Goulash is one of my favorite throwback meals growing up in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. So I am so happy I can convert the stove top recipe into an Instant Pot recipe. Serves 6. Total Time to prepare and cook 19 minutes. (Personally it will probably take me longer to chop and mince)
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of elbow macaroni
1 6oz can of tomato paste
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups corn, frozen (thawed) or canned
Directions:
Choose the sauté setting on the Instant Pot, when hot add the oil. Add the ground beef, onion, celery and bay leaves and cook until the vegetables are tender and the beef is browned. Add in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, green peppers, garlic and Worcestershire sauce, cook for a couple minutes.
Pour the broth in and let it heat up. Once heated stir in the tomato paste, then the macaroni. Pour in the two cans of stewed tomatoes, do not stir. Close the lid. Make sure release valve is closed. Switch from sauté to pressure cook and change time to 4 minutes or 3 minutes if you like your macaroni al dente. When done use the quick release method. Open lid when you hear the pin drop. Stir and taste test to see if it needs any additional salt. Add the corn (I’d heat corn on stove before adding it and drain any liquid) Serve Yum Yum!
I made this but forgot to take pictures as I went🙁. What I did find out while using my mini Instant Pot was I hit the max line before I added the stewed tomatoes. After I pressure cooked for 3 minutes I added the stewed tomatoes while I kept the Instant Pot on warm. I also added the cooked corn. As you can see with these pictures it was quite full....but ohhh sooo good.
2018 Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos Alcoy will begin on April 22, 2018 and end on April 24, 2018
According to Wikipedia: Moros y Cristianos means Moors and Christians. Moors refer to the black beans and the Christians to the white rice. This dish is a reference to the African Muslim governance of the Iberian Peninsula and the subsequent Reconquista in which the Spanish Christians led by the wealthy families in the north of Spain forced the Moors from the south of Spain into Africa.
In this dish they use a sofrito which is a combination of onions, garlic and bell peppers, preferably green and roasted red peppers. The sofrito is added to the white rice and black beans along with others seasonings like cilantro and oregano to give the dish additional flavor. Serves 8
Ingredients:
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup vegetable stock 2 cups long grain rice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
4 green onions, white part only, chopped
Directions:
In a skillet heat the oil on med/high heat add the onions and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic, oregano, crushed cumin seeds, cook 1 minute. Add in the tomatoes, beans and stock; bring to boil then transfer to the crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours.
When bean mixture is done cook the rice. In a saucepan add the 2 cups of rice with 4 cups of water. Cover with a tight fitting lid, bring to boil then reduce heat to low and let cook for 20 minutes. DO NOT LIFT LID!
While rice is cooking add the peppers to the crockpot, cover and cook on high 20-30 minutes, or until green peppers are tender.
When rice is done add to the crockpot along with the lemon or lime juice, cilantro and green onions, mix well. Serve hot as a side dish, cold as a salad or with a fried egg on top Cuban style. Yum Yum!
Help, I need someone who is good with math. I went to Fresh Thyme Farmers Market (it was 2 for 1 Thursday) and got two pork loins for $12.89 and a total weight of 5.25lbs.
Meijer is having a sale on theirs for $8.22, so 2 would be 16.44. The approximate weight adding both together would be 5.5lbs.
What would of Fresh Thyme’s total cost if they had the extra .25lbs? Would it be 13.50? Did I end up saving a whopping $2.94?
Now what I need to know is which store has the better cut of meat and that will be harder for me to determine.
Since I do have two pork loins and I’ve already made one recipe a couple days ago (Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Lemon Pasta) and decided to cut the second one into medallions. With my new love for leeks I found this yummy looking recipe on reciperunner.com. Again, I know, another recipe with a cream sauce, but this one is made without a heavy cream and we can substitute the milk, cheese and yogurt with low-fat or non-fat product. Pork is a red meat, not the other white meat, but is typically better for you then beef because some of the cuts like loin, chops and steak are leaner. Tenderloin even is better than a chicken breast, if you’re counting calories.
Ingredients:
1 lb pork tenderloin, remove the silverskin, trim the fat and cut into 1/2”-3/4” slices
(You know mine is 2.38lbs, so I’m either going to cut it in half and freeze the unused potion or double my recipe...do you need more than 4 servings? Than I’d double it)
1 tablespoon olive oil.
12 oz white mushrooms.
1 leek, clean and chop the white and light green parts
1 teaspoons minced garlic.
A teaspoon of thyme leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste.
1 tablespoon flour.
3/4 cup 1 % milk.
1 oz low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt, room temperature
Directions:
- Preheat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat.
- Season the slices of pork tenderloin with salt and pepper on both sides.
- When the skillet is hot spray with oil or cooking spray then place the pork in the skillet cut side down in a single layer.
- Cook the pork for approximately 2-3 minutes per side then remove from the skillet onto a plate and cover with foil to keep it warm.
- Add the tablespoon of oil to the skillet and lower the heat to medium.
- Swirl the oil around the bottom of the skillet to coat it then add in the mushroom, leek and garlic.
- Sauté for a minute then add in the thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper.
- Sauté another 2-3 minutes or until the leek and mushrooms soften then sprinkle in the flour.
- Stir everything until the flour dissolves.
- Slowly pour in the milk stirring the entire time.
- Once the sauce thickens, approximately 2-3 minutes, add in the cream cheese and stir until it melts and is thoroughly incorporated.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the Greek yogurt until incorporated.
- Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Add the pork back into the skillet and serve immediately. Yum Yum!
If you’ve looked at my dinner recipes you’ve probably noticed that I love a good cream sauce with my meat. If you know me you also noticed I’ve gained a few pounds because of it.
Where does this love for cream sauce originate? Well it’s not in Southern Italy as they might have a lot of fettuccine, you won’t see any Alfredo along with it. Which in my case was very disappointing. They prefer a sauce made with tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil and fresh basil or just a little olive oil with mushrooms and capers.
Northern Italy favors more dairy based sauces, because they have flat land which is more conducive to raising cattle, which in turn produces cheese, butter and cream. This is where you’ll find homemade egg pasta topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
So was it in the United States where we brought together the Northern and Southern Italian flavors and created Fettuccine Alfredo, because it tastes much better with a cream sauce? I’d say everything tastes better in a cream sauce.
With this Italian meal and I’m saying it’s an Italian meal because I’m going to make my egg pasta from scratch, dredge my chicken in Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and yes add garlic a staple in about every Italian dish. Serves 4 (1 breast per person)
Ingredients for the chicken:
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, butterflied
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 eggs
Dried parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil for frying
Ingredients for pappardelle pasta:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Extra flour for dusting
Ingredients for lemon garlic sauce:
Juice from a lemon and zest from half of it
6 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tablespoons of butter
6 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions;
Pasta: in your Kitchenaid mixer bowl add the flour and salt and mix together using the whisk attachment. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add your eggs and oil. Use your hands to blend the eggs into the flour. It’s going to get sticky, so add some flour to your hands. When the pasta dough is throughly mixed remove the whisk attachment and replace it with the dough hook, knead the dough until it’s smooth and you can press your finger in it and it comes back. When done put it in a plastic bag or plastic wrap for 20 minutes or more at room temperature.
After the 20 minutes cut the dough into 4 pieces using a bench scrapper. Using one piece at a time, keep the other pieces in the bag or plastic wrap. Put the dough roller on your Kitchenaid. Using speed two and level one put the dough through the roller. Trifold the dough like a letter going into an envelope and put it in the roller again. Repeat 3 times. Then change the level to 2 and roll, 3 and roll, 4 and roll, 5 and roll. Dust flour on both sides and put in roller on final level 6. You should have a pretty long piece of pasta. Cut it in half with the bench scrapper. Fold each piece like a ribbon the cut into 1/2 “ pieces. Unfold, dust with flour and set aside. Repeat with the other 3 pieces that are in the bag or plastic wrap. The pasta is ready to be cooked in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes. Reserve a cup of pasta water, drain the rest.
Chicken: in 3 shallow dishes add the bread crumbs in one, the eggs in another and finally the parmigiano cheese in the last one. After you butterfly your chicken salt and pepper both sides then dredge in the cheese, dip in the egg and press the chicken into the bread crumbs. Shake off excess. Pour the oil into a skillet and heat on med/high. Place chicken in skillet sprinkle with dried parsley and cook on both sides until golden brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Sauce: in a large skillet on med/high heat add the lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic cook for 1 minute. Add in the butter and cream and 4 tablespoons of the pasta water and stir to combine. And in the pasta, mix well. Top the pasta with the chicken, cook for a minute or two to warm up the chicken. Serve. Yum Yum!
A light creamery sauce made with wine and seasoned with fragrant herbs keeps your pork tenderloin moist and tender.
Pork tenderloin is very lean and becomes very dry if overcooked. DON’T OVER COOK IT! Use a probe thermometer and remove it from the heat when the internal temperature reaches 138-140 degrees. Set the pork tenderloin aside and let it rest covered with foil for 10 minutes before slicing.
Some say you should let the meat come to room temperature before cooking, straight from the refrigerator will cause the outside to cook faster and the inside will be undercooked with a risk to carry a food-borne illiness.
Others say you should cook it directly from the refrigerator as it will allow the outside to be crispy, while the inside remains juicy. What to do...
You’ll need a large Dutch Oven to make this recipe. Total Time to prepare and cook 1 hour 45 minutes. Serves 8
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons rosemary
1/4 cup fresh sage or 1/8 cup dried sage
2 lbs pork tenderloin, better to have a little fat, trim the silverskin
1 1/4 cups white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large Dutch Oven, when hot add the garlic, rosemary and sage. Stir and cook for a minute. Add in the pork and sauté on both sides for 5 minutes. Remove the pork and set aside. Add the wine to the pan and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon. Cook until the smell of alcohol has disappeared, about 1 or 2 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium/low. Add the pork back into the pot, salt and pepper to taste and cook partially covered for 1 1/2 hour. Every 20 minutes flip the pork and scrape the bottom. Make sure there is liquid in the pot. Add 1/4 cup of water, if necessary.
When the pork has cook through with an internal temperature 138-140 remove it from the heat. Cover with foil to retain the heat and let it rest.
In the pot increase the heat to medium add a splash of wine and scrape the bottom to release any brown bits. Cook until the smell of alcohol dissolves, about 1-2 minutes. Add in the chicken broth and cook a few minutes before reducing the heat to medium/low and adding the cream. At a gentle simmer stir until the sauce thickens. Avoid boiling. Taste test to add salt and pepper, if necessary.
Slice the pork and arrange on a plate, cover with the sauce and serve. Yum Yum!
Do you have leftover buttermilk? I do, now what. I found there are plenty of recipes out there. Now it’s a matter of picking the right one for your family.
Everyone loves pancakes and macaroni and cheese. I know my granddaughters love them. These have to be better than box.
Macaroni and Cheese Ingredients:
16 oz box of macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
6 cups buttermilk
16 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
4 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
8 sprigs fresh marjoram
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven 350F. Cook pasta al dente then remove from heat, drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. While the pasta is cooking make your white roux. Heat your butter ina saucepan. When it melts whisk in the flour until well combined. Remove from heat and add in the buttermilk and whisk until smooth. Return to the heat and add in the cheese (leave an ounce or two for a topping), paprika and mustard. Whisk until the cheese melts and turn off the heat. Add in the sprigs of marjoram and continue stirring for 5 minutes; then remove marjoram.
In an oven proof casserole dish spray lightly with a nonstick cooking spray. Add in the pasta and pour sauce on top, salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes then remove foil and cook an additional 20 minutes. Serve...Yum Yum!
PS: While doing the video I forgot the marjoram and (oops) baking the additional 20 minutes without the foil. But, it seemed to be fine. In fact, my daughter who is a very picky eater loved it. The extra 20 minutes would of made my bread crumbs more toasted than they were. Oh well, c’est la vie, maybe next time.
Buttermilk Pancakes Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Toppings:
Butter
Syrup
Peanut Butter
Plain Greek Yogurt
Powdered Sugar
Directions:
In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well until smooth. Heat a griddle to 350F. Take a 1/4 measuring cup and dip into the batter and pour on the griddle Cook 2-3 minutes on one side until bubbles form on the surface. Flip over and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Serve with the toppings. Yum Yum!
I threw this Cucumber Tomato Blue Cheese Salad together and revamped the blue cheese dressing from my Iceberg Salad with Blue Cheese post.
What did I change? Well, thanks for asking.
Ingredients for the dressing:
2 1/2 oz blue cheese, crumbled (was 4 oz)
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup heavy cream (was plain Greek yogurt)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (was sherry vinegar)
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Directions:
Add all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
You need a food processor for this recipe
Ingredients for the salad
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 shallot, diced
10 or so cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 1/2 oz blue cheese, crumbled
3 pieces of bacon, cut into lardons and fried to a crisp (see directions in my Salad for Breakfast post)
1/2 tablespoon dill weed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a medium size bowl add your diced cucumbers, diced shallots, cherry tomato halves, blue cheese crumbles; mix well. Add in the dressing, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Top with the dill weed and crisp lardons. Chill until ready to serve. Yum Yum!
