Variations on a Theme

So my dear friend sent me a package the other day.  It had two boxes of that lovely Knorr seasoning cubes that my market here doesn't seem to carry (If they do, I sure can't find it!).  And my sweet daughter-in-law called and talked about making beans at her house.  So I knew I needed a pot of beans.  But who wants to wait to soak overnight and all day to cook?  Not me!  So I chose a time when my adult daughter was gone.  She still does not eat beans.  I know, it's a sure sign I failed in the way I raised her.  Or she just doesn't like beans.  Either way, today I am making beans!

I pretty much followed Char's recipe below, only I had Great Northern Beans instead of pintos.  And we are carnivores, so I had to add sausage to the pot.

30 minutes on high with natural release, and then I thickened the juice with a little bit of dehydrated potatoes.   Char was right, they are the best beans ever!

Frogmore Stew

My intentions were good. I took a before picture...then we ate dinner and I forgot to get a picture of the finished product before it was consumed. 

This is also known as 'Lo-Country Boil'.  Whatever the name, we call it delicious.

6 red potatoes cut in half 

2 chicken thighs

3 Cajun sausages

3 ears corn on the cob

10 oz frozen medium size shrimp, cleaned, uncooked

1/4 c Old Bay seasoning

3 c chicken broth 

Brown chicken in a little butter.  

Layer in pressure cooker as follows:

Potatoes

Chicken

Sausage (poke the casing to keep from splitting during pressure)

Shucked corn broke in half

Old Bay

Chicken broth

Pressure on high 4 minutes.  Natural release for 8 minutes, quick release after that.  While waiting for the natural release, sauté the shrimp in a little butter in a separate pan until shrimp is just barely pink.  Open pc cut sausage and chicken into bitesize peices and add the shrimp sausage and chicken to the pot.  Serve in bowls with some rolls on the side.  (Broth is for flavor and cooking, it's too salty to actually eat as a soup).  Enjoy!

Easy Sausage Rice

We eat this meal quite a bit...it's quick and filling.  My issue is I keep forgetting to take a picture of it. But tonight I removed the fork out of my mouth in order to take this photo.

It's very adaptable to families of all sizes. My mother used to feed the masses with 5 cups of rice, but we have downsized significantly so I only used 1 1/2 c rice, which fed the 3 of us and had enough leftover for a lunch later in the week.

Sausage Rice

1/2 lb hot sausage (we like hot, but any flavor will do.  This was Owens brand)

1c chopped celery (3 stalks)

1 envelope Lipton chicken noodle soup mix

1 1/2 c long grain rice

3 c water

Using brown setting, brown the sausage in the pressure cooker.  Add celery, soup mix, rice and water. Mix once.  Lock on lid, push rice button.  If your pc does not offer a rice setting, high pressure 6 minutes.  Natural release for 5 minutes and quick release the rest.  Serve with a green salad and if you are my husband, applesauce, because everyone knows if your meal has rice in it, it must be paired with applesauce.  I don't understand it, but I have learned over the past 29 years when to put the applesauce on the table.

Best Beans Ever!

 

I like a good bowl of pinto beans, but I usually have to add lots of stuff once they are cooked to give them the flavor I like.  Until now!  I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was a keeper!

 

2 cups dry pinto beans (1 lb)

6 cups water

1/2  medium onion chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1 Knorr's Chipotle cube

1 Knorr's Cilantro cube

1 tsp oregano

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt

 

Put all ingredients in pc.  Cook on high pressure for 45 min.  Allow for natural release.  If you like your juice thicker, stir 2 tsps. cornstarch into a little water to dissolve.  Stir into pot. 

 

*Chipotle and Cilantro cubes are found at Walmart in the Hispanic food section.  They make all the difference in the flavor. 

Easy Peasy Ribs!

So in the past, every time I made ribs it was a fail!  They fell apart, they were burnt, they didn't taste good.....you get the picture.  So I was very nervous about trying them again in the pc, but I gave it a whirl!  Holy bbq sauce!  They were awesome! 

1 had one rack of ribs and cut them in half.  It was more a snack than a whole meal.  I rubbed it with a mixture of equal parts of brown sugar, garlic salt, onion salt, paprika.  I salt and peppered both sides before spreading the rub on.  I let them sit for about 10 min while I set up the pc. 
Put ribs in a steamer above 2 cups water.  Cook on high pressure for 30 min.  Quick release to check for doneness.  Lay ribs on cookie sheet and spread your favorite bbq sauce (mine is Sweet Baby Rays Hickory Brown Sugar) on both sides.  Broil 7-10 min in your oven on both sides.  Delish!