Author Archives: vanessa

Chicken and Rice (Instant Pot)

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  • 1 whole split chicken (3-4 lbs. total)
  • 2 Tbsp (approx.) seasoning blend of choice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1.5 cups long grain white rice
  • Handful parsley (optional)
  1. Season the chicken well on both sides with your favorite spice or seasoning blend. If your sblend blend does not contain salt, season the chicken liberally with salt as well.
  2. Add two cups of water to your pressure cooker or slow cooker, then add the chicken pieces (they do not need to be fully submerged).
  3. Secure the lid, set the pressure cooker to high pressure. Once it reaches full pressure, cook for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally. If using a slow cooker, cook on low heat for 8-9 hours or high heat for 4-5 hours.
  4. Once the chicken is finished cooking, carefully lift it out of the cooker and place it on a baking sheet. Adjust your oven rack so that the top of the meat will be 6-8 inches from the broiler. Turn the broiler on to high, place the chicken in the oven, and let it broil for 5-7 minutes or until the chicken skin is brown and crispy. Keep a close eye on the chicken while it’s under the broiler, as it can burn quickly.
  5. While the chicken is broiling, pour the remaining liquid (broth) from the pressure cooker through a sieve to strain out any bone or skin fragments. Measure the broth to see how much was left behind. You’ll want three cups of broth. If you have less, simply add enough water to make three cups of broth total. Taste the broth and adjust the salt if needed.
  6. Add the broth plus 1.5 cups of uncooked long grain white rice back to the pressure cooker. Secure the lid and select the rice function. Once the rice had finished cooking, allow the pressure to decrease naturally, open the cooker, then fluff with a fork. If your pressure cooker does not have a “rice” function, you can find manual instructions here. If using a slow cooker, simply cook the rice in the broth on the stove top, following the package instructions.
  7. Serve the tender chicken pieces over the cooked rice, with chopped parsley as a garnish (optional). The pressure cooker (or slow cooker) creates extremely tender meat, so the split chicken can be easily broken into pieces (breast, legs, thighs, wings) for serving.

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry (Instant Pot)

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  • 2 tsp. ghee or coconut oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
  • 1 sweet potato, cubed (~2 cups)
  • 1 red pepper, sliced or diced
  • 2 cups green beans, trimmed
  • 2/3 cup chicken broth
  • 3 Tbsp. curry powder
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp. cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 can (14 oz.) full fat coconut milk
  1. Set your instant pot to the saute setting. Add the ghee, onion, and garlic and saute until onions are translucent.
  2. Then turn to manual setting and set temp to high. Add the chicken, sweet potatoes, red pepper, green beans, broth, curry, cumin, turmeric, cayenne and sea salt. Seal the instant pot and set time for 12 minutes.
  3. Once time is up, release the pressure by switching from seal to vent. Once pressure is released, remove lid and turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Stir in the coconut milk and let cook for an additional 2-3 minute or until soup is hot. For a thicker curry, whisk together 1 tbsp. arrowroot with 2 Tbsp. of water. Stir into curry.
  4. Meanwhile, saute cauliflower rice in a skillet on medium heat with 1-2 tsp. of ghee. Saute until warm and cooked through. Length of time to saute cauliflower rice will depend on if it is in a fresh or frozen state.
  5. Serve over cauliflower rice and top with cashews and fresh cilantro

NOTES

**For a thicker curry – mix together 2 Tbsp. of water with 1 Tbsp. tapioca starch. While instant pot is on the saute setting, stir into curry after the coconut milk is heated through and let set for a few minutes to thicken.

Chicken and Rice Burrito Bowls (Instant Pot)

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1 1/2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (16-ounce) jar salsa
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Add the oil to the Instant Pot, turn on sauté setting, and heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and cumin. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup of the chicken broth and cook, gently scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any stuck-on bits, and simmer for 1 minute.

Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Add the chicken, beans, corn, salsa, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the rice on top of the chicken and beans mixture and pour the remaining 3/4 cup broth on top of the rice, but do not stir. Using the pressure cooker’s manual setting, set the pressure to HIGH for 10 minutes. Close and lock the lid. It should take the pressure cooker about 10 to 12 minutes to come to pressure and begin the 10 minute countdown. When cooking time is complete, do a quick release of the pressure.

Gently stir everything together. Divide between bowls and top with the cheese and cilantro.

Nut Milks

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Pecan Milk

  • 3/4 cup pecans
  • 4 cups of water
  • 1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
  1. Soak pecans in bowl with water overnight.
  2. After soaking, pour off the water and rinse pecans well
  3. Blender with 4 cups of hot water for 3 minutes or until completely creamy
  4. Strain through cheesecloth
  5. Store in fridge

For flour, spread pecan pulp onto a tray and cook in open oven (door open) at 170 for 2-3 hours until dry.  Blend the pulp into flour.

 

Almond Milk

  • 1 cup almonds, covered in cold water and soaked overnight
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
  1. Add 3 cups of water and drained almonds to blender.
  2. Blend for 1 minute
  3. Store in fridge

 

Cashew Milk

  • 2 cups cashews, covered in cold water and soaked overnight
  • 2 cups water (include soaking water)
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  1. Blender ingredients in order listed above for 40 seconds
  2. Store in fridge

Aloo Gobi

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1/4 cup (60 mL) of butter
1 tablespoon (15 mL) of whole cumin seeds
2 onions, diced
2 tablespoons (30 mL) curry powder
2 teaspoons (10 mL) of ground cinnamon
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
a sprinkle or two sea salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) of water
1 cup (250 mL) of frozen peas
1 bunch of cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and gently fry them for a minute or two to heat them through, remove any shelf staleness and brighten their flavour.

Add the onions and sauté until they soften. Add the curry powder and cinnamon and stir well for another minute or so. The direct heat of the sauté dramatically brightens the flavours of the spices.

Add the sweet potato chunks and cauliflower florets and stir or toss well to coat them with the spices.

Season with salt, add a splash or two of water, cover with a tight-fitting lid and lower the heat. Continue cooking until the sweet potatoes are tender, another 20 minutes or so.

Just before serving, stir in the peas and cilantro, quickly heating them through.

Red Cabbage with Apple

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a splash or two vegetable oil
1 or 2 onions, peeled and sliced
3 or 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
2 or 3 your favourite apples, cored and chopped
2 tablespoons honey
a few splashes cider vinegar
a few splashes cider, apple juice or water
a sprinkle or two sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Splash the vegetable oil into a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they’re golden brown. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute or so. Add the cabbage, apples, honey, cider vinegar and the cider (or apple juice or water). Season with salt and pepper.

Bring everything to a simmer and then lower the heat just enough to maintain the simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and continue cooking until the cabbage is tender, about 30 minutes.

Baked Beans (Maple)

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2 cups dried navy or white beans, soaked in lots of cold water overnight
2 cups water
1 cup maple syrup
6 slices thick-cut fried bacon, diced, fat reserved
1 or 2 large onions, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon powdered ginger
2 tablespoons any mustard
a dash or two Worcestershire sauce
a sprinkle or two sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon any vinegar

Cover the beans in water and soak over night. Strain the beans out of their soaking water and give them a good rinse. No nutrients are lost in the soaking and rinsing; instead, the beans rehydrate, which will speed up their cooking time.

Toss the beans into a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer, covered until the beans are tender, about an hour or so.

Drain the beans and place them in a 4-quart ovenproof baking dish with a tight-fitting lid. Add the water, maple syrup, bacon, onions, ginger, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Add as much or as little of the reserved bacon fat as you care to.

Cover and place in the oven at 250 degrees and bake until the beans have absorbed most of the liquid and are tender, about 3 hours or so. Feel free to add a bit more water if the beans seem dry.

Stir in the vinegar just before serving.

Tomato Basil Bread

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  • 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp instant or bread machine yeast
  • 1/2 Tbsp salt
  • 1/2 Tbsp dried basil
  • 1.5 cups warm water
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 oz. mozzarella, shredded (optional)

  1. Chop the sun dried tomatoes into smaller pieces. In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, dried basil, and chopped tomatoes. Stir until they are evenly combined. Stir the shredded mozzarella into the flour mixture.

  2. Dissolve the tomato paste into the warm water. Pour the tomato and water mixture into the flour mixture, and stir until a sticky ball of dough forms. You may need to add slightly more or less water to achieve the correct consistency. The dough should be fairly wet and sticky, but not so wet that it’s glossy or slimy. There should be no dry flour left on the bottom of the bowl.

  3. Cover the bowl with the dough loosely, and let it rise for one hour, or until it is double in size.

  4. Once risen, sprinkle the dough liberally with flour and scrape it off the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and fold it over on itself 5-6 times, or just until the dough looks smooth.

  5. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and allow it to rise for another half hour. While the dough is rising, place your Dutch oven in the oven and set it to preheat to 425ºF.

  6. After 30 minutes, very carefully remove the Dutch oven from your oven, and remove its lid. Lift your risen dough by picking up the parchment paper and then place it in the hot Dutch oven, paper and all. Place the lid back on the Dutch oven and return it to the hot oven.

  7. Let the bread bake with the lid on the Dutch oven for 30 minutes, then carefully remove the lid and let it bake for another 15-20 minutes, without the lid, to allow the crust to brown.

  8. Once baked, carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven, lift the bread out using the parchment, and allow it to cool before slicing and serving.

Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry

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A splash of vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
A small knob frozen ginger
1 teaspoon (5 mL) of Thai curry paste
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
One 19 ounce (540 mL) can of chickpeas
One 14 ounce (398 mL) can of coconut milk
1 cup (250 mL) of orange juice
1/2 cup (125 mL) of peanut butter or any other nut butter
A sprinkle sea salt
1 cup (250 mL) or so of frozen green peas
Several handfuls baby spinach
A bunch chopped cilantro

Add a splash or two of vegetable oil to a stockpot over medium-high heat. Toss in the onion and garlic and sauté them until they’re lightly browned, about 5 minutes or so.

Grate the frozen ginger into the pan with a Microplane grater or standard box grater and add the Thai curry paste. Continue cooking until the spices are heated through and fragrant, another few minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, coconut milk, orange juice and peanut butter and salt. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat and continue simmering until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the peas, spinach and cilantro.

Baked Ham

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1 4 lb ham
2 cups any liquid, fruit juice, wine or meat broth
2 heaping spoonfuls of you favourite condiment; mustard, horseradish, marmalade, jam, jelly, chutney, etc.
1 tablespoon any fresh herb, or 1 teaspoon any spice
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 or 2 sprinkles freshly ground pepper

Place the ham in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add your choice of liquid, condiment and herb or spice and, uncovered, bring to a simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and continue simmering for 90 minutes or so. The ham is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160 °F (71 °C). At this point you may serve the ham as is, with the broth, or glaze it, bake it in the oven and serve it with a sauce.

Preheat your oven to 375 °F (190 °C).

Remove the ham from the simmering liquid and place it in a roasting pan or large saucepan on top of the stove. Pour 1 cup of the broth into another smaller saucepan. Bring it to a boil and continue cooking, reducing it over high heat until it is the consistency of syrup. Brush the glaze all over the ham and then roast it in the oven for 30 minutes, basting once or twice with more glaze.

For the sauce, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Heat the remaining ham broth to a simmer and slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Stir until thickened. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper. Once the ham is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving with the sauce.