Sous Vide and Grilled Salmon

Frozen salmon: sous vide, brined, and grilled. Fresh salmon is unavailable most of the year, so we have to choose frozen. This easy recipe always produces great salmon flavor. Begin by using a sous-vide-safe bag or a vacuum seal. Set the Instant Pot to “Sous Vide” mode, or use a dedicated sous vide device. Set the temperature to: 113°F for a very soft texture or 122°F for a flaky texture. Most pieces that are 1 inch thick require 70 minutes of cooking time. Add 30 minutes if your piece is 1.5 inches thick. If you happen to have fresh or if you defrosted it then use 40 minutes for a 1 inch piece and 60 minutes for 1.5 inch thickness. Turn on the Instant Pot, but wait to add the salmon until the pot reaches the correct temperature. Unlike other meats, which can be added during the warm-up period without issue, salmon will overcook if added too early. When you’re finished, remove the salmon from the water. Open it up and place it on a baking rack. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, turmeric, or other desired spices. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. Cold salmon is delicious in a salad. Keep reading for the grilling method. . 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

Beef stew on rice with pink napa cabbage, guacamole and kiwi

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 in corn, try this popped sorghum recipe. It satisfies the craving for crunchy food that many of us have, and it’s low in lectins because it’s cooked in olive oil. A sprinkle of iodized sea salt is the perfect finishing touch. Start with quality organic sorghum seeds. Place your pot over 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 exact amount needed depends on the size of the pot, but leave a few bare spots. Then, sprinkle in some sorghum kernels. Wait! Wait. Wait until most of the kernels have popped and the oil is hot. They might not all pop. Then, pour in the 1/2 cup of sorghum.   Allow them to pop vigorously without stirring. When the popping slows down, stir briefly to restart it. Unlike with popcorn, constant stirring does not seem to help here. When the popping slows way down, turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the burner until the popping stops. Carefully transfer them to a bowl lined with paper towels. 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! I’ve found that the Nature Nate’s brand has the most consistent pop and the largest kernels. Some brands won’t pop at all, so don’t be discouraged if yours is a dud.

Grilled Salmon and beets

Salmon plate with sliced beet and cheese

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

Sliced turkey, broccoli, cheese and cabbage on a plate

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.

Radiccio Boats

Radicchio leaf boats filled with fresh guacamole and topped with olives and blue cheese chunks. Serve with Name yam fries on the side for a light lunch. The recipe section on Yucca fries includes a description of how to prepare Name Yam fries.