Beef and broccoli in the Instant pot Pressure cooker, you're going to love this

Alright, here it is... I did beef and broccoli in the pressure cooker (the Instant-pot) and it's tender and rich and tasty and amazing, it's pretty quick and super easy. 

The cheap, tough, cuts of meat are the wheelhouse for pressure cookers.  IF you don't have one, get one, if you have one, use it for this sort of cut of meat. 

Here's the link to the video and recipe, enjoy!  Let me know what you think and when you make it. 

Oh and full disclosure, it's absolutely easy to double, you are going to want to

https://youtu.be/nGoOoMRbYbk

/enjoy

Aioli! I have a shorter, better, method... no one has time for one drop at a time

DriveBy recipe, it's a QUICKIE!!!  

I always have a batch of aioli in my fridge.  This is the short and sweet method, you're going to love it, go make it... here's the link to the video and recipe... let me know how you love it!  

https://youtu.be/dY3JkHM0ZKM

/enjoy

THE Pressure Cooker Creamy Cheesecake, with my oh so secret topping, in a 7 inch springform pan, better than all of them :) trust me THIS is the one you want to make

I love cheesecake, I love smooth, creamy cheesecake.  I don't like that crumbly style cheesecake, if that's the sort you like, avert your eyes because this is smooth, creamy, delicious and makes you want more more more of it.

I have to admit, I usually make the mini cheesecake in a jar:
http://www.tracycooksinaustin.com/2013/01/mini-pressure-cooker-cheesecake-in-jars.html

BUT sometimes I need a whole cheesecake to present, or just to make :).  I do own a 7 inch springform pan, go get one, they're fabulous for not only cheesecake but bread pudding, other cakes, all made in my pressure cooker.  Yeah, it's pretty crazy how much deliciousness you can make in one pan. But, as usual, I digress.  This is super easy, no fuss, no drama or leaving things in open ovens or fretting over the cracks, oh hell, life is way too short for that.  This is straight forward, 15 min cook time and a few minutes of rest then a chill and there you have it, one of the best cheesecakes I have ever made and have ever had.

TRACY'S CREAMY CHEESECAKE IN THE PRESSURE COOKER

INGREDIENTS

CRUST
12 graham crackers
4 1/2 Tbsp of soft or melted butter

FILLING
2 blocks ROOM TEMPERATURE (8 oz each) cream cheese
1Tbsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs
drizzle of lemon juice (optional)

TOPPING
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp sugar

Ok, there you go.

METHOD

Combine crackers and butter in cuisinart, press into a 7 inch springform pan.
Clean bowl :) sorry but we can't have crumbs in our cheesecake
Combine 2 blocks cream cheese with sugar, lemon, vanilla, salt till smooth smooth smooooooth
Add 2 eggs and a drizzle of lemon if you're using it
Combine and leave to beat for a couple of minutes you want smooooooooooth, scrape down a few times.
Pour lovely smooth soft mixture into the lined pan.

IN pressure cooker, put about 2 cups of water and a trivet that fits in the bottom, I got mine at the dollar store, it's a warmer that you use with a tea candle, cost me a buck,  Use what you have.

Make an aluminum sleeve, purely to help lift the cake from the cooker, if you don't want to, don't.

Place cheesecake on trivet over the water, lock and load, high pressure, 15 minutes.

DING, just unplug your unit and leave it to come down naturally, about 10 minutes?  Open it and if there's a little water on top of your cheesecake just tip it and use kitchen paper to dab it up, no worries, it's just condensation from resting while the pressure came down.

While the cheesecake is still warm, put the topping on it, gently smooth it out and leave it on the counter to cool completely.

Cover and put in the fridge..  8 hours... wait for it, wait for it, trust me now.........

PLAY BY PLAY PICS.....

    

    

   

   

   

I like a little of my strawberry compote drizzled on top but ANY topping is great, fresh fruit, chocolate, caramel, anything at all

  

You're going to want to go and make this, seriously, right now.  I'd wax poetic and tell you more details of how wonderful this is but, c'mon, I have a plate and a fork and, well.............cheesecake

/enjoy

Lavash Herbed Flatbread. This is my version, such as it is, oh and that would be absolutely delicious

My Nana used to bring Lavash flatbread with her when she visited us from Chicago, Winnetka actually.  She and my mom would doctor it up with butter and herbs.  It was delicious.  They'd keep it in cookie tins in the kitchen and I would sneak a hunk every.single.time I'd walk by.

I need to get hold of my sister and see if she has such delicious memories of it.

I have used Lavash as a wrap, it's super thin flatbread, similar to a gigantic tortilla but without the fat so based on that alone, I call it diet food.  I try not to pay attention to the aioli that I usually slather it in.  All natural equals healthy enough for me and since *I* make the aioli and the bread, my committee has no problems whatsoever eating it regularly.

I had a hankering the other day for the crispy, doctored up version my mom and Nana used to make.  I got hold of mum and she shared the secret herb blend, ahhhhhhh the memories of my youth. 

This is the easiest bread on earth to make, truly.  It's soft if you under cook it, crisp if you cook it longer, and crazy, shatteringly crisp and buttery and herby if you slather it and cover it liberally after you've cooked it, a quick 2 minutes back in a screaming hot oven will result in the most delicious, crispy, crunchy flavorful pile of shrapnel that goes with any gathering. 

Try this, trust me on this one: 

TRACY'S HERBED LAVASH FLATBREAD RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

This makes 8 GIGANTIC breads to cook and break up.  The pictures below are a half recipe in case you'd thought you'd lost your minds.  So, if you just want a small batch, you can easily half this recipe. 

For 8 flatbreads

3 cups a/p flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup hottest tap water
splash of olive oil (optional)

Topping:

Melted butter OR olive oil

Herbs:

Any combination of herbs that you like.  I don't share MY herb blend because I sell the bread and I sell the herbs separately too.

You can combine any herbs that you love, some suggestions are maybe:

parsley
sage
rosemary
thyme

herbs de provence

I know my mom has snuck garlic powder in on her blend but I prefer it without because of my need for flavors of my childhood. 

INSTRUCTIONS 

and play by play pictures.  (*these pictures are of a half recipe)

Combine in a kitchenaid with a hook and mix/knead until smooth.  About 3 minutes.  

OR

Combine in a bowl, mix and knead by hand till smooth.  About 5 minutes.  For these pics, I did a half recipe and refuse to haul out 'big red' for a cup and a half of flour

   

    

   

See?  No kitchenaid is no reason not to make this.  (how many negatives can I get into one sentence?)

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, roll into balls.  Place on in a heavily floured plate, flour the balls and place into a plastic bag.   Leave to rest 40 minutes. 

Mix herbs/spices

Melt 6+ TB butter

Preheat oven, with pizza stone OR inverted cookie sheet to 500 degrees.  This cooks hot and it cooks fast.  Life's too short to wait for culinary delight. 

I roll one piece of the dough on a floured piece of parchment paper.  You can reuse it for the whole recipe to cook all 8.  You want to roll it paper thin, thinner than that, you want to about see through it, it should roll out to a 12 or 13 inch circle.  Seriously.  Use flour as needed and brush it off before it goes into the oven.

    

    

  

Slide the parchment onto a peel and put it on the screaming hot stone or sheet pan.  Bake 3 minutes.  Spin if your oven is a little uneven.  Mine is so I spin and remove the parchment at 2 minutes done, which is easy to remove from under the flatbread, for the last minute.. 

Remove from oven with tongs and put it between kitchen towels.  I spray water on the top towel.  It keeps the bread supple if you want.

    

When they're all cooked, spread each with melted butter (OR you can use olive oil!) and sprinkle your herb mix on liberally.  Slip back into the oven, straight on the stone or pan, for 2 minutes.  Remove to a rack to cool and become shatteringly crisp.

    

    

    

Break into shards and keep in a tin.  Mine doesn't really last long enough to require a tin but I'm forever hopeful I'll eventually be able to fill a tin and not eat it all...

Here's just some random beauty shots

   

You'll love this and it'll be your new goto party piece to take along. 

Trust me, you'l love it. 

/enjoy

Tracy