ALDI ALERT!

My friend Sally spied two new Korean marinades at Aldi the other day, and she kindly grabbed me one of each, bulgogi and gochujang. Last night, I thinly sliced two small boneless ribeyes (one pound total) and used about half the bottle of the bulgogi marinade, then I stashed the meat in the fridge overnight. Traditionally, you’re supposed to grill the meat, but the pieces were so small, that I just cooked it in a large, very hot skillet until caramelized and served it over steamed rice (made in my magic pot) with a drizzle of sriracha. So good! YAY, Aldi! (And thanks, Sally!)

Magic Pot "Rice-a-Roni"

I am quite pleased with myself! I created some sort of Rice-a-Roni/Hamburger Helper dish in six minutes in my magic pot. Quick, easy, yummy!

IP Beefy “Rice-a-Roni”

2 tablespoons butter
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 oz. spaghetti, broken into pieces
1 cup long grain rice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon beef soup base
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon ground celery
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 3/4 cups water

Add the butter to the IP, then sauté the ground beef, onion, garlic, spaghetti, and rice until the onion has softened, the beef is no longer pink, and the pasta starts to brown. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and then cook on manual for six minutes. Let release naturally.

Fall-in' Back into the Soup Routine

Despite my willing it not to be true, summer is over, and we're back to school. Even though it's only the beginning of the second week, I'm already stressed and exhausted! Since I figure my colleagues might be feeling the same way, I decided to make the first communal pot of soup of the semester to bring in and share at lunchtime. My most recent concoction was born of the question, why do people never put meatballs in chili? It was also born out of my desire to incorporate some seasonal vegetables such as local farm stand corn and zucchini and peppers from my garden. Lastly, it was born out of my need to make something fast and easy during the work week in my magic pot! I think it turned out delicious, and the crock pot emptied out pretty quickly at work today. :-)

Instant Pot Meatball Chili Mac Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 sweet pepper (or I use an Anaheim-type chili), seeded and chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 medium zucchini, cored and shredded

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 lb. (smallish) frozen meatballs

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup dried elbow macaroni

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 ears sweet corn, shucked and kernels cut from the cob

1 can chili beans in sauce

Add the olive oil to the pot on high saute. Cook the onion, pepper, garlic, and zucchini for a few minutes until the veggies are tender. Then add the tomatoes, sauce, meatballs, chicken broth, macaroni, and seasonings to the pot. Cook on manual for five minutes and do a quick release. Stir in the corn kernels and the chili beans. Taste to correct seasonings if necessary, and serve garnished with shredded cheese and/or sour cream on top.

YO! Philly Cheesesteak Pasta in the Instant Pot

I tried something new in my magic pot tonight, an adaptation of another one of those recipe videos that was going around Facebook, called Philly Cheesesteak Pasta. It turned out well, but it basically tastes like Beef Stroganoff. (That's okay. I like Beef Stroganoff. Tee hee.)

Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
(Source: Adapted from Twisted Food)

Brown in a large skillet over medium heat in two tablespoons olive oil:
1 3/4 lbs. stew meat (I used chuck)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Add browned meat to the IP. In the pan drippings plus one tablespoon butter, cook until tender:
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced (I prefer a Cubanelle)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Add the sauteed veggies to the pot, plus:
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Cook on stew mode for 35 minutes, then let release naturally.

Leave pot on warm and add:
1 lb. penne, cooked to al dente and drained
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper, to taste

Happy (Belated) St. Paddy's Day to Ye!

I got invited to my wonderful friend Domenica's place for an amazing St. Patrick's Day dinner on Friday night. That girl even corned her own beef! So I didn't get around to making my own corned beef dinner until tonight.

I cooked the meat in my Instant Pot, of course, and then glazed it and finished it under the broiler. I also roasted carrots and potatoes in the oven instead of boiling them, and because I'm not a fan of steamed cabbage, I had a side of homemade hot pink sauerkraut instead. Irish-German fusion cuisine!

Instant Pot Corned Beef

1 bottle of hard cider (or beer)

2 1/2 cups beef broth

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 tablespoons malt vinegar

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 teaspoon ground celery

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4-5 lb. corned beef, soaked in cold water for 15-30 minutes

spice packet

Add all of the ingredients to the IP liner. Cook on Meat/Stew for 60 minutes, then let it release naturally. 

Optional glaze finish:

1/4 cup grainy mustard

2 tablespoons malt vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Mix the mustard, malt vinegar, and brown sugar and brush onto the cooked corned beef. Broil until caramelized.

Roasted Vegetables

6 medium potatoes, washed and cut into eighths

6 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (parsnips would be great, too)

1/2 large onion, sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup malt vinegar

2 tablespoons grainy mustard

1 teaspoon herb seasoning blend

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes

Mix all of the above ingredients together on a lined sheet pan. Roast at 400F for about an hour or until the vegetables are tender enough for your tastes. 

Deconstructing Cabbage Rolls As Winter Lingers

After a few teaser days of 50- and 60-degree weather, it has gone back to being winter. So I was thinking of making something hearty and comforting like cabbage rolls or stuffed peppers for Foodie Sunday (as my friend, Kim, calls it). But what I had on hand was a half a cabbage frozen in the back fridge and some shishito peppers that needed to be used and zero desire to go to the store in the cold. Both the cabbage leaves and the peppers were too small of vessels to be stuffed, so I came up with Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls with Homemade Tomato Sauce. All this needs is a dollop of sour cream!

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
(Source: Inspired by Martha Kostyra's recipe)

2 cups homemade tomato sauce
1 tart apple, peeled and shredded
1/2 lb. pork sausage
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped (or a few hot peppers, to taste)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 small to medium cabbage, cored and shredded
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups cooked white rice
2 cups homemade tomato sauce
1 tart apple, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more to garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

To a small saucepan, add the tomato sauce and the shredded apple. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the rest of the dish is done. (If you don't have homemade tomato sauce, I recommend using a basic, good-quality marinara instead of plain tomato sauce.)

In a large skillet, cook the ground meats, onion, celery, green or hot pepper(s) and garlic until the meat is no longer pink. Season the mixture with the dried parsley, salt, and pepper.

Next, add the shredded cabbage and the chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and steam for five minutes. Uncover, add the cooked white rice, the reserved tomato sauce*, half a cup of sour cream*, and chopped fresh parsley. Stir to combine. Serve with an extra dollop of sour cream.

*You can top the meat, rice, and cabbage mixture with the tomato sauce and a dollop of sour cream, or you can mix the tomato sauce and sour cream into the dish. Your call.

Stew from a Swedish Chef (Bork, bork, bork!)

This summer, I was lucky enough to get to visit my college friend, Jen, who lives near Stockholm, Sweden. The first night at Chez Tunehag, her husband Mats made us a wonderful meal of kalops and new potatoes. Kalops is beef stew, but the flavor is different--and slightly sweeter--because of the use of distinctly Swedish ingredients. We also watched a wonderful Swedish movie that night entitled A Man Called Ove.

Tomorrow, my book club is meeting to discuss the novel on which that film was based (incidently, it was the BEST book I've read in years--so funny and poignant), and since the main character's favorite meal is meat and potatoes, I thought it would be perfectly fitting to try to recreate Mats' kalops. The hardest part was translating it from Swedish! And of course, I wanted to try and convert his recipe to be made in the Insta-Pot. In the end, I think I managed to produce a worthy homage and a very tasty stew! I hope my book club members agree.

Tunehag Kalops (Swedish Beef Stew)

2 1/4 lbs, chuck steak

2 large yellow onions

4 carrots

6 bay leaves

15 allspice

2 juniper berries

2 tablespoons anchovy brine

1 anchovy

1/2 cup red wine

2 tablespoons beef bouillon

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2-4 tablespoons black currant jelly

2-3 tablespoons flour

salt, white pepper, black pepper

Cut the meat into chunks. Cut onion into large pieces. Cut carrots into disks. Mince anchovy.

Brown the meat with salt and pepper. Transfer to a cast iron pot. Sprinkle with flour and stir. Add the wine, soy sauce, anchovy brine, and water to almost cover, then stir. Add bay leaves, juniper berries, and black currant jelly and stir. Add onions.

Simmer 15-20 minutes. Add about half of the carrots. After another 15-20 minutes, add the rest.

Season to taste with more salt, soy sauce, bouillon, and/or jelly.

Let stew simmer a total of 90 minutes.

Instant Pot Kalops (Swedish Beef Stew)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 1/2 lbs. chuck roast, cut into chunks

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup red wine

3 cups water

2 large yellow onions, cut into chunks, divided

4 medium bay leaves

15 allspice berries (I used 1 teaspoon ground allspice)

2 juniper berries, crushed

2 tablespoons anchovy brine, plus 1 anchovy (I used 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste)

2 tablespoons beef bouillon (I use Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Flavor)

2 tablespoons soy sauce (I used low-sodium)

1/4 cup flour

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into thick disks

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

2-4 tablespoons black currant jelly, to taste

Add a tablespoon of oil to both the IP liner and a large skillet. Sprinkle the pieces of roast with the salt and black pepper. Brown the meat in two batches (half in the IP and half in the skillet). Add the browned beef from the skillet to the browned meat in the IP. 

Deglaze the skillet with the red wine, scraping up the yummy browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour into the IP. Add the water, one of the cut onions, bay leaves, allspice, juniper berries, anchovy, beef bouillon, and soy sauce. Cook on meat/stew mode for 25 minutes. Do an instant release. Remove the bay leaves and discard.

Whisk the flour with a cup or so of the beef stew liquid until smooth. Stir back into the pot, and add the carrots and the other cut-up onions. Cook on manual for four minutes. Instantly release, and stir in the white pepper and up to 1/4 cup of black currant jelly (to taste).

Serve with steamed new potatoes on the side.

I steamed the potatoes in a basket over a cup of water for ten minutes, then let the pressure release on its own. I sliced a half stick of butter, and tossed that into the potatoes with a couple of punches of salt and some fresh dill.

Who knew the Amish ate Velveeta?

In yesterday's post-holiday dolor (your word for today), I fell down a YouTube black hole of Amish cooking videos. And I felt shamefully drawn to this casserole called Yumasetta (obviously gibberish which can't even be a real Pennsylvania Dutch word!), that's made with processed foods and cream o' chemical soup. Nevertheless, I had everything on hand to make it, including gen-u-wine Amish egg noodles, so I gave it a go.

As it turns out, it's not bad. It tastes like this sweet spaghetti that my friend and former roommate, Kim, used to make back in the day, but with egg noodles instead. I would make it again, but I'd swap out the Velveeta-type cheese for a cheddar-mozzarella blend, and I'd cut back a bit on the brown sugar, too. Still, I think this would be a hit at a church potluck.

Yumasetta (Amish Beef and Noodle Casserole)
(inspired by several YouTube video recipes)

2 lbs. ground beef (I used 1 lb. of beef plus a large can of mushrooms--I would keep it to one pound of meat, but use fresh mushrooms next time)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can tomato soup (I used tomato bisque, because I'm fancy), undiluted
2 tablespoons brown sugar (I'd cut this back by half)
few shakes of hot sauce, optional
8 oz. Velveeta, sliced or Kraft Singles (I'd use shredded cheddar and mozzarella next time)
16 oz. medium egg noodles, al dente
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 teaspoon dried parsley, optional (or use fresh if you have it!)

Brown the ground beef with the onions in a large skillet, and drain excess fat. Stir in the mushrooms (if using), and the granulated garlic, seasoned salt, pepper, and tomato soup. Pour this mixture into a 9x13 (sprayed) casserole dish. Layer the cheese on top. 

Meanwhile, cook the noodles until they are a little underdone. Drain, return to the pot, and stir in the cream of chicken soup and the parsley, if using. Top the casserole with the noodle mixture, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Christmas in Brazil

If there was ever a good excuse to get back to my long-neglected blog, it would be the annual Padula Christmas Cookie EXTRAVAGANZA! Because one of the Padula boys has a Brazilian girlfriend, this year's culinary theme was Christmas in Brazil, and it was DELICIOUS!

View #1 of the cookie exchange table. (My cookies aren't pictured, as they were on the porch chillin',)

View #2 of the cookie table.

The beautiful tablescape!

The appetizer was this Brazilian shepherd's pie type of affair with reconstituted carne seca (dried beef) and veggies underneath and mashed yucca root on top called Escondidinho de Carne Seca. Yucca is a staple in Brazilian cuisine.

These were yummy little chicken-filled croquettes called Coxinhas.

Apparently, the Christmas turkey (Ceia de Natal) is traditionally served with peaches. YUMMY!

The turkey was served with rice and black beans and Brazilian hot sauce, and a fruity bread stuffing.

I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this dried fruit-studded bread stuffing, but it was SO GOOD! I'm not sure what it's called in Portuguese, though.

This is called Farofa, and it's toasted cassava flour. It's sprinkled on everything in South America, like Parmesan cheese.

For my money, this dessert was the star of the show! It's called a Torta de Bombom Sonho de Valsa, or Bonbon Pie. AMAZING! Here's the recipe:
http://www.cynthiapresser.com/recipe-blog/desserts/358-bonbon-pie-torta-de-bombom-sonho-de-valsa

The other dessert (which I did not have room for, but looked incredible) was a Passion Fruit Cheesecake. (Passion fruit, or maracuja, is another Brazilian culinary motif.)

I made three different (rather homely, but very tasty) cookies for the exchange this year, inspired by a holiday baking show I saw on the Food Network recently. The first was a soft maple bacon cookie that was supposed to be a whoopie pie, but I ended up just frosting the individual cookies so that I'd have more to share.

Maple Pecan Cookies (or Whoopie Pies) with Bacon Cream Cheese Frosting
(Source: Adapted from Poet in the Pantry)
 
Filling/Frosting:
6 strips thick-cut bacon
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cookies/Cakes:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons bacon fat, reserved from frying bacon for the filling
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/3 cup dark maple syrup
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Filling:
Fry bacon until crisp and reserve and cool the fat.
Crumble (or cut with kitchen shears) bacon and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar for three minutes. Add the vanilla, syrup, and salt. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in the crumbled bacon. Transfer to an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator.

Cookies/Cakes:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Get out two rimmed nonstick cookie sheets and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Beat together the butter, bacon fat, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated. Add the buttermilk, mixing until smooth.

In a liquid measuring cup, add the cream, baking soda, and white vinegar, stirring to combine. Turn the stand mixer on low and mix in half of the dry ingredients. Add the cream/baking soda vinegar mix, mixing until combined. Mix in the last of the dry ingredients. Add the vanilla, and beat until well incorporated. Stir in the toasted nuts.

Portion out the batter with a small cookie scoop and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges and the tops are springy. Transfer to wire cooling racks immediately. Cool completely.

Assembly
Remove filling from the fridge at least 20 minutes before starting assembly. Stir before starting assembly. Using a pastry bag fitted with a decorating tip, or simply a butter knife, apply filling on the flat side of one cookie/cake. Press the flat side of another cookie/cake and press gently together.

Wrap each whoopie pie in a small piece of plastic wrap store and in an air-tight container. Best eaten the same day. For longer storage, keep in the refrigerator.

*You can also just frost the top of each individual cookie (as I did here) instead of making whoopie pies.

The second cookie I made was a sour cream cookie infused with Earl Grey tea and frosted with a honeyed lemony icing. YUM!

Earl Grey Tea Cakes with Honey-Lemon Frosting

(Adapted from a sour cream chocolate chip cookie recipe that my friend, Kallie, gave me--unsure of the original source)
Cookies:
1 cup sour cream
2 bags Earl Grey tea
2 eggs
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour

Mix the sour cream and the tea from the two bags and set aside.

 Cream butter and eggs together. Add sugar and mix in. Add baking soda, baking powder and flour. Add vanilla and sour cream and tea mixture. Bake at 350° until lightly browned (10-12 minutes). Cool completely before frosting.

Honeyed Lemon Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 pound (about 2 cups) confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 to 1/4 cup heavy cream
zest of one lemon, finely grated
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Beat the butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in half of the sugar until combined. Stir in the vanilla and honey. Beat in the remaining sugar. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest, whisk on high for 6 minutes.

The third cookie that I made--and my personal favorite--was a Rosemary Browned Butter Shortbread. Now, I am ALWAYS down with some nutty browned butter, but savory rosemary was an unusual guest at this sweet cookie party. It may sound strange, but applied with restraint, the rosemary takes this shortbread to a whole other level of deliciousness! I was loathe to give (most of it) away.

Rosemary-Walnut Browned Butter Shortbread

(Source: The Kitchn)
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped small (none larger than pea-sized)--or combine walnuts and almonds
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup confectioner sugar (or another 1/4 cup granulated, if you don't have confectioner's)

Melt the butter in a medium sauce-pan or skillet over medium heat. Swirl occasionally and cook until all foaming has subsided, the butter is dark tan colored with little black specks, and smells fantastically nutty. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and let it cool to room temperature. (The butter should be solid but still smooshy.)

Mix the walnuts, rosemary, and all the dry ingredients together in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or medium-sized bowl with a hand mixer). While beating on medium-speed, add the cooled brown butter in several additions until it's completely incorporated and the dough looks grainy. The dough should hold together when you press some in your fist - if not, add a few teaspoons of cold water until it does.

Turn the dough out onto your work surface and shape it into two thick logs about 1 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter (or smaller if you want smaller cookies). The dough will be pretty crumbly, but that's ok. Wrap the logs tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until hard (30 minutes, or up to three days).

When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Take out and unwrap one of the logs. Slice it into 1/4 inch round cookies using a sharp knife and transfer to the cookie sheet. Place cookies about a half inch apart - they won't spread much during baking. If any of the cookies crumble, just press the dough back together with your fingers and a bit of water.

Bake for 10-13 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges and very fragrant. Allow to cool five minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Prepare and bake the other half of the cookie dough as above. Cookies keep in a sealed container for about two weeks.

Magic Pot Meatloaf: Homely but Tasty!

I had play and choir rehearsals back-to-back today with just a half hour at home in between, so I thought I might make a quickie meatloaf in the Instant Pot. It may not have been the most gorgeous meatloaf I've ever made, but the taste and texture were both lovely!

I made the meatloaf in an eight-inch spring form pan lined with foil.

I removed the meatloaf from the IP, then put it in a foil-lined sheet pan.

I broiled the meatloaf for a few minutes until the top was browned and crispy.

I glazed the meatloaf with BBQ sauce, then broiled it for a couple of minutes until set.

I brushed it with more BBQ sauce and broiled it one more time.







Here's what it looked like on the inside. (It's going to slice beautifully for sandwiches tomorrow!)

TA-DAH! Quick and easy, delicious, hearty, and comforting dinner!











Instant Pot Meatloaf

2.25 lbs. ground chuck
1 lb. hot Italian sausage (or mild, if you prefer)
1 small onion, finely diced
2 large eggs
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce (or to taste)
1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

your favorite BBQ sauce (to glaze the top)

Mix everything together and pack into an oven-proof vessel (not too tight!) that will fit in the IP; I used an eight-inch spring form pan lined with foil. Cook for 30 minutes on the "Meat" setting, then NPR. Transfer to a lined sheet pan and broil for a few minutes until brown and crispy. Then brush with BBQ sauce and return to the oven for a couple of minutes to set the glaze (and repeat).