Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts

Monday, October 1, 2018

Sunday Dinner Made Easy: InstaPotRoast



So I don't do a lot of cooking posts mostly because I forget to take pics, but thought I'd do one since I haven't for a while.  The calendar has said Fall for several days but here in the desert it's still been 100 or more. We're expecting a storm though, and it got cloudy and "Fall" looking yesterday, and nothing says Fall dinner to me like a Pot Roast. 

I got an Instant Pot (which I call InstaPot) last year for Christmas and has become my favorite way to make a Pot Roast. PIP ( Pre InstaPot) this would be an all day endeavor for me, slow roasting in the oven for hours. Now though, start to finish, the whole meal took 2 hours and most of that time was me reading a book while things were cooking. 

I served it with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes , Roasted Broccoli and Glazed Carrots. 



Ingredients: 
  • 3 lb Chuck Roast (you can use a smaller cut of meat but I planned leftovers for French Dips!) 
  • 1 shallot
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Bay leaves
  • Beef broth

My InstaPot has a Saute function so I used this to brown the Chuck Roast on all sides. 

While this is heating up, peel your garlic, slice your shallot, salt and pepper your roast. 


Once your roast is browned on all sides, throw in the garlic and shallots. I also drizzled with a little garlic infused olive oil just for some extra flavor and since I'd gone a little crazy at a local olive oil place called Cave Creek Olive Oil where if you can't find a flavored oil or balsamic vinegar you like, I'm not sure it exists.  I know there are many places like this all over the country but they do ship! 

Once your roast is fully browned, add about 2 cups of beef broth, place the lid on, and hit pressure cook and set for 1:20 (80 minutes). Go read for a little bit and come back with about 40 minutes to go and put your potatoes on a sheet pan in the oven. These I tossed with more of the garlic olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at 400. About 20 minutes in, I added the broccoli to the sheet pan. 

When the roast is done, you can either use the quick steam release or let it cool down on it's own so you can open the lid which will take about another 10 min. Mr. Chocolate kept asking what time dinner was so it was quick release for me! 

Remove from your InstaPot and let rest. Pour remaining liquid through a mesh strainer into a measuring cup or bowl ; turn InstaPot back to Saute, return strained liquid to pot, bring to boil. 

While this is going on, drizzle some olive oil ( I also picked up some Blood Orange Olive Oil which is what I used) and a small pat of butter in a saute pan. I'd already sliced my carrots and also semi-cooked them in the microwave for about 4 min, and then added them to the pan with a couple large tablespoons of brown sugar. Sprinkle whatever herbs you like. I used oregano and marjoram and while these are finishing, mix a slurry ( flour or cornstarch mixed with water) to your liquid in the InstaPot to finish your gravy. 



While your carrots and gravy are finishing, shred or slice ( we like it shredded) your roast, plate and serve w/ your veggies. 


I know many of you have an InstaPot but several still don't. If you're on the fence, I'd jump! Put one on your holiday list. They're lifesavers!! I still haven't explored all the things it can do but I'm working on that. 

Next time I make Spaghetti: 

I'll share the steps. I will NEVER make spaghetti any other way again. (Excuse my well worn plates...yikes I need some new ones!)

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Easy Cranberry Sauce From Scratch

Easy Cranberry Sauce

Whenever I tell people I make cranberry sauce from scratch they think I’m nuts (the reason they give me is the making from scratch part anyway) but I can’t think of an easier thing to make.  So I’m sharing here in case anyone thinks this is really hard. Of course when you make it and people like it, it was really really really hard. You know, like you picked each berry by hand hard.

I shared the recipe straight from the Ocean Spray website last year but this year, I remembered to take pictures while I was making it.

For this you will need:
  • Fresh or frozen whole cranberries. I used Ocean Spray
  • Sugar
  • Water
  • Orange peel ( optional)
You need 1C Sugar for each bag of berries. I used two bags so 2C. Same amount of water. Put those in the pot, bring pot to boil. I like to add fresh orange peel to mine:

Cranberry Sauce Sugar
Photographed here before adding the water.

Once boiling, add berries. We have lots of cranberry bogs here in WA and we pass them on the way to visiting my father in law. So if you see this on your bag, we probably drove by them!
Ocean Spray Cranberries

Mr. Chocolate loves cranberry sauce as its own dish. Not as a condiment. He will literally eat a bowl of it. So this time of year I stock up and throw bags of berries in the freezer.

Cranberries 1

Here they are in the sugar/water/orange peel. You want them to come to a boil and they’ll get a bit foamy. You do want to watch this pot boiling though because the berries will foam up and can bubble over. 

Cranberries foamy

As they bubble, they’ll turn a darker shade of well, cranberry. I let them go until they just about reach the top of the pot and then turn off the heat. Let them come to room temp or mostly cool off. Go make crafts.

Cranberry Sauce

Once they’re cooled down, pour into bowl, cover, refrigerate. I leave the orange peel in until I ladle into my serving dish to let the flavor set.

Seriously. Easy. And the recipe’s from the back of the Ocean Spray bag!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Look what a new bloggy friend made!

I was reading a comment from a new follower , Laurie ( thank you!) and went to check out her blog Simply Scratch  , because I try to always do that. If someone is nice enough to visit me and comment, I do try to do the same in return. Anway, imagine my little chocoholic heart's delight when the first post I saw on her blog was THIS:


Yeah, that's what I said. Want NOW! Simply Scratch isn't just a blog about chocolate (a girl can dream) but about something I try to do as much as possible which is cooking from scratch. Not to fulfill the part of my brain that has a Martha Stewart personality disorder ( said lovingly) but because there are so many chemicals and junk in processed food that where I can do it from scratch I'd rather. Anyway and needless to say, this recipe caught my eye so go check it out and some other yummy ones too!

Black Forest Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Ganache