Instant Pot Mini Monday — Iced Tea (Whole 30)

After almost 4 years of  pressure cooking, I have finally found a recipe that I wouldn’t want to make in my pressure cooker again.  Its my recipe for Italian Tomato Sauce.  I made it this morning to put over some meatballs for lunch.  The sauce wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t as good as when I do it on the stove.  I think the problem is in the pressure cooker’s steam filled environment doesn’t evaporate liquid and concentrate the flavors like cooking on the stove top.  It also doesn’t save any time doing it in the pressure cooker so I won’t be making Italian Tomato Sauce in the pressure cooker again.

On recipe I make almost daily in my pressure cooker is Dr. Urvashi Pitre’s pressure cooker ice tea. Making tea in the pressure cooker results in a super smooth tea with absolutely no bitterness.  I can and do drink this iced tea without any added sugar.  This means I have something other than water to drink on my next round of Whole 30.  I use Red Rose brand of black tea but you could use any brand you like.

Pressure Cooker Iced Tea

• Difficulty: Easy
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From Two Sleevers

4 regular tea bags

6 cups water

1/2 cup sugar (omit if Whole 30)

Place the tea bags and water into the liner. Bring to high pressure and cook for 4 minutes. you can quick or natural release. Add sugar to taste. Stir to dissolve. Serve over ice.

Instant Pot Mini Cheese Burger Soup

The calendar says it’s spring but the weather hasn’t got the message yet. It snowed all day today.  Big, thick flakes that last just long enough to remind you are absolutely sick of winter.  The snow was a good excuse to make soup in my Instant Pot mini today.

• Difficulty: Easy
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Adapted From Adventures of a Nurse

1/2 lb ground beef

1/4 cup onion, diced

1/4 cup shredded carrots

1 cup cubed potatoes

1  8 oz can tomato sauce

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cubed american cheese

Preheat the Instant pot on the saute setting.  Once hot, add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink.  Drain the grease.  Add the ground beef, onion, carrots, potatoes and chicken broth.  Lock the lid and cook on high for 20 minutes.  Quick release the pressure.  Add the milk and cheeses and stir until the cheese is melted.  Serve with a garnish of chopped dill pickle and mustard. 

 

Pressure Cooker Corned Beef And Cabbage

My counter top oven is dying.  I know they don’t last forever (this is my second one) .  I bought it for about $55 dollars about 3 or 4 years ago and I use it atleast once daily, so I know I have gotten my money’s worth from this particular kitchen item.  It’s just that they no longer make this particular brand of counter top oven any more.  I am going to have to make a a decision on a new one soon.  I know it isn’t the worst thing I could have to happen to me.  I just suck at making decisions and I hate change, especially in my kitchen.

My dying counter top oven may not be the worst thing that has ever happened to me but it is currently the most annoying thing.  I wanted to make a baked corned beef brisket today.  With my unreliable oven, I didn’t want to take the chance of ruining it. I was so bummed because today was the only day I had time to do the long, slow cook that a corned beef brisket needs to become tender.  After a good pout,  it occured to me I could make a corned beef brisket in my pressure cooker.  A quick internet search for a recipe, I found one by Gutsy By Nature.  I absolutely loved how the cook tossed out the spice packet that came with the brisket and made her own.  I also loved how the pressure cooker cut the the cooking time from over 3 hours in the oven to just over 90 minutes in the pressure cooker. The corned beef brisket was very lightly flavored (I would probably double the spices next time) and not overly salty like corned beef brisket sometimes gets.  I will always bake my corned beef brisket whenever possible but when I can’t I will use this recipe and my pressure cooker.

• Difficulty: Easy
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3-4 lb corned beef brisket

4 cups water

1 small onion

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 bay leaves

3 whole black peppercorns

1/2 tsp whole allspice berries

1 tsp dried thyme

1  1/2  lbs small potatoes

5 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 small cabbage, quartered

In a 6 quart pressure cooker, add the water, onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice berries and thyme.  Lock the lid and set the timer for 90 minutes at high pressure.  Release the pressure with a 10 minute natural release.  Remove the meat and keep warm.  Add the vegetables.  Lock the lid.  Set the time for 10 minutes at high pressure.  Release the pressure with a quick release.  Server the corned beef with the vegetables and a side of soda bread.