Month: February 2018

Italian Pot Roast in the Instant Pot

I love my slow cooker, and as much as I love my Instant Pot, I believe that they cannot be 100% interchangeable when it comes to recipe outcomes. However, after forgetting to start my Italian Pot Roast yesterday morning, I decided to adapt it to the IP and see what would happen. With a couple of changes, it came out tender and delicious.

The ingredients are simple:

And it only takes about 7 minutes to throw together. While the cook time is a little longer than many IP recipes, I think trying to shorten it would result in meat that is not as tender as it should be.

The Heathens ate it over some egg noodles, and I did not have to pull together a more labor-intensive Plan-B dinner. Sounds like everyone is a winner, and sanity reigned for another day. Can’t beat that with a stick.

Italian Pot Roast

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Notes

Ingredients
  • 3-lb chuck roast
  • 2 TBS canola oil
  • 8 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
  • 1 (14-ounce) can beef broth
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 3 TBS tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 3 TBS cornstarch
Procedure
    1. Season roast with pepper on all sides. Set Instant Pot to Sauté setting and let it get hot. Add the canola oil and brown the roast on all sides (this can be a little awkward but it can be done).
    2. Remove roast from IP and set aside. Add mushrooms and onions to the IP, stirring well so they can pick up any browned bits from the bottom of the IP. Return roast to IP. Top roast with onion soup mix, beef broth and tomato paste.
    3. Place lid on IP and switch to Manual mode for 70 minutes at high pressure. When cooking is complete, let it release naturally for 5 minutes, then manually release the pressure. Skim as much fat from the top as you feasibly can.
    4. Switch IP to Sauté mode Add the tomato paste and Italian seasoning. Mix cornstarch with 3 TBS of water and add to the IP, stirring well. Let simmer 5 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Shred beef to desired texture. Serve over hot egg noodles and garnish with parsley if you are feeling fancy.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

A Couple of Finished Knits

I finished up a couple of knits, just in time to cast on my project for the Ravellenics, which is plodding along:

Pattern: Copycat C.C. Beanie (pattern available for free on Ravelry)

Yarn: Berroco Vintage in Paprika colorway

Needles: US 8

Notes/Mods: Knitted as written, and it was my first time doing a provisional cast on. Pattern is super-easy. Many people add a faux fur pompom on top, but I decided to pass on that.

Pattern: The PussyHat Project (Also free on Ravelry)

Yarn: Brown Sheep Natures Spun Worsted in Cherry Delight Colorway

Needles: US 7 and 8

Notes and Mods: I had no desire to seam a hat, so I stalked other projects on Ravelry and adapted the pattern to knit in the round with a three-needle bind off. I made the brim too long, but doubled over, it fits Bean perfectly. If I make another for myself, I’ll shorten the brim a little to ensure the hat fits as intended.

Chicken Fajita Chowder in the Instant Pot

It’s been a bad couple of weeks around here, so comfort food that is nearly effortless is definitely dominating the menu. I adapted my Chicken Fajita Chowder for the Instant Pot. It’s warm, slightly spicy, and the perfect one-pot meal. It starts by sautéing seasoned chicken, onions and garlic:

Then you just dump the remaining ingredients in the IP:

Just 10 minutes of high pressure later, and dinner is served:

 

      • Chicken Fajita Chowder

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        Prep Time 15 minutes
        Cook Time 15 minutes

        Ingredients
          

        • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
        • 1 envelope fajita seasoning
        • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed
        • 4 tbsp olive oil
        • 1 medium onion chopped
        • 3 cloves garlic minced
        • 1 15.25-ounce can Fiesta corn
        • 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
        • 1 4.5-ounce can chopped green chiles
        • 1 14.5-ounce can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
        • 3 cups chicken broth
        • 1 cup instant brown rice uncooked
        • 1 10.75-ounce can condensed nacho cheese soup
        • Garnish: sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, green onions

        Instructions
         

        • Combine flour and  2 tablespoons of the fajita seasoning in a large zip-loc bag. Add cubed chicken and give the bag a good shake to coat the chicken.
        • Set Instant Pot to Sauté setting. Add olive oil, and when hot, add the chicken to the pot. Sauté, stirring occasionally until chicken is lightly browned (Some of the flour coating will probably stick to the bottom of the IP. This is normal, and will be fixed in a minute).
        • Add onions and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Add the chicken broth to the pot and use a spoon or spatula to help deglaze the bottom of the pot (i.e scrape the bottom of the pot with your spoon to release those browned bits).
        • Add the remaining fajita seasoning, corn, black beans, stewed tomatoes, green chiles, and rice to the pot.
        • Put the lid on the IP and switch it to manual. Set timer for 10 minutes at high pressure. When the time is complete, do a quick pressure release. Stir in nacho cheese soup. Serve with desired garnishes.
        Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!