Pressure Cooker Wild Rice Soup

Pressure Cooker Wild Rice Soup

6 tsp Better than bouillon Vegetarian

6 cups water

1 cup wild rice, uncooked

1 cup diced carrots

3/4 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced onion

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

2 cups whole milk

Pepper

Add bouillon, water, rice, carrots, celery and onion and poultry seasoning to the pressure cooker.

On high put the time for 30 minutes. 

When 30 minutes is up on the pressure cooker, Make the roux.

Add butter to pan, let melt. 

Once melted add flour, stir and cook for a few minutes.

Slowly add in the milk whisking at the same time to eliminate lumps, add pepper.

Open up the pressure cooker by releasing the pressure.  Add some of the liquid to the roux to thin it out.  

When it is thin enough add it to the pressure cooker with the rice and vegetables.

Stir until mixed.  If too thick add more milk. 

It should be fairly thick.  

To add chicken: add 1 lbs chicken breast raw to the first part with rice and vegetables. 

take out after 30 minutes and shred, add back to pot and add the roux. 

Enjoy. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Easy Refried Pinto Beans

Easy Refried Pinto Beans

1 lbs dried pinto beans (soak overnight, drain the water or rinse beans the day of making them)

1 medium onion diced

1 jalapeno sliced with seeds

2 Tbls chopped garlic

3 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp cumin

4 cups water

4 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)

additional water if it gets dry

Add everything to a roaster oven 6 Qt.  Cook between 300-350 for 3-4 hours until beans are soft. Stir occasionally.  Add additional water if it gets too dry. 

When beans are tender:

Drain liquid, blend everything with an immersion blender. Keep the bean juice incase you have to add more to thin the beans out.  enjoy.

If you don't have a roaster oven, use a crockpot on high for 8 hours.

Or use a pressure cooker for 1 hour.  

PRINTABLE RECIPE

This is the roaster oven I use to make these beans.  

These beans are easy to freeze.  Just add a little water to loosen them up so they don't dry out.  

Mexican Ground Beef

Mexican Ground Beef

2 lbs ground hamburger, raw

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp ground chipotle pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 can beef consume, campbell's or beef stock

1 can water

Add all ingredients in a pot, (yes even the raw hamburger), boil then reduce to medium heat for 1 hour.  

Stirring occasionally.  

When cooked, break up large pieces.

Drain liquid and enjoy the meat.  

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Red peppers are loaded 2 times more than an orange in Vitamin C.  They also are packed with antioxidants.  So make this soup during the cold season and see if it helps reduce your cold.  

2 medium red peppers

1 Tbls olive oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

1 tsp salt and pepper each

1 tsp minced garlic

2 cups vegetable broth

2 Tbls tapioca or potato starch (I used corn starch)

13.66 oz Thai coconut milk (unsweetened)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1//4 tsp ground mustard

1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes up to 1 tsp

pinch of ginger

Roast the red peppers in a 475 degree oven for 20 mins total. Turn the pepper after 10 mins.

Broil the peppers for 2-3 mins.

Remove from the oven, place peppers in a zip lock bag until cooled off.

Remove the skin and seeds from the pepper. set aside.

In a large soup pot, add olive oil, onions, salt and pepper.  Sauté until soft. 

Add garlic for a few seconds- don't burn

add vegetable stock and corn starch, mix until smooth.

add coconut milk and spices.

add in red peppers

blend with an immersion blender (or a blender. )

bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins. 

makes a small batch about 3 small containers.

Double the recipe.

Enjoy!

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Organic Frozen Raspberry Lemon Balsamic Vinegar Jam

Organic Frozen Raspberry Lemon Balsamic Vinegar Jam

1 bag (10 oz) frozen organic Raspberries 

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp traditional balsamic vinegar

Add everything to a pot, cook on medium for 15 mins until it starts to get thick. 

Add to  jar (8 oz) it won't all fit. You will have some to sample. 

cool on counter, then refrigerate.

I use a wide mouth jar and seal with my food saver and then refrigerate. 

I cooked mine for 20 mins and it was too thick.

I ALMOST ALWAYS DOUBLE THIS RECIPE. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Firecracker Chicken Meatballs

I found this recipe on the internet and changed a few things up. They would be really good for appetizers at a get together.

Firecracker Chicken Meatballs

CHICKEN MEATBALLS:

1 package (1.75lbs) boneless chicken thighs (partially frozen)

2 tsp minced garlic

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 large egg

1/4 c italian breadcrumbs

1/4 c panko breadcrumbs

1/4 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp onion powder

SAUCE:

1/4 cup Franks hot sauce

1/2 c brown sugar

1 TBLs apple cider vinegar

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (less if you don't like hot, I didn't think it was hot)

I ground my chicken thighs partially frozen with my kitchen aide grinder with the smaller grinder

add the rest of the ingredients of the chicken meatballs and mix just until blended. Don't over mix or the meatballs will be tough.

I scooped the chicken mixture with a small cookie scoop onto a cookie pan lined with tinfoil sprayed with pam spray.

I then gently rolled each one into a ball.

preheat the oven to 475 degrees

Bake 11 minutes.  

While the chicken meatballs are baking make the sauce.

Add all the sauce ingredients to a small sauce pan.  Heat until boiling, then decrease heat to simmer for 8 minutes.

Once the chicken meatballs are done cooking add them to the sauce until all are covered. 

Then I added the chicken meatballs and sauce to a crockpot and put it on "keep warm".

Mix the chicken meatballs and sauce every once in a while so each one stays coated with the sauce. 

ENJOY

This recipe makes a small batch.  If you go through the trouble of grinding the meat buy 2 or 3 packages at a time.  You can freeze the chicken meatballs after they have been cooked.  When you want to cook them, bake them in the oven until thawed or in a pan, then add the sauce.  

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Traditional Red Sauce

Olive oil

1 large white onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 stick salted butter

5 cans (28 ounce each) San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes (these tomatoes are from Italy, if you use a different brand, it will taste different. Usually found in the Italian section where you find Italian pasta)

2 Tbls pepper

2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 cup red wine

In a large pot add olive oil to cover the bottom and add onions and garlic.  Cook on real low heat until soft. Be careful not to burn the garlic. That is why you cook it on slow.  If you tend to cook with the heat high, add onions and cook until soft, then add garlic at the end for 30 seconds.  

Burned garlic will ruin your sauce.

Next add butter to melt.

Then add cans of tomato and all the seasonings.  

Use an immersion blender and blend up the tomatoes and onion so there isn't anymore chunks.

Add the wine.

Cook in the pot for at least 2 hours or 2 1/2 hours. 

Stir every 15 minutes on simmer.  

You will see the sauce start to thicken and darken in color.

PRINTABLE RECIPE  

Quick Red Sauce

Olive oil

1/2 yellow onion diced fine

3-4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1/2 TBLS black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

1/4 tsp dried thyme

28 ounces can whole peeled San Marzano tomato (tomatoes make a difference in taste)

1/4 cup red wine. medium sweet

1 large sprig of fresh basil. put it in at the beginning of cooking. 

Put the olive oil is a medium sized pot and add onions and garlic. Have the heat on low, very low. Don't rush this part. You don't want to burn the garlic or brown the onions. You want the onions and garlic to very slowly cook in the olive oil. around a good 20-30 minutes. If you are rushed for time, just add the onions and cook until soft, then add in the garlic for a couple of minuted on low. DON'T BURN the garlic. 

add all the seasonings and cook 1-2 minutes. 

Add the can of tomatoes and stir it around.

Add the wine. 

I like to mash and break up the tomatoes. 

I also prefer to blend the red sauce with an emersion blender, but if you don't have that, just mash it up.

Simmer on low for 30 minutes stirring every 10-15 minutes. 

You can cook it longer if you want. I cooked mine another 15 minutes. 

You can add it to pasta like this or add 1/4 lbs of cooked italian sausage. 

You also can add a large sprig of fresh basil if you have it while it is cooking. it adds sooo much flavor. 

If you can find crushed you can use that and avoid using the emersion blender. But I have a hard time finding crushed.

Easy to freeze. I put 32 ounces in 4 Tupperware. Leave space at top for it to expand.