Category: Recipes

Thai Red Curry Chicken

Published on by richbLeave a comment

This is a really easy to make and fresh tasting Thai dish. The lime juice brings a freshness to the dish and the brown sugar balances out the lime’s acidity. It took me about 30 mins of prep work and about 10 mins of cook time.

Ingredients

  • 2 – 3 Tbsp of red curry paste
  • 2 Tbsp of canola oil
  • 1 Tbsp of brown sugar
  • 1 tsp of minced ginger
  • 1 cup of green beans (I used frozen)
  • 1 small onion sliced into thin strips
  • 1 small red bell pepper or 1/2 of a large one cut into strips
  • 1.5 lbs of chicken cut into 1/4″ strips pieces
  • Juice from 1/2 of a lime
  • Cilantro and Green Onion chopped fine for topping when serving
  • 1 14 oz can of coconut milk

Directions

Heat pan on high then add canola oil, then add in curry paste and fry for about 30 seconds to wake up the flavor, then add in coconut milk and stir until curry paste is blended in. Add brown sugar and ginger stir till mixed. Add in the vegetables and cook till almost tender. Add chicken in and cook until the chicken is no longer pink. This should be quick since it is sliced thinly. Serve over rich and top with cilantro and green onion.

Thai Basil Chicken

Published on by richbLeave a comment

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs of boneless skinless chicken Breast Chopped into bite size pieces
  • 3 Thai chilies chopped
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons of Oyster sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons of Canola Oil
  • 1 cup of Thai Basil leaves chopped into small slivers
  • 2 green onions sliced finely
  • 2 Teaspoons of fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of brown sugar

Directions

Add garlic and peppers into a mortor and pestle and crush together then put into a bowl and mix in oyster sauce, soy sauce, white and brown sugar, and fish sauce till combined. Add oil into a hot pan and then add the chicken. Stir till it starts to brown and then add in a tablespoon of the mixture from the bowl. Keep stirring till it starts to caramelize. Add in the rest of the sauce and stir till pan deglazed and a coating forms on the chicken. Add basil and green onions to the pan and stir till mixed, then remove from heat immediately and serve with rice.

Note: The first time I made this, the sauce looked very thick and I added 2 tablespoons of water to thin a little. This was a mistake, the sauce has to be thick to coat the chicken. If it doesn’t cote the chicken the sauce along with most of the flavor will be all at the bottom of the pan.

Leftover Turkey Stew

Published on by richbLeave a comment

This is a great meal to use up the leftover turkey. Tastes great and is pretty healthy.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon of butter + 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons of flour (add for desired thickness of sauce)
  • 5 cloves of garlic minced
  • 2 carrots sliced about 1/4″
  • 2 potatoes cut to a small dice
  • 2 stalks of celery diced to desired size (I prefer small dice)
  • 1 med. sized onion chopped into about 1/2 inch pieces
  • 32 oz of chicken broth (I used low sodium)
  • 1.5 pounds of chopped cooked turkey
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons of flour (add for desired thickness of sauce)
  • 1 teaspoons salt (approx 1 tsp. add 1/2 tsp and add more salt to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon of dried minced sage (or 1 tablespoon of fresh minced)
  • 1 teaspoon of black pepper

Directions

Add butter into pan over medium high heat, then add olive oil. When hot add garlic and lightly fry (don’t brown). Add in carrots, celery and onions and fry about 1 minutes more. Add in flour and stir and fry for another 2 minutes. then add in chicken broth slowly stiring and mixing with rue until smooth. Add potatoes, turkey,  about half the salt, sage, curry powder and black pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender. Add as much additional salt until seasoned to your preference. Serve and enjoy.

Instant Pot Deluxe Pizza Pasta

Published on by richbLeave a comment

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Onion Chopped
  • 1/2 Red Bell Pepper (Can be green also)
  • 20 slices of pepperoni chopped
  • 24 oz pizza sauce (see pizza sauce recipe on this site)
  • 8 oz hamburger
  • 8 oz italian sausage
  • 8 oz of mozzerella
  • 28 oz water
  • 1 lb of pasta

Directions

Saute hamburger and sausage in Instant on Saute setting till browned. Add in sauce, pasta, and water. Cook for 5 minutes on high pressure and when done use fast pressure release. Add onion and  pepper, then stir. Add about 2 oz of additional water set pressure cook to 1 min and close lid. Wait about 2 minutes till lock pin rises and press cancel, wait another 2 minutes and do a fast pressure release, then stir in cheese and pepperoni and close lid and let set for about 3-4 minutes, then serve.

Simple Healthy Easy Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake

Published on by richbLeave a comment

I wanted a sweet treat that was healthy (like a muffin) to go with my coffee and I came across this recipe. Wow for being healthy (Fruit – banana, egg – protein, cocoa powder – flavor and anti oxidants),  it doesn’t taste like it.

Ingredients

  • 1 egg (beat in mug)
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 ripe banana (smashed  in peal)

Directions

Peal smashed  banana into mug and eliminate large chunks by smashing with a fork then add to mug with egg and  cocoa powder. Mix well.  Microwave for 1 min 30 seconds. Cool for a short time, not too long. Eat warm (maybe after about 1 min of setting).

Instant Pot Bun Bo Hue

Published on by richbLeave a comment

I decided to make this because we love going to the Vietnamese Pho restaurants  for Bun Bo Hue, but I wanted to see how a homemade recipe comes out. I researched it, went through a bunch of recipes, took out what I liked, and WOW it is great. It has many levels of complexity that I only noticed when I went to the really expensive places where they make their own Pho from scratch. I was surprised I could achieve this level of flavor on my my first try.

Update: I went back to the expensive Pho restaurants and either they weren’t as good as I remember or went downhill. This one was way better.

Ingredients

Meat

  • 2 lbs of Flank steak sliced in 1/4″ slices across the grain
  • 2 lbs of short rib sliced in about 1/2 inch cubes

Broth

  • 1/2 of a large onion or 1 small one
  • 1 tsp of ground coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp pepper corns
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 3 star anise
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 1 tbsp finely minced ginger
  • 5 tbsp fish sauce
  • 4 whole garlic cloves
  • Water fill 6 qt instant pot to just below max fill line after broth ingredient added (Soak thick rice noodle for 30 mins before cooking)
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 2 lbs of Flank steak sliced in 1/4″ slices across the grain

Chili Oil

  • 8 spicy chrushed cayenne peppers
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tbsp of annatto seeds
  • 1/3 cup of canola oil

Noodles:

  • Water enough to cover when soaking and at least 2 qts to cook noodles
  •  16 oz of thick rice noodles

Toppings/Garnish:

  • Chopped green onion as a topping
  • Sliced yellow onion as garnish
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Lime wedges
  • Thai Basil
  • Bean Sprouts
  • Chili paste (to add more heat)

Directions:

Put 1st 8 broth ingredients on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and toast with torch or put on aluminum foil on gril to toast (it enhances flavor but not absolutely needed), do not burn. Add into instant pot along with rest of broth ingredients and pressure cook on high for 20 minutes. While broth cooks brown short ribs in a frying pan then set aside. When broth is finished, strain into pour into pan or bowl and set aside.  Remove flank steak from strained ingredients and put into instant pot. Add in browned short ribs into instant pot with flank steak and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes with natural pressure release then keep warm until rest of ingredients ready.  Add oil into pan and heat for about 3 minutes on low and then add rest of chili oil ingredients and increase heat to medium and cook for about 6-10 minutes, do not burn the garlic and remove from heat.    Cook pre-soaked noodle for about 10 -20 mins till done then drain and rinse. Chop and slice toppings. For serving add noodles, then broth, some of the chili oil, then top with your choice of toppings. Eat and enjoy.

Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma Wraps

Published on by richbLeave a comment

These were really good a pretty easy to make. The Instant pot made it very tender and quick.

Ingredients Chicken Shawarma (4 servings)
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 0.13 cup lemon juice from 2 lemons
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.25 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 0.25 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 large onion sliced
  • 2 lbs chicken thighs boneless and skinless
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley for garnish
  • 0.5 tbsp olive oil
  • Flour Tortillas for wrapping

Toppings

  • Chopped Onion
  • Chopped tomato
  • Chopped Cilantro
  • lettuce
  • Hummus

Directions:

Put Chicken Shawarma ingredients (Except tortillas) into a zip lock bag, mix up, then marinade in fridge at least an hour. Add into Instant pot and set for 8 minutes on high pressure. Let cycle finish and pressure naturally release. Remove from Instant pot and put into a frying pan along with a little of the sauce in the instant pot (The more you use the more flavor however it will take longer for it to reduce) then cook until liquid gone and chicken browned. Put in a warmed tortilla with the desired toppings serve and enjoy.

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

Published on by richbLeave a comment

I recently purchased an Instant Pot. These are really cool cookers that allow you to use one pot to cook in and do it in a very short time using pressure cooking. I wanted to see how it would do on hard boiled eggs and this is what I did to come up with a perfectly cooked egg (yolk just cooked till solid, no more). Additionally the shell of the egg peels off perfectly with no sticking every time.

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs (can use more if you want to cook more)
  • 1 cup of water

Directions

Add water into Instant Pot and put in steamer rack (the one that comes with the Instant Pot). Put on the lid and close the pressure valve set the Instant Pot for pressure cook low and set the timer for 9 minutes and let it start. When done immediately press cancel and release the pressure using the pressure release valve. Take out the eggs and put into cold water. When they are cool enough to eat, enjoy.

Instant Pot Ribs

Published on by richbLeave a comment

Ingredients

  • 1 Rack of Baby Back Ribs
  • Your favorite BBQ sauce
  • Rub
    • 4 tbsp of brown sugar
    • 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
    • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
    • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 1/4 tsp old bay seasoning
    • 1/4 tsp thyme
    • 1/4 tsp onion powder
    • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • Braising liquid
    • 1 cup of water
    • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar (plain distilled vinegar is also good)

Directions

Apply rub to both sides of ribs, then wrap tightly in saran wrap and refrigerate as little as a hour or overnight to cook the next day. Take out from refrigerator and cut into serving size portions (about 4 ribs). Add braising liquid to Instant pot and then put in the rack that came with the instant pot. Add ribs so there is a little space between them put lid on and cook on high pressure for about 30 mins (For fall off the bone, 45 minutes, however you will need to let the cool before grilling to avoid them falling apart). When Instant pot is done, quick release pressure and brush with BBQ sauce and put on rack and broil in oven till BBQ sauce is carmelized to your liking. You can also finish on the grill if you prefer.

RX Bar Copy Recipes

Published on by richbLeave a comment

I wanted to have healthier snack bars to eat and I was told about the RX Bar. These are made from real food, not processed, however these are more than $2 each. So I looked around and found a recipe and found they are very easy to make, no baking. I made up my own recipes from what I learned. So I am making these for my snacks.

Base Bar Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unflavored egg white protein powder
  • 1 cup medjool dates
  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 3/4 cup raw cashews
  • 2 tbsp water

Flavorings for different flavored bars

Coffee Chocolate

  • 1/4 cup raw cocoa nibs
  • 2 tsp espresso powder

Chocolate Peanut butter

  • 1/4 cup raw cocoa nibs
  • 2 tbsp PB2 powdered peanut butter

Peanut butter

  • 3 tbsp PB2 powdered peanut butter

Add Base bar ingredients to food processor. Decide on flavor and add Flavorings for bar you want. Process in food processor till it forms a thick paste or dough. Put into a 9×13 pan lined with saran wrap and press or roll out till evenly spread. Cut into 12 bars and wrap in saran wrap or seal with food saver or seal a meal.