Instant Pot Basics

These are the basics that I make in my Instant Pot (IP regularly). IP and I are slow to warm up to each other.

Soft boiled eggs 

1 cup of water, 6 eggs

3 mins on manual low pressure

Quick release 

Ice bath

Chickpeas

Unsoaked 45 mins on bean setting

2 cups chickpeas to 4-5 cups of water 

Natural release 15 than QR

Quinoa 

Rinse quinoa

Manual 8 mins LP 1:2 ratio

NR for 10

Steel Cut Oatmeal 

1/4 cup oats, 3/4 cup liquid 

15 mins manual, pressure HIGH, NR

Pour water under rack. Use dish on top

Spaghetti squash

Manual 15 mins high pressure NR

On rack

Cup of water 

Short Grain Brown Rice

Rinse under water, drain

1:1 Ratio of Rise to Water

Manual High Pressure 22, NR

Rainbow Bell Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa and Ground Beef

These stuffed peppers are a delicious dinner option that I don't make nearly enough. You can pretty much vary the filling here to meet your dietary preferences or the leftovers grain you have on hand.

You can make them vegetarian by omitting the ground meat, and you can add grain of choice, I have tried these with rice or quinoa and both were great. Both pictures below, proportion are similar and you can eat the leftover stuffing without the pepper for lunch the next day.

Ingredients

2 cups of quinoa OR  rice cooked per package direction

1 pound of ground beef (I use lean grass fed beef), you can use another ground meat of choice or keep vegetarian

2 finely shopped shallots

1 bulb of leek, washed and finely chopped

salt to taste

seasoning to taste (I like to use Everything Rub from Fresh Direct which contains garlic, onion, chili powder and paprika)

1 can of diced tomatoes drained (if using)--i used these with rice but not with quinoa

1 tablespoon of oil ( I use grape seed)

4 bell peppers ( for the quinoa recipe I only had 3) with seeds removed and top cut off neatly to keep intact

Directions 

In a large skillet, heat oil. Add shallots and leeks and cook for about 5-7 minutes on medium flame until they begin to soften.

Add ground meat of choice. Cook breaking up with spatula until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Add rice or quinoa, salt and seasoning. Add tomatoes if using. Allow to come to warm temperature.

In a small or medium pot, add a few inches of water. Bring to boil.

Fill peppers with filling. Top with pepper top. Add very carefully to pot with boiling water. Cover and cook on a small flame about 15-20 minutes until peppers are soft. 

Remove carefully and serve in bowls

Enjoy! 

Stuffed peppers with quinoa, ground beef, shallots and leeks

Stuffed peppers with rice, ground beef and diced tomatoes

Baked Bison Quinoa Meatballs

Really into making baked meatballs lately. What's not too like?  A hit with the whole family, make excellent leftovers, great over a salad,  and even freeze well. And so,  the meatball obsession continues. For other meatball recipes, you can view my blog here Baked Beef Ricotta Meatballs or here Bison Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce.

Presenting a new version of bison and quinoa meatballs here! I made these with bison but you can substitute beef with similar results. Quinoa lends these a tasty juicy flavor. 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of ground bison
1 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa (cook per package directions)
2 eggs, beated
2 gloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cups of grated parmigiano
Salt to taste
1/2 fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoon dry parsley
Cooking Spray
1 1/2 cup of marinara sauce of choice

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. I used my Breville Convection oven which I rave about almost every post but if you don't have one, get one. No really regular oven is fine.
2. Line a large baking dish with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray ( I use Coconut Spray from Trader Joe's).
3. In a large bowl, using your hands, mix all the ingredients except the marinara. Combine well. Using ice cream scooper or hands, for 2 1/2 inch meatballs.
4. Arrange meatballs on a baking dish, bake about 12 minutes, flip over and make another 12 minutes.
Top with marinara and bake another 5 minutes, till sauce is hot.

Notes: I always set aside a few meatballs to be sauce free--my younger daughter does not like tomato sauce. If you plan to freeze, I recommend skipping the sauce step.

*Adapted from Food and Wine Magazine

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa, Pinenuts and Dried Cherries

Ingredients

2 acorn squash

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1/2 cup dried cherries cut in half

Pine nuts (toasted)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 table spoons olive oil (1 for squash, 1 for dressing)

1/2 red onion diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Feta cheese (optional), I did not use it.
1 teaspoon butter (optional)

• Direction
• Wash and pat dry squash. Piece some 3-4 holes per squash with a sharp knife. On a paper towel, microwave squash 2 minutes, turn over and microwave 2 more minutes. At this point, the squashes should be soft enough to cut in half. Not this step is not mandatory if you are strong enough to cut the squash in half w/o it. Unfortunately,  I am not. Anyway, cut squash in half, scoop out and throw out the seeds.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Brush squash with a bit of oil on both sides. Season with salt and pepper, roast face down for about 15-20 minutes till tender and caramelized. Towards the very end, add a little butter into the "cavity".
• In the meantime, rinse quinoa. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a small pot. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Heat a pan, add cooking spray, toast quinoa about 7 minutes, turning frequently. Remove from pan, set aside to cool.
• In the same pan, toast pine nuts, careful not to burn. 

Mix oil and red wine vinegar well. Toss quinoa w cherries, pine nuts and red onions. Add parsley and feta if you are using it.  Season w salt. Add quinoa to opening of the squash.  If you have extra quinoa, feel free to serve on the side.

This was an excellent vegetarian dinner, even meat loving husband now accepts quinoa as an adequate meat substitute.

•  

Adapted from http://www.wholeliving.com/150863/stuffed-acorn-squash-quinoa-and-pistachios and my very talented friend Marina Levin at http://make-meals.blogspot.com/