Instant Pot Beef Stew

Nothing is better during a winter storm than a bowl of stew and some fresh baked bread.  We had 5" of new snow, wind and more of both on the way.  I did a little Christmas baking and then I made this stew to relax and enjoy some movies.  The only thing I will change in this recipe is to dice the potatoes a little larger.  I did 1/2" dices and they were pretty soft.

Instant Pot Beef Stew

1 1/4# beef stew meat
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup onions, minced

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup red wine

3 cups beef stock
1 cup carrots, sliced

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

1/4 cup flour

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup peas
Heat olive oil in the Instant Pot on the saute setting.  Brown the beef stew meat and add in the onions and garlic at the end of browning.  Remove from the Instant Pot and deglaze the bottom with the red wine.  Stir in the flour into the meat.  Return to the Instant Pot and add in the beef stock and remainder of ingredients.  Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes and allow for a natural release.  Stir in peas and allow to sit for 10 minutes.  

Pumpkin Muffins

Happy Thanksgiving!  Weather hindered my Thanksgiving plans so I started off the day baking some muffins for breakfast.  I had a unopened jar of coconut oil on my counter so I decided to use that instead of butter.  I also grabbed a box of golden raisins when I was in the cupboard for the cinnamon.


Pumpkin Muffins ~

Mix together in a medium bowl -

1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Melt 1/2 cup coconut oil and allow to cool slightly.  

Add to dry ingredients -

2 large eggs
cooled coconut oil
1 - 15 oz can organic pumpkin puree
3/4 cup raisins (optional)

Using an ice cream scoop, put a full scoop into a greased muffin tin or paper liner.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  

Caramel Brownies

It's snowing outside...again.  Seemed like a good time to make a comfort dessert.  I had a bag of Ghirdardelli Caramel baking chips that needed a home.  Half the bag found it's way into these brownies.  And I love baking brownies because you only have to clean up a saucepan since you line the baking pan.

Caramel Brownies ~

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 tbsp. dark cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup Ghirdardelli Caramel baking chips

Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Stir in sugar.  Add egg, buttermilk and vanilla.  Mix in the dry ingredients.  Stir until smooth.  Fold in the caramel chips.  Pour into an 8 x 8 greased pan (I used non-stick aluminum foil and lined it).  Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.  Allow to cool before cutting.

Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff Soup

This is a wonderful hearty soup on a rainy Fall day.  Whenever the temperature starts to dip, I start craving soups and stews.  I had already made a pot of split pea and ham soup so I wanted to try making this in the Instant Pot (I tweaked my crock pot recipe).



Beef Stroganoff Soup

1 1/2" beef stew meat, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 oz baby bella mushroooms, sliced small
1/4 cup onions, small diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp dill weed
1/2 cup cream
1 cup sour cream
2 cups dumpling egg noodles

In the bottom of your instant pot, heat olive oil as you cut up the meat.  When heated, toss in meat and cook without browning.  Add in onions, mushrooms and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.  Stir in flour and coat everything well before pouring in beef broth and add in the bay leaf.  Allow to cook for 20 minutes on the soup selection.  Add in dill weed, cream and sour cream.  Stir until mixed well.  Add in dumpling egg noodles and cook until tender.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Crepes

Strawberry season...it's always about this time of the year that I decide to make crepes for them.  Plus a cold front came through so it's not 90 degrees outside and I can open the windows and enjoy cooking.

Crepes ~  make ahead and let sit for at least a half hour.  Perfect for getting the rest of your ingredients together

1 cup flour
1 cup milk - I used 2%
2/3 cup Perrier
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 dash salt

Whisk all the ingredients in a medium bowl and let sit until you are ready to cook.  Heat a 10" non-stick frying pan.  I sprayed a coating of cooking spray as it was heating.  Add in 1/4 cup of crepe mixture and tilt the pan until the batter is evenly spread.  Cook of medium heat until the edges start to turn brown.  Use a spatula to gently flip the crepe over.  Cook for another minute or two until the 2nd side is done.  Place on a plate.  Insert a piece of wax paper between all the crepes so they do not stick.

Cream cheese stuffing ~

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix together in a small bowl and use to fill the crepes.  

Assemble crepes by spreading some cream cheese mixture down the center and rolling up burrito style.  Top with macerated strawberries and whipped cream (optional).

Makes 8-9 crepes  

Air Fryer Parmesan Pork Chops

My latest kitchen toy is an air fryer.  I have been wavering on buying one and my mother said she wants one so I thought if she's going to ask me questions on what to make and how, maybe I should have one myself.  Lets just say it didn't hurt when my arm was twisted to buy it.  So for my first meal, I went for recipes that I converted from my regular recipes and made in the air fryer.  The sweet potato fries were frozen from the grocery store but the recipe for the marshmallow dip is under dips here on the site.  The pork chops turned out great and cooked really fast.  I decided to cut the pork chops in half since I bought thick pork chops (these were even thicker than I thought they would be).  The air fryer gives them a nice crust on all sides that you aren't able to get by frying or baking.

Air Fryer Parmesan Pork Chops

2 thick cut pork chops, cut in half
1 large egg
1 tbsp water
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan  cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Grab 2 soup bowls for dredging.  In the first, mix together the egg and water.  In the second, mix the Panko, Parmesan cheese and spices.  Dip the pork chops in the egg wash and then into the Panko mixture.  Place on a plate so all of the chops can go into the air fryer at once.  Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees.  Place the pork chops in and since these are thick, cook for 8 minutes on each side.  Make sure the inside temperature gets to 145 degrees on the pork chops.

Instant Pot Creamy Raisin Rice Pudding

A bowl of warm raisin rice pudding is a great way to start off this Easter morning.  It took less than 20 minutes to make and the creamy goodness warms you up on a cool Spring morning.  I used golden raisins...they are my favorite.  You can make the pudding without any raisins if your prefer.

Instant Pot Creamy Raisin Rice Pudding

Mix together in your Instant Pot ~

1 cup Arborio Rice
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter

Seal your instant pot and cook on rice setting.  Release after 10 minutes and stir in 1 1/2 cups of warm whole milk on saute setting.

In a small bowl, mix together ~

1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar

Stir into rice mixture and turn off the Instant Pot.  Remove the pan and stir in 3/4 cup of raisins.

Dark Chocolate Mississippi Mud Cake

I remember this cake from my childhood.  One of our relatives would make it for family reunions so that was definitely one thing to look forward to going to them.  I decide to make it using dark chocolate cocoa.

Dark Chocolate Mississippi Mud Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter

1 cup water

1/3 cup dark chocolate cocoa ~ I used King Arthur Double Dutch Dark Cocoa

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

mini marshmallows - enough to cover the pan evenly (just over 1/2 bag)

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the cocoa and water.  Bring to a boil and stir it into the dry ingredients in the bowl.  Add in the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla.  Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Back for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  Immediately cover the hot cake with the mini marshmallows.  

Icing

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup dark cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

Melt the butter.  Add in the buttermilk and cocoa powder and cook until the icing thickens.  Remove from heat and add in vanilla and powdered sugar.  Drizzle the warm icing over the marshmallows.  Refrigerate until the icing sets.  

Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup

This creamy soup is full of lots of veggies and chunks of chicken breasts.  I cut up some Grands biscuits into quarters for a perfect dunking size.


Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup

1# chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chicken stock
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup corn
2 tbsp. celery flakes
1 bay leaf
2 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Set your instant pot to saute and add in the olive oil.  When heated, add in the chicken pieces and lightly brown.  Turn off the instant pot.  Add in the stock, vegetables, celery flakes and bay leaf.  Set your instant pot to the soup setting for 10 minutes.  While that is cooking, warm the milk and whisk in the flour.  When soup is done, release the pressure.  Remove the lid and stir in the milk mixture.  Turn to the saute setting and cook until it slightly thickens.  

Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup

Cheeseburger soup is one of my comfort soups.  Freezing rain and snow are in our forecast so today seemed like a perfect day to make some in my Instant Pot.  


IP Cheeseburger Soup

1# extra lean ground beef
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
3 tbsp. flour
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. parsley
2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup half and half
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat the Instant Pot on saute, add in the olive oil and then the ground beef.  Brown the ground beef, when almost done, add in the onions and garlic.  When the onions are translucent, turn off the Instant Pot.  Deglaze the bottom with the white wine.  Stir the flour into the ground beef.  Gradually add in the chicken stock.  Add in the spices, parsley, potatoes and carrots.  Set the Instant Pot to the soup setting for 10 minutes.  Allow to naturally release.  When ready, stir in the half and half and cheese.

Instant Pot Spanish Rice

There's nothing like a blizzard to make you crave food that you cannot get to a restaurant to enjoy.  Making it yourself actually tastes better and is a lot cheaper.  I made this Spanish Rice to go along with some beef burritos.  


Instant Pot Spanish Rice

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup onions, diced
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1 3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, diced
1 cup white rice
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Heat the olive oil on the saute mode on your Instant Pot.  Add in the onions and cook until translucent.  Turn off the Instant Pot.  Stir in the tomato paste.  Gradually stir in the chicken stock.  Add in the remaining ingredients.  Stir and place the cover on.  Put on rice setting for 12 minutes.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes and the release the remaining pressure.  Fluff the rice and serve.