My newest kitchen toy

Kale and Beyond
Jul 21, 2017 · 3 min read

I have been hearing and reading about the Instant Pot. I decided that if I was going to purchase one I would get the larger 8 quart size. I tagged it on Amazon and on Prime Day, the price was $89, down from the usual $129. I decided to go ahead and buy it.

It arrived within two days and I have already made a lentil soup and chicken cacciatore, and I am happy with both. Both recipes were an amalgamation of recipes that I had and reviews of various instant pot recipes on the internet and in various cookbooks.

I had read that the Instant Pot was a bit complicated and intimidating right out of the box and I agree. But, if you have read up on it and read and follow the instructions it really wasn’t that difficult to figure out.

First, I followed the instructions and tried the pot with water. That helped me figure out how to use and it and to be less intimidated in releasing the steam. There is a lot of steam though so definitely do not get too close to the valve.

It is a little hard to see but there is steam coming from the valve on the back of the lid. This is what happens after you manually release the valve once the cooking time has ended. The pot automatically switches to the Keep Warm mode

Here are recipes for the first two dishes that I made with my Instant Pot.

Red Lentil Soup

1 lb. red lentils, rinsed and picked through

6 c. broth, vegetable or chicken

chopped onions

1 T. minced garlic

1 T. cumin

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste.

Saute the onion on the saute setting with 1 T. of olive oil. At this point the lid is off. After about 5 minutes add the garlic and a little broth if it is sticking to the pot. Add the remaining seasonings and the lentils and broth.

Replace the lid, press manual and set for 10 minutes. Wait for the bell to ring and then release the steam. You can use an immersion blender to further puree the bean soup or eat it as is.

You can also add some kale, spinach or other greens if you would like. We had this as one of our Meatless Monday meals with a salad and there was plenty left over to freeze and serve on another Monday.

Chicken Cacciatore

1 lb. or so of skinless chicken thighs

1 lb. or so of boneless chicken breasts

chopped onion

chopped red and green peppers

1/2 c. sliced mushrooms

3 cloves minced garlic

Green peas (these can be added at the end)

17 oz (or up to 28 oz.) crushed tomatoes

1 c. broth (vegetable or chicken)

1/4 c. port wine (optional)

2 t. oregano or Italian seasoning or a combination

Turn Instant Pot to saute and add 1 T. or so of olive oil. Add the chicken and saute until most of the pink is gone. Add onions, peppers and mushrooms and saute a few minutes more. The sauteing is done with the lid off.

Add the remaining ingredients and turn to Manual and set the timer for 10–12 minutes. (My chicken started out a little bit frozen so I set for 12 minutes). After the 12 minutes, release the steam. Open the lid when you can and add some cornstarch mixed with water to thicken the sauce. I used about 1/8 c. of cornstarch to 2 T. of cold water. Replace the lid for 5–10 minutes.

I served this over spiralized zucchini with basil on top.

The sauce could have been a little thicker so next time I might add some tomato paste and grape tomatoes that have been halved and a little bit more cornstarch and water. All in all, though, it was a delicious dinner and took about 40 minutes, start to finish.

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Kale and Beyond

Written by

Nancy Paikoff

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