Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

From A Pinch of Healthy
Servings: 6

•     1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
•     1 Tablespoons oil (I used avocado oil)
•     3 small shallots diced
•     3 carrots diced
•     1 cup sliced mushrooms
•     2 cloves medium fresh garlic minced
•     1.5 cups uncooked white jasmine rice rinsed and drained (Do NOT skip the rinsing. Rice will likely scorch if not rinsed!)
•     1.5 cups chicken stock or broth plus another 1/2 cup for deglazing the pan
•     2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves chopped and divided (or 2 teaspoons dried)
•     salt and pepper to taste

Using the sauté setting, preheat on normal for 1.5 minutes

Generously salt and pepper your chicken thighs. Sear chicken thighs, 5 min on side one, season the opposite side and 3 min on side 2 (pan will be hotter). Chicken will render a little fat, but you can add a little more oil if you want to. Remove and set aside chicken on a plate

Add 1/2 cup broth to deglaze the pan, scrape the bits with a wooden spoon (do not skip this step!). If there are any stuck on spots, be sure and lift those away from the pan with a wooden spoon.

Add shallot, mushroom and carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic, and continue to cook for another minute. Add remaining 1 and ½ cups of chicken stock, rice, thyme and stir together.

Place the chicken thighs on top of the mixture.

Place the lid on, and lock it, setting the valve to sealing. Cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes, and allow the Instant Pot to release naturally (do not use the quick release lever, but let the pressure indicator lower on its own). (mine took 18 minutes, FYI) Switch the valve release, and remove the lid carefully.

Use two forks to shred the chicken, and stir the pot. Serve immediately.

My Notes: This was the best thing I've cooked in the Instant Pot so far. I loved it...I added celery and a pretty good amount of pepper. So good. MXF

Corn and Black Bean Weeknight Nachos

From Smitten Kitchen

Servings: 4 but I won't tell anyone if 3 of you polish it off
Time: 45 minutes

•     2 ears corn, husked
•     1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
•     1 large poblano
•     Nonstick spray or 2 teaspoons oil
•     2 generous cups (about 8 ounces) coarsely grated monterey jack cheese
•     2 generous cups (about 8 ounces) coarsely grated cheddar cheese
•     1 12-ounce bag tortilla chips, the thicker the better
•     Toppings
•     Thinly sliced jalapeno (1 used 1/2 a big one)
•     Thinly sliced radishes (I used 2 medium)
•     1/2 a white onion, minced (you can toss it with a little lime juice and salt to lightly pickle it, if desired)
•     Handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
•     Diced tomatoes
•     Shredded lettuce
•     Sliced avocado
•     Lime wedges
•     Hot sauce

Over a gas flame or on a grill over high heat, char corn all over until at least half the kernels are blistered, and poblano until skin is blackened. Let both cool slightly then cut the corn kernels from the cob. Remove the skin and seeds from the poblano and cut it into very thin ribbons. (For a large one, you might only use half.)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat your largest baking sheet with foil (which I did not, and wish I had) and lightly coat it with oil. Arrange 1/3 of chips on tray and sprinkle 1/3 of corn, black beans, poblano strips and cheese over it. Repeat twice. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and blistered all over. Use this time to prep your toppings.

When nachos are cooked, you can sprinkle a few toppings over (I used the jalapeños, radishes, tomatoes, onion, cilantro and avocado) or just bring everything to the table and let everyone fix their own.

My Notes: I didn't follow this exactly because...it's nachos. But I used it as a guide. Everyone loved them. Easy to make and a really fun dinner for all. MXF

Pizza Beans

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
 
Servings: 8
Time: 45 minutes Source: Smitten Kitchen

•     3 sausages, casings removed
•     2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
•     1 large onion, chopped
•     2 celery stalks, diced
•     1 large or 2 regular carrots, diced
•     Salt and freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes
•     2 large garlic cloves, minced
•     1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white or red wine (optional)
•     4 ounces (115 grams) curly kale leaves, chopped or torn
•     2 1/4 cups (550 grams) crushed tomatoes or favorite jarred sauce
•     1 pound (455 grams) cooked firm-tender giant white beans
•     Up to 3/4 cup (175 ml) vegetable broth
•     1/2 pound (225 grams) mozzarella, coarsely grated
•     1/3 cup (35 grams) grated Parmesan

Prepare the beans and vegetables: Heat the oven to 475 degrees. In a 2 1/2-to-3-quart (ideally oven-safe) deep sauté pan, braiser, or shallow Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Add the onion, celery, and carrots.

Season well with salt and black or red pepper. Cook, sautéing, until the vegetables brown lightly, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute more. Add the wine, if using, to scrape up any stuck bits, then simmer until it disappears, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the kale, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until collapsed, then add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the beans, and, if the mixture looks too dry or thick (canned tomatoes range quite a bit in juiciness), add up to 3/4 cup broth, 1/4 cup at a time. Simmer the mixture together over medium for about 10 minutes, adjusting the seasonings as needed.

If your pan isn’t ovenproof, transfer the mixture to a 3-quart baking dish. If it is, well, carry on.

Bake: Sprinkle the beans first with the mozzarella, then the Parmesan, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned on top. If you’re impatient and want a deeper color, you can run it under the broiler.

My Notes: I can't believe how good these were. I added Johnsonville brats--cooked them first and then cooked the veg in the sausage fat. I also used jarred tomato sauce instead of canned tomatoes (RAO's Homemade). Also I couldn't find gigante beans at the store so I just used great northerns. This was seriously tasty and relatively healthy. Lots of fiber and veg. Leftovers were just as good. MXF

Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake with Caramel and Sea Salt

Adapted from Pinch My Yum

Prep Time: 15 min / Cook Time: 25 min
Yield: 8-12 huge slices, but appropriate servings would be more like 20+

Ingredients:

•     17 tablespoons butter
•     1 cup granulated sugar
•     1/2 cup packed brown sugar
•     2 teaspoons vanilla
•     2 tablespoons real maple syrup
•     2 eggs
•     2 3/4 cup flour
•     1 teaspoon baking soda
•     1/2 teaspoon salt
•     1 cup chocolate chunks (I chopped up a large piece of Scharffen Berger chocolate – yum)
•     1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
•     1/2 cup caramel pieces
•     3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
•     coarse sea salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Soften the 9 tablespoons butter in the microwave for 30 seconds or until partially melted. Soften the remaining 8 tablespoons for 10 seconds or until you can make an indent with your finger.

Mix the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until creamed. Add the vanilla and maple syrup and mix again until smooth. Add the eggs; beat slowly until incorporated. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt (sometimes it helps to add the flour in batches). Mix until a smooth dough forms. The dough should feel dry to the touch – if it sticks to your hands, add a few more tablespoons of flour. I generally try to err on the side of more flour. Stir in the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. Melt the caramel pieces and heavy cream in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir well until melted and smooth.

Press half of the dough mixture into a 9-inch or larger cast iron skillet lined with parchment paper. Pour the caramel over the dough and smooth with a spoon. Cover with another layer of cookie dough. Bake for 15-25 minutes (see notes). Remove from oven, sprinkle with sea salt, and allow to rest for at least one hour in order for the pieces to hold their shape when cut.

Notes: I baked mine uncovered for 15 minutes, but you could also cover with foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes to get the cookie center baked even further. If you only bake for 15 minutes total, like I did, the cookie WILL be underbaked. Cause that’s how we like it.

Serves 12
Calories Per Serving: 530 / Total Fat 27.6g / Sugars 43.4g

My Notes: This cake was amazing. By far the best cookie cake I've ever made. An UNGODLY amount of butter. I feel you could go down to 15 tbsp will no ill effect. Also I only used 1 cup chocolate total instead of 1.5. I would use even more caramel next time because that was a lovely addition and I would spread it all the way to the edge. When the caramel cooks against the skillet it gets burnt and chewy. MXF