things I like

things I like

Instant Pot Risotto with Lemon, Peas, & Parmesan from kelseynixon.com

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
  • 4 cups veggie stock
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
  • 3/4 cup petite peas, frozen
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • Zest and juice from 1 lemon
  • Fresh parsley or micro greens, for serving

Using the saute setting on your Instant Pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, add the garlic to the pressure cooker and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice and salt and saute until toasted, 3 minutes. If using, pour in the wine and let it simmer until it has evaporated. Add the broth and stir to combine. Cover with the lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 6 minutes.

Release the pressure manually and stir in the peas, Parmesan, and lemon. Keep stirring until the risotto is creamy. Season to taste with salt and cracked black pepper. Just before serving, garnish with the remaining parmesan and greens.

fish with toasted almonds from nigella lawson

  • ½ cup sliced almonds
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 4 6-ounce cod fillets (or any other meaty white fish), with skin
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

    Place a large dry nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add almonds. Stir constantly until they are tinged with color. Take from heat, and transfer to a bowl to cool.

    Season both sides of the fish well with salt and pepper. Place the same pan over medium heat, and add butter and olive oil. When both begin to bubble, add cod fillets skin side up. Brown fish until opaque all the way through, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Transfer fish to a warm serving plate, skin side down.

    Reduce heat under pan to low, and add lemon juice. Stir to blend with butter and oil, then pour this sauce over fillets. Scatter parsley over cod, and scatter with toasted almonds. Serve immediately.

Baked Flounder with Parmesan Crumbs from food wine.com

4 flounder fillets (2 pounds total)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large baking dish, season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Mix the Parmesan with the bread crumbs, melted butter and olive oil and sprinkle over the fillets. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked and the topping is golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

 

indian moong dal instant pot from twosleevers.com

1 c. yellow mung dal
4 c water
1onion diced
1 tomato diced
2 tbsp garlic/ginger paste
1 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp corriander
1/2 tsp sugar
lemon juice and parsley or cilantro to finish

place all ingredients in instant pot.
cook for 20 min at high pressure then release naturally
mix in lemon juice and stir well
garnish with cilantro or parsley

instant pot golden lentil soup, kitchen treaty.com

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 medium stalks celery, diced 
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper+ more to taste
  • 1 cup dry brown lentils, rinsed well in cold water
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 8 ounces (about 6 cups) baby spinach or1 pkg  frozen spinach
    parsley to taste

 
  1. Hit “Saute” button on Instant Pot. Add oil. When hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.
  2. Add the lentils and pour in the broth. Stir.
  3. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the release valve is in the “sealing” position. Press the “Manual” button and set the timer at 14 minutes.
  4. The Instant Pot will warm up for about 10 minutes and then start cooking. After the 12 minutes is up, quick-release by flipping the release valve to “venting” (a little bit at a time at first).
  5. Once venting is complete, remove the lid of the Instant Pot. Stir in the spinach. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve.
  6. Keeps in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Freezes well too!

Instant pot creamy butternut squash risotto

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
4 cups of butternut squash, peeled and largely diced
2 cups Arborio rice
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms
1 – 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp of Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
5 ounce bag baby spinach
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Add the butter and oil to the Instant Pot. Hit “Sauté” and “Adjust” so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting and wait until the butter has melted and it bubbles.

Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes so it softens and just lightly browns. Add in the butternut squash and stir with the onions for another 1-2 minutes (the squash will be very hard, but don’t worry – it will completely soften up after pressure cooking). Next, add in the mushrooms, stir and cook for another minute. Finally, add the garlic, stir with everything else and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add in the white wine and once it bubbles, let it do so for another 2 minutes so some of the alcohol burns off. Add rice and stir. Add in the broth, seasoned salt, white pepper, black pepper, nutmeg, Italian seasoning and dried parsley. Stir well, deglazing the bottom of the pot and then place the spinach on top (but do NOT mix in with everything else – just let it rest on top. Also, it may look like a LOT of spinach is in there but you’ll be shocked at how it cooks down).

Secure the lid, hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 6 minutes. Quick release when done and stir the spinach in with the risotto (when you do this, the spinach will have become nothing but little green strands).

Add in the grated Parmesan, stir and transfer to a serving bowl.

Creamy Garlic Mushroom Sauce from 12tomatoes.com

  • 4 cups mini portabella or crimini mushrooms, sliced
  • ½ yellow onion, chopped
  • 8 oz heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
  • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
  1. Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.
  2. Add onions, mushrooms, and thyme to pan, season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and sauté until onions are translucent and mushrooms are golden brown.
  3. Add cornstarch to milk and stir to combine. Pour milk mixture and cream into pan. Lower temperature and simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened.
  4. Add parsley and lemon juice, stirring to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Mushroom Rice from recipetineats.com

2 – 3 tbsp olive oil , separated
2 tbsp butter
1.5 lb mushrooms , sliced 3 – 5 mm / 1/8 – 1/5″ thick (Note 1)
2 garlic cloves , minced
1 small onion , finely diced
1 1/2 cups long grain rice (Note 2)
2 1/4 cups / 565 ml vegetable stock (Note 3)
1 1/2 – 2 cups sliced green onion / scallions
Optional: More butter to stir through

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot over high heat. Add half the mushrooms, and cook for 5 minutes until golden. Season with salt and pepper then remove and set aside.
If the pot is dry, another 1/2 – 1 tbsp oil, and add butter. When melted, add onions and garlic.
Cook for 30 seconds, then add remaining mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are lightly browned (they won’t caramelise as well as the first batch) and the base of the pot is brown.

Add rice and a splash of broth. Mix so the brown stuff on the bottom of the pot mixes into the liquid.
Once the base of the pot is clean, add remaining liquid. Place lid on, bring to a simmer then turn down to medium low.
Cook for 15 minutes or until there is no residual liquid (tilt pot to check).

Remove from stove, remove lid, QUICKLY toss in reserved mushrooms and scallions, put lid back on. Leave for 10 minutes (do not skip this step!).
Fluff rice using a fork or wooden spoon. OPTIONAL: Stir through more butter. 🙂 Serve!
Recipe Notes

1. Use any mushrooms you want, I used normal button mushrooms, it’s even more mushroomy if you use Swiss Brown / Cremini mushrooms. Don’t slice them too thin otherwise they literally disintegrate!

Mushrooms do “suck up” oil but don’t be tempted to add more oil until the end if needed. When raw, mushrooms suck up the oil, but then as they cook, release water and the oil, so this helps them brown towards the end. But if you do find they are looking dry, add just 1 tsp towards the end of browning.

2. Basmati and jasmine would also be great here, comes out nice and fluffy like long grain rice. I find that medium and short grain rice is a bit sticky for my taste when cooked pilaf style. Risotto rice, sushi rice and paella rice are not suitable. Please use uncooked rice.

BROWN RICE: Follow recipe but use 2 1/2 cups liquid for tender, fluffy rice (or 2 3/4 cups for soft rice) and it will take around 45 minutes to cook on the stove (check at 35 minutes, then every 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed).

QUIONA: This will also work with quinoa but adjust the recipe as follows: rinse quinoa, use 3 cups of liquid (I would prob do 2 cups broth, 1 cup water), follow recipe but cook for 20 minutes.

3. The amount of liquid to rice ratio I use yields a tender just cooked rice that is fluffy. If you like your rice on the soft side, use 1/2 cup extra liquid but note that the rice will be stickier rather than fluffy like what you see in the video and photos.

4. SERVES: Makes around 7 cups of rice (packed) which will serve 8 as a side or 4 as a main. YES it’s a lot but it will keep well in the fridge for a few days and it freezes well too!

5. Nutrition per serving, assuming 8 servings.

Provoleta (Grilled Provolone Cheese) from NY Times

FOR THE Chimichurri:

  • ½ cup finely chopped parsley
    • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
    • 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • Large pinch of crushed red pepper
    • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons cold water

     

    For the cheese

  • 8 ounces provolone cheese, sliced at least 1 inch thick
  • 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 baguette, sliced in 1/2-inch rounds, toasted, if desired
  1. Make the chimichurri: In a small bowl, stir together the parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper, vinegar and water. Thin with a little more water, if necessary, to make a pourable sauce. Set aside to let flavors meld. Sauce may be prepared up to 1 hour in advance.
  2. Set a small cast-iron pan over medium-high heat (or over hot coals). When pan is hot, put in the cheese. Sprinkle with half the oregano and crushed red pepper.
  3. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the bottom begins to brown. Carefully flip the cheese with a spatula and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the second side is browned and the cheese is beginning to ooze. Transfer cheese to a plate and sprinkle with remaining oregano and crushed red pepper. Serve immediately, accompanied with bread and chimichurri. (Alternatively, finish the cheese by putting it under the broiler or in a hot oven.)

 

Fish With Toasted Almonds from Nigella Lawson

  • ½ cup sliced almonds
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 4 6-ounce cod fillets (or any other meaty white fish), with skin
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
  1. Place a large dry nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add almonds. Stir constantly until they are tinged with color. Take from heat, and transfer to a bowl to cool.
  2. Season both sides of the fish well with salt and pepper. Place the same pan over medium heat, and add butter and olive oil. When both begin to bubble, add cod fillets skin side up. Brown fish until opaque all the way through, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Transfer fish to a warm serving plate, skin side down.
  3. Reduce heat under pan to low, and add lemon juice. Stir to blend with butter and oil, then pour this sauce over fillets. Scatter parsley over cod, and scatter with toasted almonds. Serve immediately.