Tag: dinner

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Faux pho broth

1/2 onion diced
2 in ginger, sliced
Half a cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons coriander seed
2 star anise
5 cloves
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
5 cups broth

Instantpot 10 minutes.

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Lamb stew (instantpot)

2 tablespoons olive oil, butter or ghee
1 ½ –1 ¾ pounds lamb stew meat ( shoulder, leg or shank) cut onto 1 ½  inch cubes
1 onion, diced
4–6 garlic cloves, rough chopped
1 teaspoon of each: salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin seeds ( seeds are optional, add another teaspoon ground cumin if no seeds)
½ teaspoon chili flakes 
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
1  1/4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 x 15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained — or use dried beans and pressure cook them yourself (use bean broth for stock, if so)
¼ cup raisins or  dried apricots (chopped)
Serve with cooked quinoa, couscous or basmati rice

Turn the Instant Pot on and set it to the Sauté function. Add some oil, sear lamb cubes on 2 sides until lightly browned. Remove.

Add some oil, saute the onions for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add garlic, salt and all the spices and saute for 2-4 more minutes until fragrant. Add the vinegar, tomato paste, honey, stock, and raisins and stir until combined. Add lamb.

Cover and set the Instant Pot (or pressure cooker)  to  pressure cook setting for 30 minutes on normal/high. Naturally release. Check on lamb meat – if it is tender, continue to next step. If not tender enough, pressure cook for 5-20 more minutes (depends how tender you want it).

Add beans while stew is still hot, stir in. Note that it will thicken a bit as it sits.

Make it in the morning, let the flavors meld all day for better flavor. Reheat before eating.

Recipes

Miso mushroom pasta

  • 7 ounces dried spaghetti or other noodle pasta
  • 12-16 oz mushrooms
  • 1 leek or onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar, or white wine vinegar
  • 4 tsp miso paste
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup pasta cooking water
  1. Cook pasta 1 minute short of al dente and reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water while doing the rest:
  2. Whip miso and butter together in a small bowl until airy and combined
  3. Sauté leek/onion until lightly browned
  4. Add mushroom and sauté until browned, toss with vinegar when done
  5. Add some oil and sauté garlic, mix with mushrooms
  6. Add miso butter and heavy cream — make sure pasta is ready before you do this
  7. When combined, add pasta and stir over low heat for 2-4 more minutes. Add some pasta water if needed to combine
  8. Serve with furikake
Recipes

Skillet pasta

5 cups liquid :: 2.5 cups pasta

Liquid can be mix of wine, broth, cream.

Simmer over high for 10-12 mins.

Recipes

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
Recipes

Chinese sticky ribs

  • 1 (6-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin
  • 8 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 cup honey
  • ¾ cup hoisin sauce
  • ¾ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup Chinese rice wine, Xiaoshing wine or dry sherry
  • 2 teaspoons five-spice powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 5 – 6 pounds pork spareribs (2 racks, 2 1/2- to 3-pounds each), preferably St. Louis-style, cut into individual ribs
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  1. Pulse ginger and garlic in food processor until finely chopped, 10 to 12 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer ginger-garlic mixture to Dutch oven. Add honey; hoisin; soy sauce; ½ cup water; rice wine; five-spice powder; and pepper and whisk until combined. Add ribs and stir to coat (ribs will not be fully submerged). Bring to simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 1¼ hours, stirring occasionally.
    Instant pot: add above ingredients and ribs, stir to coat, then pressure cook high for 15-18 minutes.
  2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Using tongs, transfer ribs to large bowl. Strain braising liquid through fine-mesh strainer set over large container, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Let cooking liquid settle for 10 minutes. Using wide, shallow spoon, skim fat from surface and discard.
  3. Return braising liquid to pot and add sesame oil. Bring to boil over high heat and cook until syrupy and reduced to 2½ cups, 16 to 20 minutes.
    Instant pot: add sesame oil to braising liquid in Instant Pot. Sautee function until liquid is syrupy, 4-8 minutes.
  4. Set wire rack in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and pour ½ cup water into sheet. Transfer half of ribs to pot with braising liquid and toss to coat. Arrange ribs, bone sides up, on prepared rack, letting excess glaze drip off. Roast until edges of ribs start to caramelize, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip ribs and continue to roast until second side starts to caramelize, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Transfer ribs to serving platter; repeat process with remaining ribs. Serve.
Recipes

Instant Pot Coq au Vin

  • ~2 lbs chicken thighs or legs with skin
  • 3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 2-3 celery, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
  • White or red potatoes, cut into 1″ cubes
  • 1 onion, cut into big chunks
  • 1 cup white wine
  • Thyme (1 tsp dry, or 5 fresh sprigs)
  • 2-4 pieces of garlic, smashed, but whole
  1. Add a little olive oil. Sear the chicken skin side down on Saute function or in skillet on stove, 3-4 minutes until skin is golden brown and released some fat. Do this with all the chicken, without crowding in pan.
  2. Sear the onions, celery, carrots, garlic in chicken fat in pot for 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add wine, deglaze pot, bring to a simmer.
  4. Put chicken on top of veggies.
    1. Chicken thighs with bones – pressure cook 10 minutes
    2. Chicken legs – pressure cook 20 minutes
  5. Release steam. Add potatoes. Pressure cook 3 more minutes.
  6. Remove veggies and chicken to serving bowl. Turn on saute function and bring sauce to a boil. Stir in 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with a little water. Simmer until thick (may need to add another tablespoon cornstarch). Pour sauce over chicken and veggies. Serve with rice.
Recipes

Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma

  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • A pinch ground cinnamon
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Prepare a marinade for the chicken. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and red pepper flakes in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Cover and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. Turn chicken halfway during marinade.

Add everything to Instant Pot. 8 minutes high pressure, then natural release 15 minutes.

Serve with yogurt sauce:
Mix 1/2 cup plain or Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup mayo, 1/2 lemon juiced + lemon zest, 1 minced garlic in a bowl. Optionally, add minced fresh herbs (basil, chive, etc.). Cover. Chill for 4-5 hours.

Recipes

Potato Gratin

For steeping cream

  • 2 ¼ cups half-and-half
  • 2 medium cloves garlic (8g), smashed
  • 2 small shallots (110g total), quartered
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 teaspoons (6g) whole black peppercorns
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons table salt

In a small saucepan, combine cream, milk, garlic, shallots, nutmeg, thyme, peppercorns, and salt. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour.

  • 2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick or less
  1. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Rub bottom and sides of 5- to 6-cup gratin dish or shallow baking dish with a garlic clove. Once garlic in dish has dried, about 2 minutes, spread dish with half the butter.
  2. Bring steeped half-and-half and potatoes to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon (liquid will just barely cover potatoes). Reduce heat and simmer until liquid thickens, about 2 minutes.
  3. Pour potato mixture into prepared dish; shake dish or use fork to distribute potatoes evenly. Gently press down potatoes until submerged in liquid; dot with remaining butter.
  4. Bake until top is golden brown (basting once or twice during first 45 minutes) about 1 hour 15 minutes.
  5. For a more pronounced crust, sprinkle three tablespoons of heavy cream or grated Gruyère cheese on top of the potatoes after forty-five minutes of baking. Let rest 5 minutes and serve.