Instant Pot Bone Broth

Bone broth is in!

The thing is, I grew up with bone broth, before bone broth becomes a gut-friendly super food. To me, bone broth is a traditional food, an integral part of my diet, a soup my mom would make to serve with a plate of steamed fish and stir fried greens.

Finally, after having these soups in my entire life, I’m learning that bone broth is good for your joints, your skin, your gut, your immune health and just about everything else. Some ancient mama wisdom there!

Now I make bone broth in an Instant Pot, with or without Chinese herbs, as a soup base for noodles or broth for cooking. It is easier to make than you think!

Start with collecting vegetable scraps or using a standard assortment of veggies such as carrots, celery, mushroom stems, ginger, garlic, onion and scallions.

Put vegetables in an Instant Pot with roughly 2 pounds of bones. I used beef bones here but you may use chicken, pork, turkey or fish.

Add a dash of apple cider vinegar, salt and enough water to cover the veggies and bones. Seal the pot and cook at high pressure for 120 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally. Let the broth cool before straining into jars for storage.

Refrigerate overnight. Scoop off the excess fat that settles on the top and discard the next day.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds bones from beef, pork, chicken or turkey

• 2 medium carrots, scrubbed and cut in half

• 3 celery ribs (or ends and leaves)

• 1 large yellow onion, quartered

• 6 cloves of garlic, lightly smashed

• Herbs and aromatics on hand (sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, scallion, ginger, peppercorns)

• Other vegetable scraps such as mushroom stems

• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• Water

• Sea salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Place bones, all vegetables, herbs, aromatics, vinegar into Instant Pot.

2. Add enough water to just cover the bones and vegetables in the pot.

3. Place lid on Instant Pot and lock into place.

4. Flip vent valve to ‘Sealing’.

5. Select ‘Manual’ setting and adjust time to 120 minutes (keep hitting minus till it reaches zero, hit minus again and it will automatically land on 120 minutes).

6. When cooking is done, allow pressure to release naturally (this might take 20-30 minutes).

7. Allow broth to cool before straining into jars for storage.

8. Refrigerate overnight.

9. Scoop off excess fat and discard the next day. (The fat from the bones will settle on top.)

Instant Pot One-Pot-Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 zucchini, sliced into thick chunks 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon sherry wine
• 3 cups vegetable broth (or combination of broth and water) 2 tablespoons tamari
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional) 1 pound whole grain penne pasta (or gluten free pasta of your choice)
• 1 (5.5 ounce) can tomato paste salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

1. Switch Instant Pot to Sauté Mode. When hot, put in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add zucchini, a sprinkle salt and brown for a few minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.
2. Add I more tablespoon of olive oil, throw in onion, shallot and garlic and sauté for a few minutes.
3. Add mushrooms. Mix in oregano and basil. Stir and cook for a few minutes.
4. Deglaze the pot with sherry wine, add broth, tamari, fish sauce (if used).
5. Pour in (dry, uncooked) pasta, stir in tomato paste. Make sure pasta is submerged in the sauce completely. If not, add more water.
6. Close the lid. Switch Instant Pot to Manual Mode and cook for 4 minutes at high pressure. When 4 minutes is up, wait 5 minutes and use the quick release method to de-pressurize.
7. Open the lid. If the pasta is too al dente, close the lid and leave it in the pot for a few extra minutes.
8. Stir in zucchini. Season with salt and pepper.

BUY AN INSTANT POT HERE

One Pot Chicken Rice with Shiitaki Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 chicken drumsticks
• 1-2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 teaspoons tamari
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 2 cups jasmine brown rice
• 2 3/4 cups chicken broth or water
• salt 

METHOD:

1. Marinade chicken and mushrooms with a sprinkle of salt, ginger, tamari, sesame oil and maple syrup. (The longer you marinade the chicken for, the more flavorful it is. But if you don't have time, add more tamari at the end when it is done cooking.)
2. Pour rice into Instant Pot, add broth or water. 
3. Mix in marinated chicken and mushrooms.
4. Switch Instant Pot to Manual Mode and cook for 22 minutes at high pressure.
5. When 22 minutes is up, let the pressure come down naturally.
6. Open the lid. Stir and mix. Season to taste with tamari or salt. 

BUY AN INSTANT POT HERE