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In , on December 8, 2016 with No Comments

Pressure Cooker Balsamic Maple Pork Roast

One of the first things I wanted to try in my new Instant Pot was a roast. We eat a lot of roast, both beef and pork, and I usually drag out my trusty Crock-Pot for these. It frees up my stove and oven, and I can put a roast on in the morning and go about my business without having to do anything else. I love my slow cooker so much that I have two of them, and I’ve often had two different recipes going at the same time simply because of the convenience they afford for meal prep.

With that said, my new favorite kitchen appliance is my Instant Pot. I cooked a huge pork roast the other night (7 pounds), and it was the best-tasting, most tender pork roast I’d ever made. My husband even commented (several times!) during dinner that it was the best pork roast he’d had. While I still love my Crock-Pot, it’s being moved to my basement shelving (sniff, sniff) to make room for the Instant Pot in my kitchen cupboards. Now I can’t wait to try a beef roast. I’m sure I’ll have the same wonderful results.




This pork roast marinade was simply an idea I had by looking in the cupboards to see what ingredients I had on hand. I knew I didn’t want barbecue or pulled pork (we have that a lot at our house), so I came up with this marinade. I pressure cooked my huge roast for 60 minutes, and it was tender and juicy, but if you have a “normal-sized” roast (3 to 4 pounds) you can bump back the cooking time to 50 minutes.

 

Pressure Cooker Balsamic Maple Pork Roast

7-pound pork butt (cut into pieces that fit in the pressure cooker pot)

3/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons stone-ground mustard

2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce

Place the pork butt in a large plastic bag. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, and stir to thoroughly combine. Pour the sauce into the plastic bag with the pork butt, and seal. Turn the bag over a couple times to completely coat the roast, and marinate the roast in the refrigerator for an hour or two.

Place the marinated pork butt in the pressure cooker pot, and add the marinating liquid to the pot as well. Lock on the pressure cooker lid, and select the manual setting. Pressure cook the roast on high for 60 minutes. When the pressure cooker beeps, let it go to the keep warm setting, and let the pressure naturally release. When the pressure is reduced, remove the lid, and slice up the roast. Serve.

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In , , , on December 6, 2016 with No Comments

Pressure Cooker Jambalaya

I absolutely love jambalaya and any other Cajun-inspired dish. My family traveled to New Orleans after my senior year of high school, and I fell in love with the cuisine, so I’ve tried to recreate those flavors in my recipes.

My youngest son requested that I make jambalaya, so since I’d recently bought an Instant Pot, I decided it was high time I made this for dinner. The pressure cooker makes it super easy to pull this recipe together quickly, and in no time I had a delicious meal on the table.




You can certainly brown the meats in the pressure cooker using the sauté function, but I prefer to use my large cast iron skillet to brown the meat. I then added the meat to the recipe after the rice had finished pressure cooking.

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jambalya-2

Pressure Cooker Jambalaya

1 pound chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces

12 ounces Andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces

8 ounces raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, divided

1 teaspoon chipotle powder, divided

2 teaspoons dried thyme, divided

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 small onion, diced

2 cups diced tomatoes, drained (I used 1 quart of home-canned tomatoes)

2 cups Jasmine rice

2 cups chicken stock

Fresh parsley

 

In a cast iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil, and brown the chicken and sausage pieces. Sprinkle the meat with half of the Cajun and chipotle seasonings and half the dried thyme. When just about browned, add the raw shrimp, and cook until the shrimp just turns pink. Set aside.

In the cooking pot of the pressure cooker, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Select the sauté function, and sauté the garlic, onion, and green pepper with the remaining Cajun and chipotle seasonings and half the dried thyme just until tender. Add the tomatoes, rice, and chicken stock, and stir to combine.

Lock the pressure cooker lid in place, and cook at high pressure for 8 minutes.

Use the quick-release setting to release the pressure. Remove the lid, and add in the cooked meats and the parsley to taste (I used about 3 tablespoons). Replace the lid, and let the jambalaya sit for 6 minutes on the warm function. Serve.

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In , , , on December 5, 2016 with No Comments

Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

I love quick and easy recipes given my busy work schedule. Even though I work from home, it seems like I have less time to cook a delicious meal than I did when I worked outside the house, so I’m always looking for ways to speed up the process. I’d been looking at different pressure cookers for some time but never could decide on a stovetop version or an electric cooker, but when Amazon had a deal on CyberMonday on Instant Pot pressure cookers, I decided to take the plunge and get one.

I’m so hooked on this Instant Pot, and I can’t believe it took me this long to actually get one. It really does deliver a taste that you think took all day to achieve but in the fraction of the time. The first recipe I tried was a traditional beef stew. I had a cheaper cut of beefsteak plus some leftover prime rib to use in my stew, and to be honest, you really couldn’t tell the difference between the two in the finished product as far as tenderness, although you could still tell which type of beef it was based on texture. This Instant Pot is going to be a great way to buy more inexpensive cuts of meat and still end up with a tender bite in the end, and I can’t wait to try a beef roast in this.




I looked at various recipes on Pinterest for pressure cooker beef stew, mostly to get an idea of the times each stage of cooking would take. Some recipes called for adding all ingredients at the same time to the pressure cooker, but I decided to pressure cook the beef first and add the rest of the vegetables at a later stage. If you have an Instant Pot, it has a sauté feature where you can brown your meat in the pot itself, but I like to brown meat in my cast iron skillet. I then added the browned meat to the Instant Pot and continued as the recipe says. It turned out fantastic.

beef-stew-in-pot

 

beef-stew-bowl

Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

2 pounds beef roast, cubed into 1-inch pieces

About 2 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and black pepper

8 ounces beef stock

8 ounces dry red wine (I used a Merlot)

1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large onion, diced into medium-sized pieces

2 cups of medium-diced potatoes (about 4 to 5 potatoes)

1 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)

1-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or to taste)

 

Select the sauté function on the Instant Pot, and add the olive oil. Dredge beef cubes in the flour, and sauté beef in the olive oil until browned on all sides. Salt and pepper the beef to taste as it browns. Add the beef stock and wine, and place the lid on the pot, making sure the lever is set to the pressurize setting. Using the manual button, cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Using the quick-release valve, release the built-up pressure, and remove the lid. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Replace the lid. Again using the manual setting, cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Either let the pressure naturally release, or you can use the quick-release function again to release the pressure. Remove the lid and serve the stew.
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In , , on September 9, 2016 with No Comments

Paleo Meatloaf

I love meatloaf, and so does my family, so this is one of the first recipes I tweaked when I decided to follow a Paleo diet. Before I would use bread crumbs, which now, of course, is off limits. I also used brown sugar in the topping, which is another no-no. Other than that, I really didn’t have to make a lot of changes to my normal meatloaf recipe, and when the family tried it, they said they actually liked this recipe better. I paired the meatloaf with some grilled onions and a nice tossed salad – quick and easy dinner menu.

paleo-meatloaf-and-onions

 




If you’re like me, once you decide to go Paleo, you have to change several ingredients that have been staples in your pantry. Flour is an obvious one, but you also have to look at things such as soy sauce, salad dressings, mayo, and other ingredients that contain hidden gluten. My small town of just over 3,000 people has a small, family-owned grocery store. To their credit, when they recently expanded, they did start stocking some gluten-free products – just the basics, however. I have to go to Iowa City (thank you Lucky’s Market and Hy-Vee) to find a lot of the ingredients that Paleo and gluten-free recipes call for. And they’re not cheap. Luckily, I’ve found a few places online where you can find affordable Paleo and gluten-free products. Each has it’s pros and cons. Some have fast shipping (Amazon). Some have a yearly fee but cheap prices compared to my local stores (Thrive Market), and some drop the price tag in your cart depending on how much you purchase (Jet.com). I really like Thrive. You get 30 days of free membership to see if you like the products, and I tried a bunch in those 30 days! If you’re interested, there are ways you can save even more by referring a friend to join with you. If they join, you receive$25 in Thrive cash to spend on the website however you wish: win-win!

Now for the recipe. Keep in mind that I’ve made this recipe for years, and I really don’t have exact measurements for the spices. I just go by dashes and shakes, so feel free to adjust seasonings to your family’s tastes.

 

paleo-meatloaf-plated

Paleo Meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1/2 cup gluten-free Panko bread crumbs (I used Ian’s gluten-free Panko)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Couple dashes of gluten-free soy sauce (I used San-J Organic Tamari)

Organic gluten-free ketchup (I used Cucina Antica – this is good and tastes better than Heinz!)

Prepared mustard

Real maple syrup

 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, eggs, Panko, and seasonings. Add a couple dashes of soy sauce and a couple of squirts of the ketchup. You want enough ketchup just to make the ground beef really stick together. Combine everything until thoroughly mixed.

Place meatloaf in a medium-sized baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking oil (use something Paleo friendly like olive oil or coconut oil). In the same bowl, add a couple squirts of ketchup, some mustard, and about a tablespoon of the maple syrup, and stir to combine. Taste to see if you need more of one or more ingredients. When you’re happy with the flavor, pour the sauce over the top of the meatloaf, evenly coating it.

Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 50 minutes, or until the meatloaf tests done.

 

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In , , on September 9, 2016 with No Comments

Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna

My son and I went to Lucky’s Market in Iowa City and found some beautiful Ahi tuna steaks. Since seafood is on the Paleo diet, I decided to try my hand at cooking these, something I’ve never done but always wanted to try.

I surfed the Internet looking at a variety of different Paleo blogs and recipes, and there’s even one that Chris Kresser included in his Paleo literature, which called for Chinese 5-spice, which sounded good, but I wanted to try something simple for my first time cooking an actual tuna steak.




I found this recipe at Paleo Hacks, and it sounded perfect for what I wanted to do. Her recipe called for poppy seeds, which I’m sure would be a tasty addition, but I decided to omit those this time. I paired our tuna steaks with roasted baby carrots and some organic greens topped with a delicious balsamic lemon vinaigrette, and we finished off the meal with fresh berries and whipped coconut cream for dessert. Not a bad way to start out our new Paleo lifestyle 🙂

pan-seared-ahi-tuna

Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna

1 Ahi tuna steak

Generous dab of grass-fed ghee

Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

Poppy seeds (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Take your tuna steak out of the refrigerator 30 minutes or so prior to cooking. Rub it with salt and pepper.

Melt the ghee in a cast iron skillet on fairly high heat. Drizzle in a little olive oil if using.

Sear the tuna steak for about 1 to 3 minutes on each side, depending how rare you want the steak to be. Remove steak from the pan, and let it sit for a minute or two before serving.

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In , , on September 8, 2016 with No Comments

Lemon, Garlic, and Herb Baked Salmon

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but rest assured I’m still doing my Paleo diet! Work has kept me busy, and then there were all the garden veggies that needed to be canned or worked up (green beans, sweet corn, dill and sweet pickles, and tomatoes).




 

I do have a couple new Paleo recipes to share, though. I tried these both last night, and my family said they were hits and I could make them again. If you like salmon, this recipe is super easy to make, and it only takes a few minutes in the oven before dinner is ready. I paired this salmon dish with Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower and a nice green salad, and dinner was on the table in no-time flat.

lemon-garlic-salmon

 

Lemon, Garlic, and Herb Baked Salmon

8 salmon fillets

3 ounces grass-fed butter or ghee

1 teaspoon sea salt

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely minced

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (or use a little melted butter or ghee). Place salmon fillets skin side down in the baking dish.

Melt the butter or ghee in a small bowl in the microwave. Add the salt, herbs, and minced garlic to the butter, and stir to thoroughly combine.

Using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter mixture over each salmon fillet.

Bake fillets at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and easily flakes with a fork.

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In , on June 8, 2016 with No Comments

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for recipes that are quick to throw together at the last minute and yet still be nutritious and delicious for your family. Well, this recipe is all of that. With just a few ingredients, you can have a one-dish meal that is ready in less than an hour. Easy peasy 🙂




 

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or use chicken thighs if you prefer)

1 jar Alfredo sauce

1 package frozen broccoli florets

Salt

Black pepper

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add a little of the Alfredo sauce to the bottom of the baking dish, spreading it around to evenly coat the bottom. Place the chicken breasts on top of the Alfredo sauce. Season with salt and black pepper.

 

Chicken broccoli alfredo - chicken breasts

 

Add the broccoli florets to the baking dish in and around the chicken pieces in an even layer. Pour the rest of the Alfredo sauce over the top of the broccoli layer.

 

chicken broccoli alfredo - chicken with broccoli

 

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 to 45 minutes until bubbly and juices run clear, or until the internal temperature of the chicken breasts reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

chicken broccoli alfredo baked 2

 

chicken broccoli alfredo baked

 

chicken broccoli alfredo plated

 

Note: Cooking times will definitely depend on how much frozen broccoli you use. If you use a small package, start checking the internal temperature of the chicken breasts at about 30 to 35 minutes. I used a large package of frozen broccoli, and my chicken took a good 45 minutes to reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit internally.

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In , on April 9, 2016 with No Comments

Chicken Stuffed With Spinach, Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I’ve been on the hunt for good-tasting stuffed chicken breast recipes. I tried one a few weeks back that was good, but it needed a little “something” to take the taste over the top. It also had spinach and cheese in the stuffing, and that recipe also had white wine. It was good, but the boys were only okay with it.



Tonight I decided to jazz up the spices just a bit. I went back to the spinach and cheese theme from before, but this time I added in some feta along with the mozzarella, and I added some sun-dried tomatoes for extra earthy flavor. I replaced the wine with a red pepper Italian dressing, and I used this as a marinade/sauce over the top of the chicken. All in all, I like this flavor profile much better than the other one, even though I’ll probably make that one again someday.

 

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This really is quick and easy to throw together, and you can halve or double the recipe as needed. Just use one boneless, skinless chicken breast per serving. My chicken took about 45 minutes to bake, but your time may vary according to your oven. Just make sure the chicken temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. ETA: Next time I’m going to stuff in as much cheese as I possibly can. I was being overly cautious because I wanted to make sure I could “close” the pocket. Next time, I won’t care if everything runs over and out – this was really good 🙂

 

chicken stuffed with spinach, feta and tomatoes

 

chicken stuffed with spinach, feta and tomatoes 2-cut

 

Chicken Stuffed With Spinach, Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup washed fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 bottle red pepper-flavored Italian salad dressing

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with baking spray.

Slit each chicken breast to make a pocket in the middle, making sure not to cut completely through the chicken breast. Add spinach, feta cheese, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese to each chicken pocket. Use toothpicks to hold the chicken breasts together, and place chicken in the prepared baking dish. Pour the Italian dressing over top of the chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 40 to 45 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

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In , , on March 29, 2016 with No Comments

Mexican Stuffed Shells

On my last trip to Stringtown, I stocked up on bulk flours, pasta and spices. One of the things I bought was large pasta shells that are great for stuffing with your favorite fillings. I usually tend to go Italian when I make pasta, but this time I decided to shake things up a bit and go with a Mexican-flavored dish. I found this recipe on The Way to His Heart, and this recipe is a keeper.



It’s super easy to do, and you can prepare everything ahead of time and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake it for dinner. My sons will eat anything that has pasta or anything Mexican inspired, so this dish was a win-win at dinnertime.

mexican stuffed shells 2

 

mexican stuffed shells plated 2

 

 

Mexican Stuffed Shells

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 package low-sodium taco seasoning (I use Wildtree’s taco seasoning as it has no preservatives)

4 ounces cream cheese

18 jumbo-sized pasta shells

1 1/2 cups salsa

1 cup taco sauce

2 cups Mexican-flavored shredded cheese (usually a combination of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses)

Toppings: green onions, olives, sour cream, shredded lettuce (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain any fat. Add the taco seasoning according to package directions. Add the cream cheese to the skillet, and cook until the cheese is completely melted and blended well into the meat. Add half of the jar of salsa to the meat and cheese mixture, stirring to completely combine. Set aside and let cool completely.

While the beef is browning, cook pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain. When cool enough to handle, you’re ready to assemble the dish.

Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the other half of the salsa in the bottom of the baking dish. Fill pasta shells with the cooled meat mixture, and place in the baking dish open side up. Cover the shells with the taco sauce. Cover the baking dish with foil, and bake shells covered for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, uncover the baking dish, and sprinkle the shredded cheese over the tops of the shells. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes without the foil, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve with toppings of your choice (black olives, green onions, sour cream, lettuce and additional salsa or taco sauce).

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In , on March 27, 2016 with 1 Comment

Herb Chicken With Lemon Cream Sauce

Chicken thighs are often on sale at my local grocery store, so I tend to stock up when it’s a good deal. That said, I’m always on the lookout for new and different ways of making chicken because the kids get tired of the same-old-same-old. I always turn to Pinterest for new recipe ideas, and I’ve got hundreds and hundreds of recipes on different boards that I’ve pinned to try down the road. If you’re looking for a good source on Pinterest, feel free to follow me there because I’m always adding something new that I’ve found.


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Anyway, I found this delicious-sounding chicken recipe that uses lemons, lots of herbs and cream. What’s not to like? I found the recipe at Damn Delicious, and this is a great blog with tons of wonderful recipes that I can’t wait to try, especially in her Quick & Easy Category.

This recipe is super easy to pull together, and the chicken tastes divine. You can, of course, use fresh herbs instead of the dried if you have them. Just increase the amounts if you do, as you always use fewer dried herbs than fresh. The original recipe called for skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, but I used skinless, boneless and baked mine, making the sauce separately. I’d planned on using my cast iron skillet to sear the chicken first and then finish the chicken off in the oven while cooking in the sauce, but I’ll be darned if I can find that dang cast iron skillet after we moved 🙂 Oh well, it turned out just as delicious baked in a glass 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sometimes you just have to improvise. Feel free to prepare this whichever way is easiest for you. It’s perfect for just your family or if you’re having guests over for dinner. Just don’t tell them how easy it was to prepare—they’ll think you slaved over this to get these flavors 🙂

 

herbed chicken with lemon cream sauce

 

Herb Chicken With Lemon Cream Sauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (can use bone-in, with skin if you prefer)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

 

For the Lemon Cream Sauce:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, mustard, lemon zest, thyme and rosemary. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, work the mixture onto both sides of the chicken. Place chicken pieces in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and the red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, heavy cream, lemon juice and basil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces in the baking dish. Bake chicken until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, about 25 to 30 minutes.

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