Instant Pot – Page 3 – The Food Wife

Whatâ€™s Cooking?

21st May 201923rd May 2019
by thefoodwife

If youâ€™re looking for some culinary inspiration hereâ€™s a round up of some of the recipes from The Food Wife that weâ€™re having this week.

Pizza, The Food Husbandâ€™s favourite, has been off the menu for a while as he’s eliminating gluten from his diet, but I made up a batch of sourdough pizza bases with the addition of two teaspoons each of garlic powder and dried oregano to the dough. I had a go at a potato base for a gluten-free version, which was a big hit (think giant gnocchi base). Watch this space for the recipe as I try to recreate it next time pizza is on the menu.Â Â

Weâ€™re still working our way through the jars of wild garlic pesto I made recently, and tomorrow weâ€™ll be enjoying it simply with pasta and green beans for a light and summery meal.Â Â Iâ€™ll also be adding it as a topping to a salmon fillet before roasting it in the oven another evening this week.

The Food Baby has not been forgotten either. Still in the quest to smuggle more vegetables into his diet (he can spot a pea from the other side of the room) Iâ€™ve batch-cooked a tomato and carrot pasta sauce and a three bean chilli along with a double batch of cheese and vegetable scones for the freezer. This time using grated parsnip, carrot and broccoli along with chopped spinach and sundried tomatoes, he devours them without the knowledge that Iâ€™m getting sneaky veg inside him!

And finally if, like me, you love rhubarb, then youâ€™ll be loving the abundance of it at the moment. Why not give my rhubarb crumble traybake a go, or if you can wait a while, have a go at my rhubarb gin. Itâ€™s worth the wait!

(Instant Pot) Sausage and Pasta Casserole

28th January 201928th January 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 2 (+)

A perfect weeknight family meal, this sausage casserole is a one pot, Instant Pot, quick and easy satisfying meal that can be easily scaled up. The only things you scale up here are the sausages (2 per person), the carrot (1 per person), the pasta (75-100g per person) and the cups of water (1 per person). It requires about five or so minutes of work, and the Instant Pot does the rest. Itâ€™ll be on the table in no time.

N.b. If you do not have an Instant Pot, guidelines of how to cook this on the hob are included at the end.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil
1 red onion, large dice
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 pepper, deseeded, large dice
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm thick slices
4 sausages, cut in half (vegetarian/gluten-free if required)
150g-200g dried pasta (gluten-free if required)
500g passata
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (vegetarian/gluten-free if required, or simply leave out)
Pinch of sugar
Ground black pepper
Pinch of salt
2 (Instant Pot) cups of water (320ml)

Step 1: Using sautÃ© mode, add the oil and onion to the Instant Pot and sautÃ© for a couple of minutes.

Step 2: Add the garlic and pepper and stir, followed by the carrots and sausages.

Step 3: Lightly brown the sausages for a couple more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Add the wet ingredients, salt, pepper, sugar and pasta. Stir.

Step 5: Close the lid and set the valve to sealing. Manually set the Instant Pot to high pressure for half the cooking time detailed on the pasta packet. It should be around four or five minutes.

Step 6: Once the Instant Pot has finished, carefully, using a tea towel and handle of a wooden spoon, turn the valve to venting to do quick release. Check seasoning and serve!

If you are not making this in the Instant Pot you can make this on the hob; cook the pasta separately, following the packet instructions. Make the sauce (without the water) in a pan on a medium heat, following steps 1-3, then cook for about twenty minutes on a low simmer. Stir through the cooked pasta and serve.

Instant Pot Mexican Rice Bowl

22nd January 201922nd January 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-4

The Instant Pot is excellent for one-pot meals, especially as you can sautÃ© ingredients first without using multiple pieces of equipment. This is just such a dish, it is quick to prepare and can be as easy (or as (moderately) complicated!) as you like; you can use homemade or shop bought spice mixes, omit any toppings or have all the toppings.

It is gluten free, and if you are including the chicken, itâ€™s a good way to use up leftovers from a roast and make a completely different second meal. However it can also be a vegan meal (just donâ€™t include any meat and keep the toppings vegan friendly). If you’re not including any meat then using beans is a good alternative protein. If you are using meat, then itâ€™s a good way to bulk the meal out to serve more people.

N.B. It is important to keep the rice on the top of the contents in the Instant Pot to avoid it catching or burning.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp Oil
1 red onion, medium dice
1 pepper, medium dice
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 portion of fajita spice mix (or a shop bought sachet)
130g sweetcorn (tinned or frozen)
Optional: 1 tin of (kidney) beans, drained
150g basmati or long grain rice (approx. 1 Instant Pot cup)
320ml water (2 Instant Pot cups)
Optional: 2 raw chicken breasts or 250g cooked shredded chicken
Optional toppings:
Sliced spring onions
Grated/crumbled cheese
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomato
Sour cream
Avocado/guacamole
Sliced jalapeÃ±os
Lime wedges

Step 1: Set your Instant Pot to sautÃ© and add the oil along with the onion and pepper. Cook for a few of minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Step 2: Add the tinned tomatoes and spice mix. Stir well. Sprinkle in the sweet corn and beans (if using). If you are using raw chicken breasts, place in the pot now.

Step 3: Add the water and rice (sprinkle evenly around the pot).

Step 4: Switch off sautÃ© mode and place the lid on and ensure be valve is set to sealing. Manually set on high pressure for 10 minutes.

Step 5: When complete, carefully release the pressure using a wooden spoon and a tea towel.

Step 6: If you have cooked the chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, shred these now. If you are using ready-cooked/left over chicken, stir through the rice now. Replace the lid and leave for a couple of minutes to heat through.

Step 7: Serve each portion in bowls with a selection of toppings of your choice.

(Instant Pot) Vegetable Pasta Bake

26th September 201826th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 2

Iâ€™ve called this an Instant Pot pasta bake, but steps 1-3 can always be done on the hob over a medium heat. Simply make the sauce separately to the pasta (omit the 160ml of water and large pinch of salt from the sauce) and once you have boiled the pasta in salted water (following the cooking guidelines on the packet), stir through and then continue with step 4.

Iâ€™m a big fan of cooking pasta in the Instant Pot though. I love being able to cook the pasta in the sauce which helps swell the pasta with all its deliciousness. It also means Iâ€™ve used only one dish; saves on the washing up!

I included roasted butternut squash in this but it isnâ€™t obligatory. I had peeled and diced (into 1cm cubes) a whole butternut squash, tossed in four cloves of crushed garlic and a tablespoon of rapeseed oil and roasted it at 200c for 35-40 minutes. I was saving half for a pasta salad and used half here.

You could leave out the â€˜bakeâ€™ element all together and simple have this as a vegetable pasta dish. Leave out the cheese topping and this is vegan. If you are making this gluten-free you will need to use a suitable pasta.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
2 red onions, peeled, halved and sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped into half-inch pieces
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
10 basil leaves, torn
150g pasta (gluten-free if required)
500g passata
160ml water
Large pinch of salt
150g frozen peas
1/2 butternut squash, roasted (see above) (optional)
50g grated cheese (optional – leave out or use a suitable replacement if making this dairy-free or vegan)

Step 1: Set the Instant Pot to sautÃ© mode and add the oil and sliced onions. Cook the onions for five minutes until softened, stirring frequently.

Step 2: Add the diced pepper and continue to cook for another five minutes.

Step 3: Add the vinegar, salt, passata and water, along with the torn basil and pasta. Stir well and then replace the lid, ensure the valve is set to sealing and programme it manually to cook on high pressure for four minutes. Once cooked, manually depress by opening the valve with a tea towel and wooden spoon.

Step 4: Stir in the frozen peas, and roasted squash (if using), season to taste and then transfer all of the pasta into an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle over the grated cheese (if using) and put in a preheated oven (180c) for twenty minutes until the cheese is golden.

Ox Cheek RagÃ¹

31st August 201831st August 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 14

This is such a simple dish with few ingredients that really makes an impact. It is excellent for batch cooking and the good news is that a little goes a long way so this feeds a lot of people. My recipe here is for the Instant Pot but it can be slow cooked on the hob or in the oven (see my notes at the end).

I am a huge fan of ox cheek. It is relatively cheap but has the most wonderful flavour and texture. It has to be cooked for a long time but using the pressure cooker means it is done in a fraction of the time.

You want a good Italian red wine for this dish and I absolutely adore Montepulciano Dâ€™Abruzzo. Lidl do one that’s exceptional value for the quality at Â£3.99. This recipe uses half a bottle which means thereâ€™s enough for a glass or two for the cook!

This has become a favourite dish in our household and is often on the menu, most recently as part of an Italian-themed dinner party.

Serve with a pasta of your choice and some freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
3-4 celery stalks, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
2 ox cheeks, cut in to large pieces (about 2 inches)
500g passata
375ml Montepulciano Dâ€™Abruzzo (Italian red wine)
Salt and pepper

Step 1: Set the Instant Pot to sautÃ© mode. When hot, add the oil, celery and onion, and stir frequently for five minutes.

Step 2: Add the garlic and ox cheek pieces. Stir frequently for a couple of minutes until the cheeks are browned slightly.

Step 3: Add the rosemary, passata, wine and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Stir.

Step 5: Select manual, high pressure and set for 35 minutes. Allow it to depress naturally.

Step 6: Remove the lid and take out the cheek pieces and shred with a fork.

Step 7: Return the shredded meat to the pot, leave the lid off and set back on sautÃ© and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, and season to taste.

This is wonderfully rich and a little goes a long way. An Instant Pot ladleful per person (or three or four tablespoons of the sauce) stirred into freshly cooked pasta should do it. I portion this up and freeze for a quick and very satisfying meal.

If you are not using the Instant Pot, it is possible to achieve the same results in the oven or on the hob. Steps 1-3 should be done in a casserole dish on the hob, replace steps 4 and 5 with cooking on a low heat (lid on) either on the hob or oven (150c) for three to four hours. Step 6 remains as is whilst step 7 should be done on the hob, with the lid off.