BEANS IN THE INSTAPOT

 

How to Make Pressure Cooker Beans

• 1 Pound Dry Black Beans, Rinsed
• 5 Cups Water
• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 2 Teaspoons salt, Optional
• 2 Cloves garlic, Peeled and smashed - optional
• 2 Bay Leaves, Optional

Instructions

1. Rinse dry beans and pick out any fractured or cracked beans.
2. Put beans in the Instant Pot. Add water, oil, garlic, salt, and bay leaves (spices optional).
3. Pour in water and set the timer to manual for 22 minutes. (It will take about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to full pressure, then it will cook for the set 22 minutes.) 
4. Let “naturally release” for 5-10 minutes, then release steam. Stir, drain and serve. That’s it! So easy. So quick. So amazing!

Elaine’s Fettuccine Alfredo

 

Ingredients

nOTE" i WILL SKIP THE SALT AND USING THE HEARTS OF PALM PASTA WILL NOT HAVE TO COOK THE PASTA.  sTART THERE

Yield:6 servings

• Salt
• 2tablespoons butter
• 1small clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1½cups heavy cream
• 1large egg yolk
• 1pound fresh fettuccine
• 1cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Freshly ground pepper to tast

Instacart terms apply.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Bring 6 quarts generously salted water to a boil.

2. Step 2

   While the water heats, melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté until fragrant and sizzling, about 2 minutes. Whisk the cream with the egg yolk in a bowl until blended; pour into the garlic butter. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir until hot but not boiling. Keep warm over low heat.

3. Step 3

   Meanwhile, cook the pasta, partially covered, until al dente. (The pasta will float when it’s done.) Drain in a colander, shaking out excess water, but reserve a little cooking water. Pour hot pasta into the cream mixture and toss to coat (still over low heat). Add the cheese and keep tossing gently until cream is mostly absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. If sauce is absorbed too much, toss with a little pasta water. Serve in warm bowls.

sauerkraut- Kapusta

January  2019
Elizabeth made this with Carroway.  It tasted great.  She put in some of the ground pork I made from the last shoulder pork slow cooker piece.
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Elizabeth did not like an apple in the mix.
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Gail Guzik:
Take county style pork and brown it. combine a sliced cabbage with a can of sauerkraut and cook the entire mix with black pepper for a few hours in a large stove top pan. Keep it covered but turn the mixture every so often.

I suggested carroway seed and that seemed okay.
the recipes I have seen so far call for onion as well.

Gail also puts in an apple, skinned and cut in pieces.



11-08-08

Tried the recipe in the old cast iron fry pan. I did have to watch for burning and added water part way through the cooking. It smells good. The pork is beginning to get so it will fall off the bone. I used the country pork rib pieces. I did not add spices, even avoided onion, deciding just to do what Gail recommended and add variations another time.

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April 11 2009 - Used the mandolin to shred the cabbage. Made it with carroway this time.
No onion. Elizabeth is better with no onion. If I want onion I'll use a jar in the part I heat up for myself as left over. Again it needed extra water part way through the cooking.
I did not have an apple.

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Easter morning- April 12

Yes, we had left over kapusta for brunch. Yum! I had mine with a slice of Rubslager Westfalian style pumpernickle which is made with whole rye flour (the stuff that keeps the prostate healthy). Much smaller and thinner than a conventional slice of bread and yet not as ridiculous as a cocktail bread, this is a fine compromise. I added pot of Stash's double bergamot tea and the taste blendings were exquisite.

Note for next time: Two pieces of country ribs is plenty of meat for a large cabbage with sauerkraut to taste. The carroway worked just perfectly.

February 2010 in Tampa
No carraway here.  I used lean boneless pork chops and liked it better without the fat.  I browned them i olive oil.   They did not easily break up, so we might eat this with chunks of pork rather than shredded.  I'll cut the pork smaller next time.
Bruce and Abigail liked it fine.  I liked it too even with bite sized chunks of meat.

March 2010
 at Chapel Hill
Took the left over barbecue from Florida and chopped it into the cabbage and sauerkraut.  Used a larger kettle this time and liked it better than a fry pan.  Added some chicken broth and boiled it up.  I used the juice of the sauerkraut but that was a mistake.  Too harsh.  If I need more vinegar it is better to add some smoother basil vinegar.  I added carroway seeds.  The smokey flavor of the barbecue ribs and chicken added a nice flavor to the mixture.  We both liked it.



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ANN MARIE IS THE FIRST PERSON I KNOW WHO TRIED A RECIPE FROM THIS BLOG;
Ann Marie writes:
A few months ago, Elizabeth had described the kapusta and it sounded good, so I put about half a good sized cabbage, a large size can of saurkraut and a mess of lean pork short ribs and cooked and cooked it. I really liked it the first 3 meals, but I had made way too much for 1, didn't think it would freeze well, so kept eating it over the next week. (Too scotch to throw it away). I didn't want to even think about it till about now, so when I do it again, I'll cut way back on the ingredients. I really loved the smell as it was cooking, and that first meal!


October 1, 2010 for poker buddies


More carroway this time and used the country pork ribs Gail used in original.
I did not have an apple.
I used a good shake of carroway seeds.  I really like carroway in this recipe.
I made this as one choice for the poker players.  Roasted a turkey at the same time so the smells are interesting and sweeter than the smells of just the cabbage.  I used a large cabbage and two large cans of kraut.
I did Gail's country ribs again, browning them before I started the cooking, but I like the other more tender cuts of meat better in this in spite of getting the ribs for a dollar a pound.
For six hours the mixture sat on low in the slow cooker while we played cards.  It was not the favorite of the group so there were leftovers.
Wow, what a concentration of flavors!!  My mind tells me it can't be good to cook something for about 12 hours total, but this stuff is even better over cooked.  Is there any food value left?   I don't know.  But it does seem like a good diet dish.
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At Foxwoods a Polish fellow taught me that the particular mix of cabbage and saurkraut is actually called Bigos Kapusta.  Here is a follow up recipe:
http://www.transparent.com/polish/im-hungry-lets-make-bigos/

note 2024 - A search through the internet seemed to suggest that bigos is more a stew often confused with kapusta and that kapusta can have meat and not be called "bigos."

2024  from internet.  Not tried yet

Ingredients

• ¼ medium head cabbage, thinly sliced

• 6 tablespoons butter, divided

• 2 medium onions, chopped

• 1 large portobello mushroom, sliced

• 1 ½ cups sliced white mushrooms

• 1 (32 ounce) jar sauerkraut, drained and pressed

• ½ teaspoon white sugar

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• salt and pepper to taste

Local Offers

rensselaer, NY 12144

 

Buy all 9 ingredients from this recipe for $22.04

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Place cabbage in a medium saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat; cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.

3. While the cabbage is cooking, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms; sauté until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.

4. Combine drained cabbage, onion-mushroom mixture, sauerkraut, sugar, thyme, salt, and pepper in a 9x13-inch baking dish; mix until well combined. Cut remaining 2 tablespoons butter into small pieces and arrange over top. Cover with aluminum foil.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.

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April 2017

No apple again.
I used the granite pan. The cover is not very tight, so it cooked off the liquid and needed more.  I watched it and put it on low, so nothing burned.
I bought a bag of Shop Rite sauerkraut and a small cabbage.  I had no carroway, but used some other small poppy seeds and a small amount of cumin seeds.
A small cabbage was still a lot of cabbage for a large bag of saurerkraut.
I used the mandolin to shred the cabbage course.  I cut the ends.  Seemed to work pretty well.
I put in one and a bit jar of veggie juice.  Later I added another jar of veggie juice.
I drained and rinsed the sauerkraut to keep the harsh taste out.
I added a bit of the sherry we have not been drinking for a unique taste, vinegar like but not as strong.
I used up the last couple spoonfuls of a wine vinegar.
It all seemed to work. It is an unusual kapusta, but tasty.  I would not want to put too much cumin in as that flavor came out fine.

November 2024

Elizabeth is making the kapusta with red cabbage and sauerkraut and boneless pork chunks.  I'm hungry already.

She is making it using the new baking recipe I found. This one did not call for caraway, just thyme.

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2024  from internet.  

• ¼ medium head cabbage, thinly sliced

• 6 tablespoons butter, divided

• 2 medium onions, chopped

• 1 large portobello mushroom, sliced

• 1 ½ cups sliced white mushrooms

• 1 (32 ounce) jar sauerkraut, drained and pressed

• ½ teaspoon white sugar

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• salt and pepper to taste

Local Offers

rensselaer, NY 12144

 

Buy all 9 ingredients from this recipe for $22.04

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Place cabbage in a medium saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat; cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.

3. While the cabbage is cooking, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms; sauté until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.  We used whole portobella mushrooms rather than the sliced white mushrooms.

4. Combine drained cabbage, onion-mushroom mixture, sauerkraut, sugar, thyme, salt, and pepper in a 9x13-inch baking dish; mix until well combined. Cut remaining 2 tablespoons butter into small pieces and arrange over top. Cover with aluminum foil.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.

6. *************************

7. This was very tasty, rich in bites of pork and not as strong as some sauerkraut concoctions.  It won't last long.

8. November 16, 2024

9. No mushrooms so Eliz substituted carrots.  grated ed cabbage and a pillow pack of sauerkraut with the juice drained.

10. Two regular center cut pork chops were precooked with onion powder and Trader Joe's and thyme.

11. Then the mix was made and baked as it says in the recipe with the pork chops on top, the butter added last, the sugar skipped. Again baked for an hour with stirring every 20 minutes.  Salt and pepper in the finish.  I used Benson's.
    

12. We missed the mushrooms and the mixture was more sour than the last time.  Also, Eliz remembers adding Madhava agave the other times and that cut the sour a bit.  Better than sugar for the diet.

13. Good meal.

venison marinade

 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A healthy fat that helps to bind the marinade ingredients together while also adding a subtle richness to the venison.

Worcestershire Sauce: This tangy sauce brings a depth of flavour to the marinade, enhancing the natural taste of the venison.

Soy Sauce: This provides a salty, umami note to the marinade, balancing the sweetness and acidity of the other ingredients.

Liquid Smoke: This secret ingredient gives the marinade a smoky, barbecue-like flavor, making the venison taste as if it has been cooked over an open flame.

Garlic Powder: Adds a touch of aromatic warmth to the marinade, complimenting the robust flavour of the venison.

Onion Powder: This ingredient contributes a subtle sweetness and onion flavour without the texture of fresh onions.

INSTAPOT RICE

 I use the rice se tting, but be certain to also press on and keep warm.

One cup of rice to one cup of water regardless of amount.

SHRIMP AND PINEAPPLE STIR FRY

 Shrimp and Pineapple Stir-Fry Recipe (allrecipes.com)

Elizabeth made this great dish with lots of shrimp and the pineapple we have not been eating.  We had it over the fancy rice I've been buying.

We did not have corn starch, but a bit of flour thickened it.

I added a bit more soy sauce.

Very good.

CHICKEN BREAST WITH CASHEWS

 Cut chicken breasts in two or three pieces and brown in cast iron pan.  Cover and let chicken cook through on low.

Save half the chicken for other recipes.

Use Holsein sauce, lite soy sauce, cut up red pepper, cut up onion, ground black pepper on some of the smaller chicken pieces.  Cover and put on low until cooked through.

Cook the other chicken on low until cooked through and save for another recipe.,

The result was a bit less seasoned than I expected. It was good and the cashews worked, but it was not saucey enough.

EASY BEAN DISH FROM NYT

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 servings

• 8tablespoons olive oil
• ¼cup pine nuts or sliced almonds
• ½teaspoon ground turmeric
• Salt and pepper
• 3large shallots, sliced thinly (about 2 cups)
• 5garlic cloves, sliced thinly
• 2(15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other creamy white beans, drained
• 1cup vegetable or chicken stock
• 1cup finely grated Parmesan (about 4 ounces), plus more for serving
• 1½cups tightly packed basil leaves, preferably Genovese
• 1lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

PREPARATION

1. Step 1

   Heat 6 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-low in a 12-inch skillet or small Dutch oven. Add the pine nuts and, when the oil starts sizzling, stir occasionally until golden brown, about 5 minutes; turn off heat. Stir in the turmeric and season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small serving bowl.

2. Step 2

   Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high in the same skillet. When warm, add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring until just softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and when sizzling (about 1 minute), stir in the beans and stock. Bring to a simmer then turn heat down to low.

3. Step 3

   In a few additions, sprinkle in the cheese, stirring vigorously to combine. When the cheese has melted into the broth and the mixture looks creamy, season to taste with salt and then turn off the heat. While the beans are still hot, tear the basil leaves (or roughly chop, if you prefer) and stir into the beans.

4. Step 4

   Serve hot, in bowls or on plates, drizzled with the sizzled nut oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and more black pepper and grated Parmesan, if desired.

CHILI IDEA FROM COUSING CAROL

 Wendy's Chili Save this recipe for a crisp fall day

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh ground beef

1 quart tomato juice

1 (29-ounce) can tomato purée

1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained

1 medium-large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 cup diced green bell pepper

1/4 cup chili powder (use less for milder chili)

1 teaspoon ground cumin (use more for real flavor)

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain off the fat. Put the beef and the remaining ingredients in a 6-quart pot. Cover the pot and let the chili simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. You can also cook this in a slow cooker on low for 3 to 4 hours.