Instant Pot chicken soup

Adapted from Alton Brown (directions from A Saucy Kitchen)

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 medium carrots, cut into half-moons
• 4 stalks celery, cut into half-moons, with the leaves reserved for garnish
• 2 large leeks, green tops removed and reserved, whites cut into half-moons
• 1 (20- to 30-gram) packet mixed dried mushrooms
• 10 black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 5-lb (2-kg) roaster chicken, cut into 8 to 10 pieces, with the skin removed
• 2 quarts (< 2 L) water, filtered or good-tasting tap
• ¼ cup (60 mL) shoyu (we used soy sauce)
• 1 – 2 tsp (~8 g) shichimi togarashi (basically ground red chili pepper & ginger)
• 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into quarter-moons
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt (optional)
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste, optional
• Freshly ground black pepper, for serving

Directions:

1. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the Instant Pot and press the “Sauté” button.
2. When the oil is simmering, add the chopped onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook for about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the chicken breast-side-up to the pot (whole chicken) and cover with chicken stock, water and add the bay leaves.
4. Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button to stop the sauté function. Secure the lid and make sure the steam valve is set to closed. Press ‘Soup’ and set a timer for 30 minutes.
5. After the time is up the Instant Pot will automatically switch to ‘keep warm’. Let it keep warm for at least 15 minutes before releasing the steam valve. Jesse did a full natural release, but maybe would stop after 15-20 minutes.
6. Once the steam has been fully released after opening the steam valve, remove the lid of the instant pot. Use a pair of tongs or slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the pot. Transfer to a plate or bowl to shred. The chicken will likely come apart as you remove it from the pot so be careful and move it slowly so that the hot soup doesn’t splash on you.
7. Remove the chicken from the skin and bones and discard the remaining carcass and cartilage. Shred the chicken meat into bite sized pieces.
8. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot along with the lemon juice and fresh herbs (we only had dried herbs, no fresh). Give everything a good stir then taste and season with more salt, pepper and lemon juice as needed. How much salt you add at the end will depend on how salty your stock was.
9. Serve warm and enjoy. Leftovers will keep in the fridge up to 5 days. Once completely cooled you can freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months.

Jesse made this while I was at work this past week. Next time, I would add the mushrooms (they didn’t fit in the pot) so we would get a 3-4 lb. chicken instead of the 5.5 lbs we could only find with a “natural” label. Jesse made me chicken soup when I was sick before, and my friend recommends white cut chicken when someone is sick, but no one was sick this time; it’s just really cold out this week.

~Jessica

Instant Pot butter chicken

Adapted from Well Plated

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (we used ghee)
• 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (~ 4 teaspoons)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 3/4  teaspoon kosher salt
• Splash of water or low sodium chicken broth
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce (we subbed with 14 oz. can + 1 cup broth)
• 1 small cauliflower (we subbed for 1 can of chickpeas)
• 2 pounds chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
• 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk (we used heavy creamy instead)
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• Prepared brown rice or Turmeric Rice, quinoa, or Homemade Naan, for serving
• Chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Directions:

1. If you have a food processor, put the onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno pepper. Blend into a paste.
2. Add the coconut oil to the Instant Pot and set to SAUTE. Once hot, add the onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, curry, garam masala, chili powder, and salt. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn the Instant Pot to OFF. Add a splash of water or chicken broth and stir, using a sturdy plastic or wooden spoon to scrape loose any browned bits that have stuck. Make sure you remove all of the stuck-on bits so that you don’t trigger a burn warning. 
3. Add the tomato sauce and cauliflower florets and stir to combine. Lay the chicken breasts on top, then scatter the butter pieces over the top.
4. Close and seal Instant Pot. Cook on Manual (HIGH) pressure for 12 minutes. Once the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent to immediately release any remaining pressure.
5. Carefully open the lid and transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Cut into bite-sized pieces, then return to the sauce. Stir in the half-and-half or coconut milk. Let cool a few minutes, then stir in the Greek yogurt (do not stir it in immediately or it will curdle). Serve with rice and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

Jesse made this whole recipe by himself before I came home; next time he would buy 2.5 lbs boneless chicken or 3 lbs bone-in chicken, and extra chickpeas or actually use cauliflower (he didn’t this time). We wanted something suitable for cooler weather. Some prep was simpler because it was made in the Instant Pot and hand-me-down Cuisinart food processor. It was so, so delicious — I raved thrice during dinner. I would recommend going with the coconut milk and whole milk plain yogurt if you can find it. Ghee or coconut oil would both be equally good in this dish. This has a more interesting flavor profile than just heavy cream or half-and-half. I would love to try turmeric rice! We tried garlic naan and it is so hard to do and it did not come out great.

~Jessica

Gravy baked chicken

Adapted from Recipe Tin Eats

Ingredients:

• 1.25 kg/ 3 lb bone in, skin on chicken thighs and/or drumsticks (all of one, or mix)
• 2 tsp olive oil (or other oil)
• CHICKEN SEASONING:
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp onion powder (or garlic powder)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• GRAVY:
• 40 g flour , plain/all purpose
• 375 ml beef stock/broth
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
2. Seasoning – mix in a small bowl.
3. Season chicken – Place chicken in a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ baking pan. Drizzle with oil then rub all over Sprinkle & rub in the Seasoning, using most on the skin side.
4. Arrange chicken skin side up in the pan.
5. Gravy mixture – Whisk flour with about 1/2 cup of stock until lump free, then whisk in remaining stock and pepper (forgot in video!). Pour into the pan around the chicken.
6. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes, or until chicken is crispy and golden.
7. Whisk gravy – Remove chicken onto a plate, then give the gravy a good whisk to make it smooth. Adjust Gravy thickness if required – Note 4. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.
8. Serve – Pour gravy into a jug. Serve alongside chicken!

We had some leftover chicken after the last recipe, so I really wanted to try something easy, mid-week, to bake in the cast iron pan since all of other cookware are being packed for moving. I was too overwhelmed with teaching before moving and transitioning jobs, so I never published this back in mid-April when we cooked it.

~Jessica

Instant Pot chili con carne

Adapted from Pressure Cook Recipes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground beef (we used 1 lb grassfed beef + 1 lb bison)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 – 3 jalapeños (depending on spice preference), seeded and cored, chopped
• 2 cans (540ml) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (we used 1 can black beans)
• 3 tablespoons (49g) tomato paste
• 1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes (we used 4 tomatoes on the vine)
• 2 tbsp (16g) chili powder (your spiciness preference)
• 1-2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) regular soy sauce
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon (6g) cumin seed , ground
• 1 teaspoon (1g) dried oregano
• 1 cup (237 mL) beer (we used Samuel Adams Flannel Fest – Munich Dunkel)
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil (we used canola oil)
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) apple cider vinegar (optional)
• Brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper to taste
• toppings: lime, cilantro / scallions, sour cream, cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté function. Season ground beef generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil in Instant Pot. Ensure to coat the oil over whole bottom of the pot. Add ground beef in Instant Pot. The ground beef will start to release moisture. At the 5-minute mark, remove the ground beef juice and reserve it in a small mixing bowl. Allow the ground beef to brown. Stir occasionally until they are slightly crisped and browned (~5 – 7 minutes). Taste and adjust the seasoning with more kosher salt and ground black pepper.
2. While the ground beef is browning, mix 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock, 2 tbsp (30ml) fish sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, and 1 tsp (2.5g) unsweetened cocoa powder in a 500ml measuring cup.
3. Add diced onions, minced garlic, 1 tbsp ground cumin seed, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp dried oregano. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the spices start to release their fragrance. Stir frequently.
4. Pour in ½ cup (125ml) of the Umami Chicken Stock Mixture, fully deglaze the bottom of the pot by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon. Mix the brown bits with the stock mixture.
5. Add in the reserved beef juice (from Step 1). Pour in the remaining Umami Chicken Stock Mixture. Add 2 cans of drained red kidney beans. Mix well. Add 3 tbsp (49g) tomato paste and 1 can of crushed tomatoes with all the juice on top. Do not mix.
6. With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes + Natural Release. Open the lid carefully.
7. If the chili is too runny, give it a quick stir and cook for another few minutes using the Sauté mode. Taste and season with brown sugar (we used 1 tbsp), kosher salt and black pepper. Optional: Add 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. Note that the vinegar will significantly change the flavor profile.
8. Garnish chili with lime, cilantro / scallions, sour cream, cheddar cheese.
9. Serve with cornbread.

We used the original ingredients from Jesse’s version but we did grind the cumin seeds and add the apple cider vinegar, as well as a splash of soy sauce, from the Pressure Cook recipe this time. This is the second time we tried chili in the Instant Pot — last time we didn’t have enough liquid and kept getting an error, but this time it all came together beautifully!

~Jessica

Mom’s Chinese fried chicken wings

Quantities adapted from The Woks of Life

Ingredients:

• 10 whole chicken wings, washed and patted dry
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 2-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• oil (for frying)

Directions:

1. Combine chicken wings with the salt, pepper, and wine in a large mixing bowl. Mix everything until the wings are well-coated. (If you don’t have Shaoxing wine, use the cheapest wine you can still drink — Trader Joe’s or Walmart). I usually just eyeball the amount; you can always taste to adjust the amounts.
2. Next, add the flour and flip until the wings are coated.
3. Make sure to marinate them overnight with the seasonings. (If you refrigerate the wings, be sure to let them come to room temperature again before cooking).
4. The wings should be well coated with a thin batter-like coating. If it still looks too watery, add a bit more flour.
5. Fill a medium pot about 2/3 of the way up with oil, and heat it to 325 degrees F.
6. Fry the wings in small batches for 5 minutes and remove to a sheet pan lined with paper towels. After all of the wings are fried, return them in batches to the oil and fry again for 3 minutes.
7. Drain on paper towels or a cooling rack, and serve with hot sauce!

According to my experience working at a Chinese takeaway restaurant when I was younger, chefs probably don’t add all the extra seasonings like garlic powder, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil. Not even egg and the corn starch.

~Kai-ling

Mom’s Chinese takeout ribs

Quantities adapted from The Woks of Life

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs baby back ribs
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/8 tsp. red food coloring

Directions:

1. Always mix the condiments in a bowl and taste it to adjust for the right flavor, I only eyeball it. I added a few drops of red food coloring to make it look like the takeaway restaurants.
2. Reserve about ⅓ of the marinade for baking tomorrow. Rub the ribs with the rest of of the marinade.
3. Marinate them overnight, making sure to turn them over twice so they will evenly absorb the marinade sauce.
4. Preheat your oven, and put the ribs on a rack resting on a baking sheet. Pour 1 cup water into the pan, and transfer to the oven.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
6. Remove the ribs from the oven and baste with the reserved marinade. Return to the oven and roast for another 30 minutes.
7. Allow the ribs to rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve!

This is my favorite dish besides the fried fried chicken drumsticks! If you have it, feel free to include five spice powder, white pepper, sesame oil, a la The Woks of Life.

~Kai-ling

Rajma

Adapted from smitten kitchen and Dassana’s Veg Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (or butter or ghee; we used ~2 tbsp)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (reduced from original 4 tbsp.)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large green chile, chopped (optional; jalapeño)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder or hot paprika
• 8 ounce can of tomato sauce or 1 cup of one of your choice
• 3 cups cooked red kidney beans or 2 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 – 3 tablespoons half and half or 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream – optional

Directions:

1. If you have a mortar and pestle, Crush the ginger, garlic and green chillies in a mortar-pestle to a fine or semi-fine texture. We used a food processor. Set aside. If you don’t, go to the next step.
2. Heat oil + butter, or ghee, in a deep saucepan over medium heat for one minute. Add cumin first and let them crackle & get browned. Add onions and sauté them till they caramelize; don’t let burn by keeping them moving. Add the ginger – garlic – green chile paste. Stir and sauté for 5 to 10 seconds on a low flame until the raw aroma of the ginger and garlic goes away, then let sizzle for one minute.
3. Add the tomato sauce. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-low to medium heat until the tomatoes become soft.
4. Add all the spice powders one by one – turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, asafoetida (hing, if you can find) and garam masala powder. Cook for an additional five minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add red kidney beans plus 2 additional cups of water, salt to taste, and tomatoes. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
6. When the rajma masala has thickened and comes to the right consistency which is neither too thick nor too thin, then add the cream.
7. Remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro.
8. Serve over basmati rice or with naan. A dollop of plain yogurt (if not keeping the dish vegan) on top is heavenly.

I’ve previously made rajma, but I didn’t follow the recipe as well. This was a favorite back in grad school, when I was scrimping and saving, and eating all vegetarian for a couple years. Jesse faithfully ground all the spices by hand for maximal favor, and used ghee and subbed the cream with whole milk plain yogurt.

~Jessica

Jesse’s Instant Pot beef stew

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs whole chuck beef, cut into cubes
• 3 gold potatoes, cut into large chunks (red bliss works too)
• 1 large or 2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 large carrots, cut into large chunks
• 3 Roma tomatoes (or fewer, larger), diced
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 cups broth
• Spices: black pepper, paprika, chili powder, rosemary
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp vinegar (sub soy sauce & vinegar: Worcestershire sauce)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp cold water

Directions:

1. Set Instant Pot to “Saute”, add vegetable oil. Brown beef, 6-8 minutes.
2. Add onion, carrots, garlic, saute 5 more minutes.
3. Add potatoes, spices, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Mix, about 30 seconds.
4. Add broth and tomatoes, stir.
5. Cover and seal instant pot, set to stew on high for 30 minutes.
6. Allow to natural release for 10 minutes, then vent.
7. Meanwhile, mix cornstarch into cold water. After venting, set to saute on low and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Mix well, then saute for 0-10 more minutes, depending on desired consistency.
8. Add frozen peas. Mix, then cook for one more minute.
9. Serve with starch of choice (bread, rice, couscous, etc.)

Jesse wrote up this review after scanning the interwebs. This was very tasty, and we saved the gravy leftover afterwards for a warming soup with Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend (“Blend of pearled couscous, orzo, split baby garbanzo bean and red quinoa”), first boiling then simmered 10 minutes.

~Jessica

Pasta con ‘nduja

Adapted from Memorie di Angelina and The Pasta Project

Ingredients:

• 400 g (14 oz) fileja (or other pasta of your choice)
• 1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
• 50 g (2 oz) nduja, broken into chunks
• 400 g (14 oz) small cherry tomatoes, cut in half, or canned passata or peeled tomatoes
• A few basil leaves, torn into pieces by hand
• 2-3 tbsp Olive oil
• Salt
• 50 g pecorino romano, freshly grated (optional)

Directions:

1. Gently sauté the chopped onion in olive oil until soft and translucent.
2. Add the nduja and let it melt for 2 minutes on low heat (can add a little water to liquefy).
3. Add the tomatoes along with the basil and a good pinch of salt. Let simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, until the tomatoes have thickened and reduced into a sauce, stirring from time to time. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. While the sauce is simmering, bring water to a boil, salt, and cook the pasta al dente.
5. Drain the pasta (but not too well) and add it to the sauce. Mix well, still over very gentle heat.
6. Serve immediately, with fresh basil and cheese.

My in-laws (so to speak) were visiting Calabria, Italy for a bit (partly to rediscover distant family members) and had an excellent sampling of ‘nduja. They were so taken with it, they decided to bring some back for Jesse. He free-styled a recipe that was so spicy! But delicious. I personally like a few more vegetables to balance out the heat of the sausage, but that’s just me. We did have some mushrooms harvested from North Spore (my aunt bought me Lion’s Mane and Golden Oyster, to be exact), so added that with a chopped, parboiled red bliss potato to help empty the larder. Orecchiette is my favorite “short” pasta, and I happened to find De Cecco brand for this. I included a snap of Ben’s cute butt sploot — he loves to “help out” in the kitchen, so I gave him a Parmesan rind to chew on while we prepped (didn’t know he could break it, so took away half when he chewed it up so he wouldn’t get too much salt and fat).

~Jessica

Instant Pot pollo guisado

Adapted from My Meals are on Wheels and My Stay at Home Adventures

Ingredients:

• 4-6 chicken pieces, bone-in
• 2-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoons of sugar
• 3 tablespoons of sázon seasoning
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon cube, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 lemons, cut in half (or 3 tablespoons white vinegar)
• 2 green bell peppers or sofrito (onion, garlic, cilantro, + cubanelle pepper)
• 1 small red onion or 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cloves or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic, smashed
• 1 teaspoon of Chili powder (optional)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes or 4 plum tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 Large carrot
• 2 medium potatoes (or 1.5 lbs red bliss potatoes)
• Water, to cover chicken

Directions:

1. If you have time to marinate, in a bowl mix the chicken, oregano, onion, squeeze in the juice of the lemon, celery, tomatoes, and vegetables a pinch of salt and garlic. Marinate for 30 minutes.
2. If you don’t marinate ahead of time, make the sofrito — add to a blender: 1 Medium Spanish onion, 5 cubanelle peppers, seeded; 15 garlic cloves, peeled; 1 Bunch of cilantro, 8 ajies dulces (sweet chili peppers), 5 leaves of culantro, 1 large red bell pepper, seeded. Culantro and ajies dulces might be unavailable. Blend until smooth.
3. Press the Sauté button and heat up the oil, add in the sofrito, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, sugar, lemon juice, garlic, bouillon, and sázon seasoning then cook until it gets to a lightly brown color. Stir for about five minutes until everything is well blended.
4. Add the chicken, bay leaf, potatoes, carrots, spices (cumin, chili powder).
5. On your Instant Pot cover, turn the knob to Seal the instant pressure cooker. Cancel the Sauté mode on your Instant Pot.
6. Add enough water (1.5 cups of total liquid for 5 qt. Instant Pot), then add the remaining ingredients.
7. Click the Poultry button or press the Pressure Cook button on your Instant Pot and set for 20 to 25 minutes. Once the machine is done cooking, allow it to Natural Release.
8. Serve with white rice along with the sauce of the chicken, and red beans.

If you can make sofrito (fresh chopped onions, cubanelle peppers, garlic, cilantro, ajies dulces / sweet peppers, culantro, tomatoes, and red pepper) in a food processor, I think it would add a kick to this dish. We adopted our new dog, Ben, today, and he was so impressed with the smell of today’s dish that he came over to observe.

~Jessie