Instant Pot Sticky Rice

  • 1 cup glutinous rice
  1. Soak rice at least 6 hours or overnight
  2. Drain rice
  3. In Instantpot, put 1 cup water, steamer rack or basket, and a metal steam bowl. Add drained glutinous rice. Add 1/2-2/3 cup water until the surface of rice is covered.
  4. High pressure 12 minutes. Natural release 5-7 minutes. Fluff.

Skillet pasta

5 cups liquid :: 2.5 cups pasta

Liquid can be mix of wine, broth, cream.

Simmer over high for 10-12 mins.

Kale sauce

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
4 cloves garlic, smashed flat and peeled
1 Tbsp anchovy paste
1 pound kale, thick ribs removed
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 – 3/4 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano- Reggiano

  1. Put a large pot of generously salted water over high heat, and bring to a boil. In a small skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic, and cook until the garlic begins to sizzle. Reduce heat to low, and cook very gently until garlic is soft and begins to turn light gold, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  2. When water is boiling, add kale leaves, and cook until tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Pull out the hot, dripping kale leaves with tongs, and put directly into a blender. (Don’t drain the pot; you’ll use that same boiling water to cook the pasta.) Add garlic and its oil, cheese, anchovy paste to the blender. Add a splash of hot water from the pot if you need some more liquid to get the blender going. Blend into a fine, thick green purée. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then blend again.

Pot Roast in Instant Pot

2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut in half
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small yellow or red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
3/4 cups dry red wine
1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2-3 fresh woody herb sprigs, such as a mix of thyme, sage and rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, rosemary or sage)
2 lb root vegetables, such as a mix of peeled carrots and parsnips, cut into 2-inch chunks

  1. Season the beef generously all over with about 1/2 Tbsp salt. Using the sauté setting, warm the oil in a 6- to 8-quart electric pressure cooker. Add one chunk of the beef and sear one side until deeply browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and sear other side. Remove beef and set aside.
  2. Add the onions and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is softened, about 2 minutes. Pour in the wine, vinegar and 1/4 cup broth; season generously with black pepper and lightly with salt. Using a metal or wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Turn off the sauté setting. Add the herbs and nestle the beef into the liquid. Cook on high pressure for 45 min – 1 hr.
  3. Allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually. Add the vegetables to the pot, tucking them below the liquid. Cook on high pressure until the beef and vegetables are both tender, an additional 4 minutes. Quick-release.
  4. If you’d prefer a thicker gravy, strain the cooking liquid and return it to the pot. Using the sauté function, bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, combine 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp flour in a small bowl and knead it together with your fingers until it is uniform, almost like a dough. Once the liquid is boiling, drop the butter-flour mixture into the pot, whisking well to combine. Let it bubble until it is lightly thickened, about 5 minutes, then drizzle some gravy over the pot roast and vegetables, and top with drained, pickled onions. Serve extra gravy on the side.

Japanese Milk Bread – bread machine

Bread starter

  • 1/6 cup (23 grams) bread flour
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup water

Make the starter: In a small heavy pot, whisk flour, milk and 1/4 cup water together until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring often, until thickened but still pourable, about 7-9 minutes (it will thicken more as it cools). When it’s ready, the spoon will leave tracks on the bottom of the pot. Scrape into a measuring cup and lightly cover the surface with plastic wrap. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Bread ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups bread flour
  • 1/8 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup warm milk
  • 4 tablespoons/60 grams unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened at room temperature

Add bread starter, egg, warm milk, softened pieces of butter into bread machine. Spoon dry ingredients on top. Set to regular bread, light crust.

Hummus

Base hummus

  • 1 15-oz. can cooked chickpeas, drained
  • 1/4 c. chickpea liquid -OR- 1/4 c. extra virgin oil olive -OR- 1/4 c. lemon juice -OR- any mix of these
  • Big pinch of salt and black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper powder (optional)
  • 2 large cloves garlic (minced) or 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 heaping Tbsp tahini or 1 tsp sesame oil

Blend together in food processor until smooth.

Optional add-ins, blend with the hummus:

  • 1 roasted beet (375*F, 1 hour, wrapped in tin foil).
  • 2 whole roasted red bell peppers (halved, broil 5-10 minutes skin side up, put in bowl covered with tight lid for 10-15 mins, gently peel away charred skin).
  • Use roasted garlic or add 1-2 Tbsp. garlic powder.
  • 2 very ripe avocados.
  • 1 cup peeled and cubed pumpkin, sweet potato, or butternut squash (pressure cook in Instant Pot 3-4 min until very soft), add 1 tsp paprika to hummus.
  • Black bean – swap out chickpea for black bean can. Add 1/2 tsp. ground coriander.

Tahini Parsley Sauce

For roasted vegetables

  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup minced parsley
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • Healthy pinch of salt and pepper

Stir together until well mixed.

Herbed Bean and Sausage Stew

  • 1 pound Italian (or any kind of ground) sausage – removed from casing
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2-4 medium carrots, finely diced
  • 2-4 celery stalks, finely diced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3/4 lb pound dried great Northern beans, rinsed and picked through, soaked 3-10 hours
  • 6 cups water or broth
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
  • 4 thyme sprigs + 2 large rosemary sprig tied together in a bundle with kitchen twine
  • 2 bay leaf
  1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high. Add the sausage and brown until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a separate bowl.
  2. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Remove half of veggies to the bowl with the sauage (you will re-add it at the end, so veggies aren’t mushy). Add the tomato paste and cumin to the pot. Cook, stirring, until dark golden, about 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in the beans, 6 cups broth/water, salt, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Instant Pot high for 30 minutes, natural release.
  4. Re-add reserved veggies and sausage. High pressure for 5 minutes.
  5. Optional: puree a cup of beans for thicker stew texture.
  6. Stir in the vinegar and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into warm bowls and serve drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Adjustments for Canned Beans

  • 2.5 cans (36 oz) canned beans, preferably white, chickpea or kidney, drained and rinsed
  • In step 3, do not add the canned beans. Add the canned beans in step 4.
  • Add 4 cups of water/broth at first, up to 6 cups, since canned beans do not absorb water