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Instant Pot Herb Chicken and Mushroom (lower salt, still good)

12/5/2020

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I am not a dietician and I don't know if this qualifies for "low sodium" or whatever.  I'd estimate it to be about 230-250mg of sodium per serving on the chicken and the gravy (not including about 30-60mg for the green beans and mashed potatoes with butter) so it seems pretty low to me.

I make this one quite a bit since it is simple.  It is also something I can mix up and change if I want to by adding more or less seasonings.  Unfortunately I did not take the measure of the spices I used, since I for this one I just sprinkle them on (sorry but that's just fair warning).  This is more a guideline than a recipe, take the measurements with a grain of salt (pardon the pun).

To make this I first butterfly and quarter three skinless and boneless chicken breasts, then I sprinkle them with a light to moderate coating of the following (note the values for teaspoons used is an estimate):

Onion Powder ( 1 teaspoon)
Granulated Garlic (2 teaspoons)
Bragg Sprinkle Seasoning ( 2 teaspoons)
Weber Roasted Garlic and Herb Seasoning (1 1/2 teaspoons, or just a bit more to cover) - if you are not watching salt, use 2 teaspoons.
Cornstarch (1 teaspoon) - Optional

The sauce will later require the following:
1 packet of HerbOx Sodium Free Chicken Bullion
1 4oz Can of Sliced Mushrooms
1-2 teaspoons of Cornstarch (possibly more, used to thicken the gravy)

Note that the Weber seasoning is not salt free, so that will add sodium (it has 90mg per 1/4 teaspoon).  I estimate that I  usually use less than 1 and a half teaspoons, with this chicken recipe (sometimes a bit more if needed to cover the chicken).  This usually makes 4 servings so that should be low sodium, but you can adjust as needed for your diet requirement.  Since there is only one seasoning in this recipe though (the Weber Garlic and Herb seasoning), it makes it a bit simper to control the total sodium.  It does seem that a good deal of the sodium will end up in the sauce though, and I usually end up with extra sauce left over (so the sodium that is actually consumed will also depend on how much of the sauce is used per portion).
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The chicken after seasoning.
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The browned chicken back on the plate, waiting to go back into the pot to pressure cook.
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Browning the chicken on medium or low, being careful not to burn the spices that collect. It helps to keep the pot wet with some oil and also to keep it full but not packed. I let them brown about 2-3 minutes per side.

Once the raw chicken is seasoned, I add a tablespoon of oil (Safflower or any high temp cooking oil) to the instant pot, and put it on saute (high).  When it heats up, I then just brown the chicken on each side (about 2 min per side).  Next I remove the chicken, put the wire rack in the pot, and add about 1 to 1 1/2 cup of water, or (in my 3qt Instant Pot), enough to fill the bottom at least half way or more to the top of the wire rack.  Note that when removing the chicken, the spices, especially the granulated garlic, can burn quickly when the pot is empty, so try and get the water in quickly.  If it appears that there is a lot of burned stuff in the pot, just dump it out, rinse the pot to get the bulk of the burned stuff out and then refill it with water.  If that occurs then I will usually add some of the weber seasoning back to the pot, either on top of the browned chicken or in the water (usually 1/4 teaspoon or so).  Then, to the water, I add 1 packet of Herb-ox Sodium Free Chicken Bullion, and mix that up till it is dissolved.  The chicken then goes back into the pot (on top of the wire rack), and cooks on the "meat/stew" setting, at "normal" heat for 10 minutes with another 15-25 minutes to allow it to naturally release the pressure.  When it's done, I check the the chicken with a meat thermometer, and verify it is at least 165°F.  Then I remove the chicken (carefully since it will fall apart), and then I usually put it in the toaster on low to keep it warm while I make the sauce.  The liquid left in the pot will be used as the base for the sauce.
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I put the metal tray in to keep the chicken out of the water.
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I added 1 packet of Herb-ox sodium free chicken bullion to the cup of water in the pot and mixed it up prior to adding the chicken.
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The browned chikcen in the Instant Pot, ready to be pressure cooked 30 minutes on "normal" or medium (I selected "meat").

To make the sauce, open one 4oz can of sliced mushrooms (about 400mg per can), drain it and dump it in the pot with the liquid left over from cooking the chicken.  Then set the pot to saute (medium) to get it simmering.  While waiting on that to happen, slow start to add 1 tablespoon of corn starch to a cup and mix it with a minimal amount of water until it is smooth with no clumps (the slower it is added the better).  Once the liquid in the pot is simmering, add the some of the cornstarch mix and stir it in.  If it does not thicken enough, repeat with more cornstarch till it is the desired thickness.  This is the point where I give the sauce a taste, to see if it needs more of something, noting that is is a low sodium recipe.  If it needs more salt just add some, or add some low sodium soy sauce to taste, and that's it  The amount of salt added will of course change the amount of sodium in the dish.
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A 4 oz can of sliced mushrooms, this is drained and then goes in when the chicken comes out of the pot after pressure cooking.
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Updated 7/30/2022 to correct the cooking time which was too long originally
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Quick ColeSlaw

12/5/2020

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Sorry no pics, but this is just a quick and easy cole slaw I have made a couple times, adjusting each time to the way I like it.  It's more of a guideline of what worked since you can easily adjust this to be more sweet, salty or vinegar-ey?

This is also a small batch recipe since I don't like to make a ton of the stuff when it it never gets better with age.  This is for about 2 cups which is just enough for 3 people with moderate appetites.

First slice off 2 cups of cabbage from a head of cabbage (or bag of slaw mix).  I just leave it rough cut, no need to get fancy (unless that's how you roll).  Then place the cut up cabbage in a container and  sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon of celery salt over it, then mix it up a bit.  Next put it in the fridge for about 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, drain any water off the cabbage (it may not have any, but if there is, drain it off).

Next assemble the following:
  • Mayonnaise (I use the real stuff from Best Foods)
  • Jar of Pickles (bread and butter is what I use)
  • Heinz Sweet Relish
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Pepper
  • And the container of cut up cabbage
  • One Teaspoon and one Tablespoon
  • Celery Salt (in case it needs more salt)

Now for the fun part, just mix the following into the container of cut up cabbage:
  • 2 Tablespoons of Mayo
  • 2 Tablespoons of Pickle juice from the jar of Bread and Butter Pickels
  • 1 Tablespoon of Sweet Picket Relish
  • 2 Teaspoons of Dijon Mustard (reduce/remove/replace if you don't like Dijon)
  • 2-3 grinds of pepper (about 1/8 Teaspoon I'd estimate)

Now just mix, mix, mix or cover it and shake, shake, shake and taste it to see if it needs more sweetness or salt.  If it needs more sweetness, just add some more relish (honey also works).  If it needs more salt then add a bit of celery salt.  Then put it in the fridge for 10 minutes or so before serving.



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Super Quick (and Cheap) Green Bean Casserole (Gluten Free)

11/26/2020

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Sorry no pics, just made this tonight and it was enough just juggling the other 5 things cooking that I didn't think to grab some pics.  This however did turn out really well and was the simplest thing I made for Thanksgiving this year (aside from the Turkey which was a Jenny-O ready to go Turkey Breast - which by the way took 2h 15m and not 3h like it suggested on the label).

Here is what I used:

3/4 to a full can of Great Value Gluten Free Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup, 10.5 oz

1 bag of Great Value Cut Green Beans, 12 oz

1 can of Giorgio Pieces & Stems Mushrooms 4 Oz Can

1/2 can of 365 by Whole Foods Market, Limited Edition Organic Shelf-Stable Crispy Onions (Salted Pieces), Gluten Free, 6 Ounce  or Sprouts Organic Gluten Free French Fried Onions


I followed the outline of the recipe here, and did the following:
  1. Put the green beans in the casserole dish and microwaved for 5 minutes to thaw them out.
  2. Added the (drained) can of mushrooms and then most of the can of cream of mushroom soup (I did not use it all but you could).
  3. Mixed it up and then added several handfuls of the french fried onions on top
  4. Put it in the oven at 350°F with some foil over the top for about 20 minutes.
  5. Removed the foil and let it cook another 5-10 minutes watching that the onions don't burn.

That was it.  I did not add any salt or soy sauce since it did not need any, the condensed soup had the perfect flavor for this recipe.
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Easy Lemon Garlic Cod Fillets with Cracker Topping (Gluten Free)

10/27/2020

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This was pretty darn good and super easy, took about 30-40 minutes and I was not working in the kitchen the whole time.  I started with the recipe for the butter sauce here, but found it too salty since I was already using salted butter.  I also did not have any parsley so I used Bragg seasoning which is great for just about anything. 

1lb or 3 to 4 Cod fillets (got these from WallyMart and they were great)
¼ Cup salted butter, softened in the microwave
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (I used just a pinch less than a full Tablespoon)
1 Tablespoon Bragg Seasoning
½ teaspoon dried granulated garlic (I would double that if using fresh garlic)
¼ teaspoon salt (adjust down if you are limiting salt and it will still be fine)
¼ teaspoon pepper (I used 4-6 grinds from my pepper mill but adjust for preference)

I also used 2 large table crackers (used these Gluten Free crackers) and crushed them with a tablespoon in a bowl to make the topping.  Just use as many as it would take to about cover the fillets.

I first thawed the fillets in a cast iron skillet which I use for pretty much everything these days, filled it with warm tap water, put the fillets in a ziplock back and let them thaw in the skillet, it took about 10-15minutes.  While I was waiting for that to happen I made some yellow rice in the instant pot and rinsed some green beans.

When the Cod seemed about thawed (it was squishy and still a bit frozen), I heated the 1/4 cup of butter in a coffee mug for 30 seconds the microwave.  Then added the rest of the seasonings (except for the salt) in the mug and stirred them up and gave it a taste before adding the salt.  Since the butter I used was salted it did not need much so adjust the salt accordingly.

Then I took some foil and folded up the edges to catch the butter and coated it with a couple of spoonfuls of the butter sauce and put the fillets on top of that.  The rest of the butter sauce went on top of the fillets followed by the cracker crumbs.  Then it was cooked for about 15-20 minutes at 400°F and I checked that the internal temp was 145°F before taking them out. 

While the fish was cooking, the rice was also going, and about 5-10 minutes before the fish was done I heated the green beans in the microwave with some butter (about 2 Tbsp) and sprinkled some granulated garlic, onion powder, Bragg Sprinkle and a dash or two of salt on it.  Everything was done about the same time and it took about 30 to 40 minutes total
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Really Simple Instant Pot BBQ Beef

9/25/2020

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This is how I make BBQ beef in the instant pot (it may not be the best way, but it is  easy and seems to work)

1. Cut up about 1 lb of Beef Chuck Roast, trim as needed.
2. Season the beef with Southwest Seasoning and then refrigerate for 1 hour if possible.
3. Set the Instant Pot to Saute (high) and add a small amount of oil just to coat the bottom of the pot (I use Safflower Oil).  When it heats up add the beef and allow the cubes to brown on each side (about 1-2min per side).  Try to keep the entire bottom of the pot covered so things don't burn.
4. Remove the beef from the pot and insert the steamer rack, add about 1 cup of beef broth or water.  I also use BBQ sauce sometimes, which is either thin or has been thinned using water.  But note that anything used now will probably get removed later and does not add much to the final flavor since the beef sits above the broth in the pot.
5. Put the beef into the pot (on the wire rack) and cover with some BBQ sauce (put it on top). 
6. Cook for 1 hour on the medium (normal) heat setting and then allow 30 minutes for the "natural" pressure release.
7. Remove the beef from the pot and set it aside for a minute, remove the steamer rack also.
8. Shred the beef with 2 forks.
9. This is where I usually will remove the broth since it is often not as good as the BBQ sauce.  I suppose I could try to add stuff to the broth and make it taste better, and have done that, but it does not taste as good as most sauces.  If the meat needs some extra moisture though, I will add a bit of the broth back though, so keep some of it aside.
10.  I then add the now shredded beef back to the (empty) pot with some BBQ sauce and set it on simmer to warm the sauce up.  This takes only a couple minutes and when it's hot it's ready to go.  Then put the Instapot on "Keep Warm".

I usually make this with KC Masterpiece, but want to try it with Sweet Baby Rays which is my favorite BBQ sauce (but just a bit spicier).  I've made this three times now and each one is getting better.

That's it, then it's time to eat.

This recipe also works for chicken, the only change is that I cook it for 30 minutes on "normal" and allow it to do the natural pressure release (usually 25 minutes).

Pics below of the chicken version:
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Gluten Free Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef

8/20/2020

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I had about a pound of beef chuck roast in the freezer which I wanted to do something different with so I looked up recipes for Barbacoa Beef and found this one.  That looked like a winner but I wanted to make it a bit simpler so I used a packet of taco seasoning instead of all the spices (which was mentioned in the link) and cut out the soy sauce (well gave it a few shakes but less than a half teaspoon).  I was also making half the beef that they suggested in their recipe.  Below is what I ended up using:

  • About 1lb of chuck roast (it was probably a couple ounces more)
  • About 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp of Olive Oil (or any oil to brown the roast with) - drizzled enough to coat the bottom of the pot
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced
  • About 1/2 of a 14.5oz Can of Swanson Beef Broth (this was the right amount for my small Instant Pot but larger pots may need a bit more)
  • 2 Tbsp of La Costena Chipoltes in Adobo Sauce (more or less if you like it more or less spicy)
  • 1 Tbsp of Lime Juice
  • 1 Tbsp of Vinegar (the regular white vinegar is what I used).
  • 1 Packet of McCormick Taco Seasoning (I used the Gluten Free version which was fine)
  • Gluten Free Soy Sauce (less than 1/2 tsp or about 3 shakes) - don't need it if you don't got it

Making it was pretty simple but it is easier to break it down into 3 parts:

Part 1 - Brown the Beef
  1. Cut the beef into large but manageable chunks (mine were about 2x2")
  2. Add the minced garlic and oil to the Instant Pot and turn it on simmer
  3. When the pot is hot, add the chunks of roast and brown each side

Part 2 - Pressure Cooking
  1. I added the 1/2 can of beef broth, the taco seasoning packet, the chipolte with Adobo sauce (I went with about 2 Tbsp and it was a about medium heat), the vinegar and lime juice, to the pot and stirred it up a bit till it was mixed up.
  2. Cooked at high temp 20 minutes since my roast was still frozen in the center (if it was not frozen I would have cooked it for 12-15 minutes)
  3. Allowed the pressure to do the "natural release" for another 20 minutes before opening it up.

Part 3 - Shredding and Sauce
  1. Removed the chunks of roast and fished out any chunks of fat that were left in the pot.
  2. Then turned the pot to simmer and let the sauce reduce, which can take 10 minutes or more (or less) depending on how much liquid needs to boil off and how you like the Barbacoa.
  3. Used a couple forks to shred and clean up the Barbacoa while the sauce reduced
  4. When the sauce is reduced to where you want it, add the beef back in and stir it up and then it's ready to go.  Can add it back sooner if needed to keep the shredded beef from cooling too much.

That's it, super simple and minimal cleanup.  I thought it was at least as good as Chipolte but I have not had that in a while.  I was also able to trim it myself, so there were no surprise chunks of fat like they sometimes have there.  

I served it over rice and some canned corn which I pan fried with a tiny bit of salt.  You can see the link this recipe was derived from for some good ideas on how to make a Chipolte Copycat rice bowl.

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Damn Good Gluten Free Cherry Pie

8/14/2020

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I used the directions here to make the filling:
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/homemade-cherry-pie-filling/

Only changes were that I used a bit less sugar (about 1/2 cup vs 2/3 cup) and I used three 10oz bags of frozen cherries.  I also pre-mixed 1 cup of water with the corn starch to make a slurry which avoids the lumps.  If the corn starch is added slowly and stirred in with a fork, a whisk is not needed. 

For the pie crust, I used some "Wholly Wholesome Gluten Free Pie shells" (14 0z) which has 2 shells.  I just cut up one shell to make the lattice which did not come out well but it all tastes the same. 

I baked it at 375F for about 20 minutes in my Instant Omni Air Fryer oven on the bake setting (rack in the baking position) and covered the edges with foil (which is important to keep them from burning).  Time will of course vary depending on the oven.
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Quick Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas (Gluten Free)

12/23/2018

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  This is just a quick recipe for Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chile salsa.  The key ingredients are 505 Hatch Green Chile Salsa and Progresso Chicken Enchilada soup.  Note that the link is for reference, please don't pay $15 for a bottle of salsa - they sell it in a big bottle at Costco for around $8, and I have also seen it at Walmart.  The other ingredients are a 13oz can of chicken breast (the kind that looks like a large tuna can), some green onion, cheese, corn tortillas and salt. 

Full list of ingredients:
Progresso Chicken Enchilada soup (1 can)
505 Fire Roasted Hatch Green Chile Salsa (they sell it at Costco in big jars with a blue label)
Can-o-chicken (13 Oz)
Shredded cheese
Green onion - chopped up (about 2 will be enough)
salt
pepper (optional)
Corn tortillas

To make the Enchilada filling I drained the can of chicken and put in a bowl, then I added between 1/4 to 1/3 the can of soup, and some cheese (really now wrong amount of cheese, but I used about 1/4 to 1/3 cup).  Chopped up a green onion and threw it in the mix.  Then I added 2 tablespoons of the salsa, and then one more half tablespoon because it is awesome (this is spicy so probably cut that in half or more if you don't like hot stuff).  Mixed that up, and then spooned it into the tortillas which were rolled up and put into a rectangular pyrex dish.  Once I had all the rolls made up, I added another tablespoon or more of the green chile salsa to the remaining soup in the can, with a pinch of salt a grind of pepper, and poured about 1/4 to 1/3 the can over the enchilada rolls in the pyrex.  Resist the temptation to use the rest of the can, ya don't wanna drown 'em, but they should be covered so they don't get dried out.   Topped it with some more cheese, covered the pyrex in foil and then put it in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes.  Then I added one chopped up green onion on top, and added it back for another 10-15 minutes (took it out when it was bubbling).  My toaster oven is a POS however so take that time and temp with a bit of caution.  If you have a decent oven you may be able to use 350 instead.  That's it, pretty simple with minimal clean up, just a bowl used for mixing and the pyrex used for baking.

While I was waiting for the enchiladas I heated up the remaining 1/3 can of the soup and finished that off too.
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    Just some Stoopid Recipes

    Nothing fancy here :D  These are just some simple recipes I have made (and like).  I usually don't write them down and end up forgetting (and later rediscovering) them, so I'm sort'a doing this for me, but I hope somebody finds them useful too.  Everything here will be gluten free unless specified.

    Most recipes will be for an Instant Pot or Air Fryer (I have the Instant Omni Plus).

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