Instant Pot Chicken Broth & Soup
Instant Pot Homemade Chicken Broth and Soup Once you’ve made this broth, you’ll never want canned soup again! Ingredients: 1) One whole pasture-raised chicken, if possible corn and soy free. 2) One bunch of celery 3) One large carrot 4) One large onion 5) Dried thyme 6) Dried dill 7) Quality sea salt 8) Ghee 9) Two cups of water (500 cc), plus an additional two cups reserved. Start by cleaning and chopping the vegetables and setting them aside in a bowl. I used four stalks of celery. Peel and chop one carrot. Coarsely chop one large onion. The texture of the vegetables can be adjusted by changing the size of the pieces. Leave them larger for a crunchier texture, or cut them smaller for a softer texture. Process the whole chicken by separating it into parts. There are many YouTube videos showing how to do this. Use whichever method works best for you. I prefer to cut the wings at the joints. Then, separate the back from the “crown” (the two breasts and bones together). Finally, remove the legs and include the “oyster” meat. The back and rib cage will flavor the broth, which is the base for the soup. If you like dark meat in your soup, include the leg quarters. Do not cook the white meat when making the broth, as it will overcook. If you prefer white meat in your soup, cook it separately. See the sous vide chicken breast recipe for instructions on cooking the white meat. I like to vacuum seal and freeze any leftover meat I won’t use. Turn on the Instant Pot to sauté and add two tablespoons of ghee. For a more Asian flavor, you can use coconut oil and finish with ginger and scallions. When hot, add the backbone with the skin. If the chicken is small, add the wings as well. Coat the chicken in the melted ghee and leave it alone for about five minutes. The goal is to caramelize the skin for flavor. If you have a second Instant Pot, now is a good time to vacuum seal and sous vide cook the white meat. Add one teaspoon of salt and scrape the chicken loose. Then, add half a cup of water to deglaze the bottom. Use your heavy spatula to scrape it clean. We want that flavor in the broth. Turn the Instant Pot off. Add the remaining water to make 2 cups total. Close the lid. Pressure cook on high for 12 minutes, followed by a 5-10 minute natural decompression. Then, open the pressure release valve. Place the chopped vegetables in a pot along with one to two teaspoons of dried thyme and/or dill. Use whatever flavor you prefer. Add another teaspoon of salt. When the chicken broth is finished, pour it over a strainer placed over the pot of vegetables. Add the remaining two cups of water, stir, and bring to a boil. Watch carefully, and turn off the heat just as the broth begins to boil. While the broth comes to temperature, pick off any dark meat from the wings and back, reserving it to put into the soup stock. As soon as it begins to boil, turn off the heat, add the dark meat, and cover. Do not stir. Once cooled, add the sous-vide-cooked white meat and reheat to serve. Alternatively, you can refrigerate it and remove the fat layer on top the next day for a lower calorie version that still tastes better than anything from a can.
Sous Vide and Grilled Salmon
Frozen salmon: sous vide, brined, and grilled. Most of the year, fresh salmon is unavailable, so we have to choose frozen. This easy recipe produces great salmon flavor every time. Start with a sous-vide-safe bag or a vacuum seal. Set the Instant Pot to “Sous Vide” or use a dedicated sous vide device. The temperature should be set to 113°F for a very soft texture or 122°F for a flaky texture. The cooking time is 70 minutes for most pieces that are 1 inch thick. Add another 30 minutes if your piece is 1.5 inches thick. Turn on the Instant Pot, but wait to add the salmon until it reaches the correct temperature. Unlike animal meats, which go in during the warm-up period and turn out fine, salmon will overcook. When finished, remove the salmon from the water, open it up, and place the salmon on a baking rack. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, turmeric, or other spices as desired. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. To finish: Start your grill on high. Rub both sides of the salmon with olive oil. Place it skin side down on the grill and cook for three minutes. Do not flip. Remove and enjoy!
Chicken Breast Perfection; Sous Vide and Grill
Grilled chicken breasts can be delicious or dry and tough. This recipe ensures perfectly tender and tasty chicken breasts every time. Start with frozen chicken breasts in a sous vide-safe bag or a vacuum-sealed bag. Set the sous vide to 149°F for two hours and ten minutes if the chicken is frozen. If using fresh chicken, cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes. When you’re finished, remove the chicken from the bag one piece at a time and place it on a plate. Then, put another sturdy plate on top and press down to flatten the chicken. Do this for all of them. Sprinkle with salt, then place on a wire rack in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. Flattening the chicken helps with the grilling process. Heat your grill to high. Lightly coat both sides with olive oil, then place them on the hot grill or griddle for a total of three minutes. Cook the first side for two minutes, flip it over, and cook for one more minute. Enjoy tender, moist chicken with a nicely grilled exterior!
Chicken Korma
Chicken Korma. This smooth and fragrant sauce is perfect for chicken and fish. This is a low inflammatory version modified from the Ministry of Curry. Reserve 1 cup of goat, sheep or A2/A2 cow yogurt at room temperature. Start Instant Pot on Sauté and add; 1 tablespoon Ghee 4 whole green cardamom pods 4 cloves 12 black peppercorns 1 teaspoon cumin seeds Wait for full heat then add 1 large onion, chopped Cover and cook for 2 minutes Next add; 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1 garlic clove grated (optional) 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander Stir and allow to become fragrant, about 30-60 seconds Stir in 1-2 pounds of skinless chicken thighs in pieces or drumsticks (corn and soy free if possible) with 1/2 cup of water. *Note, the sauce can be made without the chicken with any meat added later. Turn off Instant Pot. Place and lock lid, pressure valve closed, Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes with 5 minute natural decompression then release. Temper the yogurt by adding teaspoons of hot sauce and mixing. Don’t add cold yogurt to the hot sauce until it’s brought up to temperature. Mix well and turn Sauté mode back on to thicken if desired.
Instant Pot Lamb Vindaloo
Lamb is a wonderful source of protein and a nice change of pace. However, it can be difficult to cook. This spicy—or not—Vindaloo recipe is very easy. For the best nutrition, make sure to use high-quality spices. You will need: 2 lb (1 Kg) cubed lamb stew meat 2-4 tablespoons Vindaloo spice mix (I like the Whole Foods brand) 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger minced garlic optional 1/3 cup white vinegar of any type (rice, wine etc) 3 teaspoons kosher style salt 1/4 cup ghee 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds (nice but optional) 1 large onion, diced 2/3 cup water 1 large white sweet potato or japanese yam, cut into large cubes In reserve: 2 tablespoons Kashmiri chili powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric In a bowl, combine vinegar, vindaloo spices, ginger, two teaspoons of salt, garlic, and meat. Mix well. Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté” mode and turn it on. Add the mustard seeds and ghee. Add the onion and the third teaspoon of salt. Sauté the onion until soft and fragrant, about 5-10 minutes. Cancel the Instant Pot. Add the meat and mixture to the Instant Pot. Pour in the water and stir well to combine. Scrape any onion residue off the bottom, if needed. Place the potato cubes on top of the mixture without stirring them in. Secure the lid and pressure cook on high for 18 to 20 minutes. Allow it to naturally decompress for an additional 15 minutes, then vent. Open the lid and add the Kashmiri chili and turmeric, stirring to combine. Sauté on high for one minute. Cancel the cycle and transfer to a heat-safe container to stop cooking.
Instant Pot Beef Stew meal
Instant Pot beef stew with sliced kiwi, purple cabbage “tacos” with guacamole
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Using chuck roast in an Instant Pot beef stew is a cost-effective way to get quality protein. This cut of beef is usually affordable, even in the grass-fed, grass-finished category, which is the highest in nutrition. Start with at least two pounds. There are many variations of this recipe that use different spices, but the key ingredients remain the same. 2lb grass fed chuck roast 1 medium-large onion 2 cloves garlic (option) 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons coconut aminos (optional) 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon thyme 1/8 teaspoon pepper Start Instant Pot on Sauté Add 4 tablespoons olive oil Dice onion and add to pot Cut chuck roast into large cubes, follow natural lines of connective tissue Sprinkle cubes with a teaspoon of salt or more if desired for dry brine while onions cooking When onions reach desired level of done- few minutes for soft and sweet, longer for rich and caramelize then add beef Saute beef until all pieces are browned on all sides Add teaspoon thyme or other seasoning, stir Add two tablespoons coconut aminos, stir Add one cup water, stir Cancel Saute and start pressure cook, hi, for 20 minutes (well done), or 18 minutes (medium). You might need to adjust time based on your pressure cooker. When finished, check the meat. If it is fully cooked, remove it. If more time is needed, leave it in and turn the pot off and then back on to SAUTE mode. Let the sauce boil down to the desired thickness. Remove the meat once it is fully cooked. This is also a good time to add other items, such as carrots and/or onion chunks. The sauce takes about 20-30 minutes to thicken, so you can add and cook other vegetables during this time. Variation: Indian spices; 3 teaspoon garam masala, 3 teaspoons ground cumin and 3 teaspoons ground cardamom, one teaspoon turmeric. Optional teaspoon of Kashmiri chili powder. Texas variation: use seeded whole dried chilly peppers that have been soaked in water for an hour, added to onions. Arbol and other large chillies work well. Another option is to remove the meat and pour the broth into a large measuring cup. A two-pound roast with one cup of water often yields three cups of broth. Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs clear (about five times), then drain it and place it in a pot with the broth. Use one cup of rice for every cup of broth. Pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. When done, fluff the rice and return the meat to the pot.
Popped Sorghum
If you love popcorn but want to avoid the lectins and harmful chemicals found in corn, try this recipe for popped sorghum. It satisfies the craving for crunchy food that many of us have, and it’s low in lectins and cooked in olive oil. A little iodized sea salt gives it the perfect finishing touch. Start with quality organic sorghum seeds. Place your pot on medium-high heat. You just want enough heat to gently but strongly ramp up. Add enough olive oil to partially cover the bottom of the pot. The amount needed depends on the size of the pot, but leave a few bare spots. Then, add a sprinkle of sorghum kernels. Wait. Wait. Wait until most of the kernels have popped. They might not all pop. Then, dump in the 1/3 cup of sorghum. Let them pop vigorously, stirring occasionally. Unlike popcorn, constant stirring does not seem to help here. When the popping slows way down, turn off the heat, but leave it on the burner until all the popping stops. Carefully transfer them to a bowl covered with a paper towel. Sprinkle with your favorite fine salt and enjoy! Note that many seeds will burn instead of popping. They’re crunchy and delicious, too, so don’t throw them away!
Grilled Salmon and beets
This is Alaskan salmon cooked sous vide and grilled, surrounded by thinly sliced golden beet carpaccio and topped with feta cheese and an olive oil drizzle. It’s simple and delicious.
Sliced turkey breast
The sous vide turkey breast with turmeric seasoning is tender and juicy, and it is perfectly cooked every time. Here are a few slices served with pressure-cooked broccoli, homemade fermented red cabbage, and a couple of slices of sheep’s cheese.