Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs Braised in Tomato Sauce aka More Meat

Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs Braised in Tomato Sauce

2 slices of bacon, cut into lardons
1 ½ pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into 3” pieces
½ onion, diced small
3 carrots, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon oregano
½ cup red wine
¼ cup water
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Set the Instant Pot to “saute.” Add the bacon and cook until just starting to crisp. Add the short ribs in a single layer and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning until all sides are browned. Remove the ribs from the pot. Add the onion, carrots and garlic to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Return the short ribs to the pot. Stir together the tomato paste, salt, oregano, wine, water and tomatoes; pour over the short ribs. Cover and set to the “meat/stew” function for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, shred the meat with two forks and stir into the sauce. Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta.

Pin It Now!

Pulled Pork Taquitos

I needed a vehicle for the Best Ever Queso.

Pin It Now!

Chipotle Chicken Pasta

Chipotle Chicken Pasta

1 pound penne pasta
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons honey, divided
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 large chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups frozen peas
2-3 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipolte in adobo sauce)
2 cups half and half
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
tortilla strips and parsley for garnish

Prepare the pasta per package instructions, drain and set aside.

Whisk together the lemon juice, 1tablespoons of the honey, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the marinade. Toss to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and marinade to the pan, sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan, add the bell pepper and onion to the pan and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, then stir in the peas. Add the adobo and half and half to the pan, bring to a simmer and stir in the parmesan cheese. Stir in the chicken and pasta, toss well to coat. Serve, topped with tortilla strips and minced parsley.

Pin It Now!

Brisket Tacos

Miss F loves tacos and watching Pioneer Woman. When she saw the episode that included brisket tacos, she knew she wanted to have them for dinner as soon as possible.  She was obsessed with these tacos.  We used the leftover meat for quesadillas and tacquitos, I think she had the leftovers lunch and dinner the following day.  This recipe couldn't be any easier and would be great to feed a crowd at a party, just leave the shredded brisket in the crockpot with it set to warm and set out all the fixings, it's taco party time!

Brisket Tacos

2 cloves garlic
1 onion sliced
2 pound brisket, trimmed of most of the fat
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 15 ounce can red enchilada sauce
12 tortillas
Guacamole


Place the garlic and onions on the bottom of the crockpot and place the brisket on top. Sprinkle the chile powder and salt over the brisket, pour in the enchilada sauce. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Remove the brisket from the crockpot and shred with two forks. Return the meat to the crockpot and toss with the sauce. Serve on warm tortillas with guacamole.

Pin It Now!

Pork Souvlaki

Pork Souvlaki

½ cup olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Greek oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ pepper
1 ½ pounds pork loin, trimmed of silver skin and excess fat, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cups of Greek yogurt
1 English cucumber, peeled and grated
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
12 pitas, warmed
1 tomato, seeded and chopped

Whisk together the olive oil, onion, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour over the pork and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Stir the yogurt, cucumber, garlic and lemon juice. Stir and set aside.

Thread the pork onto skewers, alternating with the bell pepper. Broil for 5 to 7 minutes, until the pork is cooked through. Serve skewers with pita, tomato and cucumber yogurt sauce.

Pin It Now!

Creamy Tortilla Soup

We could live on tortilla soup in our house, doesn't matter the variety.  I always make a huge batch so that both C and Miss F have plenty of leftovers for their lunches, I always take some too.  This recipe was fantastic and was a huge hit.  I only wish their wasn't such an avocado shortage right now, it pains me to pay nearly $3 an avocado, even though they are totally worth it, I much prefer the normal $1 price.  This recipe was adapted from Cooking Classy.

Creamy Tortilla Soup

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 cups half and half
¼ cup flour
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
¼ cup sour cream
For serving:
Shredded cheese, diced avocados, corn tortilla chips

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno, sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 30 seconds more. Add the broth, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts, bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, remove the chicken and let rest for 5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes. Whisk ½ cup of the half and half with the flour. Pour the half and half mixture into the pot, stirring constantly. Stir in the remaining half and half and cook for 3 minutes, until the soup has thickened. Dice the chicken, add it to the pot along with the black beans, pinto beans and corn. Stir in the sour cream just before serving. Serve topped with cheese, avocadoes and tortilla chips.

Pin It Now!

Butter Basted Ribeyes

I made two ribeyes, figuring Miss F could share with C and me. Turns out, these steaks were a huge hit with everyone and I definitely finished dinner wanting more. Next time, I will make each one of us our own steak.  Miss F still refuses to eat potatoes, she tried one bite of the twice baked potato and declared them to be gross.  Such a silly girl.  This recipe is adapted from Food and Wine.

Butter Basted Ribeyes

Two 1 pound, bone-in rib eye steaks
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves
1 rosemary sprig

Season the ribeyes with the salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the steaks and cook for 5 minutes, flip the steaks and add the butter, thyme, garlic and rosemary to the pan. Baste the steaks with the butter and herb mixture, for about 5 minutes more. Transfer the steaks to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve.

Pin It Now!

Pumpkin Gingerbread Bundt Cake

To continue with my mindset of willing it to be fall even though it feels like 100 degrees outside, Miss F and I decided to bake with pumpkin after we purchased a few pumpkins for our porch. She had requested a cake of some sort and having just made a bundt cake for my mom's birthday, I knew I wanted to use the pan again.  I adore gingerbread, especially when served warm with a healthy dollop of whipped cream.  This recipe had the perfect spice and the pumpkin made the cake incredibly moist.  This recipe was adapted from McCormick.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Bundt Cake

4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup molasses
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the pumpkin, brown sugar, molasses and butter on medium speed until combined. Add the egg, mix well. Add the flour and water, alternating and beating on low just until blended. Pour the batter into a greased 12 cup Bundt pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, invert cake onto the wire rack and cool completely. Slice and serve with whipped cream.

Pin It Now!

Spicy Corn Chowder

We were in Colorado this past weekend, where it actually felt like fall...and then winter.  A huge winter storm rolled in on Sunday and we made it out of town just in time.  Vail Pass was closed overnight because of the poor driving conditions and the next morning our neighbors reported that we had gotten over a foot of snow!  Hopefully this is a good omen for ski season.  And then we returned to the land of eternal summer, but I can still pretend it is fall and make all sorts of soups for the 90 degree weather.  This recipe is adapted from The Neelys on Food Network.

Spicy Corn Chowder

4 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small jalapeno, chopped seeds and ribs removed
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 large red potatoes, well scrubbed and small diced
1 cup half and half
16 ounces frozen corn
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Add the onions and red pepper, sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the jalapeno and garlic, saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour until thoroughly combined. Cook the flour until it reaches a slight blonde color, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken stock and the potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes; potatoes will become soft. Add the half and half, corn, cayenne and bay leaf. Simmer for 15 more minutes. Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved bacon.

Pin It Now!

Garlic Shrimp and Sundried Tomato Pasta

Whenever C is out for the evening, Miss F and I always indulge in seafood. We had visited my parents for crabs and got a couple pounds of fresh shrimp from the Kemah seafood market. The shrimp there are so much better than what you can get in the grocer.  Miss F has become and expert shrimp peeler, which makes dinner prep a breeze.  She wasn't a huge fan of the sun dried tomatoes, but that meant all the more for me.  I used dried sun dried tomatoes and rehydrated them with boil water.  I added a bit of the water the tomatoes steeped in to the sauce.  This recipe is adapted from Julia's Album.

Garlic Shrimp and Sundried Tomato Pasta

12 ounces linguine pasta
2 tablespoon butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup sundried tomatoes
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 cup half and half (or milk)
1 teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Prepare the pasta per package instructions, drain and set aside, reserving the cooking water.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and tomatoes, sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the shrimp, salt and paprika, cook for 5 minutes more, until the shrimp are pink. Add the half and half, basil and red pepper, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and pasta, adding any of the reserved cooking water if the sauce needs thinning.

Pin It Now!

Crockpot Hatch White Chicken Chili

Crockpot Hatch White Chicken Chili

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
¾ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 cups chicken broth
3 to 4 roasted hatch chiles, chopped
1 package frozen corn
4 ounce cream cheese, softened
¼ cup half and half
sliced avocados
tortilla strips
shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Add chicken breasts to bottom of slow cooker, sprinkle with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Top the chicken with the onion, garlic, broth, Hatch chiles and corn, stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the chicken and cut into chunks. Return the chicken to the crockpot, add the cream cheese and half and half, stir, cover and cook on high for 20 minutes more. Serve with avocadoes, tortilla chips and cheese.

Pin It Now!

Rigatoni all'Amatriciana

C is semi-obsessed with Mario Batali. Every time he visits New York City, he has to go to Babbo. His main obsession is the olive oil cake, but he loves every dish he has ever been served there. We are going to NYC in a few weeks, it will be Miss F's first ever visit, and he was sure to make reservations at Babbo as soon as possible. The funny part is that he has seen Batali twice on the street, once in Aspen and once in NYC, and he didn't have the courage either time to stop and say hello. This recipe from Batali was a huge hit in our family and it might be the best tomato sauce I have ever made. It was truly amazing.

Rigatoni all'Amatriciana

2 pounds fresh tomatoes
1 pound rigatoni
¼ pound thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick
½ red onion, halved and thinly sliced
¼ cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
½ cup freshly grated pecorino cheese, plus more for serving
½ cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

Seed and chop the tomatoes, add to a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until the tomatoes release their liquid, stirring often. Press the tomato mixture through a mesh strainer, making sure to extract as much of the liquid as possible. Discard the skins, reserve the strained liquids.

In a large saucepan, cook the rigatoni until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, add the bacon and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is beginning to brown, 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes moe. Add the tomato paste and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the strained tomatoes and bring the sauce just to a simmer.

Add the pasta and reserved cooking water to the sauce and cook over moderate heat, tossing, until the pasta is coated. Remove from the heat and stir in the ½ cup each of cheese and parsley. Season the pasta with salt and black pepper and transfer to bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve, passing more cheese at the table.

Pin It Now!

Firecracker Chicken

Firecracker Chicken

3 tablespoons Sriracha
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the Sriracha, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic in a small sauce pan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved into the sauce. Heat the oil in an oven safe sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes per side. Pour half of the sauce over the chicken, reserving the remaining sauce for dipping. Bake for 15 minutes, serve over rice with additional sauce on the side.

Pin It Now!

Tomatillo Pork Enchiladas

Tomatillo Pork Enchiladas

12 corn tortillas
2 cups cooked pulled pork
2 cups shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
½ cup tomatillo salsa (or your favorite salsa verde)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 40 seconds. Mix the pork with 1 cup of the cheese. Place a couple spoon fulls of the pork mixture in each tortilla, roll up and place in the prepared pan.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or so, whisking the whole time. Whisk in the broth and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth, heat for 5 minutes until thick and bubbly. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and salsa. Pour the sauce over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for 3 minutes or so to brown the cheese. Serve.

Pin It Now!

Emeril’s Shrimp Etouffee

Emeril’s Shrimp Etouffee

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ½ tablespoons flour
½ cup onions, chopped
½ cup green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning Emeril's Original Essence
1 ½ cups vegetable stock
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups cooked white rice

In a large sauté pan over mmedium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, stirring continuously to make a roux. Stir until the roux is peanut butter colored, about 5 minutes. Add onions, peppers and garlic to roux, cook stirring often for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, salt and 1 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, whisking well to incorporate the roux. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season the shrimp with the remaining Cajun seasoning. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Serve over rice.

Pin It Now!

Hatch Chile Tortilla Soup

Hatch Chile Tortilla Soup

4 large summer tomatoes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups chicken broth
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 frozen package corn
4 hatch chiles, roasted, stemmed and seeded, then diced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Slice the tomatoes in half, place cut side down onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Broil for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining olive oil to a dutch oven and heat over medium. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, until the onions begin to soften. Add the garlic, cumin and salt, cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes and their juices to the pan. Stir in the broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Blend with a hand blender. Stir in the black beans, corn, hatch chiles and chicken breasts. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred with two forks, return the shredded chicken to the pot. Serve, topped with tortilla chips, cheese and avocado slices.

Pin It Now!

Houston

I had a recipe set to post today, but in light of the last few days, I decided against it.  Houston and the surrounding areas have suffered massive losses.  We have been incredibly lucky to only have to deal with a leaking roof and fireplace.  So many of my dear friends have suffered so much through the rains of Hurricane Harvey.  Many people have been forced to evacuate, leaving their homes and all their possessions behind, not knowing what they will be coming home to or even when they will be allowed to return home.  I have a friend who's neighborhood was overwhelmed with rising flood waters and her amazing husband got in his canoe and rescued hundreds of people.  The devastation and sadness is immense.  The life changing decisions that are having to be made right now in our city breaks my heart.  I didn't grow up here, but for the last 22 years I have been proud to call Houston my home.  I love this city and the people in it.  And I hope the rains stop so that we all can get a chance to collect ourselves.  

A friend texted me a picture of a fresh baked loaf of bread she had just made from a recipe on the blog.  Most grocery stores aren't open and the ones that are certainly don't have bread, that was sold out last week.  I know it's a silly thing, especially in such a dark time, but I got a little smile this morning knowing that bread was being baked through all this mess.  We baked  my grandmother's Lazy Daisy cake on Saturday, having a slice of cake each day has brought a tiny bit of joy to us.  Cooking and baking is part of my family life and I am so grateful to be able to share that with you.  I hope that all my neighbors are safe, warm and enjoying a good meal through this storm.  The rescues continue and Houston's strength is showing. #HoustonStrong

Pin It Now!

Peach Lemonade

Miss F's school participates in the program, One School, One Book, every summer. The whole school reads the same book and activities are planned around it during the start of school. This summer, they read The Lemonade War.  The kids were encouraged to have a lemonade stand over the summer.  Miss F wanted to incorporate the fresh Palisade peaches we were loving in Colorado in her lemonade and the results were fantastic.  As a side note, our house in Colorado came furnished, complete with a peach and lemon breakfast table.  I despise it and hope to replace it soon, but it was the perfect backdrop for fresh peach lemonade.  Miss F made some pocket money after purchasing her supplies and had a great time with the lemonade stand.

Peach Lemonade

8 cups water
1 cup sugar
2 large peaches, pitted and chopped
1 cup lemon juice, from about 5 large lemons

In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups of water with the sugar and the peaches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Place a sieve over a bowl and pour the peach liquid from the saucepan through it. Press to extract all the juice from the peach pieces. Stir together the remaining 6 cups water, the lemon juice and the strained peach juice. Refrigerate and serve over ice.

Pin It Now!

Rainbow Trout with Green Bean Succotash

City Market finally had trout! It was cause for much celebration.  We decided to take our favorite farm stand's vegetables and combine them with Miss F's favorite ever fish.  She did eat her corn raw, because she prefers it that way, but she inhaled her most favorite fish.  This was the first meal we enjoyed on our new patio set, that I triumphantly put together all by myself.  It was a true feat.  We only have a few days left of patio dining and then it is back to Houston where patio dining won't be an option for months to come.

Rainbow Trout with Green Bean Succotash

2 rainbow trout filets
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 ears corn, shucked and kernels cut from cob
¾ cup chopped green beans
½ cup grape tomatoes, cut into halves
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

Coat the trout filets with the flour and sprinkle with the salt. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the trout skin side down, sauté for 5 minutes. Flip and sauté for 3 minutes more. Remove the trout to a plate, cover to keep warm. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan. Add the corn, green beans, tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring often. Plate the succotash and top with a fish filet.

Pin It Now!

Fish Tacos with Tomatillo Cream Sauce

Miss F and I are loving our summer of seafood.  She is mildly obsessed with the green sauce at Pappasitos and I make a quick version of equal parts tomatillo salsa and sour cream to appease her.  I have been wanting to use it on fish tacos forever, just never got around to it.  I do miss our seafood selections in Houston, the seafood counter is much more limited here in the mountains of Colorado.  I am still a little bitter that trout is so hard to come by.  These tacos are the perfect summer meal and couldn't be any easier.

Fish Tacos with Tomatillo Cream Sauce

¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup tomatillo salsa
pinch of salt

For the Baja Fish Tacos:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound mild fish, I used cod, but would prefer red snapper
½ teaspoon salt
8 small corn or flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cabbage (I used a cole slaw bag, so it had some carrots as well)
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
1-2 limes, cut into wedges

Whisk together the sour cream, salsa and salt. Set aside.

Add butter and oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the garlic to the pan for 30 seconds. Season the fish on both sides with the salt. Sauté the fish 2 to 4 minutes a side until cooked through.

Take a tortilla and add a small amount of the cabbage, squeeze a little lime over it (this helps flavor it a bit), then add the fish pieces and top with the avocado. Top with a drizzle of tomatillo cream and a squeeze of lime juice.

Pin It Now!