Tag: Instant pot

Rice and Peas

In addition to being the perfect complement to Jerk Chicken or Oxtail stew, serve this hearty Jamaican side with with curries or other savory sauces.

This recipe is a snap to make using the Instant Pot to speed things up. You can also make it on the stove top or in a rice cooker

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Rice and Peas

In addition to being the perfect complement to Jerk Chicken or Oxtail stew, serve this hearty Jamaican side with with curries or other savory sauces.
The key ingredient in rice and peas is the coconut cream. We normally use the Grace creamed coconut product which can be found in most grocery stores these days. It comes in a small block that's been reduced to concentrated paste, a bit like cold butter (but at room temperature). There are canned coconut milk products that I haven't tested. I suspect you just need to reduce the water, try 50-50 coco milk and water.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Jamaican
Keyword rice and peas
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Long grain white rice Use Basmati rice if you prefer. Either way, give it a good rinse and drain to get rid of some starch.
  • 1 cup canned black beans, pigeon peas, or black-eyed peas 1 cup is half of a 14 oz can of beans. Try cooking from scratch in an Instant Pot. Extra beans can be saved in the fridge covered in a little of their liquid – use them in salads and soups.
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp Grace Creamed Coconut
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 3 seeds allspice/ pimento gently crush with the side of a chefs knife
  • ½ tsp dried thyme use 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme if you have it
  • 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (optional) for the flavour – leaving it whole doesn't add much heat
  • 2 or 3 green onions flattened with side of a knife

Instructions

  • Rinse the rice once or twice with some tap water to remove some of the starch. Use a strainer or just swish it around in the pot and carefully pour off the water.
  • Break up the coconut cream into small bits before adding to the pot, to avoid nasty lumps.
  • Add all the ingredients . . . water, salt, allspice, garlic, thyme, green onion, coco cream and a scotch bonnet pepper (optional) to the Instant Pot and stir to blend well.
  • Put on the lid and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 4 minutes
  • When the time's up, allow it to release naturally for at least 10 minutes, before releasing remaining pressure. You can make it an hour or more ahead of time, using the Instant Pot's keep warm function.
  • Remove the green onion and thyme sprigs, then fluff it up and serve!

Notes

Keep any leftover in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

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Chili con Carne (with Chipotle, of course)

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Chili con Carne

Chile con carne translates to "Meat with chilies".   With a vague name like that, it's no wonder there are scores of ways to make this versatile one dish meal.   I've created a chili powder spice blend using my Hot Smokey Chipotle combined with a blend of Mexican chilies, Mexican oregano and other spices.  You can purchase it from the store here or use your favourite store brand chili powder.   
This recipe is tailored for the Instant Pot, but you can make chili in any pot you like.  Because I prefer to make this with cubed beef, the pressure cooking ensures the meat is fall-apart tender and the flavour will make everyone think you simmered it for hours.  If you make chili with ground beef, you can use the Instant Pot for that too. 
I like to serve it with a helping of oven baked tortilla chips.   
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Bluewater Pepper Farm hot smokey chipotle, chili con carne, Instant Pot
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tbsp Bluewater Pepper Farm Chipotle Chile powder Adjust to your taste
  • 1 lb beef or veal cut into small cubes You can use ground beef, turkey or chicken instead
  • 1 15 oz can red kidney beans + 1/2 cup liquid I like to cook mine from dried beans using the Instant Pot. Check out my post on cooking dried beans. You can sub in some black beans for variety and colour.
  • 1 lg onion, finely chopped
  • 1 med carrot, finely chopped this is optional – it adds more flavour imho
  • 1 lg can diced tomato
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp cooking oil

Instructions

  • Set the Instant Pot to sauté, medium and add 2 tsp of cooking oil.
    When it's heated, toss in the chopped onion and carrot and saute for 4 or 5 minutes until softened.   
    Instant Pot
  • Add the cubed beef (or ground) along with the chili powder and salt. Stir to coat the meat and sauté for another 5 minutes or so, stirring every few minutes to brown the meat evenly.
  • Add the tomatoes and the crushed garlic and bring up to a boil
  • Put the lid on the Instant Pot, be sure to set the vent to the 'sealed' (pressure cook) position.  The photo shows the correct position.  Hit Cancel, then press Pressure, set it to high for 20 minutes.
    Instant Pot lock
  • Once the pressure cycle is done, the pot will beep. Press Cancel.  You can use the quick release method to release the steam and open the lid. 
  • Hit the Saute button and add the tomato paste and kidney beans, giving it a good stir.
  • At this point, you just need to bring it up to simmer for 10 or 15 minutes and it's ready to enjoy!  Serve sprinkled with chopped cilantro and a side of tortilla chips.

Notes

If you have the luxury of 3 hours cooking time, you can use a dutch oven or any large pot on the stove.  Just let it simmer long enough for the flavours to build.  That’s why i like the Instant Pot pressure setting even when using ground beef for my chili.

Hummus with Chipotle powder

Use my Hot Smokey Chipotle in this recipe for a unique twist on this Middle Eastern staple.

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Hummus with Chipotle

Make this delicious Middle Eastern dip, using canned chick peas or cook them in minutes in your Instant Pot.  This recipe kicks it up with Bluewater Pepper Farm Hot Smokey Chipotle powder giving it a bit of smoke and heat.  Whiz the ingredients together in a food processor and that's it!
Use hummus as a dip with veggie sticks, tortilla chips or crackers.  I like to use it in place of butter on my sandwich too. 
Course Snack
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword Bluewater Pepper Farm hot smokey chipotle, hummus

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz can chick peas, drained Set aside the liquid. If you cooked your own chick peas, let them cool down before processing
  • 2 Tbsp Tahini sauce
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Tsp Cumin
  • 1/4 Tsp Bluewater Pepper Farm Hot Smokey Chipotle Add more if you like it spicy
  • 1 Garlic clove, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 Cup Chick pea liquid Add more or less to suit your preference
  • 1 Tbsp Lime juice About 1/2 of a lime

Instructions

  • Put all ingredients into your food processor and process on high.  I like to whiz it for 3 minutes – it will seem like forever, but it will make your hummus deliciously creamy and smooth. 
  • Periodically scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
  • Add more chick pea liquid if it seems too thick and adjust the chipotle, lime and salt to taste.

Notes

Add a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil just before serving.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.  

Pressure Cooking dried beans

Using your Instant Pot makes cooking nutritious and economical dried beans and legumes a snap.

Instant Pot pressure cooker
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Cooking dried beans with a Pressure Cooker

When it comes to cooking dried beans, nothing beats a pressure cooker – it reduces your cooking time from an hour or more to mere minutes.  We love our Instant Pots – yes we have 3 – for this reason (and many others too).
While a lot of recipes say there is no difference in flavour or quality if you use canned beans, I personally prefer the flavour and texture of beans cooked from scratch.  Aside from that, you don't need to store all those cans in your pantry. Dried beans are cheap, take up little space and have a very long shelf life.  You can keep a stock of different kinds and cook them as needed.
This recipe is for 1/2 cup dry and makes about 2 cups cooked.  Just change the proportions as you need.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Instant Pot
Keyword beans, dried beans
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Soak time 10 hours
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Pre-soak

  • 1/2 cup dried beans chick peas, kidney beans, pigeon peas, black beans, etc.
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tbsp salt for soaking

Pressure cooking

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tsp salt for cooking

Instructions

Soaking

  • Soak the beans overnight in salted water (use roughly 1.5 tbsp to 3 cups water).  Don’t worry too much about the soaking time, I find as little as 4 hours is okay. 

Pressure cooking

  • When you’re ready to cook, drain the water and rinse the beans. Soaking makes them expand to about twice the original volume.
    beans after soaking overnight
  • Place beans in your Instant Pot.  Add 3 cups of water and the 2 tsp salt.
  • Set to high pressure and select cooking time
  • Lookup the pressure cooking time for whatever variety of beans you're making. The Instant Pot recipe book includes a handy guide or you can look up the timing online. The cooking time for different types vary widely, so this is important. For chick peas I've soaked overnight, I find 10 minutes on high pressure is just right for making hummus. Kidney beans take a bit less – only 7 or 8 minutes. Black beans take a bit longer than most even though they're pretty small. If you open up the pot and find them a little under-cooked, you can just put them back on pressure for a few more minutes until they're cooked to your liking.
  • When the time is up, your Instant Pot will beep to let you know.   It will need to depressurize before you can open it.   Per the manual, you can let it cool down until the lid releases naturally (about 20 minutes) or you can use the quick method and manually release the steam.   I don’t see much difference, but some say the beans are more likely to split if you use the quick method.  
  • Use them right away or store them in the fridge for few weeks in some of the cooking liquid.   You can add beans to so many soups, stews, salads, and spreads. 
    cooked red kidney beans

Notes

Notes: Store cooked beans in the refrigerator along with enough cooking liquid to cover.  They’ll keep for about 2 weeks.  I like to toss a few in salads, soups, stews for texture and taste.  
In a pinch, you can also cook beans in your Instant Pot without soaking them – just extend the pressure time accordingly. The handy table in your Instant Pot recipe book will tell you. The cook time is still impressively short vs cooking them in a regular pot of boiling water.
The exact measurements are not that critical to getting a good result.  Just be sure to use enough water for the quantity of beans you’re cooking – a minimum of 3:1 water to beans ratio.  
By the way, there’s nothing wrong with canned beans so . . . 1/2 cup dried =~ 1 15 oz can of cooked.  For more conversions, check out https://www.thespruceeats.com/dried-bean-conversions-and-measurements-1388322