Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot whole butternut squash

Posted by annauk1 on January 29, 2023
Posted in: basics, Family recipes, First attempts, Instant Pot Recipes. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

I’m so impressed with this idea to cook a whole butternut squash in the instant pot.

If you’re like me, it feels like such a palaver hacking away at that tough skin.

How much easier to place the unpeeled squash, whole, into the bottom of the pot, with a little water and cook until tender.

Today I was after a purée, but I can see how easy it would also be to cook for less time and get slices or cubes of perfectly cooked tender squash.

The recipe was from this blog:

https://sandhyahariharan.co.uk/how-to-cook-butternut-squash/

Thank you for what I’m sure will be my go to way for cooking butternut squash from now on.

Gigantes (Baked Butter Beans)

Posted by annauk1 on November 25, 2019
Posted in: Cypriot recipes, Family recipes, Fasting recipes (Nistisima), Instant Pot Recipes, Pulses, Vegan. Leave a comment

This is such a delicious meal, perfect for those cold Autumnal evenings and meat-free meals!

I started this off last night in my Instant Pot, which I find is the best way to get perfectly cooked dried beans and pulses. What you want to do here is to part-cook the butter beans, so we can bake them to perfection later, in the oven.

250g dried butter beans is sufficient for 3-4 meals.

I soaked them for a few hours in water, to start the re-hydrating and plumping process.
At least 4 hours, or overnight.

Then I covered them with water and cooked them for 30 minutes in the instant pot, and let the pressure release naturally when the time was up.

What I was left with was partly-cooked butter beans, cooked (only just!) throughout, but not yet tender and yielding.

Of course, if you don’t have an instant pot, you can just simmer the butter beans for 1-2 hours, until partly-cooked.

Next I fried one chopped onion in one tbsp of vegetable oil until golden brown, add one, 400g tin of finely chopped tomatoes and simmer until the tomatoes are thickened and there’s no watery liquid left in the pan. Season with salt and LOTS of freshly ground black pepper (if you think you’ve used enough, no, add more ☺️) the juice of half a lemon and about a cupful of freshly chopped flat leaf parsley.

Drain the butter beans until they are left with maybe a cupful of liquid and pour the tomato mixture over them.

Place into an oven proof dish and cook for one hour at gas mark 3.

Serve with lots of bread for mopping up the sauce and as is traditional with the Cypriots, pickled green chillies! Yum yum yum.

Fasolia (Beans) Isia-Isia

Posted by annauk1 on November 16, 2019
Posted in: basics, Cypriot recipes, Family recipes, Fasting recipes (Nistisima), healthy recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Pulses, Vegan, Vegetarian. 4 Comments

Yesterday began the Orthodox Nativity Fast for Christmas. It lasts for 40 days and between now and then we will be ‘vegan plus fish’. Apart from Wednesdays and Fridays when we will be ‘vegan plus seafood’ (prawns, scallops etc)

During the run up to Christmas it becomes stricter and we drop fish completely too and oil on Christmas Eve.

Faith aside, it’s beneficial I feel to eat more plant-based meals, so my thinking cap is constantly on for ‘what shall we eat today’.

And here it is:

Fasolia Isia-isia (which loosely translated means beans straight-straight or even more loosely translated- neck and neck!)

This is because any vegetables are added to the pan to boil with the beans as opposed to being sautéed beforehand like Fasolia Yiahni. Isia-Isia.

I guess now is the time to admit that I don’t eat this dish. I can be a bit funny with beans and pulses, not loving them, but trying to get through a bowlful because I know they’re good for me.

My husband however, loves them and they really couldn’t be easier to make.

I start by soaking 250g dried cannelini beans in water overnight.

If you are using an Instant Pot, put them in, having drained them, cover them with 3 cups of fresh water and set the IP to pressure cook for 10 minutes. Once time is up allow to pressure release naturally.

Roughly chop a couple of carrots and 3 stalks of celery into small bite-size pieces and add to the pot.

Set for a further 5 minutes.

Once you have allowed another natural pressure release, you should have perfectly cooked beans and veggies.

If you don’t have an instant pot, boil the beans until almost tender but not quite. Add the chopped veg and keep simmering until the carrots, celery and beans are cooked.

Drain and serve with freshly chopped parsley, tomatoes and raw onions and lots of olive oil.

Oh and pickled green chillies the absolute best! And maybe some tuna with chopped onion mixed in with it. Absolutely delicious ❤️

Let me know if you try this recipe 😀
Oh and apologies for the phone shadow on the pic, in my defence, I didn’t take it! 😂😂

PiP Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats for One or Two.

Posted by annauk1 on November 15, 2019
Posted in: Breakfast, Family recipes, First attempts, healthy recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Oats, porridge. 2 Comments

Now, I was debating whether to call this recipe for one, or two and I just couldn’t decide!! I would say it feeds one very hungry person (me!) or two people who like to top their porridge with lots of fruit and nuts (not me!)

This is the first time I’ve tried the PIP (pot in pot) method with my Instant Pot, and I must say, it worked really well 😊

I’ve been getting a few ‘burn’ messages lately on my Instant Pot, usually caused by tomato based sauces, sugary things, or milk based things. So rather than risk this happening again and because it’s such a small amount, I thought I’d use a Pyrex bowl to cook the porridge in (standing on the trivet provided in the Instant Pot when you buy it)

I used steel cut oats for this recipe. They’re the least processed porridge oats you can buy, basically the groat which has been cut into tiny pieces, rather than being steamed and flattened (rolled oats)

Steel cut oats done the ‘normal’ way take about 40 minutes of constant stirring and while the Instant Pot method is not necessarily shorter, it does mean that you can walk away from the pot and get on with your morning until it’s done.

So, into the Pyrex bowl went 1/3 cup of steel cut oats, 1/3 cup of oat milk (though you could use ordinary milk or other milk alternative) 1/2 a cup of water and a pinch of salt.

Sit the bowl on the trivet in the pot, into which you have poured a cup of water which will produce steam to seal the pot and enable it to pressure cook.

Put the lid on the pot, set to sealing and set to pressure cook for ten minutes.

When the time is up, let it release pressure naturally (NPR)

You should be left with perfect porridge, toothsome, creamy, filling and delicious.

If you don’t have an instant pot, you will need more liquid and a strong arm to stir constantly while gently simmering in a saucepan, until the oats are cooked (about 40 mins)

I topped mine today with peanut butter and honey ❤️

Yes, there’s a lot of honey. And yes, I’ve got a sweet tooth.

Try it and let me know please, you won’t be disappointed!

Greek lamb orzo (Grytharaki)

Posted by annauk1 on November 12, 2019
Posted in: Cypriot recipes, Family recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, lamb, Orzo, Pasta. Leave a comment

This is such an easy peasy, tummy filling, cosy, family recipe. Perfect for Autumn nights.

Serves 4-5.

Start off by sautéing 800g lamb cubes (you shouldn’t need any oil, as lamb does tend to be slightly fatty) Once the meat is browning well, add 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped carrot, 1 small sliced leek, a handful of mushrooms, quartered, 1 chopped red pepper and fry them off with the meat, until everything is coloured well.

This recipe is very forgiving- use any chopped vegetables you have- sometimes I only use onion, sometimes I use chicken thighs, do as you wish and whatever your little heart desires ❤️

Add 1, 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp dried oregano, half a tsp of garlic granules (or 1 clove of garlic crushed) 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 1 lamb stock pot (or a stock cube)

Stir in 500g orzo and 3 large mugs of water.

Salt and Pepper.

Simmer until the orzo is cooked.

* If you are using an instant pot to cook. 7 minutes on manual, with a quick pressure release *

Top with crumbled fetta or grated halloumi.

And just because I mentioned Autumn, here’s a photo I took at Birmingham Botanical Gardens a couple of weeks ago. I love Autumn. ❤️

Revythia (Chickpeas) Yiahni

Posted by annauk1 on November 7, 2019
Posted in: Cypriot recipes, Family recipes, healthy recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Pulses, Vegan, Vegetarian. Leave a comment

Another dish which I made recently in my Instant Pot. I can’t help it. It’s my latest Greeklish Kitchen obsession! 😜

On Wednesdays and Fridays we don’t eat meat due to Religious reasons, as well as for these reasons, I believe it’s good health wise to make some meals meat-free, so this dish is perfect for those days.

Serves 3-4

First of all I soaked 250g of dried chickpeas in water, overnight.

The next day, I drained them and put in the IP, covering them with fresh water. The water should cover the chickpeas by maybe an inch…

Remember that water doesn’t evaporate much in an instant pot, and any left over water will be the basis of the sauce in this dish.

I cooked them on pressure cook setting for 30 mins. I let them pressure release naturally while I lightly browned in a little oil, 2 chopped carrots, 1 finely chopped onion, 3 sliced celery stalks and 2 potatoes cubed into 1inch pieces.

I poured over the veg a 400g tin of finely chopped tomatoes and 1 vegetable stock cube.

Pour the veg and tomatoes over the chickpeas in the IP and cook for a further 15 minutes.

Pressure release naturally.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, simmer the chickpeas until just cooked, then add the veg and tomatoes and keep simmering until everything is beautifully tender.

This could take a considerable amount of time, depending on how old your chickpeas are, obviously the older they are the longer they take to cook.

Delicious and healthy vegan food.

Fasolaki (Or Pizeli) Yiahni

Posted by annauk1 on November 6, 2019
Posted in: Cypriot recipes, Family recipes, Instant Pot Recipes. 6 Comments

Green beans (or peas) in a tomato sauce

Probably one of the best loved Cypriot family recipes, ever.

After the recipe for keftedhes, I’m sure my kids will search for this recipe!

Hey kids, it’s your Mom. Love you. ❤️

This dish can be made with chicken portions, or with lamb chops, pork chops, or indeed with no meat at all and just potatoes and the green beans or peas.

Either in the Instant Pot, or in a large frying pan/wok, brown the meat and potatoes until golden brown.

If using the IP, pour over the meat and potatoes either a 750g bag of frozen green beans, or frozen peas, one tin of finely chopped tomatoes, one chicken stock cube, 2-3 cups of water and a little salt. Cook on pressure cook setting for 10 minutes. Release pressure in whichever way you prefer.

If not using the IP, transfer the chicken and potatoes into a large pot suitable for the hob, pour over the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes and vegetables are tender and the meat (if using) is cooked through.

Instant Pot Meat Curry

Posted by annauk1 on November 6, 2019
Posted in: curry, Instant Pot Recipes. Leave a comment

I do love my kitchen gadgets! My latest obsession being my Instant Pot – a multi cooker which seems to be all the rage and for good reason! It’s practically magic! So far, everything in it seems to cook perfectly!

For this meat curry I used the instant pot on the slow cooker setting, as I wanted the meat (beef, this time) to be melt-in-the-mouth tender….and it really was.

Various google searches kept bringing up a really easy sounding way to make the curry sauce, by simply whizzing everything up in a blender, pouring it over the raw, cubed meat in the IP and letting it slow cook for 8 hours.

Now this goes against how I usually make curry, which usually begins by frying off the chopped onions, garlic and ginger, but hey ho, you only live once right?!

It worked really well!! It was tasty, with a lovely thick sauce and the meat…oh, the meat. Absolutely melting.

Give it a go, you won’t be disappointed!

Serves 4

800g (2 packs) lean meat (beef or lamb

1 LG onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, puréed

2inch piece of ginger, peeled and puréed

1tbsp ground cumin

1tbsp ground coriander

1tbsp ground turmeric

1, 400g tin finely chopped tomatoes

1tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1tsp sugar

1 beef stock cube

Crushed chilli flakes to taste (half-one tsp)

1 cup hot water

1tbsp Garam Masala.

Method:

Simply whizz up the onion, tomatoes, garlic, ginger and spices (except for the Garam Masala) in a blender, pour over the meat cubes which you have put in the bottom of the IP.

Add the Worcestershire sauce, chilli flakes, sugar, hot water and stock cube.

Give it a good old stir. Place the lid on the IP and set to slow cook for 8 hours.

Half an hour before the curry is ready, add the Garam Masala and a small (30g) bunch of chopped fresh coriander.

Replace the lid and cook until the timer goes off (8 hours in total)

Such a little bit of work, for a huge return!I love my Instant Pot. 😍

Can you see my dog in the photograph lurking around? If there’s food, she’s there! 😂