First up – we have an Authors in Our Midst/Writers Chatting tomorrow. Same chat time, same chat place (12:30/11:30/10:30/9:30). Now back to our recipes:
Yummy photo by the great JeffreyW
I have used my Multi-Pot consistently for the last few weeks. I made two batches of soup, pulled pork, pasta sauce and two batches of rice. The first batch of rice I was all cocky and used the simple pressure cooker setting and my own time – because you know, I’m the Queen of Pressure Cooking – well, that didn’t turn out very well. I mean, it was great sticky rice, but I was going for light and fluffy. So the next batch I used the Rice Button! I mean, come on, a pot you can just push RICE and 10 minutes later have fluffy rice – why was I fighting it??
The buttons on this brand are easy and intuitive to use. It does help that I’m familiar with what times work well with my stove top cooker and there are good resources in the booklets that came with the machine to help pick timing.
My first batch of soup was to make Beef with Barley Soup:
I used this recipe (click here). I was excited to try out the browning feature and the pressure cooking setting.
I quickly and easily sauteed the onions and browned the beef with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Then added the remainder of the ingredients, sealed it shut and turned it to the Meat/Stew setting and set it for 30 minutes.
It took it 10 minutes to come to pressure – which didn’t surprise me because I filled it to the highest mark allowed.
The soup was delicious – I could easily leave it on warm, open the lid and let sit and fill the house with yummy soup smells as long as I desired. And clean up was a breeze – just tossed the insert into the dishwasher.
The one part of this electric pressure cooker that has been a learning curve for me is the quick -release method. I am so used to taking the pot over to the sink and running cold water over the top. With this, they say to just turn the pressure valve to open. Which sounds easy-peasy. EXCEPT it spews greasy, starchy steam all over my kitchen cabinets.
The solution is fairly simple – I grabbed an old kitchen towel and cover the valve with that as it releases. Takes a bit longer, but no mess and no risk of a scary steam burn.
So for this recipe, I’d give the Multi-Pot a solid A.
This was almost two weeks ago – her 16 week photo.
Bonus puppies and ducks – there are more updates here and here (bonus ducks, too) – I’ve been terrible, I’ve been posting updates but not getting over here to cross-post. I’ll do better.
What’s on your menu tonight? I know it’s St. Patrick’s Day, but I’m assuming many of us are beyond heading out for the green beer and pub crawls. All you Instant Pot people, what are some of your favorite recipes for it?
zhena gogolia
God that soup makes me want to go out and buy a pressure cooker even though there is no room for it
TaMara (HFG)
@zhena gogolia: Well…you can easily do it on the stove – the barley takes about 45 minutes to cook. And on the plus side, house will smell great.
Corner Stone
In honor of St Paddy’s Day, I am making homemade tacos.
Jeffro
SOLD. I’m getting one of these a.s.a.p.
Corner Stone
@TaMara (HFG): I had forgotten how much I loved barley until a year or so ago. I can’t really eat a lot of it any more but it adds so much goodness to a soup/stew.
TaMara (HFG)
Hey, someone in another thread was looking for things to do with a ton of mushrooms. I was going to post this recipe for them, but got distracted by something or other.
Roasted Mushroom Tacos with Smashed Avocados and Cabbage Slaw
Wag
We too have been using our instant pot regularly for the past few weeks, and give it an A+. Last night was Mexican chicken tacos with this recipe . Super easy and tasty. Added a couple of dried New Mexico chilies just for fun.
TaMara (HFG)
@Wag: Bookmarked!
NotMax
Learning curve is getting acquainted with when to use the quick release versus when to use ‘natural release.’ IMPORTANT to read the instruction manual thoroughly.
May take some issue with the chattiness accompanying some of the recipes (speaking primarily of the videos) but a decent collection of standard recipes adapted for Instant Pot is here. For some additional more exotic possibilities, here.
Corner Stone
@Wag: I’m just not sure about sliced radish on my taco.
Yarrow
Awww….so cute. I’m having cod tonight. It was on sale. Probably just bake it. Boring.
TaMara (HFG)
@NotMax: Yes! This is important. And I’m bookmarking your links, too.
RedDirtGirl
I received a pressure cooker this Christmas and just love it. I could live on cannellini beans with shallots and fresh rosemary.
Sab
We had beef stew. It seemed a lot more Irish than corned beef.
Mnemosyne
I’ll be late to the writers thread tomorrow — my RWA meeting doesn’t end until 12 noon PDT.
But if folks had not heard, I came in 15th place (out of 60) in my first RWA writing contest, which I feel is pretty respectable for a first try with my first novel. Did some big revisions and will be submitting to a different contest as soon as the cat gets off my lap.
Doug R
Got our Instant Pot a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been cooking up a storm to talk the wife into it being a good idea. Does a good job on spaghetti and meat sauce, but a tortellini and Alfredo sauce recipe I frankensteined together kept showing “burn”. But no big deal, after about 3 tries the tortellini was ready anyway. It makes pull pork in less than two hours and I made a delicious non alcoholic cider with about 7 apples, 1 orange, 1/2 cup cranberries, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice and cider type spices.
Working up the courage to make wine. Apparently it takes 48 hours on the lower temp yogurt setting, opening the valve for 6-8 hours, then closing for 6-8 hours on a cycle. Then draining to the juice bottle with a cap askew for 8-30 days. Recipe here.
Doug R
Why is it eating my lengthy post on my instant pot?
Doug R
@TaMara (HFG): Please rescue my comment from the ether.
Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady)
@Mnemosyne: I think that’s more than respectable! Congrats.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Jeffro: Ah good, another member of the cult. Welcome!
Yarrow
@Mnemosyne: Congratulations! That’s really good for your first entry.
dexwood
New Mexico green chile chicken stew with homemade tortillas for us tonight. A good local stout to wash it down.
J R in WV
Holy Cow, that’s a lot of ears on that Scout pupper, for sure!!!
It does sound like someone did some research and engineering on pressure cooking in kitchens to build these Instant Pot gadgets. I’ve used traditional pressure cookers all my cooking life, and love the nearly instant beans and such. But being able to make things as described, pretty cool. Esp just putting an insert in the dishwasher!
Mnemosyne
@Dorothy A. Winsor (formerly Iowa Old Lady):
@Yarrow:
Thanks! Repeating myself from the thread below, G refers to the person who gave me the lowest score as “the East German judge.” ?
jacy
The Boyfriend is making corned beef and cabbage in the Crock-Pot. He is outside helping the kid with his Eagle Scout project (building neighborhood little libraries) so I’m in with the pup watching basketball and getting hungry.
NotMax
@TaMara (HFG)
Also, a handy tip picked up someplace online is to wait when using the saute setting until the inner pot is heated up (depending on the model, display may switch to “Hot”) before adding oil and/or butter. Makes the bottom of the inner pot behave in a noticeably more non-stick manner.
Used the IP to make roasted potatoes recently and they came out great. Used red taters in place of the suggested fingerling potatoes and it worked just fine.
Mnemosyne
@NotMax:
I think that’s a demonstration of the old adage, “Hot pan, cold oil, food won’t stick.” ?
West of the Rockies (been a while)
Is there a Writers Chatting post on the horizon? Asking for a friend.
Oops! Never mind… I should have read the darn post first!
Mnemosyne
@West of the Rockies (been a while):
Read the graf above the photo once more, with feeling. ?
Baud
Speak for yourself, lassie.
On a related note, has Helen checked in?
Josie
@Mnemosyne: Sounds great! Congratulations. It will just get better from now on.
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Mnemosyne:
Yay! Congratulations!
Baud
@Mnemosyne: That’s cool.
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@Mnemosyne:
I are a stoopid sumtimes.
West of the Rockies (been a while)
@jacy:
Good St. Paddy’s Day fare. Yum.
Mnemosyne
@West of the Rockies (been a while):
Another acceptable answer would have been that you swooned over the soup photo and didn’t even realize there was a paragraph above it. Because that’s some swoonable soup.
Mmmmms, soup …
/Homer Simpson drool
Mnemosyne
@Josie:
@West of the Rockies (been a while):
@Baud:
I would have loved to be one of the 6 finalists because it would have given me an excuse to make a quick trip to Chicago and see my two families (regular and in-law) while I attended the conference, but it was not to be. The feedback I got was very positive, so I’m happy with it.
NotMax
@Baud
Used to make green martinis (just food coloring) on St. Paddy’s Day. Garnished with skewered pickled green baby tomatoes.
Baud
@NotMax: You are a wild man.
trollhattan
@Mnemosyne:
“Yan Can Cook!” Direct quote. Yan was oddly mesmerizing, and I’m amazed he never lopped a digit off with that cleaver.
NotMax
A simple pleasure which never gets old is sucking the marrow from the soup bones used when making a really old world peasant-type beef barley soup.
jeffreyw
Corned beef and cabbage because reasons.
GregB
Be aware. There does not appear to be any Go Fund Me page affiliated with McCabe. So people are either scamming for money or personal information.
Ruckus
@Corner Stone:
LOL.
And I’m part Irish. Of course there are a few other parts in there as well. Some of which I’m aware of.
Tinare
I made Shepherd’ Pie for dinner. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Ruckus
@Mnemosyne:
So possibly some time this year?
zhena gogolia
@Mnemosyne:
That’s great!
Buckeye
@NotMax:
I’m still learning that. And i’ve probably been ‘wrong’ but haven’t ruined anything yet.
And I’m getting used to how quickly everything cooks. It seems … unnatural. :)
Mac n’ cheese in an Instantpot? Ridiculously easy. I’ve made red lentil soup, also even easier than stove pot. Need to find something for the chicken breasts I have in the freezer.
zhena gogolia
@jeffreyw:
That looks perfect. I’m no big fan of corned beef unless it’s crispy like that.
raven
I’m using my Instantpot for steel cuts oats and brown rice. If you sauté the rice in a bit of oil and then cook it with a 1 to 1 ration for 20 minute is is awesome! I also bought an extra pot and a silicon lid.
NotMax
@Tinare
Gotta link it.
and we have some shepherd’s pie peppered
With actual shepherd on top!
:)
Another Scott
@Mnemosyne: Congratulations!
Tolstoy wrote something like 6 drafts of War and Peace (according to my college Russian Lit. prof.). Don’t be afraid to rewrite, rewrite, rewrite!
Cheers,
Scott.
Mnemosyne
@Ruckus:
I finally convinced her to lay under the covers next to me, so I’ll be getting to work aaaaaany minute now …
@zhena gogolia:
Thanks! Random book recommendation if you’re looking for some light reading — a mystery/romance called Daughter of the God-King. I thought of you because the author actually managed to bring a Russian character into a novel about the Napoleonic Wars (usually English-language novels concentrate on the British).
RAM
Back in 1986, my mother was dying of ALS, but was determined to live in her own house until the end, and so us kids traded off cooking meals for her. One Saturday evening, Ms. RAM made stuffed cabbage in her trusty pressure cooker. We decided to just take the whole cooker out and put it on a pad in the back of our five-year-old Datsun station wagon and motor over to her house about seven blocks away. Unfortunately, we had to drive across a railroad crossing on the way, and the Datsun (based on the frame of their pick-up truck) didn’t really handle bumps well. We hit the track crossing, bounced, and knocked the pressure regulator off the pressure cooker, which instantly filled the inside of the car with cabbage-flavored steam that fogged all the windows. We rolled down the windows–it was about this time of year in northern Illinois–and continued on, but the car forever after had a faint aroma of cooked cabbage in it, leading us to rename the Borschtmobile.
Mnemosyne
@Another Scott:
I’m trying not to think about how many drafts it’s going to take because I’ll just freak out and stop if the task seems too big. It’s all a first draft until I’m ready to send it somewhere.
raven
@raven: ratio
raven
@jeffreyw: I just ordered a book about the Herrin Massacre.
eldorado
the instint pot company announced a new model last week. 15psi, which means no more adjusting recipes from the stovetop ones and slightly quicker cooking times if the company is to be believed. new release methods and improved display too. it is going to be pricey though. i am hoping this pushes the price of the duo model down.
p.a.
Made Pole-tuguese soup: kale & white bean soup, instead of chouriço, I had some smoked and pepperd kielbasa, so what the hell… Also too, omitted potatoes. Added some smoked paprika to make up for the lack of chouriço.
zhena gogolia
@Mnemosyne:
Sounds good. I’m on a Galsworthy kick right now, reading the supposedly lesser trilogy about Dinny and ADORING it. Maid in Waiting — Flowering Desert — One More River. Stone masterpieces.
Steeplejack
I found Simon Rimmer’s recipe for gnocchi with wild mushrooms that cosima and Betty Cracker were discussing earlier today. Details here.
Lyrebird
@Corner Stone: Well have you ever eaten at a Carlos O’Brien’s? Sounds perfect!
VeniceRiley
My roommate usually cooks something yummy for me (I am very very lucky!) but tonight we are having the pub grub dashed to us from Karl Strauss Brewery. Pork chops, YAY!
Gretchen
Shepherd’s pie and Boulevard Irish Ale.
ruemara
The housemate made corned beef & cabbage – which was probably a little too much water but we didn’t know. I made some taters and chocolate stout cupcakes. I was going to go visit people but I’ve been feeling very drained lately. I just can’t work up the drive to drive to someone’s house. And I am all done with salty food.
Ohio Mom
@Sab: Hi Sab! I’ve been looking for you. I left a long comment for you about Granddaughter and the (ugh) swimming teacher on Thursday night’s “everything is a mess” thread.
TLDR: Find a new teacher who is recommended by someone in the local autism community — another parent, teacher, OT, etc. — and start with private lessons, at least until Granddaughter gets her confidence up.
The right teacher will take Granddaughter’s sensitivities and quirks in stride. Ohio Son’s swim teachers for example, have always worked around his refusal to jump in, and why not? Every pool has ladders.
You will have many more opportunities to um, advocate for /battle on behalf of Granddaughter over the years. Don’t waste any more energy on that horrid woman, move on.
Good luck! I’m here for you and your family.
Gretchen
@Baud: Helen is doing a Dublin pub crawl and gloating about what she’s convinced her niece to dress up as tonight -or maybe it’s what she plans to wear herself. Visit looks like it’s going well.
Gretchen
I’m making Cook’s Illustrated do-it-yourself corned beef for next weekend. I spent too much on a Wagyu beef brisket and will start it in pickling salts tomorrow. I’m not always a huge fan of corned beef but this came out really well last year.
Baud
@Gretchen: Oh, thanks. I hope she doesn’t hurt anybody.
Gretchen
@Mnemosyne: Do they tell #60 that they’re the worst, or do they just rank the top few? Congratulation on your placement!
MomSense
@Mnemosyne:
Well done, you!
Ruckus
@Mnemosyne:
Righttttttttt……….
Shell
And you can even make wine with it.
https://foodnservice.com/instant-pot-wine/
Shell
My previous comments arent posting?
Shell
You can even make wine with an instant pot. Just Google it.
raven
Winter Lady stay a while.
Aleta
I don’t have an instapot, but I want one, and if I was in a better mood I’d make potato garlic soup tonight. I found this recipe, which I haven’t tried, with versions for instapot and electric pressure cooker. At least it reads deliciously.
It’s called baked potato soup, but it doesn’t actually use baked potatoes. Just plain potatoes, leeks, garlic, sour cream, etc. (The recipe is far down the page.)
There’s also an instapot recipe for Korean style short ribs on the same site, and an opinion about instapots.
I’m so hungry.
Aleta
@raven: Thanks.
No Drought No More
“..Kit Carson remarked of Bill Williams that in starving times no man should walk ahead of him on the trail,and old Bill shared that reputation with several others. In fact, the last resource of starving men is commonplace”.
Bernard DeVoto
The Year Of Decision 1846
pg. 362
Doug R
@Shell:
I had a long comment mentioning that-disappeared when I posted.
Ol'Froth
My wife got me a power pot for Christmas, and I am unimpressed with it. It does make a nice pot of soup, but everything else it claims to do, it does, IMHO, poorly. It also doesn’t develop sufficient pressure/temperature to be an effective canner, other than for high-acid foods. 9
satby
@TaMara (HFG): that was me, thanks TaMara!
rikyrah
Scout is adorable ?
rikyrah
I am scared of the Insta Pot.
Have to think some more about it.
But, I still love my Air fryer
jonas
Did the Instant Pot corned beef recipe tonight from the Essential Instant Pot Cookbook using a fresh Wegman’s corned beef brisket. It was excellent. I also happened to have a bottle of Uruguayan (yes, Uruguayan) Sauvignon Blanc on hand that I opened, because what the hell, and I’m not a big beer drinker, and the wine was excellent, but not a great pairing with corned beef. Probably should have gone with the Pinot.
Czanne
Fish tacos for me, carnitas for spouse. Costco ingredients because I hate shopping and Costco lets me do it all at once. Not my holiday, not my circus, not my monkeys.
OTish, but baby animals growing into large animals: JingleCat is 10 months old. And there’s some big cat in her lineage. She’s got the tufty ears, fur between her toes on giant paws, medium-long fur, 18 inches of tail (36 inches from nose to tail stretched) and is built like a brick shithouse. She’s a teenage Hoover. No food is safe with her. I wasn’t expecting that her 6 month old, 4 pounds of fluff self would turn into 10 pounds of teenager. I don’t know how to feed her. (Vet’s not helpful here; vet says feed her what she wants until she’s 2, but that way lies madness and bad habits.)
If you want pics, there’s a ton in my twitter media, at @CZEdwards Jingle is the calico who wears bling on her collar. (Her choice.) Ninja is the other, the Siamese Mix.
So my questions for big cat people: 1) how do I tell what’s her solid body and what’s pudge on a growing big cat? Until now, I’ve only been responsible for Oriental body types (long, lean, long legs). Jingle’s never had the visible waist or hip notch, not even as a skinny kitten. And 2) Um… Is she ever going to stop growing? She’s already bigger than any cat in my history. She’s gentle and lovable, but oh lord she’s huge…
cosima
@Steeplejack: Thanks for finding that — reading the recipe instructions made me want to make it, as it really was just so delicious.
Miki
Late to the party – sorry.
Re: Quick Release – yes, it depends what’s in the pot. Usually no for meats (can make them tough and stringy), yes for veggies (to stop them from continuing to cook). To avoid the spew factor, do a “controlled” quick release, which is basically just pulsing the valve so the pressure releases in spurts until all the pressure is released (and the pin drops, if you’re using an Instant Pot or something similar). I learned to do this with my stove top PC because that freaking WHOOSH when holding it under cold running water freaked me out.
Your soup looks scrumptious – ty for the recipe.
m.c. simon milligan
For frozen chicken in the IP you can always just toss it in with a couple of cups of liquid with whatever flavoring you want infused into it. A cup of water and a cup of salsa, a cup of water and a cup of diced tomatoes plus Italian seasoning, etc. I’ve also used frozen chicken for Thai Curry and Tortellini Soup. Both have become regular dishes.
Most things I’ve tried since Xmas have worked great. Mac & Cheese is the bomb, Risotto is easy and delish and any and all other rices are simpler and faster than my Japanese rice cooker. Only massive fail has been Brussels Sprouts. No. Just, no.