Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Pancakes, in the pressure cooker, in little molds, so sort of like pancake muffins, they're yummy and super easy and totally hands off!





Ok, there's a ton of things you can do with a pressure cooker, and there's a ton of things you should NOT cook in it... just because you can doesn't ever mean you should.  That being said, pancake muffins... yeah man and you use a mix because, if you're going to junk food it, do it all the way.  No, not bisquick, sorry, but no.  get the cheapie all in one pancake mix, the one where you just add water, that's the level of hack we're doing here.  Trust me, when I go rogue, I go all the way and yeah, they're delicious, weird, sure, but yummy.  

Stick with me here, now, the short version:
My chocolate chip Pancake bites.
*In the 7cup “egg bites” silicone mold. They look weird but they're light and fluffy (for steamed puddings) and taste like pancakes, big shock, but also like muffins, also big shock! hahaha
Spray mold with non stick
Put 1 cup water and trivet in pot
Combine well:
1 cup “complete” pancake mix
3/4 cup water
Handful of chocolate chips
Full the mold, use it all.
High pressure 5 minutes
Npr rest for 5 minutes
Remove from pot and let rest 10 minutes.
Pop them out of the mold.
Eat with whatever dipping sauce floats your boat.
I’d say they save or freeze but it’s 7, they all go.

I'm doing a video but wanted to get the quick and dirty details out... enjoy, go make them!!!





Monday, August 27, 2018

Hot Smoked Salmon, inside, using the pressure cooker, this time an instant pot, seriously good, seriously easy

 

I have a smoker and regularly make hot smoked salmon.  I love my smoker and I wished my mom could have the same thing, she doesn't have a smoker.  She does, however, have an instant pot pressure cooker and I decided I would try to find a way she could make the salmon I make here but there, without a smoker.  I think I've done it.

TRACY'S HOT SMOKED SALMON, 

INDOORS, IN A PRESSURE COOKER


Ingredients: 

Salmon, with skin, in 1 inch pieces
salt, sugar, pinch of cinnamon
Pecan or hickory chips
water

Method: 

Cut the salmon into 1 inch pieces

Sprinkle fish with equal amounts of sugar and salt and sprinkle a little cinnamon, leave to dry at room temperature.

Make foil packet, open, with dry wood chips

 

Set pressure cooker to saute, put open foil packet with chips in it on the bottom of the liner pot, let heat and cycle through hot/on for the 30 mins setting. close lid

When cycle finishes, open lid, pour one generous tablespoon of water on the hot chips.
Put trivet and plate with salmon in the pot, close lid.

 

Time for 11 minutes.

  


  


Open, remove salmon, shut off pot.

EAT!

I've done this a number of times and it's delicious and I am thrilled that I can cook for my mom in another country, even though she doesn't have a smoker but we both have pressure cookers :)

x

/tracy

enjoy






Sunday, August 19, 2018

MY steamed Pork Buns, another use for my pressure cooker, as a steamer! bamboo baskets fit perfectly and tonight, it's leftover bbq pork steamed buns

Here's the video link to youtube:;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx4UYMvvqZA 

I made some 'chinese' bbq pork the other day and had a little left.  I chopped it into tiny pieces, threw it in a pan with some of the ingredients i used to make the pork, boiled it and set it aside.  i made some dough, pretty easy, and then married them... may i present my cheap eats, leftover bbq pork steamed buns... ala me


   

TRACY'S BAO(ish) bbq pork steamed buns


DOUGH:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
3/4 cup room temperature water
DUMP it all iin a kitchen aid with dough hook, knead till smooth. OR do it by hand if you have that kind of time and energy
LET it rest, covered, till double, about 45 mins.
Divide into 12 
Roll into balls, let rest
WHILE THE DOUGH IS RESTING, make the filling: 
FILLING:
.
You need about 2 cups of chopped (tiny) meat filling (I made charsiu yesterday, recipe coming)
1 TB light soy
1 TB oyster sauce
1 TB hoisin
1 TB sugar
1/2 cup water
1 TB cornstarch
THROW it all in a saucepan, boil till it's thick, put aside.

Roll balls flat, there's a technique, i'll show you in the video tomorrow. put filling in each, seal and put on parchment squares and put in the steamer to rest about 10 mins.
Put steamer over boiling water, steam 15 mins, remove steamer, covered, and let it rest 5 mins.
Open, eat. 


I'm doing the play by plays and editing a video of the method and it'll be up tomorrow, for now here's the recipe 



BY WAY OF A TEASE; here's the pork

  




Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Poached eggs, perfect every single time, this is a method, not a recipe, c'mon, you can do it

       

TRACY'S POACHED EGGS


THIS is my method for making poached eggs... they're perfect every single time, you an make one or a bunch for a crowd.  SO easy and completely foolproof, seriously, trust me

in  pan of boiling water at least 1 1/2 inched deep, transfer an egg from a small dish, remove from heat immediately and time for 3 minutes.  remove with slotted spoon, leat.

BUT I couldn't leave it alone, so I made toast, added some of the salmon I hot smoked yesterday (yes, recipe on the blog) and put the egg on top then draped some of my cheater hollandaise (yes, on the blog) over it and ate it.  it was so crazy delicious.

IF you like a firmer egg, add 30 second increments till you hit your sweet spot.  MINE is a cooked through but still tender white and a custard runny yolk.

Go make some poached eggs...  then tart them up!

Here's the howto:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaBbwt1Llo0


Friday, May 11, 2018

Hot Fudge Peanut Butter sauce for ice cream or just for eating if it's been a really bad day...

   


I have a recipe in my back pocket for 30 years, easily.  I can make this in my sleep, sometimes with peanut butter, sometimes without.  Nothing else changes, either add it or don't.

It's quick, delicious, rich, thick and you will absolutely love it, I promise.  It tastes like real hot fudge, yeah, it's my party trick piece.  I wasn't going to share it but I have to, you're welcome :D

TRACY'S HOT FUDGE PEANUT BUTTER SAUCE

Ingredients and method, video link below

Use it over ice cream or cake or just eat it


IN a saucepan, combine:

1/2  cup sugar
3 TB cocoa
1.5 TB cornstarch
pinch salt
MIX
1/2 cup water
MIX and BOIL till thick
ADD
1+ TB peanut butter

ADD 2 tsp corn syrup OR golden syrup (optional)

when thick
ADD OFF HEAT
drizzle of vanilla
1 TB butter

MIX and EAT!!!

**add water if it gets too thick after it's cooled a bit**

MICROWAVE instructions:

this is CAN absolutely be made in  a microwave! Just combine the sugar, corn starch, cocoa and water and salt, in a 4 cup measure (this does bubble up)  Nuke till thick, stirring frequently, about 2 mins.  add the peanut butter and optional syrup, nuke 20 seconds.  Add vanilla and butter and stir till melted...  add water if desired to thickness that makes you happy




Here's the video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLZfi0veRwY

go make it...:D

/enjoy!

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Another version of the mini crustless quiche egg bites in the Instant Pot pressure cooker





So, I did a new video to update these little mini crustless quiches, also known as Egg Bites and copycat starbucks sous vide egg bites, but they're just crustless quiches :) so easy, so delicious, so fast and eggs and pressure cookers are just best friends! this is more a method than a recipe. For the babyfood silicone mold, I fill each about 1/3 full of whatever makes me happy. Today it's bacon, green onion, fried onion. sometimes I add potatoes or whatever roasted veggies I have left over, the list of possibilities is ENDLESS.



I use 4 eggs, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/3? cup heavy cream in my blender and whip till smooth.
Fill the mold and steam, over about a cup of water, on steam setting for 7 minutes, leave to rest about 10 and then leave on the counter a few more so they set up. Easy.

Faster than traditional? no way but the texture is different and tender and I prefer them this way to baked. You can add other cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, again the list is endless. Play with what makes you happy.

Go make these. I like to hoard a little of the veggies and/or meats from the week and on the weekend make a mountain of these, in the little molds and in the jars and in whatever else you have and then you have a week of snacks.

I do like to take these, when they're cold, and slice and put them in sandwiches...too yummy!

Here's the link to my youtube video with the details and some chatting


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg6qeWEVsIU&t=252s


/enjoy



Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Cold start Yogurt in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, Duo 6qt

This is less a recipe than a method:


    


YOGURT in the PRESSURE COOKER

It's easy,
52 oz Fairlife Milk, 2% or whole 1 generous tablespoon unflavored, greek style, yogurt

Combine in a cold cooker, put a lid on top and set YOGURT button to 8 hours When it's done, transfer liner, covered, to the fridge and leave to chill completely (I do overnight) Transfer the yogurt to containers or strain it. Save the whey to use in cooking in place of any liquid in a savory dish. It will stay in the fridge for a couple of weeks, then make more!




I did a video of all the steps:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQP0x-v5u6Y

/enjoy

Monday, April 30, 2018

Just Lemon Curd (or orange or lime or grapefruit)


My super easy lemon curd 

I used to have a ton of recipes for lemon curd.  Double boilers and fretting about over cooking or separating.  Those days are long long gone.

Enter my easiest most delicious lemon curd ever.  Don't blink, this is the easiest lemon curd you will ever, ever, make.

When it's chilled, fill tart shells, put it in crepes, cakes, on toast!  Spread it on crumpets, scones or biscuits.  Use it anywhere you'd use jam or jelly.  Leave it covered in the fridge and eat it with your finger.

In a medium saucepan, combine:

1 egg plus 2 whites.  (I break 3 eggs into the pan and carefully remove 2 yolks but do it however you get there!)
3/4 + 2 teaspoons cup sugar (yes, I'm this persnickety)
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2/3 cup lemon juice (I cheat and use half fresh and half jarred!)
1 Tablespoon butter
pinch of salt

Whisk everything except butter and salt in saucepan.

Ok, now put it on medium low heat and stand at the stove with it and whisk it slowly and gently and constantly.   Don't let it boil, obviously, you'll have a disgusting mess.  If you think it's getting too hot, slide it off heat for a moment, keep whisking then slide it back onto the heat. I dare you to tell me you don't have 6 spare minutes to make the best lemon curd, E.V.E.R.

Cook it until it's thick and beautiful and the consistency of thick moisturizer!  It should leave a line on the back of a wooden spoon.  I use the "can I see the whisk marks on the bottom of the pan" test, that's when I take it off heat.

Add the salt and butter off heat.

Strain the mixture into a beautiful glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap, right down on the surface of the curd or a yukky skin will form and you'll lose some of it, we cannot have THAT!

Push it to the back of the counter for a while then put it in the fridge to chill and thicken and set up.

I wasn't going to share my recipe but guilt got the better of me. 

I did a youtube video of the process...  go take a look, 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvD-bsU0BQQ


You need Hollandaise right NOW, this is how you can get it.....

This is a quickie, driveby recipe.  I have a video on youtube with the recipes as well, the link is below. 

While I have you, here's the hollandaise I make:

  



TRACY'S QUICK CHEATERS HOLLANDAISE


Make it with a stick blender

In a narrow jar

2 egg yolk
2 tsp each of water and lemon juice
pinch of salt, pinch of cayenne

In a 2 cup measure, microwave till boiling
1/2 cup unsalted butter (I measure 120 gm)

*IF you use salted butter, omit the salt in the egg.

Blend the egg and water/lemon then slowly drizzle the boiling butter in while you blend the whole time. 

It's thick and creamy and delicious. It keeps in the fridge for a long time, I scoop some out and put in a hot jar to reheat as required

Enjoy!! 

Here's the video! 


thanks for watching, enjoy! 


Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Pinto Beans in my Instant Pot pressure cooker, easy, no soaking... OH and they're yummy!


I make pinto beans in my pressure cooker, today in the instant pot.  I never plan ahead well enough to soak and boil and season and cook... I'm a dump and run kind of gal and this recipe is the perfect side for those us who plan badly.

TRACY'S PRESSURE COOKER PINTO BEANS

RECIPE

1 LB bag of pinto beans
1 onion (plus garlic if you're so inclined)
1 can tomato with chili, I use Hatch but Rotel is the name brand
fat of some sort
water
salt pepper

***you can add whatever you like!  chilies, green roasted or red, garlic, celery (? some people do) you can add peppers, roasted or not, the list of possibilities is endless!

Drop fat in hot pressure cooker.  Fry the onion till it's tender and a little coloured.  Add the can of chili and tomato and water to come to 2 cups measure.  Add the beans and dpressure cook on high for 48 minutes.  Natural or quick (gentle) release and you're done!

METHOD and PLAY by PLAY pics


turn pressure cooker to saute and when it's hot, add some fat and the chopped onion
   

Add water to just shy of the 2 cup mark, add the can of tomato with chili, the liquid should come to the 2 cup mark.  Add the picked beans
   

Stir it all up, set the pressure to high and time 48 minutes.  It won't take too long to come to pressure because the pot was hot.  You can either quick release or just leave it, I tend to forget about it and just leave it,  open and look how beautifully cooked they are!  perfect, not mushy but cooked through, yeah, they are yummy.  THIS is when you salt and pepper and serve up.
   
  

Try these beans, they're easy, delicious and you don't have to plan ahead.  

I hope you made these and enjoy them. 

/enjoy