Navajo Tortillas

This recipe was one of the most difficult recipes I have ever adapted.  I got the original idea from a lady I worked with but she couldn’t really give me a recipe.  She made these with her grandma who taught her by the handful of this, a pinch of that method. I found exactly one recipe for Navajo tortillas on-line and it was missing the directions.  I went back to my co worker and asked a bunch of questions and went home and made several batches over the course of a couple of weeks then I just stopped.  The recipe slowly faded into the bottom of my draft pile. Which is kind of sad.  Navajo tortillas are a nice way to have a fresh bread at a meal.  If you put the dough together before you prep your meal it can be ready to bake when your dinner is in the oven or Instant Pot.

One quick note, don’t try to roll this dough out with a rolling-pin.  Pick it up in your hands and gently stretch it out as you rotate it in a circle, pressing the dough from the center out to the edges.

• Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1 TBS baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir well. Add the water to the flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to incorporate the water into the flour. When the water/flour mixture becomes too thick to stir with a spatula, not all the flour will be incorporated at this point, turn the dough and remaining flour onto a cutting board and begin to knead the dough. Keep kneading until all the flour is incorporated into the dough. Avoid adding any flour or water to the dough. It should be a soft, not sticky, dough when you are done kneading. Place dough back in the mixing bowl and cover with a clean dish towel and let sit for at least 10 minutes. When ready, heat a 8 inch pan over medium heat.  While pan is heating, divide the dough into 4 pieces.  Using your hands gently pat the dough into a round. Working the dough from the middle stretch the dough into an 6-8 inch circle. Place in the ungreased pan and cook for 2-4 minutes per side.  Flip when you see dark brown spots on the dough.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Olive You Whole’s Whole 30 BBQ Sauce

I am so excited!!!  Last night I was finally able to get back in my kitchen!! The bad news is it is so shiny and clean I don’t want to cook in it because I don’t want to mess it up.   I guess that means I will just have to keep cooking in my Instant Pot Mini.  Seriously,  the only way I have cooked in the last two weeks is in my Mini.  I always laughed at people who said the quit cooking any other way once they got their pressure cooker.  I really didn’t think you could just cook in your pressure cooker but you can.   Don’t worry, I am not going to turn this into just a pressure cooking blog.  I don’t like to limit myself that way.  It is nice to know I can cook in only the pressure cooker if I have to though.

This recipe is not a pressure cooker recipe. It is a recipe for a very yummy Whole 30 compliant BBQ sauce.  I have been looking for this since my very first Whole 30 last april.   I love that it is based on tomato paste instead of ketchup.  I keep tomato paste in my cupboard all the time.  I don’t keep ketchup, compliant or otherwise, around because I am not a fan of ketchup.

• Difficulty: Easy
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Adapted from Olive You Whole

1/3 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup pitted dates

1 TBS Dijon style mustard

1 1/2 tsp coconut aminos

1/2 tsp celery salt

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp ground clove

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.  Use where ever BBQ sauce is called for.

Instant Pot Mini Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oats

Today it finally started feeling like spring.  Who knows how long that will last?  It was a lovely 42 degrees.  I know some of you don’t think 42 degrees is lovely but here in North Dakota, 42 degrees is practically a heat wave.

Even though it is getting warmer,  I am not quite ready to give up my steel cut oats for breakfast yet, especially when my pressure cooker makes them so easy to make.

Instant Pot Mini Carrot Cake Oatmeal

• Difficulty: Easy
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Adapted From A Taste of Home

1 1/4 cup water, for the oatmeal

4 oz crushed pineapple, undrained

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/4 cup steel cut oats

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4  tsp pumpkin spice

Place the trivet in the bottom of the liner.  Add 1 cup water to the bottom of the liner.  In an oven safe bowl that fits in the line, combine the water, pineapple, carrot, steel cut oats, cranberries, cinnamon and pumpkin spice.  Place the bowl on the trivet.  Lock lid and cook on high 15 minutes.  Natural release.

 

 

Instant Pot Mini Pot Roast (Whole 30)

I don’t know how regularly I will be posting for a while.  I am in the middle of a huge spring clean.  My apartment is getting painted, carpets cleaned, new blinds on all my windows, new light fixtures and possibly new tile in my kitchen and bathroom.  My stove is currently sitting, unplugged, in the middle of my very small kitchen.  I can get to the pressure cookers on my counter but I can’t get to anything else.  Not very motivating to get in the kitchen and get cooking anything for the blog.  I will probably be living on tuna fish and sandwiches from Subway for a while.  These are two of my favorite things so that won’t be so bad.

Yesterday I found 2 beef roasts in the reduction bin at the grocery store.  I don’t usually buy beef roasts because they are way outside my budget.  These roasts were over half off so, of course, they came home with me.  I am really glad they did.  I had forgotten how much I like pot roast, potatoes and carrots.  Sometimes simple is really the best.

Instant Pot Mini Pot Roast

• Difficulty: Easy
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From Wellness Becomes Her

2-3 lb chuck roast, cut in half

2 cups baby carrots

4 medium potatoes,  cut into chunks

1 large onion, sliced

1 TBS Italian seasoning

2 tsp minced garlic

2 TBS olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups beef broth

Preheat your pressure cooker on the saute setting.  When hot, add the oil.  When the oil is hot, sear the roast on all sides,  3-4 minutes per side.  Remove the meat.   Add the onion and return the meat to the pressure cooker.  In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, garlic and broth; mix well.  Pour the broth mixture over the roast.  Lock the lid and cook on high pressure 60 minutes.  10 minute natural release.   Remove the meat.  Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot.  Lock the lid and cook on high pressure 4 minutes.  At this point you can remove the vegetables and serve the broth in the pot as is or you can dissolve 1 1/2 tablespoons of arrowroot in 3 tablespoons of the broth, until smooth.  Add back to the broth in the pot.   Using the saute function, simmer until thickened.

Small Batch Italian Seasoning Blend (Whole 30)

We are going to need this recipe for tomorrow’s recipe.

Small Batch Italian Seasoning

• Difficulty: Easy
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From Gimme Some Oven

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp marjoram

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp sage

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well.  Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.