Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Taco Meat

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CHICKEN:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic — minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
3 chipotle peppers in adobo — individual peppers, NOT 3 cans, finely chopped (if you love heat, feel free to add an extra pepper or stir in a few teaspoons of sauce from the can)
1 can diced tomatoes in their juices — (14 ounces) For extra heat, use Rotelle with peppers
1/4 cup lime juice

FOR SERVING:
Corn tortillas, lightly brushed with olive oil and heated in skillet on both sides - can be a little charred.
Any other bonus toppings: fresh cilantro — diced onion, cheese, additional salsa verde, diced avocado (either in place of or in addition to avocado sauce above), plain greek yogurt

INSTRUCTIONS

With the Instant Pot on sauté, the olive oil, onion, garlic, chili powder, and salt. Let cook 3 minutes, until the onion beings to soften. Turn the Instant Pot off (on my model, I hit CANCEL). Stir in the chipotle peppers, tomatoes, and chicken. Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer (a little overlap is OK, and the chicken will be touching). Pour the lime juice over the top.

Lock the lid in place. Cook on manual pressure for 15 minutes. As soon as the time is up, vent immediately. Once you can open the lid, turn the Instant Pot off. Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE. Bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, breaking up the chicken, until the liquid reduces by about half. 

To serve: Fill the shells with the chicken and add any desired toppings. Enjoy immediately.

RECIPE NOTES

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of chicken stock or extra salsa to keep it from drying out.

Based on https://www.wellplated.com/instant-pot-shredded-chicken-tacos/ with my changes

Pressure Cooker Lentil Soup

Soup is all ready for this weeks lunches.  This recipe made three and a half quarts.

Ingredients

2 cup lentils
1 onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 carrots (sliced into 1/4 pieces)
2 celery stalks (diced (optional))

1 cup chopped meat optional - ham, sausage, chicken
1 bunch Rainbow Chard or similar greens (chopped, such as kale)
8 cups water or broth
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Set to Saute function on Instant Pot.
Saute onions, garlic, spices, carrots, celery, and meat while adding ingredients.  Stir in the lentils to combine.  Add water/broth to cover.

Lock the lid into place and bring to high pressure. Once at pressure, reduce heat to maintain pressure and cook for 3 minutes.
Use the quick release method to release the pressure until it is safe to unlock the lid.
Stir in the chard/kale, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.  Top with green onion optional.  Keep instant pot on warm or saute to desired consistency. 

based on https://passtheplants.com/pressure-cooker-lentil-soup/

Lasagna with or without meat

Lasagna by memory

• 10 ounces, Lasagna Noodles- cooked al dente
  ************
• 1-1.5 pounds of ground beef or bulk Italian sausage (half of each) browned/drained
• 1 whole Onion Chopped ~ 1 cup
• 4 cloves Garlic (or 4 Tb minced garlic)
• 1/4 cup Italian Seasoning
• 1 whole Bell Pepper, Diced
• 8 ounces, White Mushrooms, Chopped (Optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped Celery
• 1/2 cup White Wine as needed to saute veggies 
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt (more To Taste)
• 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 1 large can (28 Ounce) petite diced Tomatoes
• 1 quart favorite spaghetti sauce - or enough to make sauce right consistency
  *************
• 24 ounces, Small Curd Cottage Cheese
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, Chopped (more To Taste
  ******************
• 12 slices Swiss Cheese
• 1 pound Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

(for veggie lasagna, replace meat with 8 cups of zucchini/summer squash/mushroom/carrots combination of your choice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook noodles according to package directions.

Brown the meat in a large skillet and drain. Add onions and garlic and cook for a minute. Add diced peppers and celery and saute for another minute or so. Add mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Pour in wine, add salt, pepper, and seasoning and stir.  Pour in tomatoes and sauce. Stir to combine and let simmer for 20 minutes or so.

In a separate bowl, combine cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, and  chopped parsley.  Stir well..

To assemble, spread a little of the vegetable/tomato sauce in a lasagna pan. Layer four cooked noodles in the pan, slightly overlapping them if necessary. Spread 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture on the noodles. Top the cottage cheese mixture with swiss slices and sprinkle with mozzarella. Spoon a little less than 1/3 of the meat sauce mixture over the mozzarella.

Repeat the layering two more times, ending with a large helping of sauce and a sprinkling of Mozzarella.

Bake at 350 degrees, for 60 minutes?  When the sauce is bubbly and cheese is slightly brown (thermometer for above 185 degrees in the middle)  Cover with tinfoil if the top is getting too brown.  Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10-30 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.  It's actually better the next day....

Spicy Chicken Orzo

Spicy Chicken Orzo

1. Cook, then drain in a colander 1/2 pound orzo pasta.  Return pasta to the pot and set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add: 1 tablespoon olive oil When the oil is hot, add and stir for 3 minutes: 1 onion, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 uncooked skinless boneless chicken breast fillets (12 ounces total- canned chicken good for dehydration), minced

3. Add: 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes 4 ounces canned diced green chilies 1 tablespoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and stir in: 1 cup any variety grated cheese

5. Toss the chicken mixture with the cooked pasta.  Enjoy now or follow next step for backpacback


6. Spread on covered dehydrator trays and dehydrate for 6 hours at 145 degrees.

7. To rehydrate, cover with water just above level of food in pot. Stir while bringing to a boil, and then serve.

Baked Chicken with White Beans and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

6 bacon slices (1/4-pound total), cut into 1-inch pieces

skinless, boneless chicken thighs  (1 1/2 pounds total)

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon  salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon smoked Tabasco sauce (optional to taste) or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 medium onions, chopped, (1 1/2 cups)

4 cups chopped kale

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1 (15 to 16-ounce) can stewed tomatoes including juice or Rotel Tomatoes

2 (15 to 16-ounce) cans small white beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. 

Brown chicken in fat in skillet over moderately high heat, turning over once, about 8 minutes total, then transfer chicken to bowl, set aside.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons fat from skillet and reduce heat to moderate. Cook onions in skillet with seasoning, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir tomatoes and juice into onions and boil, uncovered, 3 minutes, to concentrate juices slightly. Stir in kale and beans and bring to a simmer. Nestle chicken in beans and bake, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

Chicken Piccata

My Chicken Piccata

INGREDIENTS

• boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1 1/2 pound total)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 small zuchinni sliced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 pepper sliced
• 1 onion chopped
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 2 cans drained artichokes
• 1 cup chicken stock or dry white wine (such as a Sauvignon Blanc)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley

METHOD

Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet on medium high heat.  The cast iron skillet is a good choice for this dish. Brown chicken well on each side, sprinkle salt, pepper, thyme rosemary, basil and garlic powder on chicken while cooking, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve to a plate.  Fresh herbs are awesome too if you have them, adjust quantities to taste.

Place the chicken in an oven proof dish and keep warm in a 225°F oven while you prepare the veggies and sauce.

Saute veggies until tender crisp in a Tbs oil if needed.  Set aside with the chicken.

Add stock or wine and lemon juice, reduce by half, stir in butter:  Use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Reduce the sauce by half.  Use cornstarch if desired to thicken the sauce.

Plate the chicken and veggies and serve with the sauce poured over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

Nice with wild rice.  This recipe is being jotted down after the fact and will have to be tested as written to be sure.  Cooking is a creative process and never needs to be followed perfectly.

Garlic Chipotle Lime Chicken in the Instant Pot

Garlic Chipotle Lime Chicken in the Instant Pot

This garlic chipotle lime chicken is packed with tons of flavor and is incredibly easy to make in the Instant Pot!  The chicken is seared and pressure cooked in spicy/sweet sauce for a result that's sure to make everyone in your family happy!  

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp chicken bone broth
• 2.5 Tbsp raw honey 
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
• 1 tsp spicy brown mustard
• 1.5 Tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder or cayenne

Chicken:

• 2 lbs chicken thighs
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• black pepper
• 4-5 cloves garlic minced
• Minced cilantro for garnish optional

To Thicken Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp broth
• 1 tsp corn starch or tapioca flour

1. Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a bowl, set aside (bullet blender works nice)
2. Turn your Instant Pot to “saute” and allow it to heat up, meanwhile, sprinkle your chicken with sea salt and black pepper on both sides.
3. Once pot reads “hot” swirl oil around the bottom to let it heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until golden brown (about 2 mins) then flip chicken with tongs and repeat on second side.
4. Once both sides are golden brown, return chicken to face up. Sprinkle garlic around the chicken and allow it to cook about 30 seconds, until softened, then press “cancel”.
5. Pour sauce mixture over the chicken, secure the lid, place steam release to “sealing” and set on high pressure for 10 mins.
6. Once time is up, quick release the pressure and remove lid. Using tongs, remove chicken to a plate and set aside while you thicken the sauce.
7. Return the pot to “saute” and whisk together the 2 Tbsp broth and starch, then add to sauce and stir. Cook about 3-5 more minutes or until sauce is thickened to preference. Return chicken to pot with its juices and coat with sauce. Turn off pot and allow chicken to sit 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

based on recipe found at:  https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/wprm_print/19333

Nutrition Facts

Garlic Chipotle Lime Chicken in the Instant Pot

Amount Per Serving

Calories 340Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 7g35%

Cholesterol 132mg44%

Sodium 139mg6%

Potassium 271mg8%

Total Carbohydrates 9g3%

Sugars 7g

Protein 21g42%

Vitamin A4.3%

Vitamin C2.1%

Calcium1.4%

Iron5.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.