Recipe: Pressure Cooker Penang Chicken Curry

It was hot and muggy here today.  I thawed some chicken.  I really didn't want to turn on the oven.

Enter the pressure cooker!  Hurrah!

We ate this just over baby spinach, at room temp.  It was wonderful and light and delicious.

I used Teeny Tiny Spice's Penang Curry mix, and it was totally wonderful.  I'm sure you could use some other curry seasoning, but this one is something special, for sure.

Pressure Cooker Penang Chicken Curry

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lime, sliced
1 onion, chopped fine
1/2 c water
2-3 Tbsp Teeny Tiny Spice Penang Curry Mix (or your favorite curry spice mix)

1/2 can coconut milk

Place chicken in pressure cooker.  Top with lime wedges and onion, then sprinkle spice mixture on top.  Add water and cook at low pressure for 12 minutes.  Allow pressure to release naturally for about 15-20 minutes.  Remove chicken from the pot and set aside.

Turn pressure cooker to brown (this will boil the liquid) and reduce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Strain the reduced cooking liquid (which also has lime and onion pieces in it) through a sieve into a bowl.  Whisk in coconut milk.

Serve sliced chicken over baby spinach with some of the sauce.  (You could also serve it over rice or noodles, but this made a lovely light dinner)

Lunch: 5.31.11

Snack is some Somersault Snacks and a juice - no picture.

Lunch is some pineapple, strawberries, and blueberry fruit salad, a hot dog with string cheese, and some honey bbq chips.  Leftovers from Memorial Day!  I don't normally send chips, but I couldn't resist sending in a bit.. they are her favorite and she will be so excited.

Recipe: Sun Tea

Really more than a method than a recipe, summer means sun tea!

I used Republic of Tea Tangering

Couldn't be simpler - put 4-6 tea bags of your choice into a glass pitcher of water.

Put out in the sun for about 4 hours.

Remove tea bags and chill if desired.  You can add simple syrup or honey if desired.  I personally don't think it needs it.

Recipe: Blueberry Rhubarb Crumble

Another rhubarb recipe, this one is just wonderful, and so so simple.

Served with ice cream.  Mmmm.

I used some King Arthur Flour Lemon Bits in it to add a little zing, but that isn't strictly necessary.

Blueberry Rhubarb Crumble

1/2 lb rhubarb, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1/2 lb blueberries
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c King Arthur Flour Lemon Bits

1/2 c flour
1/2 c oats
1/4 c applesauce (plain, unsweetened)
1 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Combine blueberries, rhubarb, lemon bits (if using) and sugar together in a bowl.  Pour into a greased tart or pie pan.

Mix together oats, flour, and applesauce.  Sprinkle over the berry mixture.  Put slivers of the butter over the crumble.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until nicely golden brown.  Let cool and enjoy.

Recipe: Rhubarb Cream

Yummmm... rhubarb.  Get ready, I'm going to have a lot of rhubarb recipes this summer!  This is the first of two for today.

You can serve this rhubarb cream hot or chilled, as a cold fruit "soup," or as a sauce for ice cream or the like.  I particularly like to serve it chilled, with a dollop of cream stirred in.

It's a very simple recipe.  In the proportions given, it doesn't make much, so feel free to scale up.

Rhubarb Cream

1/2 lb rhubarb
2/3 c water
1/4 c sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp corn starch (or King Arthur Flour Hi-Maize Natural Fiber ) + a little cold water

Chop rhubarb into ~1/2" pieces.

Combine water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add in rhubarb and bring to a boil.

Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the rhubarb is soft.  Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.  Mix the corn starch with a little cold water to form a paste.  Stir it into the rhubarb mixture and cook a little more until thickened.

Chill if desired, and serve with a little cream stirred in, or as a topping for ice cream.

Recipe: Dulce de Leche Mini Muffins

The dulce de leche I made for yesterday was a huge hit.  So, I decided to make another batch and make mini muffins!

Yum!

Dulce de Leche Mini Muffins

2 eggs
1/2 c softened butter
10 Tbsp dulce de leche (for the batter)
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp oil
6 Tbsp whey (or milk)
3/4 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder

~8 Tbsp dulce de leche for filling
~4 Tbsp coconut for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Combine eggs, butter, dulce de leche, vanilla, oil, and whey in a mixer.

Mix in the flour and baking powder.  Scoop about halfway full into mini muffin cups.  Place a small dollop of dulce de leche on top of the batter.

Cover with a little more batter.

Sprinkle the top of the muffins with a little coconut.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Cool and enjoy!

Recipe: Pressure Cooker Dulce de Leche

I wanted to make something fun as a filling for The Boy's birthday cake.  I decided to try making dulce de leche.

I've seen methods of  making it that require boiling a can of sweetened condensed milk for several hours.  I also found that many people use their pressure cooker for less than an hour.  That sounds more like it to me!

I will admit, I was a little nervous about boiling a can.. I didn't want to deal with it exploding.  Apparently, that can happen.  It didn't, though, and I was left with something delicious and super simple.

Pressure Cooker Dulce de Leche

1 can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

Remove the label from the can of condensed milk.

Place the unopened can in a pressure cooker.  Pour water into the pressure cooker until it covers the can by about an inch and a half.

Hello, Pressure Cooker!

Cook on low pressure for 20 minutes.  Allow pressure to release naturally for about 15 minutes, and then use quick-release for the remaining pressure.

Lid off, water still boiling.. letting it cool.

Allow to cool slowly before removing from water - I took the lid off the pressure cooker and let the can sit in the water overnight.

When the can is cooled, remove lid and scoop out deliciousness.  It may need to be whisked a little to make it nice and smooth.  Enjoy as a filling, a dip, or a drizzle topping.

Lunch: 5.27.11

Snack is again Somersault Snacks, with a juice.

Lunch is strawberry applesauce, ham and string cheese in a wrap, raisins and craisins, and a couple cookies.

Lunch: 5.26.11

Snack was some more Somersault snacks, and a juice - no pic

Lunch was banana slices and blueberries, along with a ham wrap and string cheese, and a couple cookies.

WINNER: Somersault Snack Giveaway

Thanks to all who entered!  I picked a winner via Random.org, and it is #9, Dana:

Dana said...

I'd love to try them! Pacific Sea Salt sounds great. I liked them on FB. DRush at basementproduction.com. Thanks!

I'll contact you and get your information. Congratulations, and I hope that you enjoy them as much as we do!  Anyone who did not win, do check them out if you get a chance.  They are delicious... and I discovered that they make totally delicious croutons!

I've got another giveaway coming up soon, so keep your eyes open!

Lunch: 5.25.11

Snack was some Somersault Snacks (Giveaway winner will be chosen tomorrow - don't miss your chance to win!) and a juice.  No pic.

Lunch was a ham wrap, string cheese, a couple cookies, and some apple slices.

Lunch: 5.24.11

The Girl has a field trip today, and they said to pack a hearty lunch as the kids won't have time for a snack, and also something to drink.

She has a ham sandwich on pain de mie, a string cheese, apple slices, somersault snacks (don't miss the giveaway!), along with homemade Greek yogurt with maple syrup stirred in, and a banana.  To drink, she has a bottle of water with Mio in it.  (Mango Peach).  I like Mio occasionally.  It gets her to drink more water... I wish it didn't have anything artificial in it, but for the amount I use in her water, I'm ok with it.

I packed her lunch in the cooler bag from EasyLunchboxes - and did you know, you can now get EasyLunchboxes on Amazon?  Super cool.  I used the cooler bag because she's got a larger lunch today, and I wanted her water bottle to fit.

Lunch: 5.23.11

Snack was some Somersault Snacks and a juice (Enter the giveaway here!)

Lunch was a string cheese, blueberries and banana slices, half a ham sandwich on pain de mie, and a chocolate butterscotch bird's nest no bake.

Lunch: 5.20.11

Snack is Pacific Sea Salt Somersault Snacks (Don't miss my giveaway!), and a juice.

Lunch is a ham sandwich on pain de mie, a string cheese, strawberry and blueberries, and a chocolate butterscoth bird's nest no bake.

Lunch: 5.19.11

Snack is some Salty Pepper Somarsault Snacks (Don't miss my giveaway!), and a juice.

Lunch is a ham sandwich, bunny shaped, on fresh pain de mie, a cheese stick, half a kiwi, and some strawberry-blueberry skewers.

Recipe: Pressure Cooker BBQ Shredded Beef

 
I had a pound of chuck roast thawed.  I had no idea what to do with it.  When I got home, I decided to whip out the trusty pressure cooker.   BBQ Shredded beef?  That would be a perfect thing to do with a pound of beef.

 
I served this on tostadas (pan fried corn tortillas, not the baked kind I've made before).  With some cheese and sour cream, they were totally delicious.

You could do this in a slow cooker, too.  Just let the meat cook all day and shred up at the end.  There was lots of extra sauce, and I'm not sure what to do with it, but I think the amount was needed to get the meat really shred-ready.


Pressure Cooker BBQ Shredded Beef

1 lb chuck roast
1 c barbecue sauce of your choice
1 c Dr. Pepper (I used Sodastream Diet Pete's Choice - essentially the same thing)

Combine the beef, bbq sauce, and soda in a pressure cooker.

Cook at high pressure for 40 minutes.  Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest of the pressure.

Shred with two forks and enjoy!

(Don't miss your chance to enter my Somersault Snacks Giveaway!  It closes on May 26th)