Banana Muffins

Ingredients

• 3 large ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup oil (vegetable oil is best)
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line your muffin tin with 12 paper muffin cups.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until no large pieces remain.
3. Add the sugar, egg and oil and mix with a wooden spoon until everything is incorporated.
4. Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a separate mixing bowl and stir them together with a fork. Once they’re mixed together, dump the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
5. Using a wooden spoon, carefully mix the wet and the dry ingredients together. The danger here is over-mixing which will result in dense, flat and dry muffins. The best technique for mixing is to scoop underneath the mixture and pull up gently instead of stirring around in a circle (like you’d stir your coffee, for example). Continue mixing this way just until the dry ingredients have been incorporated. It’s fine if there are a few small streaks of flour in the batter; it’s the large pockets of flour you want to make sure are incorporated.
6. Spoon the batter into 12 lined muffin cups. Try your best to ensure you fill the cups evenly. This will ensure each of the muffins is finished baking at the same time (you don’t want some over-baked and some raw in the middle!)
7. Bake the muffins in the oven at 350 degrees for about 23 minutes (anywhere from 22-25 minutes, depending on your oven), or until they are golden brown.
8. Let them cool in the tins for about 5 minutes and then turn them out of the tins to let them cool completely on a cooling rack. Or, enjoy one warm from the oven slathered in butter.

Moroccan Chicken - Instant Pot

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 1.5 lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless
• 1.5 cups chicken broth
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onions
• 1 teaspoon ginger minced
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 can chickpeas drained
• 1/2 cup dried cherries/raisins/apricots
• optional: finely chopped cilantro leaves or parsley leaves

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix together paprika, turmeric, cumin, salt, and pepper.
2. Coat chicken with spice rub as evenly as possible on both sides. Set aside on a plate.
3. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the bottom of the Instant Pot pan.
4. Press SAUTE mode on the Instant Pot.
5. Add chicken to Instant Pot and cook until slightly brown. Then flip over each piece of chicken and continue cooking until that side is slightly browned. Remove from Instant Pot and set aside on a plate.
6. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the bottom of the pot.
7. Add garlic, onions, and ginger. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring slowly.
8. Add quinoa, dried cherries, chickpeas, chicken broth, and the browned chicken.
9. Close the Instant Pot lid and be sure the knob is in SEALING.
10. Press POULTRY (or manual) and set to 10 minutes.
11. Instant Pot will bring contents to pressure and the display will say ON during this time. Once the contents have reached pressure, the Instant Pot will beep and start counting down 10 minutes. At the end, using tongs, very carefully turn the knob to VENTING in order to Quick Release.
12. Once the float valve pin is down, and steam stops being released through the valve (this can take a few minutes; your time may vary), press CANCEL and carefully open the lid.
13. Chicken will be done if a thermometer registers 165 degrees F.
14. Plate, garnish with optional cilantro or parsley leaves, and serve immediately.

http://www.urbanblisslife.com/healthy-instant-pot-moroccan-chicken/

Chicken Pad Thai - Instant Pot

Servings 4-6 servings

Prep Time 15minutes

Cook Time 15-20minutes

Ingredients
2tbsp olive oil
2 chicken breasts, diced
4cloves garlic minced
3tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1/2cup jarred pad thai sauce (I like Thai Kitchen brand)
1 1/2cups water
1/2package thick rice noodles
1cup Carrot matchsticks
1/2each red and yellow pepper, sliced
4 green onions, sliced
1/3cup chopped peanuts
1/3cup fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Add olive oil, chicken, garlic, soy sauce, pad thai sauce, water and rice noodles to Instant Pot in that order, leaving noodles floating slightly above other ingredients. Set to manual and pressure cook on high for 2 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to pre-heat and then 2 minutes to cook. When complete, press cancel and do a quick release of the steam, waiting until the pressure gauge drops back down and the lid is safe to open.
2. Add carrot matchsticks, bell peppers and half of peanuts, tossing carefully with tongs. Place lid back on and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Remove lid and serve, then top with green onions, remaining chopped peanuts and cilantro. Enjoy!

No-Knead Bread

Ingredients

6 cups bread flour (recommended) or all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 t. instant or active-dry yeast
2 1/2 t. salt
2 2/3 c. cool water

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the water and stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated; the dough should be wet and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest 12-18 hours on the counter at room temperature. When surface of the risen dough has darkened slightly, smells yeasty, and is dotted with bubbles, it is ready.
2. Lightly flour your hands and a work surface. Place dough on work surface and sprinkle with more flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice and, using floured fingers, tuck the dough underneath to form a rough ball.
3. Place a full sheet/large rectangle of parchment paper on a cotton towel and dust it with enough flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran to prevent the dough from sticking to the parchment paper as it rises; place dough seam side down on the parchment paper and dust with more flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran. Pull the corners of parchment paper around the loaf, wrapping it completely. Do the same with the towel. Let rise for about 2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
4. After about 1 1/2 hours, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a 6-8 quart heavy covered pot, such as a cast-iron Dutch oven, in the oven as it heats. When the dough has fully risen, carefully remove pot from oven. Unwrap the towel and parchment paper from around the dough and slide your hand under the bottom of the dough ball; flip the dough over into pot, seam side up. Pull the parchment paper off, scraping any stuck dough into the pan. Shake pan once or twice if dough looks unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
5. Cover and bake for 50 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 10-15 more minutes, until the crust is a deep chestnut brown. The internal temperature of the bread should be around 200 degrees. You can check this with a meat thermometer, if desired.
6. Remove the bread from the pot and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Chicken Congee - Instant Pot

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup (173 g) Jasmine rice (using standard 250 ml cup)
6.5 - 7 cups cold water (using standard 250 ml cup)
5 – 6 chicken drumsticks
1 tablespoon ginger, sliced into strips
Green onions for garnish
Salt to taste


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rinse 173g (3/4 standard cup) of rice in the pot under cold water by gently scrubbing the rice with your fingertips in a circling motion. Pour out the milky water, and continue to rinse until water is clear. Drain well.
2. Add ginger, 5-6 chicken drumsticks and 6.5 - 7 cups of cold water (using standard 250 ml cup) into the pot. Do not add salt at this point. (The ratio is 1 cup rice to 9 - 9.75 cups of water)
3. Close the lid immediately and cook at high pressure for 30 minutes + Natural Release in an Electric Pressure Cooker.
4. Open the lid carefully. The congee will look watery at this point.
5. Heat up the pot (Instant Pot: press Sauté button), stir until desired thickness & consistency. Season with salt.
6. Use tongs and fork to separate the chicken meat from the bones (they literally fall off the bone) and remove the chicken bones and skin (if desired).
7. Remove congee from heat and garnish with green onions.
8. Serve immediately.

Chicken Pho (Pho Ga) #2 - Instant Pot

INGREDIENTS

14 oz rice noodles
1 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin
1 large yellow onion halved
1 2-inch piece ginger cut into 1/4 inch slices and slightly smashed
3 cardamom pods lightly smashed
1 cinnamon stick
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
3 star anise pods
5 cloves
1 fuji apple peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 chunks
1/2 cup coarsley chopped cilantro leaves
6 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
3 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

TOPPINGS

1 lime cut into wedges
2 jalapenos thinly sliced
1/2 red onion thinly sliced and soaked in cold water for 10 minutes
Fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, basil)
Bean sprouts
Sriracha sauce
Daikon radish sprouts (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak the noodles in large bowl of warm water for 30-45 minutes. Set aside while you prepare the pho broth.
2. Add the oil to your Instant Pot and select the sautee option. One hot, add onion cutside down, and ginger. Cook, without stirring, for about 4 minutes, until slightly charred.
3. Add cardamom, cinnamon stick, coriander, star anise and cloves and cook for 1 minute longer, until fragrant. Add the water to the pot along with apple, cilantro, chicken, fish sauce, and sugar. Secure the lid.
4. Select Manual and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes.
5. When done, turn off the Instant Pot and let the pressure decrease naturally for 10 minutes. Set a timer and if the pressure hasn’t completely released when it goes off, turn the valve at the top to release any remaining pressure.
6. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside. Strain the broth and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Skim some of the fat from the broth.
7. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the bones and divide the meat among 4 large soup bowls. (Reserve the bones for making bone broth.) Strain the noodles and divide them among the 4 bowls.

Mac and Cheese - Instant Pot

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound uncooked whole wheat pasta
• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese
• 1 cup whole milk

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Noodles: Put the whole wheat pasta, water, butter, and salt into the Instant Pot. Cook for 4 minutes using the manual function. You can release the steam in two ways: 1) Quick release the steam using the valve on top immediately after the timer goes off (note: this can cause some butter to spray out, so be prepared with a towel); or 2) Do natural release for 10 minutes – there will still be a little bit of steam, but it will avoid the butter spray. When it’s done, the noodles should have a thin layer of starchy, buttery sauce on them.
2. Cheese: Gently stir in the cheese and milk. Add more seasoning or liquid as necessary. MWAH! Enjoy. It’s so, so good.

NOTES

Butter Spray: After some feedback about the butter spraying out during the quick release, we re-tested the recipe and found that doing a natural release for 10 mins avoids the buttery spray. There will still be a little bit of steam to release when you turn the valve, but will be much more minimal of a mess.
My favorite cheese combo is 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup Italian blend shredded cheese. Really, any kind of cheese you like will be good here. I lean towards smooth-melting cheeses such as cheddar, gouda, gruyere, Monterrey jack, etc. Stringy cheeses (i.e. Mozzarella or Provolone) might be tricky to work with (think ooey gooey cheese bomb) but would obvi still taste awesome.
I tried this with gluten free noodles and did not have great results – they just turned to mush. Sad face. I am writing the recipe to include whole wheat noodles because they kept their shape the best.
I often add a pinch of garlic salt or a swish of hot sauce when serving. I can’t not.