instaPot

Bone Broth

Joi — Sun, 28 Oct 2018 23:06:53 +0000

BONE BROTH IN YOUR INSTANT POT

We have all been reading of the health benefits of bone broth. It is nutritious, anti aging, detoxing savory liquid. But how do we make it? Well it is a liquid in which bones have been simmered in. To make it at home on the stove top it can take 24 hours. Your instant pot can get the job done in 2 to 4 hours.

Here is the recipe :

Bones - 2 to 3 lbs. Save your chicken bones in the freezer until you get enough. If you are using beef, lamb or pork, then roast them for 30 minutes in the oven at 350F. Lay them out on a sheet pan, so they roast evenly.

Assorted veggies - Carrots, onions or celery. Use what you would use in a stock liquid.

2 TBLS Apple cidar vinegar . Love this stuff, but thats another post! It helps draw the mineral out of the bones.

Water.

Add the first 3 items to your instant pot. (Be sure you have your liner in.) Cover the bones with water until about 2/3 full. Select manual high pressure for 120 minutes for chicken, and 240 minutes if you have beef bones. When the time is up, and the pot beeps, then wait for the pressure to release naturally. Let the liquid cool on the counter for an hour, then strain out any remaining bones. Refrigerate to easely remove the layer of fat.

Store in the fridge or freeze. Use your bone broth in soups, gravies, or warm up a cup and drink every day for good health. Enjoy!

We freeze ours in these containers.

Instant pot bone broth

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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Mole Nachos

Joi — Sun, 06 May 2018 14:42:14 +0000

If there is one cuisine that combines both exotic taste and relish with health, it is Mexican food. From tacos to the very famous chipotle burritos, Mexican food has gone mainstream and now dominates our guilty food-pleasures. Although most Mexican cooking involves a dedicated pantry to itself, but it still doesn’t mean that you can not have your taste buds explode with raunchy sauces. In fact, if you want have been waiting to try about a really appetizing Mexican recipe which won’t involve thousand steps of cooking and will manage to win you over, then you must gather yourself for the shredded chicken mole nachos. It is a perfect fit for those sudden movie nights and snack hours, and will take only 45 minutes of your life to get ready.

Ingredients

1 dried Ancho chile
1 small, chopped yellow onion
1 can whole tomatoes (no-salt-added)
2 canned Chipotle peppers
2 Tablespoon Adobo sauce
1 ounce finely chopped semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons almonds (toasted and sliced)
2 tablespoons raisins
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 3/4 pounds or 6 chicken thighs (with bones)
1 pkg. multigrain tortilla chips
1 ounce candied, chopped jalapeño chile slices
2 tablespoons Mexican crema
1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
1 medium-size chopped avocado
1/4 cup radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges (for serving)

Directions

1.Take the dried Ancho Chile and dip it in a bowl of hot water. Let it stand for 10 minutes. After that, drain it and remove the stem and seeds of the chile.

2.Take a blender and add in all the following ingredients- chili, chopped onions, chipotle peppers, two tablespoon adobo sauce, chocolate, almonds, raisins, cumin, salt and cinnamon. This will be the main raunchy mole sauce. Blend until perfectly smooth and set aside.

3. Take your instant pot and add in the chicken thighs. Pour over the blended mole sauce over the chicken. Toss your chicken in it to make sure its fully coated, so that your chicken can turn out flawless and delicious.

4. Lock the lid of the instant pot and seal the pot. Select the manual mode for cooking, and then hit 15 minutes mark on the high pressure function. After 15 minutes, perform a quick release action by wasting no time in turning the pressure valve to venting position.

5. After the quick release, remove the lid and take out the chicken from the cooker. Once it cools down, begin removing the bones from the thighs and shred the chicken.

6. With the sauce still in the pot, select the saute function on lesser heat and cook the sauce. The consistency of a mole sauce is supposed to be thick, therefore occasionally stir to check. Once your desired thickness is achieved, add in the shredded chicken and cook for 1 minute, so that the shredded chicken can further cook and warm up.

8. Now for the baking part, spread your tortilla chips on the aluminum foils. Top the chips with the chicken mixture, the delicious mole sauce, jalapeno slices, crema, cheese, avocados, radishes and cilantro. Add the tray to a pre-heated oven (to about 375 degrees F) and bake till the cheese melts. Serve with lime wedges and amazing drinks.

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Instant Pot Colombian Style Red Beans

Joi — Sun, 06 May 2018 14:40:16 +0000

Cooking usually comes in waves – there are days when the chef inside you seems to bubble out and wants to try heavy duty three-course meals. And then there are days when you question the very purpose of dinner, purely out of laziness. And in all honesty, the second situation tends to grip us all more than the first one. So what can you do on such a slothful day, combined with a craving for classic, traditional hearty meal? For starters, you can try our South American classic, red beans with rice recipe! This recipe will be flavorsome, filling and with an instant pot by your side, you won’t have to soak the beans or the rice beforehand at all.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil (for the beans)
1 tablespoon oil (for the rice)
2 ounces Mexican Chorizo, casings removed
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons Achiote paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock
1/2 pounds or 1 1/4 cups dried red kidney beans
1 cup rice
1 cup water (for the rice)
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Directions

For the Red beans:

1.Take your instant pot and add in the oil. Set the mode to saute on normal heat in order to warm the oil.

2. Next, add chorizo to the oil and cook. Stir it occasionally to make sure it browns and crumbles.

3. At about 4 minutes, and once the chorizo has browned, add in the onions, bell pepper and garlic. Cook and stir until they turn tender.

4. After cooking for about 4 minutes, add in the tomatoes, achiote paste, cumin and salt for seasoning the mixture. Cook and stir occasionally.

5. Once the tomatoes have broken down and everything appears to be in a smooth paste, add in the chicken stock. Stir occasionally and then add the red beans.

6. Close the lid and seal the instant pot. Set the mode to manual and punch in 45 minutes on high pressure mode. After the 45 minute mark, apply a quick release action and carefully remove the lid. If your beans need some extra cooking, don’t panic. You can give in an extra 5 minutes of high pressure.

7. Pour your spicy, saucy red beans in bowls and garnish with cilantro.

For the Rice:

If you are using white rice, then the rice function on most instant pots will serve you best. However, depending on any other kind of rice, the timing will most certainly change.

1. For the rice, first you need to rinse them by running them under cold water. Keep doing so, until the water runs clear.

2. Take your instant pot, add oil to it and add in the rinsed damp rice and 1 pinch of salt.

3. Lock the lid and seal the pot by setting the steam valve to its sealing position. Punch in the rice function. For white and basmati rice, set the timer for 4-8 minutes, for brown rice, set the timer for 22-24 minutes and for white rice, set the timer for a good 25-30 minutes.

4. Once the instant pot beeps, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes. If any pressure remains, release it with the quick release action.

5. Fluff the rice and serve alongside your red beans dish.

Just be sure to cook the rice first and then the beans. Otherwise your rice may end up tasting all funny. Let us know how you cook your Colombian red beans.

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10 Helpful Tips for New Instant Pot Users

Joi — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 13:24:46 +0000

So what can you do with your programmable pressure cooker? Practically much more than you can imagine. Instapot share a good reputation in the cooking world, simply because you can cook almost everything and anything. Be it rice, stew, meat, vegetables, yogurt and even desserts, if you know how to run the pot you can expect your dishes to fill up instantly. However, if you are new to the instant pot world and you’re quite intimidated, fret not. These beginner tips are surely going to save you time and turn you into a expert.

1. Know the PSI

The usual rate at which most instapots operate is 11.6 PSI, which is lesser than a normal pressure cooker’s rate (15 PSI). This means that once you start cooking a pressure-cooker based recipe, you should add in an extra few minutes. This may seem like its taking more time, but with an instapot you can expect perfect results and maximum control, all with a little effort. Plus, at this PSI, you can even cook frozen food to perfection (Yes, they can cook straight-out-of-the-freezer stuff as well).

If you haven’t got one yet, go to the homepage to find more about it.

2. Cook Everything in the Same Pot

Because the instant pot includes different modes (i.e Saute, Steam, Slow Cook, Pressure Cook etc), you can actually accommodate all cooking processes in one single pot! Talk about saving dishes. This means that you can brown a pot roast, add broth and seasonings and pressure cook all of it, in the same pot.

3. Manual Button is your Best Friend

If you can’t seem to get a grip on all the different function or just want to make sure to enter the exact temperature and pressure values, then you will be using the manual button a lot. Not only does it give you complete control, but anytime, anywhere in the cooking process if you feel like adding in something, let’s say some more minutes, then this one button can help you accommodate it in your cooking.

4. Know the Pressure Valve

For all newbies, its absolutely mandatory to understand the pressure valve. Know where it is and how you can set it to sealing and venting. If the valve isn’t sealed properly, the pressure won’t build inside the pot. If there is no pressure, there will be no cooking. And in case you fail to turn the knob to venting mode soon, you can expect everything to just go mushy inside. Therefore, take sometime out, practice the knob a few times and save your time and recipes.

5. Knowing the Difference between Quick and Natural Release

Now as the pressure builds up and cooks your food, obviously that pressure would have to ultimately vent out from somewhere. There are two ways through which pressure exits the instant pot, and using the right one can determine the outcome of your dish.

If you are cooking something that has chances of over-cooking or turning soggy, such as vegetables or delicate sea-food, then you would use the quick release action. However, if you are cooking something that requires gradual pressure release, such as Soup or Porridge, then for ideal results (and thickness), you will use the natural release method.

And while all this seems sorted, there will be other recipes that would ask for both kinds of release. The best way to do so, is by waiting 10 minutes for the pressure to release naturally and then turning the knob all way through for quick release action.

6. The One-Cup Rule

In order to build any kind pressure, the pot requires some liquid that it will steam. The general rule of thumb for instapot cooking is, one cup of liquid. However, you can take the limit up to one and a half cup. Just be sure to not to use more liquid, else the recipe is sure to turn out bland all while taking even more time to cook. Also, thicker liquids generate lesser steam, hence when using such products adjust the liquid quantity likewise.

7. Opening the Lid

While it seems like no big deal, but as the hot steam rushes out when you open the lid, you can burn your hand very easily. Therefore, the best way to do so is by slowly tilting the lid as you open it. It acts like a guide and directs the steam away from you. In addition to this, never try to open the lid unless the pressure has been fully released. The best way to know when to open the lid is when the floating valve drops.

8. Handling Bulk Cooking

The instant pot comes in different sizes (6 qt, 8qt and more), but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the bigger the size, the more bulk of items you can cook in it. A 6-qt can cook the same amount of food as a 8-qt pot. If you wish to cook the same dish but in bulk, like rice for instance, you can easily do that by purchasing an extra stainless steel insert and using it for bulk cooking.

9. Pot-in-Pot Cooking

Of course, as far as size is concerned, the pot’s quantity does matter but here’s the good part- You can cook two different things in the same pot at the same time(pot-in-pot). Though it is a rather advanced form of cooking but all it requires is some extra equipment like the steam rack, some good how-to-cook videos and balancing the pressure such that both dishes make use of the same time and pressure. But on the whole, it can save you a lot of time.

10. Cleaning and Maintenance

Cleaning might appear like a daunting task, for the instant pot has many little and complicated components in its structure, but surprisingly it is easy. The inner steel pot can be cleansed by hand washing and by placing it in the dish washer. The lid can easily be cleaned by using nothing but water too. The external pot only needs a damp cloth to get neat and clean. And in case of odors and strict stains, vinegar and fresh lime will leave you with a stain-free, fresh pot.

However, never make use of steel wool for cleaning your instapot. An instant pot might look complex and hard to wash up, but it rarely requires any hard, in-depth cleaning.

But the biggest tip of all is to practice by cooking smaller portions of food. That ought to give you better control on the pot and more flavor-filled portions.

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How to Clean Your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Joi — Sat, 23 Dec 2017 07:25:04 +0000

Just after a few months in the market, you are sure to find almost everyone using an instant pot for cooking and why shouldn’t they! Its space-saving and multi-purpose functionalities save a lot of time and hassle. While the pots don’t give up easily, yet if they are not properly maintained then you are sure to see a change in its overall efficiency. A little different from your traditional cleaning methods, instant pots are easy to maintain and here’s how you can clean your instant pot.

Off and Cool

Before you start on, make sure your instant pot is unplugged and has cooled down. You don’t want to work with a partially heated instant pot. Once cooled, separate the lid, the inner pot and the steamer rack. It is best to get all the parts out so that you can deep clean every little part and area.

The Exterior Body

For the exterior, never immerse it in water. The exterior body is made of electronic components and cleaning with a damp cloth is your best bet. You can use the same damp cloth for cleaning the inside of the body too. For the cracks, you can use a small toothbrush to get in to those deep cracks and remove dried food debris.

The Lid

You can clean the lid by placing it the dish washer, but regular cleaning with water can do the trick as well. In case you are in deep-clean mode, remove the sealing ring, the anti-block shield, the steam-release handle and the float valve and then clean the lid. Once done, reattach the steam release handle and float valve and make sure both these work normally without any obstruction. While cleaning the lid, make sure to not to remove the steam valve. Once the anti-block shield comes off, you have access to clean it easily.

The Steam-Release and Float Valve

For the steam release handle and float valve, its best if you hand wash it with small brushes. That ought to get most of the debris, all while being gentle on the tiny equipment.

The Sealing Ring

Because the sealing ring makes sure that the pressure stays inside while cooking, it usually takes a lot of beating. Therefore, if you notice the ring to be cracked or deformed, you can always get a new one. However, if you wish to clean the one you have, soaking it in vinegar will give you the best result because it gets rid of the residual food odor.

The Interior Pot and Steam Rack

The interior pot and the steam rack both can be cleaned and washed like all other utensils, either using dishwasher or by hand washing. But despite the regular cleaning, sometimes the odor tends to stay. The most easiest way to get rid of that pesky odor and rusty stains is by soaking the lid in one cup of vinegar. After five minutes, drain out the vinegar, wash it with water, rub in some soft bristles and it will be good as new. But be careful, Never use steel wool for cleaning the inside. NEVER.

The Steam-Clean Hack

If you are in mood for a quick but neat clean-up, then here’s a quick hack. Instead of dissembling everything, take your instant pot, add in 2 cups of vinegar or 2 cups of water with cut-out lemons and run the steam program for 2 minutes. This gets rid of the odor and stains inside the internal pot and sealing ring. Be sure to let it all air-dry afterwards.

Despite how hard they tend to work, instant pots are easy to clean. It only requires some basic knowledge of dissembling and assembling and some quick tricks up your sleeve.

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Honey Soy Chicken Wings in a Instant Pot

Joi — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 11:49:13 +0000

Wings, Wings and Wings!

Who doesn’t like some savory chicken wings with the perfect honey-glazed textured skin? Once you know there are chicken wings on the menu, you are sure to get your hands dirty on this one. A Perfect match to BBQ, Dinner and even the appetizer menu, it is a must to know how to make the perfect honey wings. Presenting a simple recipe for the most juicy honey soy wings of your life, that will be prepared using Instant Pot in just 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Chicken wings- 1.5 pound
Garlic cloves- 4
Shallot- 1
Star Anise- 1 or 2 (for extra flavour)
Sliced ginger- 1 tablespoon
Honey-1 tablespoon
Cornstarch- 1.5 tablespoon
Light Soy Sauce- 2 tablespoons
Dark soy sauce- 1 tablespoon
Shaoxing Wine- 1 tablespoon
Sugar-1 teaspoon
Salt- as per taste
Oil- 1 tablespoon
Water- half cup

Directions

First step is the chicken marination. Prepare the marinade by mixing light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, salt and shaoxing wine together. Marinate the chicken wings fully in this mixture and settle it for 20 minutes.
Take your instant pot and set it to the saute function. Heat it up till it indicates “HOT”.
Add oil to your instant pot making sure the base is fully covered. Next add the marinated chicken wings one by one to the pot and brown each side for a rough 30 seconds. Make sure that all the sides are browned and don’t keep one side for long as sugar tends to burn quick. Once browned, remove the chicken wings and set aside.
With the Saute mode still selected, reduce the heat to medium and add in the shallot, star anise, ginger and garlic. Stir in for about 30 seconds to ensure that the fragments are released.
With all the heat, the bottom of the instant pot is sure to roughen up, this is where you will de-glaze it by adding in the honey-water mixture. Mix honey in 1/2 cup water and add it to the instant pot and mix well.
In this mixture, set in your chicken wings while pouring on all the leftover marinade. Close the lid of the pot and select high pressure for 5 minutes. This will pressure cook the chicken wings. After the timer goes off, turn the heat off and release the pressure naturally (which will take 10 minutes ideally).
Open the lid and taste the seasoning inside. Currently, the mixture would have a watery consistency, but it will be thickened up . If you wish for more spicy or honey glazing , add in the desired ingredient and give it a stir.
Once you are satisfied with the taste of the mixture in the pot, remove your chicken wings and set them aside. Select the saute mode again while turning the heat to medium. In a cup, mix in the cornstarch with cold water. Add the cornstarch and water mixture 1/3 at a time to the instant pot and keep on stirring as you add it. As you add it in bit by bit, you will see the mixture in the instant pot turn thicker and thicker. Keep mixing until it obtains a sauce like consistency.
Once desired result is achieved, add in the chicken wings and coat them well in the sauce. Serve while hot and top with any remaining sauce.

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Pot Roast and Potatoes in Instant Pot

Joi — Fri, 21 Jul 2017 11:44:17 +0000

The perfect Sunday’s and a hearty meal, this is what pot roast reminds us all of. The classic pot roast and potatoes is considered one of the best dishes and can take plenty of time to cook as well. After all the roast has to be perfect, the potatoes have to have the smooth texture followed by the perfect thick gravy. All of this can be a intimidating task as there exists no compromise as far as the quality of this recipe is concerned. While several versions of the recipe exist, the most quick yet delicious pot roast of your life can be made instantly in a Instant Pot.

Check out this easy recipe which would let you prepare this marvel in half the time.

Serving: 6 person

Total Preparation Time: 1 and half hour

Cooking Level: Medium

Ingredients

3 to 4 pound of boneless beef chuck eye roast- 1 (and should be trimmed)
Beef broth- 2 cups
Potatoes- 2
Salt, as per taste
Pepper, as per taste
Vegetable oil- 1 tablespoon
Yellow Onion- 1 ( fine chopped)
Tomato paste- 2 tablespoons
Dried Mushrooms- 1/2 ounce
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup water

Directions

After you dry your beef from the rinsing, it’s time to season it with sufficient salt and pepper.
Take your instant pot and select the Saute mode. This would be used for browning the beef. Add in oil and your beef piece and set the timer to 8-10 minutes. Make sure that it is browned all over. Remove once the desired result is obtained.
Using the saute function again, add in oil to your instant pot and add in chopped onions to it. Add in the tomato paste and the mushrooms and saute for 3-5 minutes, until the onions are softened. Add in the beef broth and simmer for 3 minutes until the broth is reduced a bit.
Now, put the browned beef piece on the broth and top with potatoes. Place the lid and secure your instant pot.
Select High pressure and set the timer to 90 minutes mark. Once the instant pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. After the 15 minute mark, release all the pressure following quick release.
As you remove the lid of the instant pot, be very careful. Next take your potatoes out in the serving dish followed by the browned beef, which should be covered in aluminum foil for sometime. Let it stay in the aluminum tent for 15 minutes.
While the 15 minute rest, strain your mixture broth back into the instant pot. This broth will be thickened and will make the gravy of the dish.
Select the saute mode, add in 1/4 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of water to give it the gravy consistency.
After your gravy is finished, take your beef roast out of the aluminum foil, place it in the serving dish and top on with the gravy made.

Serve while hot with some garlic bread and even rice. There you have it, the very easy yet traditional pot roast and potato gravy.

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30+ Simple and Delicious Recipes for Your Instant Pot

Joi — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:20:01 +0000

The roaring success of Instant Pot among American and Canadian households clearly signifies its importance. It tremendously reduces cooking time and cooks healthy and nutritious food for your family. The good thing about a Instant Pot is that it replaces 3 or 4 appliances from your kitchen. It’s a 7 in 1 programmable electric pressure cooker that can do a lot; can be your slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, and much more.

Seeing it’s popularity among the home cooks, we have compiled a list of some simple yet delicious instant pot recipes to help you get started with your magic pot.

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