Garden Fresh Salsa

So this is the first year with my new greenhouse and I tried to be very strategic with my planting and the tomatoes and green peppers have been LOVING it! It’s been a delayed year for ripening, but they are starting to come on heavy now. I’m trying to get creative in what I use the produce for because we don’t need to end up with 30 pasta sauces again. I’m trying different types of tomato sauce, Indian sauce and now fresh salsa! Thanks to the USU Extension Facebook posts I learned that there is actually only one salsa recipe that is approved for canning because the balance of acidity is ideal to avoid botulism. That is too much pressure for me (plus I don’t know how to can produce) so I am going to stick with fresh salsa that will keep in the fridge for about 10 days.

I actually had some Serrano and Jalepeno peppers that were going red so I used them to make a batch that was on the hotter side. But you can always control the heat of your salsa by cleaning out the peppers before adding them. Remember, it’s not the seeds that hold the heat, but it’s the pith (the part that the seeds are attached too) that holds the spicy compound.

I used a combination of Roma and Bushsteak tomatoes, so you can use whatever looks good in the garden or in the store. I used a very long thin knife to scrape out all the juicy seed parts of the tomatoes and just used the fleshy parts so that the salsa wasn’t too watery. One of the great things about salsa is how customizable it is to taste! Don’t like spicy? Clean out or omit the hot peppers. Don’t like cilantro? Leave it out. Like different kinds of peppers? Add them! Want bolder flavors? Add more spices or roast some of the veggies.

So here is what I did! This made about 4 cups of salsa.

Ingredients:

• 5-6 Medium Tomatoes, quartered and de-seeded
• 1 Medium Red Onion, cut into large chunks
• 1 Medium Yellow Onion, cut into large chunks
• 1 Large Green Pepper, quartered
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• 2-3 Medium Jalepenos, halved and seeds and pith cleaned out for less heat
• 1 Serrano Pepper, halved and seeds and pith cleaned out for less heat
• 1/3 of a Bunch Fresh Cilantro (about 1 cup)
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1/2-1 tsp Sugar
• 1-2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika

In a food processor add the onions, peppers, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. Pulse to chop a few times. Add the tomatoes and seasoning. Pulse a few more times to get the consistency you like. I prefer a fine chop, but not pureed. Do a taste test and add more seasoning to taste. 

Let the salsa chill in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors mingle and develop. 

Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days. 

Cheesy Guacamole Chicken

 

This idea has been adapted from one of the very few recipes I’ve ever really looked at from Facebook. Sure I’ll watch the videos and like the pictures of food, but I usually only look at recipes from Pinterest. I ended up changing a lot of the recipe to fit my own tastes, but the general concept is still there. This one definitely caught my attention because I hadn’t made guacamole of my own yet. Shocking right?!? Well up until last year we didn’t really eat avocados, not sure why we thought they were so gross and just couldn’t even bear to think of eating it! Well I started ordering sandwiches occasionally the would include avocado and I didn’t mind it so much, it took Levi quite awhile to give it a go. Last year we had Super Bowl Nachos with my parents and I convinced Levi to try some Mom’s Famous Shitty  Guacamole, it wasn’t long after that we started making our own sandwiches, fajitas and tacos all topped with avocado! 

Now I know that I really heap it on in this recipe, and you don’t have to make quite as much, but it is just so amazing when you pair it with the crispy bacon and melty cheese. The chicken presented a different challenge because I find that just seasoning the outside of meat and then frying it tends to burn the seasoning and just ends up being unpleasant. So I devised the most amazing way to cook and flavor the chicken. I season it with salt and pepper and then sear it on both sides. Then I use a packet of taco seasoning and water to make a sauce that I use to simmer the chicken until it’s done. Yum! I even drizzled some of the taco sauce over the salsa rice and it was amazing!!!

Ingredients:

• 3 Strips Thick Cut Bacon
• 2 Medium Chicken Breasts
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 packet Taco Seasoning
• 1 Cup Water
• 2 Avocados
• 1/4 Cup Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Clove Garlic, finely minced
• 1 Tbsp Lime Juice
• 1 tsp Cumin 
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese (I like Tillamook brand)

Prepare the guacamole by removing the peel and pit from each avocado and place in a bowl. Add the onions, garlic, lime juice, cumin and a pinch of salt. Mash everything together with a fork until avocado is creamy with minimal lumps.

Cut bacon strips in half, in a medium skillet (with a lid available) cook the bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and place on a plate with a paper towel while you cook the chicken. 

Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Place in the skillet with the bacon fat (or cooking oil) over medium temperature and sear on both sides for 4 minutes each. Carefully add water into the skillet and mix in the taco seasoning. Reduce heat to low and cover for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken every couple minutes spooning some sauce over them each time. 

Once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees the taco sauce should be relatively thick. Spoon sauce over each chicken and spoon half the guac over each chicken breast. Top with 3 bacon pieces each and then 1/2 the cheese. Place the lid back on the pan for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is nice and melted. 

Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!!!!

Adapted from the recipe found at thatlowcarblife.com

Roasted Garlic Corned Beef & Cabbage

 

Here we are once again…..testing out recipes so you can have the most delicious St. Patrick’s Day feast! Since I’ve already tried out a Slow Cooker Version, Irish Beer Corned Beef and Cabbage Crockpot Dinner. And an Instant Pot Version, Instant Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage in Irish Beer. It was time to try it on the stove top. This time I also tried out a new flavor profile as well! I roasted some garlic in olive oil at 425 for 35 minutes and mixed it with mustard and rubbed it onto the meat. Yum!! And I also switched out the usual beer for some Guinness. This added some more really rich flavors. This year I also tried out an Irish Soda Bread and it didn’t bake all the way and weighed a million pounds. I’ll have to work on perfecting it before I share, or maybe I’ll try out the recipe my mom makes every year. It’s pretty cute when she shapes it like a four leaf clover. 

Did you know that Corned Beef and Cabbage is an Irish American dish and will not commonly be found in Ireland? Although Corned Beef was was a big export for Ireland, they would eat Bacon and Cabbage dishes or stews for St. Patrick’s Day. So there is a little fun fact for you!

Alright…let’s get cooking!

Ingredients:

• 2 lb Corned Beef Flat Cut with seasoning packet
• 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 4 Cloves of Roasted Garlic
• 4 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, quartered
• 1 Yellow Onion, Quartered
• 4 Carrots, halved
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 Bottles Guinness Beer, or Beef Broth
• 1/2 Cabbage, quartered
• Salt and Pepper
• Horseradish

In a small dish mash together the roasted garlic and mustard. Remove the Corned Beef from the package and rinse and pat dry. Rub the garlic mix over the roast. Place in a large pot, pour in the beer, add the seasoning from the packet, and bay leaves. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer cover and cook for 2 hours. 

Add the carrots, potatoes and onions. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot and place in a shallow dish with 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Cover with tin foil and let it rest while you finish. 

Add the cabbage to the pot, cover and cook for another 15 minutes. Place the Corned Beef on a cutting board and thinly slice against the grain. Remove the veggies from the cooking liquid to a serving dish and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with horseradish for dipping. 

Charcuterie Board

For my birthday every year we do some kind of special dinner with my parents. We either go out to eat, do surf and turf, or make something fancy! This past birthday we decided to do something completely different that was really fun and felt very decadent…..a charcuterie  board!

Charcuterie boards have been quite a trend lately and I can definitely see why. You can feed a crowd who all have differing taste and adventurous spirits! If there are a few you can go from ham and turkey all the way to prosciutto, pate and capicola. It’s a great opportunity to find your next perfect snack combinations. Mine is now Garlic Parmesan Pretzel Crisps, Capicola and dill Havarti! Yum!

Everything on our board came from Smith’s Cheese counter, olive bar and deli counter.

There are a few basic components to start out with building the board of your dreams. I’ll tell you what I used but please follow your hearts!

Meats-Choose a variety of textures, tastes and level of spice. We used Pepperoni, Pork Pate, Prosciutto, Capicola and hard Genoa salami.

Cheese– Choose a variety of textures and tastes. We used Jarlsberg, Whiskey aged white cheddar, Romano, Dill Havarti, Fromage D’Affinois (or Brie) and smoked Gouda

Vehicles– Usually a grain used to hold the components. We used a Baguette (toasted if you want), Garlic Parmesan Pretzels Crisps, Black Pepper Wafer crackers

Spreads– Dijon Mustard, Pesto

Extras- These bring in some bright and complementary flavors. Roasted Garlic Cloves, Roasted Red Peppers, Gherkins, Chopped Artichoke Hearts, Assorted olives, and Marcona Almonds

Fruits- These can be used as a vehicle or a palate cleanser. We used Red and Green Grapes and Honey Crisp apples.

Pair with your favorite wines, beers and champagne!

Instant Pot Herb Turkey Breast

Only one month left till Thanksgiving! I just love this holiday… the prep, the cooking and baking, the drinking, the eating, and the fun with family and friends! Of course followed by some awesome shopping. I’ve got my eye on one or two big ticket Black Friday items. I have gotten to the point where I mostly just by movies and decorations on Black Friday, but it’s time for life upgrades. Seriously, if I don’t get a nice mattress soon I might have to give up trivial stuff like sitting and walking.

I have been having so much fun the last few years trying new and different holiday recipes. We’ve been doing our standard Roast Turkey, but I wanted to give it a try in the Instant Pot. Seriously, what a gem this turned out to be. I got it for my birthday last year and I use it once or twice a week! It can be so easy when you just want a dump and go dinner.

This turkey was so incredibly easy, and turned out juicy and flavorful. I read quite a few recipes to find out the best amount of time and I was definitely surprised at how fast these cook. The general consensus is 6 minutes per pound. And this worked perfectly, we could cut it with a fork. Any longer and it would’ve started to fall apart. There are 3 very important steps to remember:

1. Make sure the breast is completely covered in liquid.
2. 10 minute natural release before you pop the lever.
3. Remove the breast from the pot and let it rest at least another 10 minutes.

These steps will ensure that all the juiciness stays in the meat. Don’t let your beautiful turkey dry out!

We served it up with some yummy mashed potatoes, garlic dinner rolls and Brown Sugar Green Beans. Followed by a divine Apple Cranberry Pie. I hope you all have an amazing holiday season!!

Ingredients:

• 3 lb Butterball Herb Turkey Breast
• 8 cups Chicken Stock
• 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 3 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
• 1 White Onion, cut in half
• 4 Cloves Garlic, smashed
• 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Salt and Pepper

Place all ingredients into the Instant Pot. Set on Meat/Stew for 18 minutes. When timer goes off let natural release for 10 minutes, then manual release. Remove turkey from pot and place on a cutting board, cover in foil.

Use some of the cooking liquid to mix with the gravy pouch and prepare according to instructions.

Remove turkey skin, carve and serve with all your favorite sides!

Shredded Pork Tacos

I feel like it’s been a really long time since I had a new post. I’ve been looking for inspiration all over the place. We have been eating a lot of Indian food lately and I really want to write about it, but for some reason I am very intimidated by it. Which is odd because it’s relatively simple to make, I really just need to get my spice mixture right. When I’m a little frustrated with a cooking block I tend to go back to my two staples….. Italian food and Mexican food! My passion was re-ignited by a Cinco de Mayo potluck at work. I made one of my favorites, Chile Verde. Which is also a pork dish I made in the Instant Pot.

I decided that I wanted to try a shredded pork roast cooked in red salsa. And it was was so yummy! And incredibly easy, which is definitely the kind of dish I want heading into summer. With all the gardening and puppy play I really don’t want to spend as much time in the kitchen during the summer. This where the Instant Pot is really turning into my go to gadget! These tacos were so delicious and filling, but I didn’t feel weighed down like after a heavy meal. We used flour tortillas in the soft taco size because that’s  what we had on hand, but you could also use corn tortillas and make street style tacos.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 lb Pork Roast
• 1 packet Taco Seasoning
• 1 1/2 cup Medium Salsa
• 2-3 Cups Water (just enough to cover the meat)
• Taco Sauce
• Tortillas
• 1 Can Black Beans, rinsed
• Rice, prepared according to instructions
• Queso Fresca
• Cilantro
• Lime Wedges

Cut the pork roast in half, rub each piece with taco seasoning. Add the water into your Instant Pot, add the pork, top with salsa. Set to Meat/Stew for 30 minutes. When it’s finished cooking let it do a 10 minute natural release and then quick release. In a medium bowl add the pork and 1 cup of the cooking liquid, shred the pork with forks and add taco sauce and salt to taste.

We added the beans to the hot cooking liquid to warm them up. Add all your toppings to the tortilla and squeeze the lime wedges over everything.

So yummy! Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Instant Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage in Irish Beer

Getting ready for your St. Paddy’s Day feast?!? Look no further! This corned beef roast is so flavorful and tender. And with tender vegetables cooked in the same liquid it really doubles down on flavor! This dish usually takes hours and hours in the slow cooker. But upgrading it to the Instant Pot cuts that time down to under an hour!

I was kind of sad that I couldn’t find any Killians beer. So we got a Bonneville Brewery Redline. An Irish Style Red Ale. I really liked it, not bitter and a nice finish.

We bought a 2 lb corned beef, and I ended up cutting it in half so it would fit better in the Instant Pot. Doing this also cuts down on cooking time. Most recipes call for 3-4 pound roasts that take 90 minutes to cook. Yikes. I ended up doing 35 minutes with a 15 minute natural release and then letting the meat rest in a warm oven while cooking the veggies.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb Corned Beef roast with spice packet, cut in half
• 24 oz Irish Red Beer, we used Killians
• 1 Cup Water with 2 beef bouillon cubes and 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 4 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
• 2 Sprigs Rosemary
• 1/2 Onion, thickly sliced.
• 4 Large Carrots, cut in half
• 3 Large Potatoes, cut into large cubes
• 1/2 Cabbage, keep the stem attached for cooking

In a 6 quart Instant Pot place the rack in the bottom. Add water and bouillon cubes. Add meat fat side up, pour in beers over the top of the meat. Top meat with spices from packet, crushed garlic, rosemary and and onion slices.

Set Instant Pot to the meat/stew setting for 45 minutes. Let it natural release while you prep the veggies. Remove meat and place in a deep dish with 1/2 cup liquid. Cover with aluminum foil and set aside in a warm oven. Add veggies to the Instant Pot and cook on manual for 3- 4 minutes. Quick release.

Slice the meat against the grain, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Dijon mustard or horseradish sauce.

Have a fun St. Patrick’s Day!

Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots

As usual we have been watching an inordinate amount of cooking shows. And I’ve been seeing roasted cauliflower pop up quite a few times. It’s intrigued me because I really like cauliflower but all we’ve ever done with it is steam it. But not anymore! This is definitely becoming a new staple in our side dish repertoire. It’s really easy and full of flavor, the cauliflower caramelizes and brings out a little sweetness and the Parmesan brings a little more salt back into the bite.

We wanted to do an easy dinner tonight because we are doing a big fancy dinner tomorrow! Time to bust out that Julia Child cook book for some roast beef and a decadent dessert using my silicone molds. So it was nice to just be able to get dinner tonight on the table in about 30 minutes.

One of the great things about slicing a head of cauliflower is that you can just slice off a  piece and the little pieces will just fall apart into perfect bite sized pieces. Make sure your carrots aren’t cut too small because they will cook faster than the cauliflower and you don’t want them to just turn into mush, I would say 6 pieces at most.

Serves 2:

• 1/2 head of Cauliflower, sliced
• 2 Carrots, sliced in half and cut into thirds
• 1 Tbsp Butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
• 1 Tsp Salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
• 1 Tbsp Parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl add the cauliflower, carrots, butter, oil, salt and pepper. Stir to make sure the veggies are well coated. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Put in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, stir it around, sprinkle on the Parmesan and parsley and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes.

And there you have it! Yummy right?!?!?

Instant Pot BBQ Country Style Ribs

So one of the things I love most about the Instant Pot is not only how easy it is to cook with it, but how easy it is to come up with recipes! These ribs were the first time I tried just a dump and cook meal. Super easy and super delicious!

These ribs just have a touch of spice and your fork will cut through them like butter! It was somewhat of a lucky coincidence that we pulled these ingredients together. We had just thought about doing some more ribs in the Instant Pot and using some of the BBQ sauce already had. I got a bottle of Jalepeno spice rub in my Christmas stocking, and I had purchased some fresh jalepenos to go into carnitas but totally forgot to add them! So that dinner was a little bland, but these ribs totally made up for it!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb Boneless Country Style Ribs
• 2 Jalepenos, quartered
• 1 Tbsp Jalepeno Spice Rub
• 2 tsp Ground Mustard
• 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 Cups Chicken Stock
• 1/2 Cup BBQ sauce + more for smothering

In a small bowl mix the spices together. Rub onto all sides of the ribs.

Place the Jalepenos into the Instant Pot. Pour in the chicken stock. Add the ribs. Drizzle the 1/2 cup BBQ sauce over the ribs.

Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to manual for 17 minutes. When complete let it natural release for 5 minutes and the quick release. Remove the ribs to a plate and smother in BBQ sauce and dig in!

Instant Pot Three Meat Chili

Hello there fellow Instant Potters. We are steaming right along on our recipe development for yummy Instant Pot dinners. This one is a semi convert from the 4 Pepper Meaty Chili recipe found here.

I was looking over a few different blogs and I noticed a few of them were adding bacon into chili. Very interesting. I mean…..everything is better with bacon right?!?

We were definitely in adventure mode as we cooked this chili with frozen beef and frozen garden tomatoes. So if you are using frozen ingredients you need to cook for the full 30 minutes. Variation instructions below.

Please remember that the heat of your peppers will depend on how much of the white flesh you leave from the inside.

Ingredients:

• 4 Slices Thick Cut Bacon, diced
• 1 lb Jimmy Dean Original Sausage
• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1/2 Onion, diced
• 1 Green Pepper, finely diced
• 3 Jalepenos, finely diced
• 1 Anaheim, finely diced
• 6 oz Green Chili, heat level of your own preference
• 3 Large Garlic Cloves, minced
• 6 oz Tomato Paste
• 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Tumeric
• 1 tsp Cumin
• Optional: 1 tsp Ground Red Pepper for extra heat.
• 1 Tbsp Worstechershire Sauce
• 2 Cups Beef Broth
• 10 Roma Tomatoes, quartered
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 Can Pinto Beans
• 1 Can Black Beans
• 1 Can Dark Red Kidney Beans

Set Instant Pot to Sauté. Cook the bacon stirring occasionally until crispy. Set aside in a bowl. Add the beef and sausage and cook until no pink remains. Add onions and garlic, cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add bacon, green pepper, Anaheim, jalepenos, green chili, tomato paste, tomatoes, chili powder, smoked paprika, tumeric, cumin, worstechershire, beef broth and beans.

Set to Soup/Broth Normal for 15-30 minutes minimum. The longer it’s in there the more flavor develops. Quick release the pressure.

Variation: If you are using frozen meats add with the beef broth and leave the beans out. Set Soup/Broth for 15 minutes. Release pressure and stir to break up meat. Add beans. Set Soup/Broth for another 15 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, cheese, cilantro, green onion and crackers! Let me know what you think in the comments 🙂 Enjoy!