Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken

I found this recipe in the May 2019 issue of Food Network Magazine and MAN is it good.  No leftovers so next time I will double the recipe.  I served it with rice AND naan on the side (so people could choose - both were great) and then a chopped salad with a citrus dressing.  Yumminess to the 10th degree!!!!

INSTANT POT INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN

1.5 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 3), cut into 1" chunks
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 15 oz. can tomato puree (about 1.5 cups)
1.5 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
chopped fresh cilantro for topping
Naan or rice, for serving

1.  Toss the chicken with 1.5 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl.  Set aside at room temperature.  stir the garlic, ginger, garam masala, paprika, cumin, turmeric and cayenne with 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl.

2.  Set an Instant Pot to saute on high.  When the pot registers hot, add 2 Tbsp. butter and let melt.  Add the spice mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and sticking to the bottom of the pot, 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomato puree, sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt, scraping up the bottom of the pot.  Turn off the pot.

3.  Add the chicken to the pot; stir to coat.  put on and lock the lid, make sure the steam valve is in the sealing position.  Set the pot to pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.  When the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then carefully turn the steam valve to the venting position to manually release the remaining pressure.  Turn off the pot and remove the lid.

4.  Stir the remaining 4 Tbsp. butter and the heavy cream into the pot, season with salt and pepper.  Divide the chicken and sauce among the bowls.  Top with cilantro and serve with naan or rice.

Serves 4

The "BEST Chicken Marinade"

I found this on Facebook I think and it is really SO good!  I've used it with both chicken thighs and chicken breasts and they are equally good!!  The original recipe was from momontimeout.com

THE BEST CHICKEN MARINADE

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/8 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup brown sugar (I dropped this to just less than 1/2 because that is a LOT of sugar)
2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 Tbsp. Dijon or spicy brown mustard
2 tsp. salt (can decrease)
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
6 chicken breasts or 3.5 lbs. of chicken parts

Combine all ingredients except for chicken in a large bowl or measuring cup and whisk together.

Marinate chicken for 4-24 hours in the marinade or combine the chicken and marinade in a plastic freezer container or baggie and freeze for up to 2 months.  Grill or bake chicken until done.

Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad

This is another recipe I found on Facebook and it is SO good!  A great salad for summer that could easily be a meal in itself but we had it with some yummy grilled chicken and a green salad the first time we tried it.  

GREEK TORTELLINI PASTA SALAD

1 lb. cheese tortellini pasta (either fresh or dried, cooked according to package directions)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 red onion, diced

1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

DRESSING

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)

black pepper to taste

juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar, cover and shake well.

In a large bowl, combine tortellini, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, olives, feta cheese and basil.  Pour dressing over the top, then toss to combine.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry

I found this recipe on Facebook but it comes from iwashyoudry.com.  It is really good, has a few ingredients, is easy to prep ahead of time so all in all, it is a fantastic meal for when you don't have a lot of time!  Perfect for after work or after a busy day!

Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry

1 lb. raw shrimp, thawed, peeled and tails removed

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. minced ginger

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-3" pieces

1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

1/2 onion, sliced

cooked rice, if desired

Place the cleaned shrimp in a bowl and set aside.  Combine the honey, soy sauce, garlic and ginger in a small bowl and pour half over the shrimp (reserve the other half for later), stir the shrimp to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp. oil.  Once melted, adding the asparagus, bell pepper and onion, and saute until crisp-tender and slightly charred, about 4 minutes.  Remove from skillet to a plate to keep warm.

Add the remaining Tbsp. of oil to the skillet and add the shrimp (discard any used marinade).  Cook shrimp about 1 minute per side, or until caramelized and cooked through.  Quickly add the veggies and reserved sauce to the skillet and heat through.  Serve over rice if desired.

"16 Bean" Pasta E Fagioli

I found this recipe in Food Network's magazine in March and had it in my folder to try.  I decided with the colder weather, a nice pot of soup in the crockpot would be great to come home to after church so I tried this one.  DEFINITELY a keeper!  Very flavorful and pretty easy to put together!  The modifications I made was to do the quick soak for beans (put in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, turn off heat and let sit for 1 hour then drain and rinse), mashed the 1/3 of the beans with a potato masher and only got up to cooking the onions and pancetta then adding in the garlic and red pepper flakes and then stored that in the fridge.  I also cooked the pasta separately so I could dump that in when I got home so it wouldn't be soggy or soak up too much broth.  On Sunday morning, I added the beans, pancetta, garlic and red onion mixture to the crockpot, added the tomatoes, wine and chicken stock and then left it on low while we were gone (5 hours).  When I got home, I added just the pasta and the vinegar and left the cheese for adding at the table since one of the girls can't have dairy.  I also forgot the basil leaves but that was OK!  :)  It made a nice amount and the kids will be taking some in thermoses for lunch tomorrow!  This is absolutely going into the rotation!

“16 BEAN” PASTA E FAGIOLI

Food Network Magazine March 2017

1 (1 lb.) bag Goya 16 Bean Soup Mix

2 Tbsp. good olive oil plus extra for serving

6 oz. pancetta, 1/4” diced

1 large onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. minced garlic (3 cloves)

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

1 cup dry red wine

4-6 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup miniature pasta, such as dilating or tubettini

1/2 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

1 Tbsp. good red wine vinegar

Julienned fresh basil leaves for serving

The day before you plan to make the souop, place the bean mix in a large bowl, add cold water to cover by 2 inches and refrigerate overnight.  The next day, drain the beans, rinse under cold running water and drain again.  Place the beans in a large pot with 8 cups cold water.  Bring to a boil; lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour.  Stir occasionally and skim off any foam that rises to the top.  The beans should be very tender and the skin will peel away when you blow on a bean.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium (10”) stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the pancetta and onion and saute over medium to medium-high heat for 12-18 minutes, until browned.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for one minute.  Add the tomatoes, wine, 4 cups of the chicken stock, 1 Tbsp. salt and 1 tsp. black pepper and turn off the heat.

Drain the beans and add two-thirds of them to the soup.  Pass the remaining beans through a food mill, discarding the skins.  Stir the bean puree and the pasta into the soup, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.  Add up to 2 more cups chicken stock if the soup is too thick.  Stir in the Parmesan and the vinegar.  Ladle the soup into large shallow bowls and add a swirl of olive oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan and some basil.  Serve hot with extra Parmesan on the side.  

Beef Bourguignon

I found this recipe 3 years ago in the Rachel Ray magazine (Oct. 2014) and held on to the page in a file and finally found it again as I was decluttering.  Since it was getting chilly, I figured I'd try it out and I was so glad I did!  Definite keeper according to the family!  What a wonderful, hearty stew for the fall and winter!

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

4 slices bacon, chopped

2 lbs. beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1.5” cubes

4 cups white mushrooms, quartered

1.5 lbs. carrots, peeled and chopped into large 1/2” pieces

2 large onions, chopped

4 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 Tbsp. butter 

4 Tbsp. flour

2 cups beef stock

1.5 cups dry red wine

4 Tbsp. fresh thyme

In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-high until crisp, 4 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl.  Season the beef with salt and pepper and add it to the pot in a single layer.  Cook, stirring, until browned all over, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occoasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the cooked meat, carrots, onion, tomato paste and butter.  Season and cook, stirring 1 minute.  Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.  Stir in the stock, wine and 2 Tbsp. thyme; bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens, about 1.5 hours.

Stir in the cooked bacon; season.  Divide among bowls, garnish with the remaining thyme.  

*Serve with a nice crusty bread and a salad.

Quick and Easy Chicken Chow Mein

I got this recipe YEARS ago from a Pillsbury cookbook.  It is easy to make and tastes pretty much like regular Chow Mein!  

Quick and Easy Chicken Chow Mein

2 cups uncooked regular long grain white rice

4 cups water

3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

1 1/2 cups sliced celery

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (8 oz) pkg (3 cups) sliced fresh mushrooms

1 (14.5 oz.) can ready to serve fat free chicken broth

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 (2 oz.) jar diced pimientos, drained

8 oz. fresh bean sprouts, rinsed

1/3 cup cold water

1-2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Crunchy Chinese noodles to serve

Cook rice in water as directed on package.

Meanwhile, in large non-stick skillet, combine chicken, celery, onion, mushrooms, broth, soy sauce and pimientos.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  

Stir in bean sprouts.  In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup water and cornstarch, blend until smooth.  Over medium-high heat, gradually add cornstarch mixture to chicken mixture, stirring constantly until thickened.  Serve over rice and sprinkle with crunchy noodles as desired.