side down on the floured board and let it 'bench rest'  10 minutes - this makes the loaf taller.

5. Prep loaf pan.  Do this by lightly oiling the pan.  After the bench rest, turn dough seam side up, press into a rectangle again, but this time roll it up, and tuck sides under to make a tidy loaf, and place dough into the loaf pan.

6. Set aside for a second rise (see seasonal times above).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes.  I turn the pans halfway so they brown evenly.  The bread should be 180 degrees to 200 degrees if you insert a thermometer into the side.

4. 

Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread (No-Knead)

 Ok, I do have another recipe that makes super fluffy sandwich bread but you do have to knead it and it uses sourdough discard and yeast.  I wanted to find a really soft, truly sourdough (no yeast) bread and this is it.  Other than all the hours you have to wait before you get a loaf of bread, it is really super easy.  This was a pinterest find, which is a lot of what I cook these days, (although, I still am into Paula Deen). I make two loaves by making the recipe twice, one right after the other.  There's really no extra work to make 2, and then I slice and freeze it.  It'll keep well for about 5 days on the counter.

1/3 c. (65 grams) sourdough starter, bubbly and active (fed within 12-24 hours).

1 1/3 (300 grams) warm water, filtered (95 to 100 degrees F)

1/4 c. (56 grams) granulated sugar

3 1/2 -4 c. (500 grams) bread flour (King Arthur is best)

1 1/2 Tblsp. (20 grams) extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp. (9 grams) sea salt

-Add the starter to a large bowl.  Mix in warm water and sugar, stirring until dissolved.  Add bread flour, oil, and salt.  Stir with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a thick, shaggy dough forms.

-Flour your hands, and finish mixing dough by hand until most of the flour has been absorbed.  Don't worry if there is flour on the sides or bottom of the bowl. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 - 40 minutes.

-Coax the dough from the bowl and stretch and fold the dough by stretching 4 inches then pushing it down the middle and turning 1/4 until you make a circle.  Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise at room temperature overnight (at least 8-10 hours) until double in size.  Do not refrigerate. the dough.

-In the morning, lightly flour your counter top. Remove the dough from the bowl, gently stretching it into a rectangle, then use your fingers to dimple the dough to release the air from the dough. Roll up dough into a log shape. Cover and let the dough rest 10 minutes.

-Spray bread pan with cooking spray.  Tighten the dough log by gently pulling it towards you along the counter top for 5-8". Place it in your loaf pan, seam side down. Cover and let rise for 1-2 hours, until dough has doubled in size.  Press the corner edge of the dough in 1/2" and if indentation remains, it's ready to bake.

-Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes. The top of the loaf should be golden in color. (I turn my bread in the oven after 20 minutes and then let it bake the other 20 minutes). After 10 minutes, tilt the pan to remove the bread to cool on a cooling rack.  Wait at least 1 hour before cutting (to prevent the loaf from deflating).

Mushroom Risotto

 I love, love, love, risotto especially mushroom risotto.  Now I know that England is not known for their good food, but that is where I had mushroom risotto for the first time.  It's a very dangerous thing that I've now found an easy recipe for it...in the Instant Pot! My electric pressure cooker right now doesn't have a saute setting, so I have to do the sauteing in a pan first and then dump it into the cooker just before I add the 2 c. of chicken broth.  It wasn't that big of a deal...it certainly won't stop me from making it. It says it serves 4, but I think more like 5-6.

1 Tblsp. Olive oil

1 small onion, diced small

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1 c. aborio rice

1/4 c. white wine or chicken broth

2 c. chicken broth

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

1 - 2 Tblsp. butter

1/4 c. parmesan

1.    Heat oil in an Instant Pot on the saute setting

2.    Add onions and mushrooms and garlic.  Cook 3 - 4 minutes.

3.    Add rice and cook 2 - 3 minutes more.  Add wine or the 1/4 c. chicken broth and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pot.

4.    Stir in the 2 c. broth and seasonings.  Place lid on and cook on high pressure for 5 min.

5.    After the 5 minutes, let it naturally release pressure for 10 minutes.  Open the lid and add the butter and parmesan.

Asian Cucumber Salad

 I've taken this several times over to Beth's house and they never get any because Genevieve quickly snatches it away and eats the whole entire thing by herself. It is really yummy...not to tart not to sweet.  I slice the cucumbers about 1/4" thick so that if there does happen to be some left, and you end up storing them in the fridge for a day or so, they don't get soggy like they would if they were thinly sliced.

- 2 large English cucumbers sliced at an angle 1/8" - 1/4" thick

- 3 Tblsp. toasted sesame oil

- 6 Tblsp. rice vinegar

- 2 Tblsp. soy sauce

- 1 tsp. salt

- 2 Tblsp. honey

- 1/2 tsp. crushed red chili pepper flakes (optional)

- 1/2 c. sliced green onions (also sliced at an angle and also optional)

- 2 Tblsp. toasted sesame seeds (optional)

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, soy sauce, salt, honey and red chili pepper flakes.

Toss the dressing with the sliced cucumbers and green onions.

Refrigerate until needed and garnish with sesame seeds.  Store the leftovers with their juices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for no longer than 3 days.

I like to make a quadruple recipe keep it in the fridge and use it as I want with however many cucumbers I want to eat or use.

3/4 c. toasted sesame oil

2 1/4 c. rice vinegar

1/2 c. soy sauce

4 tsp. salt

1/2 . honey

add the remaining ingredients as you are ready to use in the proportions you like