Mini crustless quiche in those little jars, so easy, so handy, so delicious, did i mention so easy?

I like little quiches and I can never ever be bothered to deal with pastry in the morning.  I have been making little mini quiches in little mini muffin tins for about a hundred years.  when I got my pressure cookers a few years ago, I went through a phase of seeing what I could cook in little jars in the pressure cooker.  The list was LONG and basically I haven't had any failures yet.  I started making quiche in these little jars a few years back and never thought they were particularly recipe worthy or video worthy.  A friend asked me if I would please do a recipe and a video so here it is.

You don't need any fancy equipment.  I use these little 4 oz jars but you can use ramekins or whatever little vessels you have  NO need for any high ticket items.  I do own some silicone mini holder things that work fine but I think I actually prefer the little jars for cooking, storing, cleaning and just I may be a card carrying little jar addict.

  

Here's the

TRACY'S MINI CRUST-LESS QUICHE 

IN LITTLE JARS; IN THE PRESSURE COOKER

INGREDIENTS

eggs
milk
salt, pepper, herbs if you like
green onions
any other item you like in a quiche
peppers
onions
garlic
bacon
cheese
cooked vegetables
tomatoes
anything from the garden
anything from the freezer
anything from the pantry

truly, the list is endless, use what you like.

METHOD

Butter jars or ramekins well.  Half fill them loosely with whatever filling you like.  Fill the jars with eggs (one per jar/ramekin) and some milk mixed with salt, pepper and herbs if you like.

Place jars, uncovered, on trivet in pressure cooker over TWO CUPS of water.
LOCK AND LOAD on HIGH pressure for 8 minutes, leave for 3 minutes after timer stops.
Release remaining pressure, remove to rack (with tongs!) and allow to cool before covering and storing.  OR run a knife around the edge, and tip out onto a plate and eat eat eat

Here's the video, these are so easy, seriously, just go make these

MISSISSIPPI Roast but wait; not with chuck but with Chicken Thighs! It's way cheaper and it's way delicious oh and did I mention I cook it in the pressure cooker? Yeah

MISSISSIPPI Roast but wait...I make it with Chicken Thighs!  It's way cheaper and it's way delicious oh and did I mention I cook it in the pressure cooker? Yeah I did. 

This is how you do it.  I didn't do play by play shots, I didn't think of it until we were eating then I realized YOU had to make this too...  I'll make it again and will do a video

TRACY'S MISSISSIPPI ROAST BUT WITH CHICKEN (IN THE PRESSURE COOKER)

INGREDIENTS

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (get the family pack)
1 package dry ranch dressing
1 package dry gravy mix
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup for my non American people)
12 peperoncino peppers, plus a little dribble of brine from the jar
1/2 cup of water

METHOD

I cut the extra fat off the thighs and brown them in a little oil.  
*don't brown the chicken in the pressure cooker, it just doesn't get hot enough, I try and try but it just is no good, use a little pan, brown a couple at a time and drop them into the cooker as you do.*
Add the water to the pressure cooker and put the chicken in. 
Sprinkle the dry mixes over the chicken, put the butter on top, the peppers around and dribble a little brine over.  DON'T MIX IT IN, just layer it all
Lock and Load the pressure cooker, set to HIGH pressure for 15 minutes.
Let the cooker come down naturally, open,
EAT

This keeps well for HOURS on warm, it freezes beautifully.  You can shred the chicken for sandwiches or just eat them over rice or potatoes, it's just crazy delicious and I think I might prefer it to the chuck version. 

Make it, it's amazing 

When you open the lid, wow.  the dark brown is some of the gravy mix, a quick stir and it dissolves, so so good

 

I served over rice with steamed green beans, oh did I mention so so good.

 

/enjoy

Chinese pie VIDEO tutorial, the mashed potato topping too

This is a super quick, easy, cheap and delicious meal, it's a one pot on the stove and into the oven.  These are the videos, just go make it, trust me, you're going to love it.

Here is the blog post link to my Chinese pie:
http://www.tracycooksinaustin.com/2013/02/chinese-pie-isnt-this-cottage-pie.html


I was asked to do a video, so I did... it includes two videos, one for the pie and one for the pressure cooked mashed potatoes.

Hope they're clear enough, oh and be kind, I'm new at this.

the mashed potatoes recipe is:

6 potatoes peeled and cut into hunks
salt, pepper, water, milk, butter

Place the potatoes on a rack in the pressure cooker over about an inch of water, lock and load, high pressure for 8 minutes.

Remove the rack and drain the water out, put the potatoes back in the hot insert and mash, add butter and salt, pepper and milk as you like.  EAT.

Here's the video:

PITA BREAD for every day, 2 hours from idea to eating and did I mention how delicious they are? stuffed with EVERYTHING!

I have a couple of pressure cookers, one Nesco and one Instantpot.  I make mountains of tender fall off the bone fall apart meat in them pressure cookers.

Oh and yes, ALL electric pressure cookers are basically the same, don't fall for the hype, the only thing different is some preset buttons, the numbers of button and on yogurt function that you can recreate in a crockpot.  THAT being said, I make a lot of tender stuff and sometimes, you want something to HOLD the stuff that isn't a tortilla.  No offense to the tortilla fans.

Enter the PITA BREAD, yeah baby, I have been futzing with this recipe for a really long time and now it's ready for it's close up.  I prefer using pita for sandwiches and wraps because I have the choice of opening it and using the pocket OR not cutting it and having a fatter version, more like a naan, which by the way, if you spread these with butter and/or garlic you will think you're eating the best naan on earth.  BUT, as usual, I digress.

Another bread moment is that yes, you DO need to go get a small digital scale.  They are CHEAP and they really do help with consistency in breads.  Flour is scooped differently by all of us and using a scale is just easier, better and go get one.  I have the KAMENSTEIN DIGITAL FOOD SCALE  (NO, they don't pay me for recommendations, no one does) and I love it, I got it at Costco for $10? a couple of years ago, they have great customer service, I think I blogged about it.  THAT is the scale to get if you're looking for my input.

This recipe is fabulous because from thinking about it to eating it, it's about 2 hours and a bit maybe? depending on how warm your kitchen is.  This is a keeper and you need to go make it.

TRACY'S PITA BREAD

INGREDIENTS

375 grams all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
8 g yeast
250 +/- water, slightly better than room temperature
(IF you want to get chefy, you can add some dried flavorings, like onion powder or garlic powder or herbs)

IN a food processor, or large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Add 1/2 of the water and stir, mix and gradually add water until a soft, supple, slightly sticky dough forms.  Knead with machine (or by hand if you're so inclined) until it's a smooth dough.

Cover, leave to rise till double.  Maybe 45 mins?

PREHEAT OVEN TO THE HIGHEST SETTING with either unglazed quarry tiles in there (that's what i use) OR with a pizza stone OR with an inverted cookie sheet.  SEE, no reason not to make these.

Divide into 8 balls, approximately 80g each, leave to rest about 20 minutes.

Flour counter and roll each ball to 5-6 inch diameter and transfer in batches, to the screaming not oven.
Bake 3 minutes until puffy, remove to a towel.

EAT!

These are soft, chewy, have a great pull and a great flavor, yeah, it's all that.  Pretty easy and rather impressive if you ask me.

THE PICTURES

Mix the flour, yeast and salt together in a bowl.  Add about 3/4 of the water and start mixing on slow

    

Gradually add more water until a shaggy dough forms, turn the speed up to 4 and let it go about 5 minutes.  It will form a soft, smooth, slightly sticky dough. Add 1 TB flour to the bottom of the mixer to coat the dough, it's just a thing I do instead of flouring a board and rolling it :D

    

 See, it's not much flour at all, turn the machine on 1 and let it go 10 turns or so to coat the dough, form into a ball, see how it's not sticking to your hands now !?

    

 Pop the dough back into the bowl, there's a little flour in there still to help it not stick, cover it and leave it to double.  when it's almost doubled, TURN YOUR OVEN  (with the stones or cookie sheet inside) TO THE HIGHEST SETTING TO START IT PREHEATING, YOU NEED IT SCREAMING HOT. Mine goes to 500 so that's where it's set.  It usually takes about 30 mins to preheat so when the dough it almost doubled is a good time to do it.
Ahhh, look at that doubledness!

   

Divide the dough into 8, roughly 80 gm each.  Roll them into balls and cover loosely, leave about 15 mins to relax.

    

I dip the balls in flour then roll them out to about 5-6 inches around. I have a small oven so can only really cook 2 at a time, straight on the tiles.

    

Ooooh, oven puffiness!  I cook them 2 at a time for 3 minutes. They STAY puffy for a while out of the oven too, so exciting, yeah, I love puffiness!
     

AND inside, look at that huge pocket ready for stuffing with whatever you love, hot or cold, any meal of the day, these are soft, tasty, chewy, and absolutely a bread that needs to be on your short list repertoire!

go make them... now!

/enjoy

PressureCooker Instant Pot Creme Brulee because ... just because

I absolutely love creme brulee, seriously, I order it at every restaurant simply because the rich cool soft texture against that shatteringly crisp caramel top is as close to my idea of culinary heaven you can get to.  THAT being said, I also make a mean creme brulee, today I'm going to show you my two cheater methods.  ONE is that I make the custard in the pressure cooker, no it's not faster but it IS easier and there's no actual cooking or supervision involved, press a button and go do you nails or eat bonbons or whatever else the world thinks we stay at home moms do.  TWO is the best secret method of making the topping to brulee in the whole entire world, I'm about to share the best secret ever.  So, without much more ado, let's get to my creme brulee.

TRACY'S CREME BRULEE IN THE PRESSURE COOKER INSTANT POT AND AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF MAKING THE CARAMEL TOPPING

INGREDIENTS

Custard:

4 egg yolks
1/4 scant cup of sugar
2 cups cream or cream/half&half combination
tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Topping:

3/4 cup sugar
2 TB water

METHOD  FOR CUSTARD

Put 2 cups of water in the pressure cooker and place a trivet in the bottom.
IN a bowl, combine the custard ingredients, mix well and divide between four ramekins.
Cover each loosely with a piece of tin foil, place in cooker,
HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes
TURN off cooker when the timer goes off and let pressure come down naturally, about 10 minutes.
Remove ramekins from cooker, leave to cool to room temperature then put in the fridge for at least 3 hours.


METHOD AND VIDEO FOR SUGAR TOPPING

Combine the sugar and water in a microwave safe bowl, cook until a dark caramel color.  Mine took 5 mins, 30 seconds.
Immediately pour the caramel onto a silpat or non stick sheet.
**I'm NOT even going to go on at length about how stinking hot this is and how badly you'll be burned if you're not careful**
Leave to cool completely and harden, put in a blender or food processor and turn it into dust.
THIS is what you'll sprinkle and brulee on the custards, trust me, you're going to love it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaRvi10yDm4&feature=youtu.be



I'll add the final brulee video when I do it later today but I wanted to get the recipes and videos up for the custard and toppings...  yeah, this is going to be good

Here is the whole video

/enjoy

PressureCooker Instantpot Oatmeal for one, just regular ole' oatmeal, not steel cut or overnight, just breakfast, or lunch, or dinner!

I really like oatmeal, I don't care for steel cut oats and their dramatic cooking requirements.  Ok, it's not that dramatic but I don't have it in me to prepare the night before for breakfast.  I buy the cheap "regular" oats, not the quick cooking or instant, it's the "Old Fashioned Oats, cooks in 5 minutes" version.

I wanted to make a single bowl of oatmeal, I didn't want to cook for a crowd or prep ahead or make any for freezing, I just wanted breakfast.  I am going to share with you the single bowl version of oatmeal cookery in the Instant Pot although I do know it works the same in all the electric pressure cookers.

TRACY'S SINGLE SERVING PRESSURE COOKER OATMEAL

INGREDIENTS

2 cups water
1/2 cup oats (oatmeal)
1 cup water
pinch of salt
topping of your choice; it's light brown sugar around these parts that melts in and makes the prerequisite brown sugar puddles that makes oatmeal the king of breakfasts. OR well actually if you pour golden syrup on it, that always fixes anything that ails you so pick what you like!

METHOD 

Put 2 cups of water in the liner of the instant pot and put the trivet in there

Combine the oatmeal, 1 cup of water and pinch of salt in a bowl, any microwave safe bowl, I use my Ikea 365 bowls, the're deep and I just like them.

Put the bowl on the trivet, hit MANUAL PRESSURE and HIGH PRESSURE FOR 10 MINUTES.

Quick release, reach in there with a towel and stir and add your toppings and THERE you go, perfect every.single.time.

THE PLAY BY PLAY PICTURES

Mix the water, oatmeal and salt, stir

    

Be sure its on 'seal' and set manual, high pressure, 10 minutes.  When it BEEPS, turn it off and quick release, oooooh, it looks like oatmeal!

    

Remove from pot, stir and top with whatever makes you happy...

  

There you go, pressure cooker oatmeal for one! in the same bowl, perfect.  I love anything that doesn't include pre planning, prep or sharing! HAHAHA  

OH and yeah, it sure does take longer than just cooking it BUT I can pop it in, walk away and have a coffee, deal with dogs, chickens, start my book, have a bonbon or just do NOTHING while it cooks, this isn't about time, this is about convenience and in the morning, I need all the convenience I can get.

/enjoy