This February I decided to do an entire month of Instant Pot meals, minus the weekends and Deadpool Day (February 14th) because February is the shortest month. I needed to find 19 meals to make. I looked through my Instant Pot books I got from Barnes and Nobel and the Goodwill. I needed to use the Instant Pot that's been sitting in my garage unopened since Christmas 2017. Doug and Jenn had bought it for Mom for Christmas that year. She gave it to me and told me to figure it out. I decided that I would figure it out.
I went grocery shopping weekly, so I had the ingredients I needed for each meal. I tried to make a variety of things just so we weren't eating chicken every night. I even stepped out of my comfort zone to try new things. I even added some new spices to spice collection.
Wednesday, February 1 (Asian-Style Fish & Vegetables)
I chose to use tilapia because it's a cheap fish and easy to cook with. I took those out of the freezer around 3 so they could thaw out by dinner time. Cutting the veggies and getting the liquids mixed up took up the most time for this recipe. I have never eaten bok choy, so that was different.
I've never used an Instant Pot before so learning how to use it was interesting. I had forgotten that it takes time for it to pressurize, cook and then depressurize, so I thought my food was going to be overcooked, lol.
Turns out, I read the instructions correctly and nothing exploded, nothing got overcooked and nothing burned. Win!
I cooked the rice separately in a rice cooker so everything would get done at the same time.
Ben gave the meal a 6 and Doug gave it a 4 because he isn't a huge fan of tilapia.
Thursday, February 2 (Sausage and Corn Bread Stuffed Peppers)
I chose this recipe for a Thursday because it was quick and easy due to Ben's training after work in Tenino. There were a couple things I had to chop up, but it was a pretty easy recipe. I picked three green and one red pepper just in case someone wanted one or the other, I am not sure what the yellow and orange ones taste like when you cook them because I've never had to eat or cook them before. Maybe we will try them out in another recipe some day? I used turkey kielbasa as the sausage component.
This was my second time using the Instant Pot and I felt a little better about using it because this time I used a different setting, so I put my trust in those instructions and hope that it will turn out how it was supposed to. I did it right!
Believe it or not, this was my first time having stuffed peppers and they really weren't that bad. It sure made the house smell good, even hours later, lol.
Ben gave the meal a 4 because of the conflicting flavors and textures and Doug said it was good but never have eaten them with that kind of sausage in it before.
Friday, February 3 (Salsa Verde Chicken Stew)
I chose this recipe out of my Instant Pot book I got at Barnes and Nobel for $10 several months ago because the corresponding picture of the recipe looked good. I am a visual food person, I guess.
This was a five-ingredient meal: black beans, cut up chicken, salsa verde, frozen corn and chopped cilantro. Six-ingredients if you count the optional avocado as a garnish.
I've never purchased an avocado, nor did I know if it was ripe or not, (we did keep it in a paper bag for a few days) and I've never had to cut one and serve it with food before. This was another learning opportunity.
As far as the Instant Pot part, I felt a little more comfortable now that I've done it for the past three day. It still makes me giggle when it sings to you when you take the lid off.
Ben gave the meal a 9.5 because he said he didn't know or never has had food before that was a 10. Doug said he would give it a 7 or an 8. It reminded hm of the inside of a burrito and is not a fan of the avocado garnish. I thought the meal was delicious. We served it with tortilla chips.
Monday, February 6 (Honey Ginger Ribs)
I picked this recipe because the picture looked good, and we haven't had ribs in a while. It was a good break from chicken and beef.
During my afternoon break, I got the marinade put together and the ribs cut up so they could sit in the marinade in the fridge for a few hours. The marinade was a mixture of green onions, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and some Chinese five-spice. I've never used hoisin sauce or Chinese five-spice in any of my cooking before.
I got the beef broth dumped into and piled the ribs inside the Instant Pot and cook it with its directions. When it was done, I took the ribs out and mixed in some corn starch with the drippings until it thickened. I added some more hoisin sauce as it finished up.
I dished them up in our "ramen" bowls and served it with Basmati rice and slices of oranges.
Ben gave the meal a perfect 10 because the meat was super tender, and the flavors paired well together. Doug said he would give it an 8 because he thought the pork could have uses something more.
Tuesday, February 7 (Italian Sausage and Penne Pasta)
This recipe's picture looked really good, and I knew I needed to make a pasta dish soon, so this was the first pasta dish on the docket.
Around 5ish, I started cutting up the head of broccoli and the onion while Mom called to complain about the car accident on 507 on her way home. I guess the car hit some sleet and flipped over on its top into the ditch.
I browned the Italian sausage on sauté mode, added the onions, garlic, dry spices and mixed it until it was well blended. I dumped in the two cans of diced tomatoes, water and pasta and mixed those together well. I put the lid on, secured it, made sure the valve was in the correct spot and let it do its thang.
Then came the tricky part, once it was done cooking, I had to quick release it, wait for the pressure to subside, take the lid off, dump in the broccoli in, secure the lid and restart it again to get it up to pressure. I have not had to do that with the Instant Pot before on any recipe.
I dumped it into some normal bowls, sprinkled a Parmesan/Romano blend on top and ate it. Om nom nom!
Ben gave the meal an 8 because the sausage gives the pasta, the veggies and the tomatoes a bold flavor and he likes pasta. Doug said he would give it an 8.5 because he enjoys pasta, tomatoes, the sausage and the spice mixture.
Wednesday, February 8 (Chicken Adobo)
Ben came home early due to an appointment, so I made him come with me to the post office and the store to pick up some stuff for hosting the Superbowl. He said we were in Winco too long.
We got home around 6ish, and I started dumping the liquids and spices into the Instant Pot, got the chicken out, coated both sides and places the chicken skin side down into the liquid. I let it cook for 13 minutes. After it was done, I let it natural release for 10 minutes and when that was done, I plucked the chicken out and set it on a foil covered sheet pan to broil for 5 minutes in the oven.
I served it in our "ramen" bowls and layered the chicken and sauce over a bed of rice. I added green onions as a garnish that I sliced up the night before to save some time.
Ben gave the meal a 7 because he thought the meal would be saucier. He didn't really enjoy the bon0in chicken as well. Doug said he would give it an 8.5-9 because he thought it was a pretty good dish and it had a lot of flavors.
Thursday, February 9 (Classic Macaroni and Cheese)
I chose this one because I needed a quick meal due to Ben's training in Tenino. He call on his way home from work to let me know he was getting gas so that prompted me to get the stuff started in the Instant Pot.
I threw in the noodles, water and salt, put the lid on, set it to seal and pressed manual at three minutes and off it went. Once it was done, I quick released it, added the evaporated milk, cheese and the rest of the salt and pepper. I mixed all of it together on sauté mode and then scooped it into three normal bowls.
This was pretty tasty but waaaaaaaay too much cheese for me. Ben gave it a 6 for the same reason. Doug loves eating mac n cheese and doesn't care how cheesy it is, so he gave it an 8. I had to go on a dog walk with Doug just to walk off the amount of cheese I ate.
Friday, February 10 (Farrelli's Pizza)
We ended up being talked into going to Farrelli's with Erika, Zac and Doug. I did not make a Instant Pot meal on this evening. I did make up for it later on during the month.
Monday, February 13 (Chicken Piccata)
This one looked good in the picture and it was easy to make. I had to take the kitties to the vet again for their follow-up appointment around 5 p.m., so a quick recipe was welcomed.
I salt and peppered the chicken, browned it on sauté mode, dumped in some chicken broth, closed it up, and adjusted the pressure release valve. I set it to manual and cooked it on high pressure for three minutes. Meanwhile, I got the lemon juice squeezed, capers drained and parsley tablespooned out.
Fun fact: I have never used or have eaten capers in or on any meal before tonight.
I enjoyed the sauce a lot and the chicken was perfectly cooked through. I think I now prefer cooking chicken in the Instant Pot rather than guessing when it's done in the oven. Ben gave it an 8 because he thought the meat should have been fish, but liked how the sauce was absorbed into the rice. The lemon and capers paired well but would have paired better with fish. I told him I would have to make this recipe someday with fish so we can compare the two. Doug gave it a 7 because it was way too lemony for his taste, but other than that, he said it was good.
Tuesday, February 14 (Deadpool Day, Chimichangas and Lava Cake)
Ben picked up the chimichangas from Don Garcia on the way home from work, while I tried my hand at making lava cake for the first time. It actually turned out well! I had to find some glass ramakins from Value Village this past weekend and was lucky to find two.
We watched the first Deadpool movie while we ate dinner. Ben opened up his Don Julio 1942 because it was his birthday month. Good times!
Wednesday, February 15 (Italian White Bean Soup)
This was the meal we were supposed to have on Friday, but Erika and Zac decided they wanted to invite us to pizza.
I turned the Instant Pot onto sauté mode and then added oil, minced garlic and crushed red pepper and mixed those together for about a minute. I turned off sauté mode and added the white beans, a bay leaf and broth. I secured the lid, closed the pressure valve and cooked it on soup/broth mode.
Once it was done, I let it natural release to depressurize. I added the kale and cheese and served it in normal bowls. As an addition, I broiled some sliced crostini bread with some olive oil sprayed on it.
I thought it had good taste, but the beans could have been cooked a little longer than they were. Ben gave it a 5 because it thought it was bland in taste but liked the beans and kale together. Doug gave it an 8 and didn't really elaborate on why he gave it that rating.
Thursday, February 16 (Herbed Lemon Salmon and Lemon Infused Risotto)
The salmon in this dish came from Bob and Bev's house. Bob caught the fish last year and Bev shared some of it with us because they had plenty and didn't think they would eat it fast enough. I thanked them for sharing two different types of fish with us.
I got the rice started since it was going to take longer to cook than the fish in the Instant Pot would. Unfortunately, I had the oil on too hot, so my shallots got super crispy really fast, making them super brown. I dumped in the garlic and risotto and added the chicken broth as it was absorbed. Sadly, the rice was going to be brown too. Once it as done, I added the pepper and grated lemon zest.
I prepared the salmon with some salt and pepper, added some butter, rosemary, parsley and basil, placed it on some foiled and curled the edges so the flavors didn't escape. I topped it with slices of lemon. I got the Instant Pot ready with the water and fresh dill at the bottom, put the trivet in and set the salmon on top. I closed the lid, made sure the pressure valve was in the right spot, turned it on high for three minutes to cook.
I plated the rice and then set the salmon on top and served it to everyone to enjoy.
I am sad that I fried the crap out of the shallots to where it turned the risotto brown, but both had really good flavor and didn't taste burnt at all. Ben gave it a 7 but had to eat it fast because his training was a little earlier than anticipated. Doug gave it an 8 and said it was pretty good. He said next time I should make white risotto instead of brown. I told him why it was brown, and he said, oh!
Friday, February 17 (Chicken Curry)
I've never made nor consumed curry of any kind or cooked with coconut oil and coconut milk. A few weeks ago, Doug asked if I could find a curry dish and make it. I told him I would look and actually found one that didn't seem too hard to make.
I got all of the ingredients out and started cutting up the onions and chicken and putting the spices in little bowls so all I had to do was just dump everything in when it called for it. I turned it on sauté mode and put in the coconut oil inside of the pot, added the onions, cinnamon stick, cloves and mix it together very well for about five minutes. Turned off sauté mode, added in the spices, chopped tomatoes, the coconut milk, salt and mixed it all up. I closed the lid, made sure the pressure valve was in the right spot, turned it on high for five minutes to cook.
Meanwhile, I added the Jasmine Rice to the rice cooker (to save us some time and cleaning), added some coconut milk to it, a little bit of sugar and started the rice cooker.
I put some coconut milk Jasmine Rice into our "ramen" bowls and added some curry on top of it. We were hoping that the curry thickened up a bit, but it never did. We ate it anyway.
I thought it was pretty good. I could taste the coconut milk and the cloves. It was a sweet curry rather than a savory/spicy curry. I just followed the recipe. Ben gave it a 6.5 because he thought it could have used some spice or something to give it a kick. Doug didn't come home until 9:00 because he was helping Erika with her car...the oil leak was back, and it stranded her and had to wait for a tow truck. He did eat some of it later and said it was pretty good for a first-time homemade curry.
Monday, February 20 (Balsamic Pork Tenderloin and Ben's Birthday)
I found this recipe online. We haven't had pork for a while so this sounded good to try. I didn't have any balsamic vinegar though so that was the only thing I had to buy since I purchased a pork tenderloin last month when I was at Winco...I just had to thaw it out.
I got all of the ingredients out and mixed the brown sugar, water, vinegar, rosemary, garlic and soy sauce and set them aside for now. I turned on the Instant Pot onto sauté mode and browned the pork. I turned sauté mode off, dumped in the ingredients, closed the lid, made sure the pressure valve was in the right spot, turned it on high for 20 minutes to cook.
Meanwhile, I added the broccoli to the steamer and waited to turn it on because that would get done before the pork. I asked Ben to get his new air fryer out while I cut up a potato into "chips". We threw the "chips" into a bowl, threw in some oil and Johnny's and waited until the meat in the Instant Pot was actually cooking. I turned the broccoli and the potatoes on to cook. Everything peeped roughly at the same time, and I let the Instant Pot come to a natural release. I added some cornstarch to the drippings and once that thickened up, I drizzled some over the pork before I served it.
I added the food to a plate with a side of ketchup for the "chips" and served it to everyone.
I enjoyed the flavors of the meat. You could taste the rosemary, the vinegar and the brown sugar. I would give the entire meal an 8 because it was all tasty. Ben gave it an 8 as well because he liked the sweet and savory flavors, they paired well together, and that the meat was tender. Doug gave it an 8.5 because he liked the spices...it went well with the pork.
Tuesday, February 21 (Crack Chicken)
I found this recipe online while looking for something different to make. This one seemed like it would be fun to try. I had most of the ingredients already but had to go get some chicken this afternoon because we ran out of chicken, and I am glad I looked to make sure.
This recipe came in two parts, the "cooking chicken" and the "finishing chicken". I threw some chicken breasts into the instant pot, added the plethora of spices, the chicken broth, cream cheese and closed the lid, made sure the pressure valve was in the right spot, turned it on high for 15 minutes to cook, with a 10-minute natural release.
Meanwhile, I got the bacon bits ready and cut up the green onions. Next, I added mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, shredded cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce together in a bowl and waited for the Instant Pot to beep and depressurize. Once it was done with its process, I added the rest of the ingredients to the Instant Pot and mixed together thoroughly.
I chose to put the mixture on pitas (these were supposed to be the pocket pits, but I was rushed while buying them) instead I had the flatbread version of them, so we had to eat them like tacos.
I added the food to a plate with a toothpick and served them to everyone.
I thought the chicken crack worked together great. The pita wasn't that bad but wished it would been a pocket pita. Bean gave it a 9 because he really liked the chicken crack and thought it might also be good in a lettuce wrap. I asked Doug what he thought of it, and he was half asleep with just a couple bites out of his pita. He did muster up that it was good and was still working on it.
Wednesday, February 22 (Mojo-Marinated Cuban-Style Pork)
I found this recipe in the Instant Pot book I got at the Goodwill. While I was flipping through recipes, this one looked interesting to try because of the mixture of ingredients.
I actually had to get this one ready the night before. After last night's dinner, I started getting this one ready to go. I had taken the pork out to defrost earlier that day. I made the marinade which consisted of cilantro, orange juice, orange zest, lime juice, mint leaves, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and oil. I stabbed some holes in the meat, dumped in the mixture into a large container with a lid, placed the meat inside after slooshing it around and put it in the fridge to marinade over night. The next morning, I flipped the meat over and put it back into the fridge.
I pulled it out of the fridge just before 5, placed the slab of marinated meat into the Instant Pot, closed the lid, made sure the pressure valve was in the right spot, turned it on the meat/stew mode for 45 minutes to cook, with a 10-mintue natural release.
Meanwhile, I cooked up some Basmati rice in the rice cooker and boiled some corn on the cob in some butter water.
Once the meat was done, I took it out and let it rest for a few minutes and then served it, rice and the cob or corn in our "ramen" bowls because it looked nice.
I thought this meal was delicious and even invited Erika and Zac over, but they didn't want to drive over so now we have a ton of leftovers. Ben gave it a 9 because he thought the flavors were delicious and loved how the meat was so tender. Doug decided he wasn't hungry, so he put his in the fridge for later. He ended up eating his food the next day but accidentally threw it on the floor. Only some of the rice survived. Lame.
Thursday, February 23 (Chunky Ranch Potatoes)
This recipe intrigued me because it was simple and looked like a great one for a Thursday for when Ben goes to training.
I got the potatoes out and washed them really well and cut them into quarters. I had Ben put some water and salt into the Instant Pot, we tossed the potatoes in and mixed it all together. I closed the lid, made sure the pressure valve was in the right spot, turned it on manual for 5 minutes to cook, with a quick release.
I got out the grated Parmesan cheese, the ranch dressing and I added bacon bit to the mix even though it didn't call for it. I thought potatoes...bacon bits please!
Once it was done, I dumped everything together and served it in a normal bowl with some cut up chives on top.
This meal was simple and delicious. In know it's more of a side, but we've been having full meals this week and I wanted a different kind of dish that didn't yield leftovers. Ben gave it an 8 because he liked it and was simple as well as he loves potatoes. Doug also gave it an 8 because he liked the combo of flavors.
Friday, February 24 (Asian Chicken and Noodles (aka Pad Thai))
This recipe I took out of the book I got from Barnes and Nobel for $10. I saw what the food was supposed to look like in the photo and was intrigued. It looked really good. I can tell you I've ever had Pad Thai because I really don't frequent Asian food restaurants very much. When I do, I usually order orange chicken and fried rice or something like that.
I took the chicken out of the fridge; I had left it over night to thaw out. I cut it up into 1-inch cubes, threw in some oil in the Instant Pot, pressed sauté mode and browned the chicken for a few minutes.
I added the chicken broth and the stir fry sauce and mixed it up as best I could, I added the uncooked Pad Thai rice noodles on top, followed by the frozen stir fry veggie mix. I closed the lid, made sure the pressure valve was in the right spot, turned it on manual for 2 minutes to cook, with a quick release.
I served them in our "ramen" bowls.
I thought it could have used less salt, it was a bit salty for my taste...so probably next time find a jar of less salty stir fry sauce and maybe add in raw veggies at the end because I like crunch and not cooked veggies. Ben gave this meal an 8 because it's Asian and he likes Asian food. On a serious note, he like the combo of all the ingredients together.
Sunday, February 26 (Apple Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal)
Yes, I know it isn't a dinner meal, but I thought I would make up for the day Erika and Zac asked us to pizza earlier in February. I found this recipe online and it sounded tasty.
I took out all of the ingredients the night before and made sure I had everything before I committed to it. Ben came home from shift that morning and was really excited to eat what I was going to make (I told him not to eat anything when he got home).
I added the water, steel cut oatmeal, unsweetened applesauce, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. I mixed it up really good in the Instant Pot. I closed the lid, made sure the pressure valve was in the right spot, turned it on manual for 5 minutes to cook, with a natural release, followed by a 10-minute cool down period.
I peeled and cut up a large apple and threw that in and stirred it during the cool down period. I served them up in normal bowls to everyone.
I like oatmeal so I enjoyed this breakfast meal. I would give it an 8 because it's not too sweet, not too salty but just right with the apples and other ingredients. I could see that it wouldn't be sweet enough for some people. Ben said it was good and gave it a 6 because there's too much oat/water ratio for his liking. I told him it thickens up as it cools down. Doug also gave it a 6 because he is not really a fan of oatmeal in general, but he at least tried something new. He did say he liked the chopped up apple and he had no idea it was steel cut oatmeal.
Monday, February 27 (Memphis-Style Ribs)
I've always wanted to try different BBQ sauces, spice rubs and ways to make our food less bland and have some pop to it. So far, we've tried Texas-style, Asian-stye and now Memphis-style. Maybe one day we will try Kansas City-style.
I took out the ribs the night before so they could thaw and thew them into the fridge that morning to keep them cold. I debated what to have with them besides your normal baked beans, potato salad, corn bread, etc. Then I remembered the smashed potatoes and bought some little reds at the store the other day. I found a quick recipe online and prepared them as such.
I got all the ingredients together...most of it was spices--paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, ground mustard, thyme, oregano, celery salt and cayenne pepper and mixed them all up. I got a mixture of white vinegar and water together, brushed that over the ribs and then rubbed the spices on the from and back of the ribs. I cut them into sections and put them into the Instant Pot. I closed the lid, made sure the pressure valve was in the right spot, turned it on manual for 20 minutes to cook, with a 10-minute natural release.
I got my little reds boiled, threw them into the colander, prepared a baking sheet with oil, put the potatoes on it and smashed them with a bottom of a pint glass. I added a little bit of salt, garlic and onion salt to them and put them in the oven to bake. Once they were done, I put some chives on top. I served them with the ribs on a plate with ketchup and sour cream to those who wanted some.
I enjoyed the dry rub a lot so I will give this meal an 8. Ben also gave it an 8 because the ribs were not messy, the rub was flavorful, the meat was tender, and he enjoyed the potatoes with chives and the sour cream. Doug gave it a 9 because he liked how the meat fell off the bones.
Tuesday, February 28 (Barbecue Beef Sandwiches)
As the finale of the Instant Pot meals, I chose a beef dish that sounded easy to make and looked good in the cookbook pictures. I took out the beef hunk the night before so it could thaw out. I put it in the fridge as soon as I got up the next morning. I already had the potato chips, cole slaw and the pickle spears so I knew that's what we were going to have with it. Something easy peasy. I could have made baked beans to go with it but decided not to.
I got all the ingredients together. The oil, BBQ sauce and the beef broth. The rest of it was spices. It called for two tablespoons of southwest seasoning, but I had nothing of the sort. I looked to see what was in southwest seasoning and made my own. That included, chili powder, paprika, ground coriander, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper...I added some chipotle spice just for fun. I rubbed that on both sides of the beef hunk.
I cut the beef hunk into two pieces and put them into the Instant Pot with the oil. I browned both sides on sauté mode and then placed it on a plate. I added beef broth and BBQ sauce to put in the pot and mixed it together. I put the beef hunks back into the pot, covered them up with the "sauce". I closed the lid, made sure the pressure valve was in the right spot, turned it on manual for 60 minutes to cook, with a 15-minute natural release.
I got the buns and cole slaw out and when the Instant Pot was done with its natural release, I threw the hunks of beef into a bowl and shredded them with my wolverine claws. Once, shredded, I added a cup of BBQ sauce and mixed it together. I slapped it on some brown hamburger buns and served everyone some cole slaw, dill pickle spears and a handful of Wavy Lays on a dinner plate.
I am not a fan of cole slaw, so I opted for a slice of cheddar cheese on mine. Overall, I gave the meal a 7.5. Ben gave the meal a 7, thought it was reminiscent of our pulled pork adventures, he really liked the bun, he said it gave it a fancy touch with the oats on top. Doug said it was good and gave it an 8. He also said the bun was interesting. I told both of them that it was just old-fashioned brown bread. It is a tad bit sweeter than normal brad because of the molasses.
I had a great time learning how to use the Instant Pot. It cut cooking time in half with traditional meals you put in the oven or the crockpot. I tried a lot of different foods and spices...some I've never had before. Being able to work from home has giving me a lot more time to make better dinners due to no commute and more time to be creative. At this point, I am not sure what I will be doing next February. Ben and I did get an air fryer so we will be using that and the Instant Pot throughout the year. I will have to come up with some ideas.
Until next time!
Next Adventure: South Thurston Crab Feed and Grandma Karen's St. Patrick's Day Birthday Party
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