Tag: food

Greek-Style Chicken & Rice

This is another recipe from America’s Test Kitchen Mediterranean Instant Pot Cookbook. Find it here.

Before I discuss the recipe I do want to make a general comment about the Instant Pot. I’m using the 6 quart Instant Pot Duo. I love it, but it does have its quirks and learning curve. In my experience browning on high on the sauté function leads quickly to dried out ingredients so keep a close eye on it when using this function.

Also, VERY IMPORTANT, my bone-in chicken breasts were absolutely not cooked in 4 minutes as stated in their recipe. I have two instant pot inner bowls so when I realized the chicken was not adequately cooked (at the end of their recommended process) I took it out and placed another two cups of broth in my second bowl, used the rack that comes with the Instant Pot, nestled my still raw breasts on it, and cooked the chicken on high pressure for 20 minutes. I manually released the pressure and then proceeded with their step 4.

So, as I see it, you have a couple of options to avoid my same dilemna. (1) You could just cook everything for 20 minutes instead of the four they recommend, but I suspect this will lead to mealy/gluey rice, as opposed to the fluffy result we all like. Or (2) when you’re sautéing the chicken breasts, cook them for longer, so they’re almost completely cooked through as opposed to just browning them. You may just have to sauté them on normal heat instead of the high heat they recommend in order to avoid drying out the chicken. I’m definitely taking this route the next time around.

Otherwise you could just cook the rice separately, but I think you’ll lose out on flavor. You could also use chicken cutlets, which are generally much thinner but then you’d have to add additional oil or butter when sautéing the other ingredients to compensate for the lack of chicken fat from the skin.

Normally, when a recipe that should be a one-pot quick and easy fails at a critical point, I write it off. But it really tastes fantastic, which is why I’m determined to make it work.

It’s comforting yet light and best of all relatively healthy. I say relatively because in my house hypertension threatens on the horizon so I’m very cognizant of sodium levels, which is why I’m always on the lookout for tasty recipes that rely on spices rather than salt for flavor. For this recipe I reduced the salt to 1/2 tsp and it was perfect.

I’ve included the recipe below (with my slight modifications).

Ingredients:

  • 2 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed
  • ½ teaspoon table salt, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 2 celery ribs, minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 and ½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 3 bay leaves
  • ¾ cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 4 teaspoons capers, rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Preparation

  1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Using highest sauté function, heat oil in Instant Pot for 5 minutes (or until just smoking). Place chicken skin side down in pot and cook until well browned on 1 side, about 5 minutes; transfer to plate.
  2. Add onion, celery, and remaining ¼ tsp salt to fat left in pot and cook, using highest sauté function, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, rice, and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle chicken skin side up into rice and add any accumulated juices. Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 4 minutes. Please see my note above. This will most likely not be adequate cooking time.
  3. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you. Transfer chicken to cutting board and discard skin, if desired. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest while finishing rice.
  4. Discard bay leaves. Add peas and capers and gently fluff rice with fork to combine. Lay clean dish towel over pot, replace lid, and let sit for 5 minutes. Gently fold in oregano. Carve chicken from bones and slice ½ inch thick.
  5. Serve with rice and Lemon-Yogurt Sauce. 

Lemon-Yogurt Sauce

  • 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest plus 2 tbsp juice
  • 1 garlic clove minced

Whisk all ingredients together in bowl and season with salt & pepper to taste. Cover & refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Turkey Meatloaf

I served mine with roasted asparagus & baked potato. Delicious!

I’d been on the hunt for a turkey meatloaf recipe for years. We eat a lot of organic ground turkey since it’s lower in saturated fat than beef and has less calories to boot! But the problem with turkey is it dries out easily and can be bland unless seasoned properly (and by that I don’t mean add loads of salt). In my own experiments I found chili powder to be an excellent complement for turkey, but still I was looking for something more interesting. I finally found it in a recipe by Aysegul Sanford from Foolproof Living.

The recipe is easy to follow, but it does take a bit of time. If, like me, you use a loaf pan, it will take closer to an hour to bake in the oven as opposed to the 30-35 minutes the recipe indicates.

turkey-meatloaf-recipe-foolproof-living-1Download

Mango Smoothie

I’ve always loved smoothies and recently rediscovered them as a lunch or breakfast alternative. This is one of my snack combos and the key is definitely ripe fruit.

  • 1/2 ripe mango
  • 1/2 ripe banana
  • 1 cup OJ
  • Optional: Anti-Inflammatory Blender Bomb or 1 tsp minced fresh ginger

Throw ingredients in blender and blend!

Anti-Inflamatory Blender bomb

Mango Salsa

Mangos are in season in South Florida and everyone I know with a tree in their yard has sent me some!

This is a simple recipe and works best with ripe mangos of mostly any type. Just chop or dice ingredients and combine. Delicious!

  • 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
  • 1/4 red bell pepper
  • 1/4 red onion
  • fresh jalapeno to taste
  • 2 tsp fresh cilantro
  • lime juice from small fresh lime to taste
  • Dash of salt

*A note about jalapenos: their spice level varies greatly so it’s hard to say with specificity how much you should use and, of course, it depends on your tolerance for heat in your food. I’ve found the larger the size of the jalapeno, the milder it tends to be. If it’s spicy I’d use 1/4 of the jalapeno, when it’s mild I use an entire one.

If you want to make a bigger batch, use 3 mangos, 1 red onion, 1 red pepper, 1 jalapeno, 1 tbsp cilantro, juice of one lime, and 3/4 tsp salt.

Potato Salad

I love potatoes in all their infinite variety, but it’s been hard to perfect a potato salad recipe, although I think I finally hit the jackpot.

My issue with potato salad is it’s often WAY too “mayonnaisey” or the potatoes are overcooked and the salad actually turns into more of a mash. So the two keys to this recipe are less mayonnaise and precise cooking of the potatoes.

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs potatoes (I prefer Yukon Gold but Idaho or even regular yellow will work)
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sweet relish (or hot if you’re more daring)
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard (Dijon works too)
  • 1 tsp onion powder (or granulated)
  • 6 hardboiled eggs (peeled & diced small)
  • 2 celery stocks (minced)
  • Sweet paprika for garnish (or hot if you’re still daring)

Preparation:

  • Peel and cut your potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Set them in a large pot and cover with cold water by an inch. Add a 1/2 tablespoon salt. Cook over high-heat until just fork-tender @ 15-20 minutes. The potatoes should be easily forked but NOT break open upon piercing. Drain potatoes and set aside to cool.
  • Mix mayonnaise, relish, mustard, celery and onion powder in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Add potatoes and eggs and stir gently. (Wait until they’re completely cool to the touch to avoid degradation.) Season with salt and pepper to taste and then add paprika for garnish.
  • Chill for at least two hours. Serve cold. Store in airtight container in the fridge if you have leftovers. They’ll keep for 3-4 days.

Chicken Tagine

Chicken Tagine from the Mediterranean Instant Pot Cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen.

Anyone who knows me knows I love my Instant Pot and my new favorite cookbook is the Mediterranean Instant Pot from America’s Test Kitchen. This recipe was straightforward and easy to follow (and delicious!), but I still found it benefitted from some adapting.

I would cook the thighs for 30 minutes, not 10 as the recipe directs and boneless, skinless thighs would work just as well. The beauty of the instant pot, at least when you’re cooking with any type of broth, is that your meat always retains its moisture. Also, don’t worry about needing a potato masher to mash the chick peas, a fork will do just as well.

For my adapted recipe, download the file below.

chicken-tagineDownload

Jasmine White Rice

Everyone always raves about my rice. I make it on the stove and maybe that’s the difference.

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 cups Jasmine rice, a tsp of extra-virgin olive oil, and salt to taste. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and let sit for 5 minutes (covered) before serving. Variation: sometimes I throw in 1/2 an onion (peeled but not chopped) during the cooking time, then discard it before serving.

Breakfast Egg Muffins

I love being able to just grab my meals and go, especially breakfast. It makes it easier to eat healthier and avoids me having to think before my coffee!

I first tried breakfast egg muffins years ago, but rediscovered them recently and one of the things I love about them the most is you can alter the ingredients depending on what you have in your fridge.

My Recipe (serves 6):

  • 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or butter)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 oz half & half
  • 1/4 cup diced ham
  • 1 oz shredded sharp cheddar
  • 1/4 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4 onion, diced
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions: Sauté onion and pepper for 3-5 minutes in 1/2 tbsp EVOO or butter. Once onions are translucent and pepper has released it’s moisture, add spinach and sauté a couple of more minutes until wilted. Wisk eggs in mixing bowl with half & half, then add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Pour into 6 silicone muffin liners nestled in a non stick muffin pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350o degrees for 25 minutes.

With the ingredients listed above each muffin has @ 75 calories & 5 grams of fat, but that will depend on the specific ingredients used.

The possible variations are endless. I’ve made them with leeks, scallions or shallots instead of onion. I’ve used pancetta and mozzarella and I’ve also eliminated the meat and gone vegetarian. Any shredded cheese works as does kale instead of spinach. You can also double the recipe. Just remember to refrigerate and they’ll keep for about a week. My preferred method of reheating is 5 minutes at 325 degrees in my toaster oven, but you can nuke it as well.

Cuban Inspired Turkey Picadillo

I grew up eating Cuban food but as my palate evolved I wanted the food I loved but healthier. So over time I experimented and adjusted and this is one of my tried and true staples.

Picadillo is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries with endless variations but its base is always some type of ground meat and tomato. The Cuban version often includes raisins and olives and is made with ground beef or sometimes a combination of beef and pork.

My Recipe (serves 4):

  • 1-1.5lbs 93% fat free ground turkey
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 chopped (or minced) onion
  • 1 chopped (or minced) red bell pepper
  • 3-5 minced garlic cloves (depending on size & your love of garlic)
  • 4 oz tomato sauce (preferably no salt added)
  • 3/4 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 2 tbsp wine (I use Cavit Pino Grigio but any dry white or cooking wine will do)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • liberal sprinkling of fresh ground black pepper

Variations: If you like raisins and/or olives you can add chopped 1/4 cup of either or both along with the rest of the ingredients.

Directions: Brown turkey over medium heat in 1 tbsp EVOO, then add onions and red peppers and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine well, reduce heat to low and cook covered for 20 minutes, stirring one or twice.

My version has approximately 230 calories, 390 mgs sodium, and 11 grams of fat per serving. This will all depend on the brands you use in your recipe and whether you use any additional ingredients.

If you want the full Cuban meal experience, serve it with white rice, baked plantains (I use the frozen ones), and an avocado salad.

You can also use picadillo as the filling in Mexican style burritos or tacos, or American sloppy joes, or in a myriad of baked or fried turnover dishes (empanadas) common in Spanish, Southern European, Latin American, and Iberian influenced cultures around the world.

turkey-picadilloDownload

Banana Baked Oatmeal

I found this recipe online and it’s one of my new favorite breakfast items. You can heat it and serve with endless variations or take it cold on the go.

I use 3 bananas (as ripe as I can find them) as opposed to just 3/4 cups mashed and the moistness really holds up even after storing in the fridge and reheating. You can use any milk or milk substitute but I am partial to vanilla soy milk. I usually eat it with 1 tbsp of cashew butter and sliced bananas but really it’s fantastic even plain or can be paired with your preferred spreads or fruits or even chocolate!