Beans

I made beans in our 6 qt Instant Pot (IP). They turned out really well! It didn’t make too much and 4 of us ate well from it with leftovers remaining at the end.

Note:

I now have an 8 quart IP. You can easily make a whole bag of dry beans (about 4 cups) with it, just double the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 c pinto beans dry, rinsed
6 c water
1 tsp salt
1 500 g pack of bacon (cut in 1″ slices, you can use peameal bacon, ham, or any pork really)
2 medium sliced onion
3/4 c molasses
2 tbsp packed brown Splenda (1/4 c if using regular brown sugar)
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Preparation: Put first 3 ingredients in the Instant Pot (IP) and pressure cook for 60 min. Slice bacon and onions, set aside. Make mixture with remaining ingredients. When the IP has finished its cycle, release pressure naturally or quickly, it doesn’t matter. Drain beans (there won’t be much water left) and set aside in a big bowl (or keep them in the same insert while you use another insert for the bacon and onions). In the IP, add bacon and onions, sautée until onions are soft and bacon is fairly cooked (not crispy). Add beans and molasses mixture to IP, stir gently to mix everything, and pressure cook for another 20 min. Serve hot or cold; the beans are awesome either way.

Beef Stew

Who doesn’t love stew? Especially when it’s cold out, nothing warms and soothes quite like it. Here’s how I do mine in our 6 qt Instant Pot (IP).

Ingredients:

about 3 lbs beef, cubed, trimmed of fat
about 5 med. potatoes, cubed
1 small bag of baby carrots
about 4 or 5 stalks of celery, cut up in chunks
2 large onions, cut in eighths
Other veggies (optional, just watch your IP space limits)
4 c water
2 packets gravy (I usually use French’s) or make a thickening agent of water, salt, and flour

Preparation:

Set the IP to the sauté setting and let the beef brown while you prepare the veggies. Turn the beef a couple of times to get both sides browned. Add vegetables and water to the IP. Cover and set to “Meat” setting and let it pressure cook for 45 minutes. Everything will be so tender when it’s done. I do a quick release when it’s done. Remove cover and set to sauté. Add gravy packets or thickening agent and stir well. Let the gravy heat a little for about 10 minutes. Give it one final stir and serve.

Apple Dumplings

Oh my, my new favourite recipe for the Instant Pot (IP)! I love experimenting and finding out that I’m a genius in the kitchen ;-) I didn’t take specific measurements but I’ll try to be as accurate as possible.

Ingredients:

about 2 c. homemade bisquick mix (bought stuff would work too)
Milk, about a 1/2 cup but you’ll have to use a judgment call
1 beaten egg
1/2 c. white baking Splenda (or sugar if you prefer to use real sugar)
2 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into about 8 chunks
1/4 lb butter
about 1 tbsp brown Splenda (use real brown sugar if you prefer)
about 1 tsp cinnamon
1 c. water

Preparation:

Set the IP to the sauté setting and add butter. As soon as it melts, add cinnamon and brown Splenda. Mix well and turn to the “Keep Warm” setting.

Mix bisquick and baking Splenda in a mixing bowl. Add the egg and a little milk, mix well. Keep adding milk until the mixture reaches a doughy consistency. You don’t want it to be thin and it’s a little easier to work with if it’s a little on the dryer side than too wet/sticky. Once well mixed and the desired consistency is reached, add the cup of water to the IP and mix well. Take a piece of apple and wrap it completely in a layer of dough. It will be a messy task, don’t be afraid to use your hands. Place in the IP. Repeat until there’s a loose layer of dumplings in the IP. Don’t put more than one layer in.

Place the cover on the IP and set to Manual setting and pressure cook for 15 min. You can let it vent naturally or do a quick release. It’s awesome with ice cream, especially maple walnut. Enjoy!

Homemade Bisquick

This is a basic recipe I use for just about everything… I’ve made cookies with it, dumplings (sweet ones and savory ones), biscuits… It’s very versatile.

Ingredients:

2 c. all purpose flour (although whole wheat also works)
2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp cold butter

Preparation: Mix all in dry ingredients. You can either use a pastry blender to cut the butter into it, but I prefer doing a couple of batches at a time in my food processor. Whichever method you prefer, blend until it reaches an almost fine crumbly kind of texture. You may want to add a bit more butter if it’s not reaching the consistency that you like. It should not be wet. I put it in a Ziploc freezer bag and store in my cupboard for months at a time.

French Bread

This makes really good crusty bread! If you like it a bit softer, once it cools, throw it into a ziplock bag and seal it a while. I got it from Robin Hood’s web site and posting a slightly modified version here because it’s sometimes easier for me to access. I prefer making my bread in the oven, so I’m listing the instructions for that, not for baking in the bread machine.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. water
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 1/4 c. All purpose flour
2 tsp bread machine yeast

Preparation: In order listed above, add ingredients to bread machine. Put it on the dough cycle. When done, split dough and place in loaf pans or cookie sheet (if you want to make rolls or baguette type bread). Let rise in a warm draft-free area for 20-30 minutes (I like to turn the oven on for 1 minute at 350 F, then I turn it off, and place the bread inside). Bake at 350 F for 15 min. for a regular loaf, or 10-12 min. for rolls or baguette. Broil at 450 or 500 for a minute (set a timer because you don’t want to forget it!) until the top has browned nicely.

Leftover Turkey Chili

We bought an Instant Pot (IP) during a black Friday sale at Walmart (Canada) for just under $49 (how could I pass up a half off kind of deal??). I’ve made a few beef stews up (just throwing this and that into it) and love it. With Christmas just passed, I need to use up my leftover turkey so I’m attempting turkey chili. Sure it’s not ground turkey, but I think it’ll be ok. So here’s what I’ve done…

Ingredients:

2 med. onions, chopped
2 chopped red peppers
4 c. water
1 bag of dried red kidney beans (you can use other kinds like pinto)
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
about 3 c. chopped turkey
2 large cans diced tomatoes (796 ml)

Preparation: Sauté onion and red pepper in the IP until softened. Rinse beans well and add to IP along with 4 c. water. Pressure cook for 30 min. I used the meat/stew setting and decreased it to 30 min. from its 45 min. default. When cycle is done, carefully vent the IP. Carefully remove lid and add remaining ingredients. Give it a stir to mix everything up and pressure cook for another 30 min.

Green Tomato Ketchup

Nanny would always make this in the fall. I always looked forward to getting some as part of Christmas presents and sometimes just as a treat. I never came across a recipe in her collection, but I did find a recipe online for it that is pretty bang on. I cut the amount of sugar in the original recipe and will be making it this week again with leftover green tomatoes from our garden.

If you don’t have green tomatoes, this works equally well with red tomatoes. There’s really no difference in the taste, just the appearance.

Ingredients:

30 green tomatoes, chopped (about 6 pounds)
15 medium onions, chopped (about 3 pounds)
2/3 c coarse salt
3 c white vinegar
2 c granulated sugar
6 Tbsp mixed pickling spices, tied in cheesecloth

Preparation:

In a large bowl, alternate layers of tomatoes and onions, sprinkling each layer with salt. Let stand for at least 8 hours, better overnight. Rinse; drain well.

Combine vegetables with vinegar, sugar and spice bag. In a large saucepan or stock pot, bring mixture to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, for about 30 to 45 minutes. Stir frequently until slightly thickened. Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal.

Punny’s White Xmas Cake

My cousin Marjorie found her mother’s white Christmas cake recipe that I had asked her for. At first she didn’t think she had it and then one day, she was cleaning my aunt’s house and came across it. I was so grateful as my aunt would no longer remember it and my uncle (her brother) really likes that cake. There was only one problem; the recipe card only lists the ingredients, no prep method. It took a few tries, but I made it today and I think I’ve nailed it down pretty good. It’s labour-intensive, but definitely worth it!

A couple of things to note…

I don’t like a ton of fruit in my cakes so I put far less quantities in mine than what the recipe calls for. I’ll give the quantities as they are listed on the recipe card. One can adjust it as they see fit.
I’ve substituted the white sugar with Splenda and have also done a half and half split. They all work, just remember, if you use Splenda, it won’t last as long sitting out so you might want to shove it in the fridge.
I’ve used both a food processor with a dough blade and a Mix Master to make this cake. I had more problems with the Mix Master. The food processor was easier, but do NOT mix your fruit in it! It will turn it into a pink mess (trust me hahaha). I don’t even recommend mixing the fruit in with a Mix Master. Do that part manually.

Ingredients:

1 lb butter (I use room temperature, not melted)
2 c white sugar
6 eggs beaten separately
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 lb mixed peel
1/2 lb red cherries
1/2 lb green cherries
1/2 lb sliced almonds
1/2 lbs pineapple
1 1/2 lbs raisins (optional, I use golden raisins)
4 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder (I use 2 tbsp, it rises better and you don’t taste it)
3/4 c milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325º F. In a mixing bowl, add flour and baking powder, then mix well and set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Slowly add eggs and mix to a silky smooth consistency. Add vanilla and milk. Continue blending until smooth. Slowly add flour mixture and blend until it forms a nice thick smooth consistency making sure to occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl. Once the batter is smooth, pour into a large mixing bowl and start adding all the fruits and almonds. Mix very well. Pour into a large greased baking dish and smooth out. Bake for about 30 minutes and check doneness with a toothpick. Bake until it’s cooked through (when toothpick comes out clean). Let cool. Add icing (Nanny’s cream cheese icing is good!) if desired.

Brad’s Sweet Garlic Dill Pickles

This is Brad’s recipe for sweet garlic pickles. Slicing them lengthwise will make them perfect for sandwiches (e.g. smoked meat or ham with mustard). This recipe will yield about 2 litres of pickles.

Ingredients:

1/4 c salt
ice (quite a bit) or really cold water
3 litres of cucumbers (thinly sliced lengthwise)
about 1 tsp dried dill
6 whole or sliced garlic cloves
4 c sugar
3 c vinegar

Preparation:

Layer ice, cucumber, garlic, and salt in a large vat or sink or soak cucumber, garlic, and salt in very cold water for 3 hours. Drain well. Place pickles standing up in jars. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil in a pot. Carefully pour hot liquid into each of the jars and seal.

Nanny’s Bread & Butter Pickles

I loved when Nanny made these pickles. She was still making them not long before she died in 2013, well into her 80′s. At that time, I could sit down and eat a quarter litre of them with bread and butter (or margarine). I can’t do that today, quantities are much more limited now, but I’m so happy I have her recipe. This recipe will yield about 5 litres.

Ingredients:

4 quarts (imperial) cucumbers (thinly sliced)
6 medium onions (thinly sliced)
1 green pepper (cut into small chunks)
1 red pepper (cut into small chunks)
3 garlic cloves (thinly sliced and optional)
1/3 c salt
ice (quite a bit)
3 c white vinegar
5 c sugar (I use 4)
1 1/2 tsp each of celery seed and turmeric
2 tbsp mustard seed

Preparation:

Place first 5 ingredients on ice with salt and let sit for 3 hours. Drain well. Place last 4 ingredients in a large pot (we prefer non-stick just in case). Bring to a boil. Add drained vegetables to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring often. Place in clean jars and seal.