Elizabeth's PORK LOIN Instapot recipe

Instant Pot Pork Chops and Potatoes - Corrie Cooks

Gravy was mushroom soup in the olive oil and butter that seared the pork chops for 4 minutes a side and chicken soup and onions from the bottom of the instapot.

CHICKEN BREAST IDEAS

 Four split chicken breasts (99 cents a lb) fit nicely in the Instapot.

Then I sliced a breast length wise, added lacy swiss, serious cheddar, hot peppers from Jack cooked in olive oil, some butter, paprika, ground pepper and Benson's salt.

2 minutes in the microwave, even if the breast comes out of the refrigerator the next day cold.

Other ideas:  Use Kickin' Chicken spice, use turmeric, use thyme.

May 3 2023

Three chicken breasts with skin.  Put them on parchment in a glass oven dish.  Used Poultry magic, Benson's, black pepper and a spray of canola.  Cooked in oven at 380 for about 40 minutes and then at 350 for another 20 minutes.  I did not baste, but that would have been a good idea.  Delicious.

***********************************************************

Did 11 minutes in instapot plus 10 letting off steam for three split breasts.  Needed more time.  

Put one in the large cast iron roasting pan after slicing it to allow better seasoning..

Coated with half can of cream of chicken soup

3 scoops of sour cream

a quarter stick of butter

tanduri powdered spice

California garlic blend

tumeric powdered spice

black pepper

Benson's salt

parsley dried

a dozen mushrooms whole

About three cups of frozen peas later in cooking process.

Covered and cooked in olive oil on low for a half hour.  This takes care of the undercooked chicken and blends the flavors.

HAMBURGER PATTIES

 jULY 19, 2022

I took the hamburger and made patties to freeze.  I saved a good bit of money by making them myself.  I used the circle molds, placing the thinner edge down on a cutting board.  Then I turned them over to put them in the waxed paper lined freezing container.  I think it will work fine.  I had a half burger left over and ate that.  It was good.  Perhaps I could make the burgers thinner.  The meat was just 80%, but I liked it fine.

STUFFED PEPPERS

 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large red, orange or yellow bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped fennel bulb (about 1/2 a small bulb) or celery
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 small)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1 pound ground beef (at least 15 percent fat), turkey, chicken or pork
• ¾ cup dry white wine, chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 cup cooked white or brown rice
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus more for serving (optional)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella, provolone or other semifirm cheese

IFROM NEW YORK TIMES

PREPARATION

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and carefully remove core, seeds and ribs using a paring knife. Arrange the peppers, cut-sides up, in a 9-by-13-inch pan or other baking dish in which they fit snugly.
2. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the fennel and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red-pepper flakes, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, for 3 to 5 minutes, until no longer pink.
3. Add 1/2 cup wine, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid in the pan is reduced by about half.
4. Add the tomatoes and their juices, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the rice, Parmesan and parsley, if using. Taste and adjust seasonings.
5. Divide the mixture among the peppers. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup wine into the bottom of the dish, wrap tightly with foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a paring knife easily pierces the peppers. Remove the foil and spoon any juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the pan onto the peppers. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly onto the peppers and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the mozzarella is melted and beginning to brown.
6. Allow the peppers to cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve hot.

SALT SALT SALT

 

Everyone has different tastes and preferences, but perhaps some of what I've worked out for myself in the area of salt reduction will be helpful.

First, I've found shopping on Amazon very helpful. Supermarkets have grand sections devoted to “gluten free” but for “salt free” we have to hunt and peck. They also do not carry the products I find online.

Having a magnifying glass is helpful because even though the nutritional label may be visible, it is often in such tiny print that the naked eye can't make out the amount. This is especially true when shopping on line.

If the label is not with the ad for the product, try a search with the products name and "nutrition."  That usually works.

I can't keep grams straight in my brain, so I use the percentage of daily salt allowance per serving on the nutritional label as a way to sort out what I buy.

I actually should not go beyond about 80% of the daily recommendation.

Generally, I try for foods that are 2-3% of daily allowance per serving. Sometimes I go higher, but then I limit what I eat.

Eating out is more difficult unless we just want to eat salads. Salt is everywhere and usually the server has no idea how much salt is in anything.  

Sometimes a menu on line will list salt content.  The Longhorn restaurant.(high is salt)
I have my server talk to the chef, but even there I am skeptical. Chinese and Mexican are just not worth bothering with. Indian food buffets will often contain some good choices and there will be someone there who knows which choices have no added salt.
Places that make their own french fries or potato chips can sometimes be helpful and not add salt to them. Others do automatic salting.  This the server usually does know.

So, the best I can do some days when I eat away from home is to be certain to have nothing with salt all the rest of the day and limit portions.

Okay, let's get to some low salt foods I like.

I don't have links for all of these, but if you can't find them in an Amazon search, ask me and I'll find them for you.

I was a big salt lover. 

 

The key to satisfaction has been Benson's salt substitute that not only eliminates salt, but also sugar and other questionable stuff. I love it and buy it in two pound bags.

Some of it is a fine powder, so if moving it to a shaker with a funnel, wear a mask.  Some of it is course, so the smaller shaker sizes won't let it out.  I use left over shakers from Trader's joe's 21 Salute spice.  They have nice large openings and are glass, so they can be washed clean between fillings.  I get lazy and don't run them through the dish washer sometimes between fillings, but I pay for it with more caking.

I have a wooden skewer handy to stir it up and get it to come out again.

I was not impressed with the Mrs. Dash line most common in local groceries. 

 The basic did not satisfy;  the mixtures did not satisfy. 

 I carry the Benson's in a bag to restaurants along with a no salt hot sauce and sometimes unsalted butter.

Benson's is pretty expensive, but worth it. I just use the basic blend.

Other salt substitutes rely on potassium, but too much of that is not healthy either.  Also, it has an unappealing taste.

SPICES

I also experiment with no salt spice mixtures. There are a lot out there. My son just bought me one from the hot sauce store at Crossgates, but it is too bland for me. My favorite is Trader Joe's 21 salute.

I dropped all soy sauce, even that called “reduced sodium” and substituted worchestershire sauce when I can get that at 3%.

HOT SAUCE

For a while I thought I would be denied hot sauce. Frank's was my favorite, and it is just too salty.

Tabasco has less salt.

However, Bruh Bruh hot sauce has no salt or sugar. And Palo Alto hot sauce, sold by firemen in New Mexico has three no salt varieties, and I like all of them. 

I also use “everything bagel” for adding a nice taste. It comes in a salt free version. It is a nice mixture of seeds.

Speaking of bagels, they are too high in salt as are most breads. I use a tiny torilla shell called Mr. Tortilla as it is good for both salt and carb reduction.Sometimes I stretch to 7% on a slice of bread.

Eziekiel bread has a no salt version, but I'd rather eat sawdust.

Dave's is a decent choice for bread. Also, you can make a kind of bread easily in the microwave. It is called “bread in a cup”
Here is my experience with making that,
Recipes: Bread in a mug (weightlossveggie.blogspot.com)

Crackers are hard to find as well. I go to 4% and get Stoned Wheat Thins and am careful not to overeat.

Meats are generally about 3% per serving. No smoked meats. I go to either Shop Rite on Western Avenue Albany or the Prime butcher  in Stuyvesant and buy pork belly to substitute for the taste of bacon. No one will slice it thin, and although I bought a little home slicer, I cannot either. 

 So I cut inch long pieces and slowly fry them up crisp. I make five pounds at a time and freeze the results in small portions, refrying when I want bacon and eggs.

The only sausage I've found is a rather tasty Spanish chorizo.  

Aurelia's Spanish Chorizo - All-Natural, Keto Friendly, Fully Cooked Sausage w/ the Full Flavor of Spain. No Gluten. Paleo Friendly - 8oz

8 Ounce

I think that is 3%.

Salmon is acceptable for salt as long as you stay away from the glazed versions or smoked salmon.

:

"serving of baked salmon has just 55 milligrams of sodium, and most other fish follows suit. Just make sure your catch of the day isn't smoked, or covered with a glaze or sauce, because this piles on the sodium. Shellfish is higher in sodium than fish, often ranging up to 500 milligrams per serving."

Most fish is good. Most shellfish should be avoided.

Canned tuna is generally too high in salt.  However, Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna is just 4% and I like that.  It is more expensive.  However, I've discovered that the cheaper tuna in cans has a greater content of water.  The expensive cans are packed tighter with tuna, so that balances things a bit.

Yo Mamma is expensive for catsup, but it is low in salt.  3%

Turkey is hard. Most whole turkeys are brined in salt and sugar and that increases the salt load substantially. Whole foods told me they sell an unbrined turkey, but were having trouble getting them. Last holiday they only managed to get four.  Shop Rite had Kosher turkeys, but when I asked the meat manager said they had been brined.  I don't know if the brining salt shows up on the nutritional label.

Boar's Head has a no salt turkey, but I wonder if they don't have to report brining.

They have a no salt beef as well, but are usually out of it when I shop.

What I do for beef is buy a cheap fairly square roast of beef. I put it in a preheated oven at 500 for 20 minutes, don't open the oven, turn the oven off and let if cook undisturbed for about two hours. I get a nice roast of beef. This the slicer will cut easily. I had a slice with eggs this morning.

CHEESE

Boars Head makes a lacy swiss cheese that I love. Swiss will often be low salt, but you have to check labels because what they label in the deli as low salt or reduced sodium is often way off the charts.

This is true for broth as well. Swanson's sells a chicken broth and a beef broth that is low in salt. All the rest “low sodium” are very high in salt even if they are less than the usual. Sometimes “reduced sodium” means a score of 25% per serving.

Packages of chicken bullion can be high in salt, but they make a salt free version which I find very tasty.

Hannaford has low salt cheese, parmesan and some 3 and 4 cheese blends, all grated. It is in small plastic bags with their brand on them.

Sometimes for a sandwich like meal I'll skip the bread, take a slice of beef, roll it with lacy swiss cheese or grated Hannaford cheese and tomato or onion.

Mustards can run a gamut of salty to no salt. Amazon will give you options with a no salt search. Here is one
Amazon.com : Westbrae Natural Stoneground Mustard No Salt Added -- 8 oz (Pack Of 3) : Grocery & Gourmet Food

It is rare to find low salt food in cans, but Hunt's makes a no salt added tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. 

There is also an unsalted tomato paste.

 Also, Campbell's just started making cream of chicken and a cream of mushroom no salt added soup. It is snatched up quickly, so when I find it, I stock up.

POTATO CHIPS

We love the Kettle cooked no salt potato chips that can be bought in bulk on line at Amazon, but they are expensive.

Utz makes one that is pretty good.

They are hard to find. And if I find them on a two for one, I'll buy them up.

Potato sticks that we ate as kids are 4% a serving, but very good. They are online or in the Latham Hannaford store.

NUTS

There are generally unsalted versions of nuts.  Peanuts are very easy to find.  Some others require the internet.

PICKLES

• I made pickles using the crisp smaller cucumber sliced length wise. Not as much shelf life. I also made pepperoncini, but finding the fresh peperoncini pepper  is hard. I substituted a Japanese pepper. 

•  Again shelf life.

• This one is on my pickle list:
  Healthy Heart Market No Salt Dill Pickles - 32 oz.

• salad dressings are hard. Oil and vinegar mixed yourself is best. Or here is one on my list to try
  https://healthyheartmarket.com/products/farmer-boy-restaurant-lite-greek-dressing-16-oz?variant=7240689877055
  
  

• Here are some sites to read:

• List of Foods With No Salt | livestrong

• Sodium in Radishes (fatsecret.com)

• And by the way,

  • whiskey has no saltSodium in Whiskey - Nutrition Facts for Whiskey (mydietmealplanner.com)

• I'm not allowed alcohol, but after shopping with a magnifying glass and endlessly reading nutritional labels, a couple shots would sure be helpful.

PORK CHOPS IN SLOW COOKER MAKES GRAVY

 

Ingredients 

• 4 pork chops, boneless or bone-in, about 1 1/2 lb (0.7 kg)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, or 2 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ cup soy sauce, low sodium recommended
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth, or beef broth
• 1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 tbsp water (optional)

Instructions 

• Optional: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and pork chops, and then fry 2-3 minutes per side until browned.
• Remove pork chops to the crock pot.
• Add garlic, soy sauce, honey and broth to the skillet. Swirl around to pick up any brown bits and juices and empty into the crock pot.
• Cook on low 7-8 hours or until tender. Then remove pork chops to serving plates.
• Optional Gravy: Turn temperature to High. Whisk the cornstarch-water mixture into to the crock pot. Boil for 10-15 minutes until thickened.
• Top the pork chops with the gravy and serve with potatoes, rice or noodles

SPICEY DIP

 I had frozen black lentils that thawed in the refrigerator.  All Hummus in the stores is too salty.  So, I made my own.....sort of.  

It was stronger tasting than regular store bought hummus, but I kept bullet blending and adding things. I put in a little lemon juice, a little water, a little chicken broth.  I put in Benson's salt and turmeric, black pepper, mustard seeds, Worchester sauce.  I put in a little Truvia.  Garlic powder.  Eventually it became a very spicey hummus like dip.  We'll see.