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

SUPER easy flaky Biscuits... there's a video too :)

Ok, you want biscuits?  I can get you biscuits on the table in 30 mins if you focus :)


This super quick and easy biscuit recipe can be completed in just 30 minutes! Recipe below! --- --- RECIPE 3 cups all purpose flour 2? TBS sugar, more or less to taste 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (knife tip worth :)) 2 tsp baking powder 1 1/2 sticks butter/margarine combo (3/4 cup) I like a combo but you can do all butter or all margarine if you want, I won't judge pinch of salt RUB it all together, float and drop method, yeah, i invented that term ADD 1 cup of milk with 1 egg mixed in Mix with knife, be nice pat on floured surface and roll to a long rectangle fold a couple of times, flip and repeat Pat to about 1 inch, cut biscuits with a straight sided cutter, don't twist!, yeah this is one of those times it really actually matters BAKE in preheated 450 for 15 mins

IF you need to, brush them with butter when they come out of the oven.
Throw them in a basket, be prepared to make more... they're delicious.

EAT!!!

here's the youtube link if you'd like to check out the other videos too...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86yMnLdKoDk


Thanks for all your support, I'm trying a new thing trying to link the blog and the YouTube channel which finally has MY name on it, so I'm Tracy Cooks in Austin everywhere!!!

/tracy

IF, in your life you only learn to make one cake, this is the cake you need. It's gorgeous and tasty and easy and you will absolutely love it

THIS is the cake I make all the time, in many different variations for different used, the base recipe is always this.  It makes great sheet cake, thick cake, tres leches (I'll do that video next) and, well, you just need to know how to make it.

You MUST use a scale, sorry but you do, it doesn't work right with a conversion so go spend the $10 and get a scale and then rush home and make this cake. THIS is the scale I use, no, I'm not compensated at all:
http://www.tracycooksinaustin.com/2016/10/product-review-kamenstein-digital-scale.html 

NOW, the recipe, 

TRACY'S BASIC SPONGE CAKE, or MY  125 GRAMS OF EVERYTHING CAKE

Ingredients

125 grams of self raising flour (OR a/p with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp baking powder)

125 grams sugar

125 grams butter, room temperature is best

125 grams of eggs

dribble of vanilla, dribble of milk to make it loose drop consistency. 

BAKE in a greased and floured pan (or line with parchment) at 350 till done and gorgeous.

Go make this, truly, it's so easy and so tasty and "real" cake. 

/tracy

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:

Pressure Cooker version of Mississippi Roast, yeah, 90 mins instead of 9 hours, there's nothing wrong with that at all

MISSISSIPPI ROAST

Pressure Cooker Version

For the three people, apparently, who haven't seen this recipe online

INGREDIENTS

2-4 (this is 3lb) chuck roast

one packet of dry ranch dressing mix

one packet of dry brown gravy mix

one stick of butter (my favorite part of the recipe)

however many pepperoncini peppers you want and some of the juice

1/2 cup water

THE METHOD

I threw the meat in a little hot oil in the pressure cooker and browned one side.  I flipped it and sprinkled the gravy mix, dressing mix over the meat, added the stick of butter and threw in a handful of peppers. 

I did add a little water in the bottom, as well as a little juice from the jar of peppers. 

LOCK AND LOAD, 75 minutes, leave to release naturally, about 15 minutes. 

Open and behold! Tender ridiculousness in a pressure cooker.  

I took the meat out, sort of shredded it, thickened the sauce with a little cornstarch slurry (2TB corn starch mixed in with a 1/2 cup water) drizzled into the boiling liquid then boil a minute or so. 

I have the meat out to reheat later and the gravy in a container to nuke.  I'm going to pressure cook some mashed potatoes and cook the carrots at the same time (in with the potatoes then take them out and put them aside when you mash the spuds, really, so simple)  

Calling it DINNER, DONE 

FAB! 

Do this in the pressure cooker, you're going to go mad for it

I have a youtube video: 

rather than the play by play pics... enjoy! 

 OH and go make this!!

Croissant method slideshow...

MY CROISSANTS: 

IF you divide the dough and roll each half into 6, this is how big they are:

 
 IF you divide the dough and roll each half into 8, this is how big puny they are:

 

I had a few questions about the technique of rolling the croissants I have come up with. 

This is the slideshow of the new croissant method I developed, it goes with this post: 

http://www.tracycooksinaustin.com/2013/03/croissants-i-did-it-i-did-it-and-it-was.html

I made the dough, dumped it all in the kitchenaid and let it mix, on high, with the dough hook, until it was a soft, smooth dough.  That took 5 minutes. 

I took it out and put it on the counter and this is where we pick up the action :) I didn't do a movie, it's a slide show, free to stop it to check the consistency of your dough. 

The first rise took 13 minutes ;)  Then after I punched it down it went in the fridge for 2 hours.  The butter was grated, while frozen, and tossed back into the freezer until I needed it.  I just plunk it in a dish. 

I really just wanted to show you the method I figured out.  I hope you go and make croissants ;) 

message me in the comments if you have any questions. :)  

/enjoy