Instant Pot Shredded Lemon Chicken over Orzo

 I wanted to give my Instant Pot more use so I gave this recipe a try.  The chicken was extremely flavorful and would work well over pasta, rice, zoodles, spinach, in a taco or sandwich, or just by itself.  I chose to serve it over orzo pasta.  We currently have a lot of fresh spinach in our garden, so I paired the dish with a Greek salad and homemade Vinaigrette (recipe below).  It was quick and easy to make, and I'll definitely keep this recipe in my binder to make again.  The shredded chicken is very versatile and I think it would freeze well for future use if you made a large batch.

Instant Pot Shredded Lemon Chicken

Serves 4-6 (Depends on the amount of chicken)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 tablespoon paprika

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1&1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Using the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot, heat the oil and garlic for 1-2 minutes.   In a small bowl, mix together the oregano, paprika, salt, pepper, thyme, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes.  Add to the pot and sauté for another minute.  Add the chicken thighs to the pot and toss with the spice mixture to coat.  Add the broth and lemon juice and stir.  Make sure the chicken is arranged in a single layer in the pot.

Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on high for 15 minutes.  

While the chicken is cooking, prepare your pasta, rice, salad, or whatever you want.

When the pressure cooking is complete, do a quick release of pressure.  Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken to a plate.  Use two forks to shred chicken.

While chicken is out of the Pot, set the Instant Pot back to Sauté mode.   In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water and stir until cornstarch is completely dissolved.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the juices in the Instant Pot and cook and stir for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.  Add the chicken back into the Pot and stir to coat with the sauce.  Press Cancel to turn off the Pot.  Serve chicken over orzo pasta, rice, or anything you want.

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Greek Salad Vinaigrette - shake it all up in a small jar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

pinch oregano

pinch sugar

pinch salt

pinch pepper

 

Mongolian Beef

 I was in the mood for something Asian-inspired, so I made this easy Mongolian Beef recipe, served with rice and steamed broccoli.  The flavor was great.  Fast and east weeknight meal.  I'd definitely make this again.

Mongolian Beef

Ingredients:

1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced (1/4" thick) against grain

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 tablespoons oil

1-2 teaspoons ginger, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 green onions, sliced

Directions:

Combine the steak and cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziplock bag and toss to make sure the steak strips are fully covered with cornstarch.

Heat oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat.  Shake off excess cornstarch, and add steak to skillet (work in batches so the skillet isn't over-crowded).  Cook steak slices for 1 minute on each side, then remove to a plate.  

When all the steak is cooked, add the ginger and garlic to the skillet and sauté for 20 seconds.  Stir in the soy sauce, water, and brown sugar and let the sauce come to a boil.   Add the steak back to the skillet, and stir to fully coat with the sauce.  Turn off the heat and let it sit for a minute to let the sauce thicken.  Stir in the green onions.  

Serve over rice and broccoli and garnish with more sliced green onions if desired.

Banana Cream Pie

Banana Cream Pie

Crust Ingredients:

14 graham crackers (about 7 oz)

6 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup sugar

pinch salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1-3 teaspoons water

Filling ingredients:

1 small box instant banana pudding (3.4 oz)

1 cup cold milk

8 oz cream cheese

14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups whipped cream (1 tub Cool Whip)

~3 ripe bananas, sliced

Crust Directions:

Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until chopped to fine crumbs.  Add the melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and pulse to combine.  Add 1 teaspoon water and pulse a couple times.  If the crumbs are moist and pinch together, dump into a pie pan.  If not, add another teaspoon water and repeat.   

Press the crumbs against the bottom and sides of a deep dish pie pan.   Bake at 375º for 8 minutes.  Cool completely.

Filling Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pudding powder and 1 cup milk until well combined.  In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy.  With the mixer running, add the sweetened condensed milk and pudding mixture and beat until smooth.   Using a spatula, carefully fold in 1/3 to 1/2 of the Cool Whip.

Spread a thin layer of filling over the pie crust.  Press a layer of banana slices on the bottom and up the sides.  Spread another thin layer of filling followed by another layer of bananas.  Scoop the remaining filling mixture into the crust, smoothing it out with the spatula.   Top with the remaining whipped cream and chill for a few hours.

Irish Stew with Lamb

 Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I decided to go with a lamb recipe today.  It was delicious.   The store didn't have any shoulder chops so I just used some lamb stew meat that they had packaged up.  It was still tender and delicious.  Next time, I'd chop the potatoes in half before adding them to the stew.

Irish Stew

Made 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb lamb stew meat (or shoulder chops would be better)

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken stock/broth

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

3 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

water or broth as needed

3/4 lb baby yellow potatoes

1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions:

Heat oil in large skillet over high heat.  Season lamb with salt and pepper and sear meat on all sides, a few minutes per side.  Transfer meat to a stock pot.  

In the same skillet, cook the onions until slightly softened.  Stir butter into the onions until melted.  Add flour and stir until onions are coated.   Pour chicken stock into skillet, and rosemary, and stir until mixture thickens, about 5-10 minutes.

Add carrots and celery to the stock pot with the lamb and pour the contents of the skillet into the pot.  Add some more broth or water if needed to cover meat completely.  Bring mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cover.  Cook, covered, for 60 minutes.  Add potatoes to the pot, submerging the potatoes in the broth, and cook for another 60 minutes.

Bring stew to a boil and cook until reduced and thickened, about 10-12 minutes.  Stir green onions into the stew and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Saltimbocca

 

I had leftover sage leaves from a previous recipe, so I decided to make Chicken Saltimbocca.  Fast, easy, and delicious.  The sauce reduced down a little too much so I'd double the sauce next time or skip it entirely and just squeeze a lemon over everything at the end.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Recipe from America's Test Kitchen: Dinner for Two

Ingredients:

4 (4-oz) thin chicken cutlets, about 1/4" thick

1/4 cup flour, plus 1/2 teaspoon flour

salt and pepper

4 large sage leaves plus 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage

4 thin slices prosciutto (2 oz)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small shallot, minced

1/3 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Spread 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish with a pinch of pepper.  Dredge cutlets with flour.  Sprinkle minced sage on one side of cutlet and press a slice of prosciutto on top.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sage leaves and cook, turning once, until leaves begin to turn color, about 30-60 seconds total.  Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.

Place cutlets, prosciutto side down, in the skillet and cook about 2 minutes until golden brown on first side.  Carefully flip cutlets and cook until lightly browned on other side, another 1-2 minutes.  Transfer to plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Reduce heat to medium and add shallot to pan, cooking for about 2 minutes until softened.  Stir in 1/2 teaspoon floor and cook for 1 minute.  Whisk in the broth and wine, scraping up any browned bits.  Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Whisk in the butter, parsley, and lemon juice.

Return cutlets to skillet, prosciutto side up, along with accumulated juices, and allow to heat for 30 seconds.  Plate cutlets on a serving plate and spoon sauce over top.  Top with a fried sage leaf.

Slow Cooker Chicken Philly Sandwiches

 

I wanted a fun "game day" meal that didn't take too much time, and this was perfect.  I was able to use up some of my frozen garden peppers from the summer.  I put it all in the crockpot and let it do its thing all afternoon.  When it was done cooking, all I had to do was shred up the chicken and then do a little broiling.  Super easy.  The flavor of the chicken was really tasty and you can't go wrong with melted cheese.  The sandwiches were pretty big so we just paired it with a salad to get a little more veggie content.

Slow Cooker Chicken Philly Sandwiches

Makes ~6 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chicken broth 

2 green peppers, cored and cut into strips

1 large onion, peeled and sliced into half moons

1/2 tablespoon paprika

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

provolone cheese slices

sub or hoagie buns

Directions:

Pour the broth into the slow cooker and put in the peppers and onions.  Combine the dry spices in a small bowl and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mixture over the veggies.  Rub the remaining seasoning mixture all over the chicken.  Place the chicken on top of the veggies.   Cook on low for 5-6 hours until the chicken is tender and cooked through. 

When cooked, remove chicken from slow cooker, shred, and return to slow cooker, tossing with peppers and onions.

Cut the buns horizontally so you have a top and bottom.  Butter each half if desired. Toast the buns, cut side up, under the oven broiler for 30-60 seconds until toasted.  Using a slotted spoon, scoop some chicken, peppers, and onions from the slow cooker and arrange on a bun.  Top with a provolone slice.  Broil a minute or two until the cheese is melted.  Serve warm.

Crispy Sage Pork with Couscous

We were in the mood for an easy pork dinner, so I paged through my cookbooks and this recipe caught my eye.  It was fast to make and tasted really good.  I especially enjoyed the crispy brown-butter sage.   The original recipe called for figs in the couscous (sounds delicious!), but sadly, Jeremy absolutely hates dried fruits so I omitted that.  It also called for shelled pistachios, but I didn't feel like buying a whole bag of pistachios for one recipe, so I used a box of Toasted Pine Nut Couscous instead.  I enjoyed that small amount of nutty crunch in the couscous.  The package of pork I bought from the store had 3 tenderized thin pork chops.  It worked out well because there was also extra couscous.  I'll have a yummy meal to take to work tomorrow.

Crispy Sage Pork with Couscous

Adapted from One Pan, Two Plates Cookbook

Serves 2-3 

Ingredients:

2-3 thin boneless Pork Cutlets, about 1/4" thick 

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter, divided

12 fresh sage leaves

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

1&1/4 cups chicken broth  (follow couscous package instructions for liquid amount)

1 (5.6oz) box Toasted Pine Nut Couscous and flavor pack 

1 green onion, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper on both sides; set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sage leaves and brown them on both sides until they start to get crispy, about 1 minute.  The butter should become golden brown.  Using tongs, transfer leaves to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Quickly add the pork to the hot skillet and brown the first side for about 2 minutes.  Turn and brown the other side for 2 minutes.  Transfer to a warmed plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, onion, carrot, and some salt and pepper.  Sauté for a minute until the onion begins to soften.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.  Add the couscous, green onions, and peas.  Cover skillet and remove from the heat.  Let sit, covered, for 4 minutes, to allow the couscous to absorb the broth.  Drizzle the olive oil over everything and stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Plate the pork with the couscous and sprinkle chopped parsley over couscous.  Top pork with the crispy sage leaves.  Feel free to crumble the sage into the couscous as well (I did-- it's delicious!).

Kielbasa Potato Spinach Skillet for Two

We had some leftover cooked kielbasa, so I added ingredients we already had on hand and made this tasty skillet meal to use it up.  Jeremy said he'd cut back on the brown sugar because the sauce was a bit sweet, but I loved it.  I'd cut back to 1 tablespoon sugar next time and I'm sure it will still taste great.

Kielbasa Potato Spinach Skillet for Two

Ingredients:

3-4 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion 

1-2 links cooked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into thin slices

3-4 cups fresh baby spinach

Directions:

Place potatoes and water in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave, covered, on high for about 4 minutes until potatoes are tender; drain.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, thyme, and pepper.  

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute onions until tender.  Add potatoes and kielbasa and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.  Stir in the brown sugar mixture and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes.  Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Strawberry Schaum Torte

Schaum Torte is one of my favorite all-time desserts that I remember from my childhood.  We had a much smaller gathering than usual for Christmas this year so it seemed like a good time to try out this recipe.  It turned out fabulous, just as good as I remember from my youth, and it was a big hit with everyone.  The inside was a light and fluffy meringue and the outside had the delicious melt-in-your-mouth sugary crisp.  Perfect yumminess.

Strawberry Schaum Torte
Makes ~12 servings

Ingredients:

8 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

pinch salt

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

Strawberries:

3 cups sliced/chopped fresh strawberries

1 teaspoon sugar

Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream, COLD

1 tablespoon sugar (regular or powdered will work)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt.  Beat at high speed until eggs whites form soft peaks (not stiff).  Carefully fold in vinegar, vanilla, and sugar.  Mix on low speed until stiff and glossy and no longer grainy.

Spread mixture in a lightly greased 10" Springform pan (or a 9x13" pan would work).  Bake at 350º for 10 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 250º and bake another 50 minutes.  Turn off oven and leave torte in oven an additional 60 minutes.  Important: DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR during those 2 hours of baking and cooling (The torte is expected to fall a little, but it will fall a lot if you open the door and may also ruin the texture). 

While the torte is cooling, place the chopped strawberries in a medium bowl and mix in a little sugar to help create juices.  Set aside.  Put the bowl of an electric mixer in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes to get it nice and cold.  When all the ingredients are cold, beat the whipped cream on medium-high speed just until it starts to get soft and is no longer liquid.  Add in the sugar and vanilla and beat until it no longer tastes grainy and has medium-firm peaks.   Don't over-beat.

Serve the Schaum Torte with strawberries and whipped cream.  

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

I brought this to serve at Christmas and it was delicious.  

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

9 slices pineapple in juice (20oz can), drained

9 maraschino cherries without stems

1&1/3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

Directions:

Heat oven to 350º F.  In a 9-inch square pan, melt butter in oven.  Sprinkle brown sugar over melted butter.  Arrange the 9 pineapple slices in the pan and place a cherry in the center of each slice.

In a medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients on low speed for 30 second, scraping sides.  Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.  Pour batter over pineapples and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Immediately place a heatproof serving plate over pan and turn over.  Leave pan upside-down over cake to let the brown sugar mixture drip down.  Remove pan.  Serve warm.