Carbonara Twist. Made with Chicken and Bacon, and a Cream, Garlic & Butternut Squash Sauce IP

This is a Meal in itself!

Makes enough for 2 with leftovers.
If you don’t have Cooked Chicken, use Raw and throw it in on top of the noodles.

FOR THE SAUCE:
1 cup Cooked Butternut Squash.
1 clove Garlic
2 Eggs.
1 Tbsp Costco’s Better than Bullion Chicken
1/2 c Heavy Whipping Cream.
1/8 tsp Nutmeg.

DIRECTIONS:.
Using a Food Processor, toss in the Garlic and give it a good spin. Add the Butternut Squash and pulse a few times until it breaks down, then add the Cream, Better than Bullion Chicken and Eggs. Process until the sauce is creamy. ?
Pour the Sauce into a Sauce Pan and heat slowly, stirring constantly, over medium heat until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon . Do not boil. Set aside.
See Below For Pics.

FOR THE CARBONARA :
2 pre cooked Chicken Thighs chopped
(use Raw if you don’t have cooked. Just chop into 1” pieces and toss in on top of the noodles to cook with them).
5 pieces of pre Cooked Bacon Chopped (even though it’s cooked, I Crisp it)
1 c Onion Chopped finely.
2 c fresh chopped Spinach.
2 c sliced Crimini Mushrooms
8 oz Spaghetti Noodles broken in half.
1 1/2 c water (Your Onion and Mushrooms will add more liquid to cook the Noodles).
2 Tbsp Butter.
1/4 tsp Salt.
1/4 tsp Pepper.
1/4 c Parmesean Cheese ( for after its done).

DIRECTIONS:
Set the Chopped Bacon and Chicken aside. (If using Cut up raw Chicken, put it in on top of the Noodles)
Pour the Water into the Pot, add the Noodles in a staggered pattern and swish it around in the water to get them all wet, then add the Onion and Mushrooms, along with the Garlic, Salt, Pepper and the Spinach on top. Do Not Stir.
Set the Time on the Pot for 3 min. Use QR. Let set 1 min before opening lid.
After opening the Lid, let the Pasta set if it needs another minute to absorb the rest of the water that it will.
Pour the Squash Sauce in with the cooked Pasta and add the Chicken (if you didn’t put raw chicken into the pot to cook).
Stir to heat the Chicken. Do not Boil. Add Cheese. Stir and add Bacon Last. Serve up.

This is before cooking it.

Quiche Ham n Cheese Breville or Oven

This Quiche can be done in a frying pan or in a pie pan Crust.
Recipe includes Pie crust. Use your choice, ready made or your own. See my Pie Crust Recipe in the Files.

1 Pie Crust

1 c Heavy Whipping Cream

6 Large Brown Eggs Beaten ( I used Costco’s )

2 Scallions chopped

1/2 -1 c grated Cheese (Cojack)

1 c Ham diced

1/4- 1/2 tsp Salt

1/4- 1/2 scant tsp Pepper

1-2 Tbsp Bacon Grease or Butter

Optional: 1/2 c cooked Spinach, or 1 Chopped cooked Asparagus

Preheat your Oven to 400°

If you are using a Pie Crust just pour everything into a Mixing Bowl to combine and pour into the Pie Crust.

FOR BAKING IN A SKILLET…NO CRUST: Put your Stainless steel Skillet on the stove top and preheat the pan for just 2 minutes…just to Warm it up to melt the Butter, add the Bacon Grease or Butter and let it melt. Tip the pan to let the grease coat the sides of the Pan. Add everything to mixing Bowl, stir and pour into the Skillet.


Bake in Oven for 10 min @400° Then turn the Oven to 350° and bake for 15-20 min more. Watch it carefully so that it doesn’t overcook.
cool for about 5 minutes and then Loosen from the sides of the Pan with a silacone Spatula.

Garnish with sliced Tomatoes, Cilantro, Sour Cream, green or red Salsa, Or Tobasco. Etc

Chicken Mole with Rice IP

This recipe is for the 8 q but can be revised for the 6
if your making Rice at the same time then you will need a long legged trivet as shown in pic or you can use a lotus steamer.

4-6 frozen Chicken Thighs

2 c Onion chopped

6 cloves Garlic

1 Tbsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Anise

1 c Mole paste

1 1/2 c Water 2 Tbsp Costco’s Better than Bullion Chicken ( you may need to add more after the Chicken is done Depending on how much liquid it releases)


Put the Onions, Garlic in first, Cumin and Anise and then the Chicken, Mole and better than bullion.
If your making Rice, this is the time to put another long legged, Trivet on top of the Chicken, and then the stainless Bowl of Rice and it’s liquid. use 1 C Rice to 1 c water MINUS 1 Tbsp per cup that you add. make sure to rinse the Rice and drain it extremely well.
Set the time for 25 min, and let it NPR for 20.

Open the lid, and remove the Rice, (If you made some), then the Trivet, it’ll be a mess but shake it off. Your mole paste will still be setting on top of the Chicken, so scrape it off, and remove the Chicken. Remove the chicken from the bones. Stir up the Mole Sauce taste it, and add more seasoning if needed. and Put the chicken back in. Also, now is the time to adjust the flavor. If you think that there is too much mole paste in the sauce, you can add chicken broth to it, It will thin it down a bit and add more chicken flavor (Costco’s Better than Bullion Chicken and water).

Add Onions and Spices to the Pot and add the Broth. In this case water. The Costco Better than Bullion is on top with the Mole Paste.
Put a trivet….long legged…on top of the chicken. It makes it stable for the rice to set on.
Set the rice on top.
The Rice will be Done, remove the Bowl , fluff with a fork and set aside.
The Mole Paste will still be on top and hot. Scrape off into the broth to get to the broth.
Scrape the Mole Paste off the Chicken and remove the Chicken To take the meat off the bones. Let the paste mix into the liquid, this is what make ps the gravy. Taste it it and check the consistency and decide if you want more broth in the gravy.
Take the meat off the bones, and either cut up the skin or discard it. Toss or save the bones for soup.
For this meal, I had the Black Beans in the other Pot.

Crustless Quiche IP

I use a Bundt Pan for this so that it takes less time and cooks evenly. A straight sided pan would work best but I don’t have one. If you don’t have either a Bundt or straight sided Bundt pan, add 5 min of cook time to the Instant Pot.
Add cheese to the top and then set under the broiler or in this case the Air Fryer Lid to the Duo Crisp plus Air Fryer. I serve it on its side like a slice of Bundt Cake.

6 large Eggs.
1/2-2/3 C Heavy Whipping Cream.
1/2 C Grated Cheese plus more for the top.
1/3 c Bisquick (or use 1/3 c Self-rising Flour and 1 Tbsp powdered Milk).
1 Tbsp Butter.
1/2 sliced Mushrooms.
1/2 chopped Ham.
1/2c Ground Sausage Cooked (If using raw, see cooking instructions below ).
1/4- 1/3 c Chopped cooked Bacon (if using raw, see cooking instructions below).
1/2 c Cooked Spinach (see instructions below for cooking if you don’t have it cooked already).
1/2 c Finely Chopped onion.
1 /4 tsp Salt.
1/8 tsp Pepper

OPTIONAL: 1 Tbsp thinly sliced Serrano Pepper or a few dashes of Red Pepper Flakes.
NOTE: [If you want to do this all in the Instant pot you can. Also if using raw sausage and bacon, Turn the pot to Sauté, Sauté the sausage And Bacon together Sauté, and then drain the grease off leaving a Tbsp in the pot, then toss in the Butter, Onions and Mushrooms and stir then add the Spinach and stir. Let the Spinach wilt down. Pour it into a bowl while you remove the pot and rinse out. Cool stainless Pot down, dry and replace It back into the Instant Pot Base. Add recommended amount of water and continue on to Beating the Eggs in instructions below.*

FOR STOVE TOP: … In a frying pan on Med heat, if you are using precooked ground Sausage and Bacon set that aside, if not, now is the time to Sauté it together, drain all but 1 Tbsp of the grease off. Spoon the Bacon and Sausage out into a bowl to cool a bit and then set aside.
In the same frying pan, saute the Onion and Mushrooms in the Bacon grease and Butter until soft and Onions are translucent. Add the Spinach and let it wilt down. Set aside to cool a bit.

*Beat the Eggs and add the Cream, then add the Salt and Pepper and Bisquick, Then stir quickly but don’t over mix or you will flatten the baking powder in the Bisquick. Next, add the Onions, Mushrooms, Spinach and the rest of the ingredients and just fold them in evenly.
Spray the sides column and bottom of your Bundt Pan well so that it doesn’t stick. (I had some trouble getting it out of my non stick surface so I ran a skinny Knife like silicone spatula that is for the Vitamix around the edges).

Pour recommended amount of water into the stainless Pot. In my case it is 1 1/2 c In my 8 qt.
Cover the Bundt Pan with paper towel and using a long handled Trivet, lower it into the IP.
Set the time for 15 min and then give it 5 min NPR. Open the Pot and sprinkle more Cheese on top. Switch the lid to the Air fryer Lid. Set it to 400° for 5 min until the cheese melts and bubbles. If you don’t have the Air fryer lid you can just use your Broiler.

Remove Bundt Pan from the Pot and let set for about 3 minute. Run a silicone Spatula the size of a knife between the edges to release the quiche from the sides. Invert a plate on top of the Bundt Pan and then Flip it over, onto the plate and lift the Bundt Pan off. Slice the Quiche and serve the slices on their sides.

Important to Loosen the sides and cones edge of the Quiche before inverting to a plate.
Some of the quiche sticks in the Pan.

Baba Ghanoush…simple Eggplant Dip

This is a delicious Dip similar to Hummus except that it is made with Eggplant.
You can roast your Eggplant in the oven but I don’t see a difference that a couple dashes of smoked paprika Or 2 drops of Liquid Smoke can’t fix if you like smoked flavor.
For this Dish you will need a Food Processor, Vitamix or a Blender Or equivalent.

1 lg Eggplant About 6”…peeled and chopped into 1” pieces. Deseed some of the seeds that are easy to get to.
3- cloves garlic.
1 lemon Cut in half
1 tsp Cumin.
1 tsp Salt.
2 Tbsp EVOO plus more to drizzle on top.
3 Tbsp Tahini.
Chili Powder to sprinkle on top (for kick use Red Pepper flakes Or Cayenne Powder)

Optional: Smoked Paprika or 2 drops of Liquid Smoke

Put the prepared Eggplant Into an 8 c Microwave proof Bowl.
Set the Lemon on top of the Eggplant cut side up. Place the Garlic on top of the lemon. Microwave on high for 5 min. Drain liquid From the Eggplant. Look through the Chunks and remove Seeds that are easy to get. Don’t worry about them all.

I use a Food Processor.
Lemon will be hot and squeezes super easy so be careful.
Start with 1/2 lemon and taste the Ghanoush after mixing then add in the rest if you like more. Using a Lemon Squeezer to squeeze the Lemon Juice right into the Food Processor, add the Garlic, Eggplant, Salt, Tahini, Cumin, and EVOO. Pulse to mix, scrape sides down and then process ON for a minute.
Scrape the Ghanoush into a Bowl and garnish with Evoo drizzled On top and the Chili Powder or the Red pepper. .
Serve with sliced Sourdough,Ciabatta, Crackers, or Veggie slices. I even like some on Scrambled Eggs.

See the liquid in the Bottom, drain it off.


Wilted Lettuce Salad

For this Salad you can use Walnut, Pistachio, Avacado, or Pecan Oil in stead of the Bacon Grease If you like.

8 cups ish …Lettuce …loose leaf fresh washed and drained. You can also use Butter lettuce OR 2 heads Baby Romain from Costco cut up.

1 scallion chopped

5-6 pieces of Bacon chopped up

2 cloves Garlic minced

3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar. Basalmic is ok too. ( use the good stuff you have It)

2-3 Tbsp Bacon Grease from frying the Bacon.

1/4 c water

1 c chopped Tomatoes

1 Tbsp Brown sugar or more

Salt & Pepper To taste

Optional: Any of these, 1/4 c Toasted, Slivered or sliced Almonds, Pine nuts or Pecans, 1/4 c Craisins, or 1/2 C Raspberries Split 1/4 and 1/4c for the Salad. Parmesean Cheese.

Chop lettuce and set aside.

Use a larger frying pan or a Wok…. and sauté the Bacon on Med heat until it crisps up. Drain and reserve all but 3 Tbsp of the Bacon Grease. Remove Bacon and set aside. Turn the heat down to Simmer . Add the Nuts if your using them, stir and sizzle for a minute, then add the Garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, add Raspberry’s, and Brown Sugar. Add Tomatoes to heat through. Add the Vinegar and Water. Taste the sauce and add more Vinegar or whatever you like, if needed, Turn off the heat and stir. Quickly add all of the lettuce. Turn it over with tongs a couple of times until it Barely starts to wilt. Quickly Remove from the heat. Let set for a minute if it needs to wilt a tiny bit more.

Serve up!

Chicken Pot Pie Breville or Oven

Oven 425°

Makes about 4 c of filling …2 large sized pies with 1 3/4 c filling in ea. plus 1/2 c leftovers.

1 Pie Crust (for homemade, see my pie crust recipe in files, or use your favorite)

2 c cooked chicken chopped

1 c Onion finely Chopped

1 1/2 c Celery chopped

2 c Mixed Veggies Frozen (includes. peas, carrots, green beans and corn) You can use Fresh if you want.

2 1/2 c Chicken broth (Or 2 c water and 1 Tbsp Costco’s Better then Bullion Chicken)

1 Tsp Poultry Seasoning (mixture of thyme sage and rosemary) or Italian seasoning or a combination of both.

1/4 c flour (ap)

Salt and Pepper to taste….. add after filling is heated (Depending on salt content of the broth or better than Bullion Chicken)
if the broth isn’t salted then add 1/2 tsp

2 Tbsp Butter

Saute Onion and Celery In Butter, ( I like to brown the butter first a little). If you are using fresh Veggies, add the carrots corn and green beans, save the peas for the last after the filling is cooked. Saute them until Onions are translucent but not cooked through. Add flour, spices And stir until veggies are coated, then add the Broth and stir until sauce is thickened. If you use frozen Mixed Veggies then add the Veggies and Chicken and let set. Important…taste your filling and add more seasoning if you like, but be careful because the herbs flavors come out as it cooks in the oven.
Fill a 8×8 cassarole dish with the filling, ( or in my case I use2 Mini Dutch oven Copper pots for individual servings. Or …It makes 4 mini Au gratins) .
Cut pie crust to overlap sides of the Dish by 1/2” …. Or You can cut to fit just inside the rim and on top of the filling. Cut vent holes in the crust.

Set them on a cookie sheet to protect the oven if they bubble over.

Bake in the preheated 425° oven for 30 min. Check at 20 min for Doneness. Cover the crust if it’s getting too brown.

If you use the crust for the individuals you will probably only use half of it.
Notice the difference on where the crust can go….over lapping or just inside the rim.

Potato Salad and Mac Salad at the same time IP

Potatoes, Mac, and Eggs at the Same time

Use more or less of the following:

4 good sized Yukon Potatoes diced into 3/4” cubes. (1/2” is ok too but you have to cool them fast because they easily overcook.)

2 c Small Elbow Macaroni

4 Scallions sliced

4 stalks Celery Sliced

Salt and Pepper to taste

6 Eggs

1 1/2 c Best foods Mayonaise (both Salads soak the Mayo up so you will need more than you think you need. Or you can add more to it after it has set just before serving).

Optional: Diced Ham

to Make the 2 Salads at one time, use a PIP method, use 4 oz of Pasta to 1 c water) Put the Mac and water in the pot, then add longer legged lotus steamer With legs long enough to allow the Mac to expand without mipushing up against the bottom of the steamer. It sets right down in the Mac n water.

put your cubed potatoes into the Lotus steamer . Add the Eggs on top of the Potatoes.

lid on, vent to sealing. Set the Time to 4 minutes QR.

You have to work fast here while the food is cooking.

Slice up the Celery and Scallions, and Mix with the Mayo and put it into the frig while the Potatoes, Eggs, and Mac cook.

As soon as the pot Beeps, do a QR and get the Eggs out and set them on a Paper towel on the Counter (they need to sit for at least 6 min to finish cooking inside the shell.

Remove the inner pot from the IP and bring to the sink and run cold water over the Eggs and Potatoes to stop the cooking process. Once they are covered with cold water, lift the potatoes out and set in the sink to finish draining….drain well, pour off the water from the macaroni noodles and drain them really well. Use the inner pot to mix one of your salads if you want so you don’t have to use two seperate bowls.

Back to the Eggs, while the Mac and potatoes drain, 6 min should be up and Eggs should be done. Peel the Eggs and chop all but Two which you will slice for the tops of the Salads.

Get the Celery, Mayo, Scallion mixture Out of the Frig, add the chopped Eggs. Put Potatoes in a separate Serving Bowl, add 1/3- 1/2 of the Mayo, Celery, Scallion, Egg mixture. Stir, add Salt and pepper to taste.

Do the Same for the Mac Salad.

(I usually only do ham in the Mac Salad.)

Salmon and Rice Stuffed Peppers IP

Makes 2 large Peppers.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 c leftover cooked Fresh Salmon fillet.
1 1/2 c leftover or pre cooked rice.
3 Scallions (about 1/3 cup) Sliced.
1 Egg beaten.
1 Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce.
1 Tbsp Grey Poupon Mustard.
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice.
1 Tsp Soy Sauce.
1 Tbsp Dry Dill or 2 Tbsp fresh.
1/2 Jalapeño Chopped (Optional).
1 Campari Tomato Chopped

DIRECTIONS:
Remove tops from the Peppers By cutting about 1/2” out from the stems green… and shake out the seeds. I cut the meat off the pepper top and chop it and add it to the filling. Leave a nice lip on the rim of the Pepper. Poke a small hole with the tip of a sharp knife, through each bottom bump on the peppers to allow for drainage if it happens while cooking.

Mix together, and Stuff the Peppers making sure to compact the filling without splitting the Pepper. This filling makes 2 large peppers. Put the peppers in a small cake pan (Stainless)
Pour recommended amt of water in the pot. Use a long handled trivet or make a sling. Lower the Peppers down into the pot. Put the Lid on. Set the time for 10 min. QR . Open the lid and check them. They can set for another minute if you need it before serving.
Leftovers are Freezer Friendly. Use within a couple of months.

I tossed in a little leftover mixed veggies That I had. They are not part of the recipe.

Salmon Patties with or without Shrimp

This is another batch with NO Shrimp. Dusted with homemade cornbread mix see the bottom pic for this method.

These can be made without the Shrimp if you don’t have them. See the last pics, you can also dip them in dry Cornbread mix.. see an idea for an idea from fresh fillets made in the Instant Pot below…

1 Lb leftover cooked Salmon Flaked.
6-7 large cooked Shrimp cut thinly into chunks.
1/3-1/2 c Onion minced. Scallions look nice if you have them.
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice.
1 Tbsp worchestershire sauce.
2 tsp Grey Poupons mustard.
1 leftover Biscuit or 1/2 c bread crumbs ( crumbled Almond Crackers work too).
a dash or two Salt and Pepper.
2 Beaten Eggs.
1/2 tsp Dill weed

Optional: A few Sprinkles of Red Pepper Flakes

Flour for dipping before frying (Almond Flour is a good Keto alternative, or Cornbread mix is a great twist for some added crunch)

1/2 cube of Butter to fry them in. A little at a time, you won’t use it all.

Mix Everything together, without over blending. You want some chunks of Salmon.
Using a Medium Sized frying pan. Turn the heat to Medium.

Melt a couple of Tbsp of Butter in the pan, spritz your hands with pam or something to keep the fish from sticking. Take about 1/2 c of the Salmon mixture in your hand and form a patty. Lightly dip into the flour and set them in the frying pan. This is tricky …( you may have to kinda drop it in the flour and sprinkle it on the top.) Watch them for a little brown on the bottom. Very carefully flip them after a 3-5 minutes. Cook another 3-5 min. Serve with Cocktail Sauce, Hollandaise Sauce, or Tarter Sauce. I serve Veggie rice on the side, and sometimes Peas.

I had leftover onion slices with lemon in it so I used them, but I usually use finely chopped Onion.
Forgot to put the Worcestershire sauce in the pic.
Notice the nice bug slices of Shrimp? yum.
These are a different Batch. Red Salmon…They were also made with Almond Crackers, and Almond flour …
Another pic of the Red Salmon Patties …made with Almond Cracker and dipped in Almond flour.

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I made these Fillets in the Instant Pot. I set them on the trivet with a round flat rack on it. I set it to 1 min LOW pressure and used Quick Release. Let salmon cool before flaking it up.

Sprinkled liberally with Everything Bagel, Orange Peel, Dill, and ground Mustard.

Optional…1 Tbsp minced Jalapeño
Fry on med Low in Butter. About 4 min on one side, check, put 1 tsp butter on top and carefully Turn over so that the butter goes underneath the Patty.