featured recipe
Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
This delicious and satisfying classic soup is full of flavor, tender beef and perfectly cooked barley and made in (almost) an instant using the Instant Pot or any pressure cooker. A perfectly scrumptious, warm you up from the inside, meal! If you happen to have left-over London broil, just omit the beef stew meat and add your left-over London broil, (diced), instead.
Servings 6
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot or any pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow or sweet onion finely chopped
- 2-3 celery stalks, with inner leaves chopped
- 3 plump garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup carrots cut into small bite-size pieces
- 3 small Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into bite-size dice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Better than Bouillon beef soup base
- 1 tsp kosher salt to taste
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1½ lbs beef stew meat cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 32 oz beef broth or stock
- 1 cup water more if needed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté Mode. Add the oil and butter to pot and when butter has melted, add half of the beef. Season lightly with salt and pepper and allow to brown. Transfer the beef to a plate or bowl and brown the remaining beef in the same manner and transfer to plate when browned. ****If using left-over London broil, skip this step
- Add onions and celery to the Instant Pot and sauté until onions are translucent, approx. 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add approximately 1 cup of beef stock/broth to the pot. Stir and scrape bottom of pot to deglaze and incorporate browned bits.Cancel Sauté Mode.
- Add the onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and beef base -- stir to combine with the veggies.Add back the browned stew meat (or left-over London broil), potatoes, pearl barley, remaining beef stock and water.
- Close and lock the Instant Pot and set to "meat/stew" (or manual/pressure mode), high pressure, for 25 minutes.Do a quick release when time is up. After pressure has released, open the pot and add the carrots. Close the lid and allow to sit in "warm mode" for 10-15 minutes, until the carrots are crisp tender.Stir soup and taste for seasoning. Add salt, pepper and/or water if needed. Serve and enjoy.
featured recipes (past)
Artisan Sourdough Bread
Sourdough bread is not difficult to make, but it does take some time and a healthy sourdough starter.
Equipment
- Bread Proofing Basket (optional)
- Scoring Lame (optional)
- Stand mixer (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup active sourdough starter
- 1 cup warm water
- 2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine the starter, water and 1½ cups of the flour. Mix with the paddle on low speed until it forms a thick batter. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30-60 minutes
- If using a stand mixer, change to the dough hook. Add the salt and the rest of the flour and mix until the dough begins to form a ball around the hook. If mixing by hand, add the flour using a wooden spoon. This dough is sticky.Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat the dough. Cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.After 30 minutes, lift one side of the dough and fold it into the middle of the dough. Repeat with the other three sides of the dough and then flip the dough over. (This helps to redistribute the yeast). Cover and after 30 minutes repeat the procedure.Cover and after 60 minutes repeat the procedure again.Cover and after 60 minutes turn the dough one more time. by now the dough should be elastic and airy. If the dough is still sluggish, give it another hour or two at room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and dump it onto a floured board. Without kneading, use your cupped hands to form the dough into a smooth ball. Cover lightly with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes. If the ball flattens during the 20 minutes, fold it onto itself and form the ball again. This step will help you check if your dough is elastic enough to hold it's shape during the final rise and baking.
- Uncover the dough and knead 1-2 times. Reshape the dough into a smooth ball and place the dough into a well-floured proofing basket or directly onto a sheet of parchment paper.
- Cover the dough and leave in a war, place until it's almost doubled in size and it springs back slowly when poked, about 1½-2 hours depending on the room temperature and dough temperature. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a Dutch oven with a lid into the oven to preheat.
- If the loaf is in a proofing basket, place a sheet of parchment over the dough and gently flip it over. Use a single edge razor or very sharp knife to cut a ¼" deep X across the top of the loaf. Remove the preheated pan from the oven and remove the lid. Use the parchment to lift the loaf into the Dutch oven.
- Replace the lid on the pot and slide it into the oven, Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid from the Dutch oven. The loaf should be well risen and pale in color.
- Continue baking another 20 minutes until the loaf is nicely browned and beginning to crisp. Remove the pan from the oven. Use the parchment to lift the loaf out of the pan. Use the parchment to place the loaf directly onto the rack in the oven. Bake another 5-10 minutes until the loaf is deeply browned and very crisp. Total baking time is about 40-50 minutes.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
William Bond's Coffee Ice Cream (Frozen Custard)
If you like coffee and you like ice cream, you are going to LOVE this!
Equipment
- Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- ¼ cup half-and-half
- 1½ packets Starbucks Via Instant Italian Roast Coffee 4.9 g
- 1½ cups half-and-half
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together first four ingredients
- Heat next five ingredients to a simmer in a heavy saucepan
- Stir 4-5 tablespoons of the hot cream into the egg batter to temper and then add back into the saucepan
- Cook cream and batter while stirring almost constantly. Remove from heat at 175° F
- Cool the cream batter in an ice bath and/or refrigerator before adding to an ice cream maker.
Strawberry Relish For Seared Sea Scallops
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh strawberries diced
- 2 tbsp shallots minced
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1½ tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp arugula minced, (more for salad)
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté minced shallots for two minutes - being careful not to burn. Transfer shallots to a bowl and allow to cool.
- Add the diced/minced strawberries to the bowl of shallots along with the remaining ingredients; vinegar, salt, pepper and minced arugula
- Prepare scallops and place of a bed over arugula. Spoon strawberry relish over top.
Curried Chicken Salad
This recipe does have a few steps, but the extra effort is worth it.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 10 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1 small onion quartered
- 4 whole black pepper corns
- 5 cups water
Curry Dressing
- 1 cup good mayonnaise
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 2 tbsp mango chutney
- ¾ tsp white wine vinegar
- ½ cup seedless red grapes halved
Instructions
For the chicken
- In medium saucepan, combine chicken, salt, onion, peppercorns and water.Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and simmer until cooked through, (approximately 20 minutes). Chicken will become tough if cooked too quickly at too high of temperature.Allow chicken to cool while you prepare the dressing.
Curry Salad
- Combine mayonnaise, curry powder, chutney and vinegar.When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred and chop into small pieces and add to dressing with red grapes. Mix together well and serve on bread of choice or atop of salad greens.
Corned Beef, Cabbage and Roasted Vegetables
I love this dinner and have prepared it for years, but never has it been as tender and delicious as when prepared in this way. The reason I decided to break away from my customary routine and instead, use the sous vide, was a practical one. Corned beef takes several hours to cook on the stove top, which means that one needs to be near the kitchen the entire time. We planned to entertain friends for dinner, but decided that we wanted to hit the slopes for the day. By using a water bath to cook the meat, we could leave while it was cooking and not worry about burning down the house.
Equipment
- Sous Vide
Ingredients
Corned Beef & Vegetables
- 1 package corned beef
- new potatoes red, white, gold or a combination
- 1 head green cabbage cored and thickly sliced
- 6-8 carrots peeled and cut into pieces
- 1-2 apples Pink Lady or Granny Smith both taste great
- 1 Walla Walla Sweet or Mayan onion halved and thickly sliced
- Olive oil extra-virgin
- Butter, salt, pepper, fresh parsley to taste
Guiness Mustard Sauce
- ½ cup course-grained mustard I use Trader Joes
- 2 tbsp regular Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp Guinness Stout
- 1 tbsp shallot minced
- 1 tsp light brown sugar
Instructions
Prepare Corned Beef
- Rinse the corned beef before placing it in a vacuum sealed bag. Seal the bag and place it in a preheated 180° F sous vide water bath. Leave to cook for 10 hours, adding additional water when needed.****You can serve this up the day you cook it OR, I prefer cooking it a day ahead and letting it sit in the refrigerator over night. (It is much easier to slice this way).
- Half the new potatoes and place in a large pot filled with well-salted room temperature water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. **If corned beef has been chilled over night in the refrigerator, slice and warm the slices in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, placed over the pot of potatoes.
- While potatoes are cooking, place vegetables on a large rimmed cookie sheet. (Use two if needed so as not to crowd the vegetables.) Drizzle generously with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place vegetables in a 400° F preheated oven and roast 20 minutes, turning half way through. (I cook until browned and the carrots still have a slight snap). Stir potatoes into melted butter and season with salt, pepper and freshly chopped parsley. Serve alongside roasted vegetables, slices of corned beef and plenty of Guinness mustard sauce.
Guinness Mustard Sauce
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl to blend. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Can be made 2 days ahead, keep refrigerated.
Notes
Learn more about the wonders of SOUS VIDE cooking
Chimichurri Sauce
This Argentine Chimichurri recipe is by the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen. It is delicious spooned over grilled beef, drizzled over a bowl of lentils and it's a fantastic marinade! Chopping everything by hand, rather than using a food processor, gives a nice texture and prevents the herby sauce from turning into a paste. Allowing the shallot, chile, garlic, and salt to sit with the vinegar for 10 minutes before adding the herbs softens the aromatics and tames their raw sting.
Servings 2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 Fresno chile or red jalapeño finely chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic thinly sliced or finely chopped
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more
- ½ cup cilantro finely chopped
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 2 tbsp oregano finely chopped
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine shallot, chile, garlic, vinegar, and 1 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Let sit 10 minutes.Stir in cilantro, parsley, and oregano. Using a fork, whisk in oil.Salt to taste.
Notes
Chimichurri is best served just after it's made, but if you have any left over, the sauce will hold in the refrigerator for a few days. Use to top roasted chicken, oven-roasted potatoes, fried eggs, or almost anything else that's simply seasoned. Mix it with Greek yogurt to create a dip, or work in a bit of mayonnaise for a creamy and herb-packed spread for a sandwich.
Buttermilk Beignets
I found this recipe in Bon Appetite many years ago and it is truly spectacular. They are ridiculously easy to make and they are so light that they seem to evaporate when you take your first bite. Trust me, you will be amazed.
Equipment
- Deep fat frier (optional)
- Stand mixer with dough hook
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1½ cup buttermilk
- 4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2½ tbsp granulated sugar
- 3½ cups bread flour plus extra for flouring work surface
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- Oil for frying peanut or canola
- confectioners sugar for serving as much as you think you will need and then double that
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until small bubbles form at the surface. Remove from the heat, add the buttermilk, and then pour into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk in the yeast and the sugar and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed, using a dough hook, until the dry ingredients are moistened, 3-4 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough forms a loose ball and is still quite wet and tacky, 1-2 minutes longer. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the dough aside in a draft-free spot for 1 hour.
- Pour enough oil into a large pot to fill it to a depth of 3 inches and bring to a temperature of 375°F over medium heat (this will take about 20 minutes). Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
- Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out on it. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, gently press to flatten, fold it in half, and gently tuck the ends under to create a rough-shaped round. Dust again and roll the dough out into a ½-inch-to ⅓-inch-thick circle. Let the dough rest for 1 minute before using a chef's knife, a bench knife, or a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 1½-inch squares (you should get about 48).
- Gently stretch a beignet lengthwise and carefully drop it into the oil. Add a few beignets (don't overcrowd them, otherwise the oil will cool down and the beignets will soak up oil and be greasy) and fry until puffed and golden brown, turning them often with a slotted spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain while you cook the rest. Serve while still war , buried under a mound of confectioners' sugar, with hot coffee on the side.
Notes
MAKE AHEAD: The beignet dough can be made up to 8 hours in advance of frying. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. After cutting the dough, place the beignets on the paper and place another greased sheet of parchment paper, sprayed-side down, on top. Wrap the entire baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The beignets can be fried straight fro the refrigerator.
30 Minute Chili
This fast, easy and delicious chili comes together quickly when you use canned kidney beans. It takes a little longer if you opt to cook them, either in the instant pot or on the stove top. It is on the spicy side as written, so if you prefer a more mild chili, start with 1/2 tsp each of cumin, cayenne and chili powder and increase to taste.
Servings 6
Equipment
- Instant Pot (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 lb hamburger browned and drained
- ½ lb left-over brisket optional
- 2½ tbs olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 6 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cayenne
- 1 cup beef broth homemade is ideal
- 4 cups cooked kidney beans or 2-14.5 oz cans
- 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice 14.5 ounce cans
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
Instructions
Beans--skip this step if using canned kidney beans
- Prepare according to package directions OR
- Using an Instant Pot: rinse sort 1 lb of dried red kidney beans and place them into an Instant Pot, (you do not need to soak them first).
- Add 8 cups water and 1 tsp of saltCook on high pressure for 30 minutes and allow pressure to release naturally
- Brown and drain hamburger. (Since I just cooked up bacon for my double stuffed potato skins, I browned the burger in the rendered bacon grease for added flavor.)
- In a Dutch oven, sauté onion in olive oil until transparent. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add seasonings, broth, beans and meat. Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.Add green pepper and cook for an additional 10 minutes.Serve with chopped green onions, cilantro, shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.
