Lentil Soup - Pressure cooker

I've made various lentil soups over the years but my family didn't especially love them.
This one however, caught our attention and I'll definitely make this one often.
I've adapted it from a recipe by Jill Nussinow.
It takes less than 30 minutes.

1 onion - chopped
2 carrots - chopped
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs dried thyme
6 cups liquid (at least 2 cups vegetable broth)
1.5 cups green or brown lentils
1/2 cup red lentils
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 knuckle fresh turmeric, peeled and grated
1 t. ground coriander
2 t. salt
1/2 t. black ground pepper

Place onion into pressure cooker insert and add 3 T. water. Bring to a boil using the saute setting, and add onions. Saute for 3 minutes, stirring if needed. Add garlic, and carrots, and saute for another minute or so.
Add bay leaves, thyme, broth/water, lentils, potato, turmeric, and coriander.

Lock the lid into place and cook at pressure for 7 minutes.  Allow the pressure to release naturally. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve as is, with crusty bread, or over a bowl of rice, quinoa, barley, faro, or a mixture of these grains.

Super Simple Chicken

Last night, grilled chicken was on the menu, but when I stepped outside to grill, I found that my grill was out of order.
I was in a hurry, and so I threw this recipe together - just winging it with ingredients I had on hand.

I was surprised when my oldest daughter, followed by my second exclaimed how good this was! They both immediately asked me to post it here for posterity's sake (theirs). My husband got home a little later and he too really loved it. He and one of my kids took leftovers of this meal for their lunches today.

My jaw is still on the ground because it was so simple. I served it with roasted potatoes, and chimichurri sauce. 
Here's the recipe - for posterity's sake.

6-8 skinless, frozen chicken breasts
1 c. water
1/2 yellow onion - sliced
4 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, chopped

Place chicken in cast iron pan over medium high heat.
Spread onions, mushrooms, peppers, and garlic over the top of the chicken.  Add 1/2-1 c. water, and cover with a lid (I use my pizza stone as a lid).
Cook for approximately 20 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
Check halfway through to make sure water hasn't boiled away. If it has, add more water.

Serve with roasted potatoes and chimichurri sauce - serve everything with chimichurri sauce :)

Chimichurri - I'm in love!

We had an amazing meal at a friend's house last week, where I was introduced to chimichurri sauce, and oh my heavens! It totally struck a chord with me. So much, that I replicated the exact same meal for our dinner the next night, and ate chimichurri with my next three meals as well. My mouth is watering again just thinking about it.

The great thing about this sauce, is that it is so versatile (and it keeps vampires away). It can be eaten on steak, grilled chicken, mixed into pasta, or that spaghetti sauce you were just whipping up, with eggs or potatoes, or on toast with eggs and avocados as pictured here.

1 bunch parsley - washed and minced
1 head of garlic (yep - a whole head, meaning all of the cloves) - finely minced, or processed through a garlic press
2-3 Tablespoons of fresh lemon or lime juice (key lime is my citrus juice of taste)
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil OR 2 teaspoons coconut milk, OR 1 tablespoon chia gel

Mix together in small bowl, and season with kosher or large grain salt, and black pepper (red pepper flakes may also be added for a little more zing, if the garlic isn't enough!)

Rice Spice Bites - Puerto Rican Recaito & Sofrito

 Ever wanted some extra flavor in your rice, or in a sauce, but didn't have the time to chop and sautee everything? Or have everything on hand? In Puerto Rico, many rice, soups, or meat dishes have a base of recaito or sofrito.. made with a cilantro or culantro base. These are spicy - to your preference, and add a quick burst of flavor to rice and meat dishes. 

3 bunches cilantro - coarsely chopped

8 jalapeños -seeded and finely chopped

5 bunches green onions - chopped

1 large garlic - 8-10 cloves, chopped

3 limes juiced

3 Tablespoons butter

Melt butter in saucepan, add everything except for the lime juice.  Sautee until tender. 

Add lime juice and simmer for a few minutes. 

Place in spoonfuls on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and freeze for several hours or overnight - ice cube trays can also be used.  

Place in individual snack baggies or in a large bag for future use - keep

stored in freezer. 

Add as a base to rice, shrimp, or meat sauces for a quick, rich flavor. 

Easiest Ever Garlic and Rosemary Pork Roast

Here it is - the easiest, and amazingly tastiest pork roast ever. 

Make with your slow cooker or crock pot, a pork roast and two other ingredients. 

Fresh rosemary, and fresh garlic. 

6- 8 hours. 

The end. 

Okay - here are the explicit instructions:

1 pork roast - size doesn't really matter.  I actually usually start with a frozen roast, yes, as in a chunk of ice...plunk, it goes into the pot. (I use a meat rack at the bottom of my slow cooker though.)

Spread 4-5 (for a 2.5 lb roast) sprigs or branches of fresh rosemary over the roast.

Peel 4-5 large garlic cloves, crush them (place a wide knife/spatula/cutting board over them, and bring your hand down hard on top to smash them) and place on top of the roast, using the rosemary to keep them in place.

Salt and pepper if desired.

Cook for 6-8 hours, until meat is tender and falls apart.
Easiest Ever...Tasty as can be...And my kids love it.


  

Herbed Butter, Herbed Garlic Bread, & Herbed Butter Pats

An easy and delicioius twist on garlic bread. 

Use the freshest herbs possible.  Mince herbs, and adjust flavors according to your personal taste preferences.   

Gently mix herbs into room temperature butter. 

Variations: Spread onto a french bread loaf, wrap with foil, and heat for a zesty garlic bread - see below 

May be made ahead as fancy butter pats for rolls and breads, by spooning mixture into a frosting piping bag with a large tip, and piping the butter into pats on a piece of wax or parchment paper, and freezing to sabilize shape.  Keep frozen in a ziplock bag until needed. 

Use butter pats used in pastas, rices, soups etc.       

Fresh Herbed Butter Garlic Bread

Mince and combine the following

1 T. Fresh Parsley

2 T. Fresh Basil

1/2 T. Fresh Rosemary

1/2 T. Fresh Chives

2 Garlic Cloves

Mix into 1 stick of room temperature butter, and season with Kosher salt to taste. 

Slice a loaf of french bread into 1 inch vertical slices, not quite cutting through the bottom crust. Spread herbed butter onto each slice, then wrap bread in foil.  Place in 350* oven for 10-20 minutes - until butter is melted and bread is steaming.  

Serve immediately

Chile Verde - easiest ever

This was one of the first pork recipes I ever learned. Thanks to my sister in law for sharing it with me several years ago. Bad picture acknowledged, but note that this is a super easy recipe, with fantastic results, which feeds MANY.

1 pork roast - size doesn't matter
1-2 cans green chile enchilada sauce (size of cans depends on size of roast)
1-4 cans green chiles/jalapeños (according to your taste)
1-2 chopped garlic cloves
1 chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste

Place roast in a crock pot. Pour enchilada sauce, green chiles/jalapeños, garlic, and onion over roast.

Cook on med for 6-8 hours. Stir meat - it should separate into strands (I sometimes use a potato masher.)
Serve on corn tortillas with Monterrey jack cheese and sour cream.