Recipes, Restorations and Projects for the home. For smaller devices, to find the Search Window on the Home/Main Menu page, scroll to the bottom where the Search window is. On larger devices it will appear below the main site Picture on the right.
This simple Tomato Soup is one of my old comfort foods. We love it with a nice gooey Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
2 c of Spaghetti Sauce (Bertolli or Rao’s) 1 1/4 c Heavy Whipping Cream. 1 1/2 Tbsp Lower Sodium Better than Bullion Chicken Broth. 1 c Macaroni. 3 c water 1 1/2 -2 Tbsp Chopped fresh Basil plus a few leaves to serve.
Pour the Water into the stainless inner pot. Add the Macaroni and stir then add the trivet. Add the rest of the ingredients to a medium sized stainless Bowl, with some extra room so contents won’t overflow during cooking . Stir well to mix in the Better than Bullion. Put the lid on and set the time to 4 min. When it beeps, let it set 1 minute and then QR. Take the lid off and remove the Bowl with soup in it and take out the Trivet. Pour the Soup into the Macaroni and Water. Stir and Serve.
Optional Substitute Malt o Meal for the Cream of wheat
Makes 1 cup plus some
1/4 c Cream of Wheat. 1/8 tsp Salt. 1 c water. for thinner, use 1 1/4 c. 1 Tbsp Butter. Optional: sugar or Brown sugar, Craisins, Apples, Cinnamon, Raisins, Peaches, etc.
Use a small Stainless steel Bowl that holds 3 -4 cups . Pour The recommended water in the Stainless Steel inner Pot. Place the Trivet in the pot. Add the Water, Cream of Wheat, and Salt to the stainless bowl. Put the bowl in the Pot on the Trivet. Put the Lid on and set the time to 5 min. When the timer goes off, wait a couple minutes and then QR.
Stir and serve. Add a little water to the rest in the Bowl so it doesn’t stiffen up.
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For Creamy Cream of Wheat:
Makes 2 c ish. This has to be stirred well after it’s done.
1/4 c Cream of Wheat. 3/4 c Water. 1/2 c Heavy Whipping Cream or Half and Half. 1/8 tsp Salt. 1 Tbsp Butter
Same method as above except add the Cream, Water, Salt, and Cream of Wheat to the Bowl and set the time to 6 min instead of 5. A slightly rounded bottom on the bowl works best. When it beeps, stir well with a fork because it will have settled and thickened on the bottom of the bowl. Serve up.
This Delicious Sauce replaces 2 Cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup in any Recipe. Side by side taste tests puts the Canned stuff to Shame! Try some of my other Recipes that I use it for.
INGREDIENTS: 1 1/4 c Half and Half. 1 c Heavy Whipping Cream 2 1/2 TBSP Flour. (Add 1 tsp more if you use finely chopped mushrooms). 3 Tbsp Butter. 1 rounded Tbsp Reduced Better than Bullion Chicken (Costco sells it in larger containers.). 6 oz Crimini Mushrooms chopped
DIRECTIONS: Using a Sauce Pan, melt the Butter on Medium Heat until it starts to sizzle. Add Mushrooms, stir for a couple of minutes and then add the Flour to coat the Mushrooms, continue to stir and let the mixture start to Brown on the bottom but watch carefully, do not let it burn, add the Better than Bullion, stir quickly. Add all at once the Half and Half and Cream. Stir until Sauce thickens, pull off the Heat, and set aside as it will continue to thicken. See pics.
I have to say that this Filling can be used with my Marinara Sauce that can be found in the recipe (below), also the Mushroom Cream Sauce can be subbed out for 2 cans of regular Cream of Mushroom Soup + Milk. The Filling can also go into Shells or Even be rolled up in Lasagna Noodles to be cooked. It could also be done using cooked Spaghetti Noodles and poured into a Spring form pan with Sauce poured on top to cook.
Oven 350° (375° if using glass or ceramic…Breville )
1/2 pack of Manicotti Noodles (7 Noodles)
FILLING:
1/2 cooked Chicken (3-4 cups) chopped into small squares, shredded, or gently food processed. Tip: Chopping in small squares, keeps more moisture in the Chicken. 1 Tsp Onion powder. 1/2 tsp Garlic powder. 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning. 1 Tbsp Parsley. 1/4 + 1/8 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Pepper. 8 oz. grated Mozzerella Cheese divided in 1/2 (half for filling and Half for the top) 1/2 c Parmasean. 1 c Ricotta Cheese. 1/4 c Milk. 2 Eggs beaten
OPTIONAL: 1 Jalapeño for some kick if you like.
Mushroom Sauce: By the way, a thinner version…(1/2 Tbsp less flour).. IS Cream of Mushroom Soup. 4 oz chopped Crimini Mushrooms 1 c Heavy Whipping Cream 1 1/4 c Half and Half ( save 1/4 c out, to mix in the filling for the top of the noodles, after you put the bottom layer of sauce in the pan.). 2 tsp Costco’s Better than Bullion Chicken 3 Tbsp Butter. 2 1/2 Tbsp Flour
Make the Mushroom Sauce:
In a Sauce Pan, Melt Butter, add the Mushrooms and sauté for a couple minutes until they start to brown and shrink, add Flour, stir to mix the Mushrooms with roux, then add the Cream, Half & Half and Better than Bullion Chicken, stirring constantly, let bubble until thickens up. Set aside. It will continue to thicken.
Prep the Noodles in the Instant Pot or large stove top Pot.
Pour 2 c. water in the Stainless Pot, put the Trivet in, and then put the Manicotti Noodles on the trivet. close the Lid and set the Time for 3 min. QR. Take the trivet out from the Noodles and let noodles set in the water for a couple minutes and then flip them over to soak up a little mor water. Discard the rest of the water, and set the noodles on the trivet on the counter to use. Fill immediately. You can also Par Boil them in a pot on the stove top if you don’t have an IP, just follow directions on the Box.
Now Preheat the Breville Oven to 350° If using a ceramic or glass Dish preheat to 375° (Because the Oven interior is small the glass sucks the heat away.
Use a 9x 13 Casserole pan big enough to fit all Seven Manicotti Noodles in with so that they are not real crowded…barely touching is ok. My dish is 8×11, a fullllll pan, so 9×13 will work but will be a bit big. Remember the Manicotti will swell. Spoon in about 1/3 of the Mushroom Sauce to Cover the Bottom of the Cassarole Dish by 1/4”. Immediately add the 1/4 cup milk to the rest of the Sauce left in the Sauce Pan to thin it out a bit. Set aside until the Manicotti are placed in the Casserole pan.
CHICKEN FILLING:
Using a Mixing Bowl, add the Ricotta, Parmesan and 1/2 of the Mozzerella Cheeses, then beaten Eggs, 1/4 c milk, and the Seasonings…(Italian seasoning, Parsley, salt and Pepper Garlic and Onion Powders). Add the Chicken. Stir the Chicken into the Filling. Take about a Tbsp of filling and heat in the microwave so you can taste it and see if you want more garlic powder and or onion powder. Nows the time? Carefully fill each of the Noodles with the filling, ( I use my hands.) don’t Pack it too tight, or it will split the Noodles. As you finish filling one, place it in the Casserole dish on the Layer of Sauce on the bottom. Space evenly. Use leftover Filling on the ends of the packed Manicotti Shells. See pic below. Pour the rest of the Sauce down the middles and over the top of the of the Manicottis….see pic below. Cover the Casserole with Foil and crimp it around the edges. Bake at 350° (375° for glass or Ceramic) for 45 minutes. Remove from the Oven and uncover Manicotti. (It should be bubbling wells round the edges.) Sprinkle the rest of the Cheese on top and Return to the Oven for 15 or more min until Cheese is melted and Golden.
SAUCE: pics
..This is what it looks like when it’s done…ready to use.This is what it looks like after it sets for an hour. Still warm. Ready to use. You will use 1/3 on the bottom of the casserole and then ADD 1/4 c milk to thin it before pouring on the top of the Manicotti.
Filling Pics:
You will add 1/4 milk, not shown . Mix egg and milk to the cheese mixture before adding chicken. Don’t worry if you forget, just get it in there ?After cooking on the trivet for 3 min QR and dumplings them into the hot water, leave set for a couple min and flip and soak for a few more min before emptying the rest of the water out.Spoon extra leftover filling around the edges of the ManicottiPour the rest of the Mushroom Sauce over the middle of the Manicotti MY Casserole is small (8x 11)I put the whole thing on the Broiler pan to catch drips. Cover and Bake. Because this is Ceramic, it goes at 375° for 45 min, then remove from Oven and take the Foil off, Sprinkle with remaining Mozzerella Or Oaxaca Cheese . Bake 15 min longer.Notice how it’s swelling on the outsideSprinkle the remaining cheese on top and return to oven for 15 minor more until it browns on topMelting as soon as its returned it to the oven. Notice that the broiler pan is under the smaller casserole pan.
Prior to chopping Celery or Scallions , even Carrots. Cut them into thirds, and then stack pieces side by side and then chop. This saves time and rocking action of the knife. Easier on the wrist too.
2 cups very finely choppped Ham ( I use the food processor). 1 1/2 c finely chopped Celery 1/4 c Finely chopped Scallions. 1/2 c Best foods or Hellmann’s Mayonnaise (Substitute Miracle whip if you like) 1/3 c Sweet Relish or Costco’s Pineapple Mango Jalapeño Salsa (not spicy) 2 Tbsp Stone Ground Mustard
OPTIONS: Use Medium sized Tomatoes hollowed out for serving. OR hollow out a Cucumber to serve some in.
In a large Bowl, mix everything together, and Serve on a slice of Bread or In a hollowed out Tomato, or even a Cucumber.
it’s Absolutely crucial to use FRESH Popcorn like Orville Redenbacher’s
Turn pot to Sauté, wait till the Pot says Hot, immediately pour a couple Tbsp of Oil in the pot, then immediately pour the popcorn into the oil and jiggle the pot without lifting it out. Occasionally shake the whole pot a little to make the corns fall to the bottom to stay hot .
This isn’t the traditional fried Rellenos, nor is it cornbread, and it’s not tamales either, unique in its own right, packed with flavor, leftovers reheated in the microwave on defrost for a minute, even better. Serve as is, or with Salsa, Queso sauce or Chili.
7 Aneheim Peppers or Poblanos or Hatch..Blistered under the Broiler for 5 min per side and sweated in a gallon baggie for 15 min, then peeled, sliced down the Middle and Carefully de seeded.
7 chunks of Oaxaca cheese. 3/4” X 1/2” thick.
2/3 c Flour
1/3 c Masa Harina
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Salt,
1 tsp Chili Powder (add a few shakes of Cayenne if you like Kick.)
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Garlic, granular or Powder.
3 Egg Yolks
4 egg Whites Stiffly Beaten with 1/4 Tsp Cream of Tartar
1-2 Tbsp Melted Lard
1 c Buttermilk
1 1/2 c. Mexican Cheese blend
OPTIONAL: add Fresh 1” pieces of Okra.
Preheat the Oven to 375°
Mix the flour and other dry ingredients together. Set aside, mix the Buttermilk, eggs and lard together and set aside while you whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Spray a metal 9×13 metal cake pan with pam, and if you followed the directions on the peppers they should be peeled, slit and filled with pieces of theOaxaca Cheese. Pour all of the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir quickly with a fork or rubber spatula to blend well but don’t over mix, it will start to react so don’t over do it, carefully fold all of the egg whites into the batter. Now pour half of the batter in the bottom or the pan and gently and quickly spread around evenly, now lay the Stuffed Peppers evenly on the batter, then pour the rest over the top of the peppers and smooth out evenly. Move fast and get it into the Oven. The position of the rack is the second from the bottom position in the Breville. Bake for 20 min, take it out and add the Mexican blend Cheese on top. Bake for another 10 minutes.
375° 20 min put cheese on and do 10 min more.
You can remove the stems but I like them as a marker to find them when they are done.
I use my Meat Grinder to make these delicious tender Meatballs , but you can use pre ground. If You do use PreGround meat your Meatballs will hold their shape a little better than mine. Serve them with my fresh made Marinara Sauce.. also listed below. Marinara Sauce with fresh Roma Tomatoes Mushrooms and Basil IP Or, for that Cream Sauce Craving, make an Alfredo Mushroom Sauce for them . Recipe below, Scroll to the bottom. Or maybe even For those Swedish Meatballs use this Mushroom Cream Sauce
To make these without having to grind op your own meat, just use pre ground and chop the veggies really fine .
INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 lbs ground Pork 1 1/2 lbs ground Chuck. 5 mini Sweet Peppers ( or 1 Serrano or 1 Jalapeño, your choice) chopped fine. 5-6 cloves garlic minced 1 c very finely chopped Vidallia Onion. 3 pieces of toast crumbled. 1/2 -1 tsp Salt. 1/2 tsp Pepper. 1/2-3/4 c Parmesean Cheese. 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning. 2 Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce. A few shakes of Fish sauce (about 1/4 tsp). 2 eggs beaten. 2 Tbsp Mustard. 1/4 c EVOO for cooking
I use a food processor to save time, toss in the garlic and pulse til the garlic is finely minced . Then rough chopped the Onion and toss it in the Food Processor as well and pulse until the onion is finely chopped. In a separate bowl, Break up the meats and Gently and loosely mix them together with all ingredients just until mixed. Over mixing the meat makes it tough. Refrigerate for about an Hour if you have time, it will make forming them easier. Using a Spoon, get enough meat mixture to make a ball a little larger than the size that your middle finger tip and thumb tip almost touching each other makes. (Leave about 1/4-1/2” gap between them. Yup that size. Remember they will shrink as they cook). Set the balls in the frig as you cook them 6 or 8 at a time or so. preheat a Frying pan to Med to Med Hi, and when it’s hot, pour in 1/4 c EVOO. Then add 6 Meatballs, gently and carefully into the hot oil. Try not to deform them. Let the Meatballs cook for a couple minutes and then turn them to another side and repeat til they are cooked through. About 8 min. As the Balls finish cooking in the pan, remove them to a paper towel and set aside. Add a new batch of raw Meatballs, and cook them. Repeat until all have finished cooking.. you can keep them warm in an oven.
NOTE :
To cook with Marinara Sauce in the IP. Weather it is homemade or jarred, use PIP (pot in pot method) add the marinara sauce and hot meatballs into a stainless steel bowl . Pour required amount of water in the inner pot, add trivet and then the bowl of sauce with the meatballs. Put the lid on And set the time for 4- 5 min, and allow for a 10 min NPR. This allows the Meatballs to absorb the sauce for extra flavor as though they have been cooking all day. If the meatballs are cold from the refrigerator, then cook for 10 min with 5 min NPR.
Serve with your favorite Pre-Made Red Sauce, or my Homemade Marinara sauce. Recipe in files. See pic at the bottom.
Serve with my “Marinara Sauce with fresh Roma Tomatoes Mushrooms and Basil” it can be Made on the stove top or Instant Pot. Recipe in files.
1 c heavy whipping cream. 6 Tbsp butter. 2 cloves Garlic minced. 1 c Parmesean Using a smaller frying pan or sauce pan, on medium, melt the butter and add the garlic, sauté for about 30 seconds before adding the Cream. Stir well to heat through, add the Parmesean cheese and mix well. Do not boil.
What a simple and delicious snack if you are fortunate enough to have access to fresh, raw Peanuts. I’ll never forget the first time that I saw and tasted this treat. We were returning a rental car to the airport in Texas and we stopped at a little gas station to fill up. I went into the little store to get some snacks for the plane, saw them in a soup pot and I scratched my head and thought, “What in the world?”? Just had to try them! They were messy and slurpy, soupy good and the peanuts were soft, salty and a bit spicy, pretty much just like my homemade Pinto beans. (Recipe in the files) What a treat, so now I cook them the same way that I do my pinto beans except that I use more salt. The water has to be salty to penetrate the peanuts. Boiled Peanuts, a southern tradition usually takes all day to cook right, but the Instant Pot makes this deliciousness happen in just a few hours. (2 hrs plus some NPR time.).
1-24 oz pack of fresh Raw Peanuts cleaned and washed
9 c Water
1 regular sized sweet onion, rough chopped
6 cloves Garlic, rough chopped
1/4 c SEA Salt (yes 1/4 CUP) needs to be salty . If using regular Salt..taste after 3 Tbsp. It needs to taste like SALTY Sea Water.
1 Tbsp Oregano
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tbsp Evoo or 2 slices Bacon chopped
Make sure Peanuts are sorted and washed. Dump Peanuts and all other ingredients into the pot. Invert a lotus steamer and push it down on them…see pic, to hold the peanuts under the liquid, and weigh it down with a measuring cup full of water, or find something heavy. Put the lid on and set the time for 2 hours on HI pressure. Allow 20 min NPR. Open the lid, remove the weight and steamer, stir the Peanuts into the juice. Dish some up in a Bowl and get a little of the broth. Get a couple of Napkins! Careful, they are hot, you may want to cool them to touch before eating. Pick one up with your fingers and suck the juice out of it then bite down gently to pop it open, then squeeze with your fingers to open. ENJOY! Uh….you got something on yo face?.
This is what I found at my local Mexican Marketplace I invert the lotus steamer and push down to ensure that the peanuts stay submerged. I put the water in a container on top for the weight to hold the steamer down too.
