Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

Always having pre-cooked protein in the fridge is one of my top kitchen practices. And what is an easier way to make a big batch of shredded chicken than the Instant Pot?  

Here is what you need:

• Instant Pot
• 1 steamer rack
• 1 steamer basket
• 4 chicken breasts (skin on or off)
• 1 cup of water

Here is how you do it:

1. Add 1 cup of water to Instant Pot.
2. Put a steamer rack down, add 2 pieces of chicken breasts on top.
3. Layer a steamer basket on top of the first tier of chicken breasts. Put 2 more pieces of chicken breasts on top to create a second tier.
4. Close the lid and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
5. When the timer is up, leave the chicken breasts in Instant Pot for 10 minutes to de-pressurize (even if the floating valve drops before the 10-minute mark.)
6. Open the lid. Take out the chicken breasts and set them on a plate to cool off for 5-10 minutes.
7. Shred the chicken breasts with your hands or 2 forks.
8. Store them in containers. Refrigerate or freeze. 

What do you do do with a big stash of shredded chicken? I fortify my noodle soups and lentil soups with the extra protein and make delicious salads and stir-fries with it.

Get the recipe of Asian Sesame Chicken Salad here

Read this article from Jen Reviews about Pressure Cooker vs Slow Cooker

Buy an Instant Pot here

Instant Pot Chicken Soup

I broke out my long down jacket today, so winter is officially on for me!

The colder weather means less salads, more cooked vegetables and hot soups. I usually make a variety of meat-based and vegetable soups because having a diverse diet is the cornerstone of my eating approach. Many soups also happen to be one-pot meals that freeze really well, so if you have a big pot of something, freeze them in meal size portions and rotate them throughout the looooong winter months!

Here is an Instant Pot chicken soup recipe inspired by SimplyRecipes.com that requires throwing all ingredients in an Instant Pot, pressing 1 button and walking away for an hour. 

I freeze the cooked soup in 4 meal size portions.

What I love about this picture is I have 4 home-made frozen meals all ready to go on busy nights. (The bottom container is actually an Instant Pot Coconut Chickpea Curry).

Ingredients:

• 1 3-4 pound chicken
• 4 celery stalks
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium parsnip, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 12 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley
• 3 large sprigs fresh thyme
• 2-3 teaspoons salt 
• 8 cups water

Method:

1. Put the chicken in the Instant Pot, breast side up.
2. Layer all ingredients on top, pour in water. 
3. Close the lid of the Instant Pot and make sure the pressure regulator is in "sealing" position. Select the “Manual” program, set the time to 25 minutes at high pressure.
4. When done, let the pressure release naturally. (The total time it takes for the pressure cooker to come up to pressure, cook and depressurize is a little over an hour).

Read this article from Jen Reviews about Pressure Cooker vs Slow Cooker

Buy an Instant Pot here

Instant Pot Columbian Chicken Stew

This is an Instant Pot recipe from Serious Eats my husband made for my daughter while I was away and became her all-time favorite Instant Pot chicken dish. 3 main ingredients , that's it!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs. chicken thighs or drumsticks with bones
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 large potatoes (Yukon or Russet), cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks
• 3 large beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks (about 3 cups)
• 2 bay leaves

Method:

1. Rub chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Switch Instant Pot to saute function, When hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Saute onion for a few minutes. Add chicken pieces and brown for a few more minutes.

3. Turn off Instant Pot. Combine potatoes, tomatoes, bay leaves, and a large pinch of salt. Seal lid and cook under high pressure for 25 minutes. Release pressure, remove lid, season to taste and serve.

Check out my Instant Pot Chickpea Curry and Chipotle Black Bean recipes.

Read this article from Jen Reviews about Pressure Cooker vs Slow Cooker

Buy an Instant Pot here

Instant Pot Chickpea Coconut Curry

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
• 1 - 2 sweet potatoes (1 1/2 - 1 3/4 lb.), cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 Tbs curry powder
• 2 (13.5 oz) cans coconut milk
• fresh cilantro / basil
• salt or tamari to taste

1. Turn Instant Pot to saute mode, add oil and brown garlic for a minute.
2. Turn Instant Pot off. Add drained chickpeas, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, coconut milk, curry powder. Close lid and cook in high pressure for 18 minutes.
3. When done, allow pressure to come down naturally. Open lid, add cilantro or basil. Season with salt or tamari.

Read this article from Jen Reviews about Pressure Cooker vs Slow Cooker

Buy an Instant Pot here

Vegan Ma Po Tofu

To make this classic spicy tofu dish you can find all the ingredients in any grocery stores except 2 - Chinese fermented black beans and hoisin sauce.

First let's talk about the dried fermented black beans. They are a staple in a Chinese kitchen. I remember growing up my mom would steam fish or clams, cook green beans, make chicken rice or practically anything with them. The salty, umami flavor they lend to any dish makes them one of the most versatile ingredients in Chinese cooking. Good news is you can get them from any Chinese grocery stores or even order them from Amazon. 

To make a black bean sauce, I usually put about a tablespoon of fermented black beans in a mortor, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of hot water and use a pestle to crush the mixture into a lumpy paste.

Now let's talk about hoisin sauce. You can pick up store bought hoisin sauce but I have yet to find a clean product that doesn't contain refined sugars and artificial ingredients. Good news is you can make your own. It really is simple and delicious! Once you've made a batch, you can throw it in stir fries or use it as a marinade or dipping sauce for anything. Check out my recipe here.

Now you're ready to make this delicious dish! A lot of the sauces and spices can be adjusted to your taste, so don't freak out over the exact amount!

Ingredients:

• 1 cube of (14oz) tofu, dried and cut into cubes
• 1 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1 or 2 red chili peppers, crushed
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tsp of ginger
• black bean paste - 1 Tbsp of fermented black beans + 1 or 2 Tbsp of hot water
• 2 Tbsp of home made hoisin sauce
• 1 1 /2 cups of mushrooms
• 1-2 Tbsp vegetable broth
• tamari to taste
• sesame oil to taste
• ground sichuan pepper to taste
• maple syrup to taste
• 1 tsp of arrowroot powder
• cilantro to garnish

Method:

1. In a large skillet, heat up oil. Add chili peppers, garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add black bean paste, hoisin sauce. Cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Add mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Mix in tofu and stir.
5. Add vegetable broth.
6. Season with tamari, sesame oil, sichuan pepper. Add a little maple syrup for more sweetness if desired.
7. Stir arrowroot powder to 2 Tbsp of warm water to create a paste. Add to tofu mix to thicken the sauce. Coat all ingredients evenly with sauce.
8. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Tempeh Crash Course

Most of us have heard that tempeh is a healthy fermented food, probably one of the best plant-based protein sources. But what exactly is it? Where did it come from?

Originating in Indonesia, tempeh is a fermented food made from cooked whole soybeans that have been treated with cultures (rhizopus oligosporus) and formed into a dense, chewy cake-like patty. It has a firm, meaty texture and distinct nutty flavor.

Can you still eat tempeh if you don't want to eat soy?

Soy is a rather controversial food these days because soy bean is one of the top GMO crops in the US. Though traditional tempeh contains only soybeans, many brands on the market these days are soy-free made from all kinds of  (gluten-free) grains, legumes and seeds like azuki beans, white beans, flax seeds, brown rice and buckwheat.

What are the nutritional benefits of tempeh? What is healthier, tempeh or tofu?

Tofu is made from soy milk that has been coagulated. Tempeh is made from the whole bean. That's why tempeh is considered more of a whole food, with a higher nutritional profile. A 4-ounce serving of tempeh provides about 18 grams of vegetarian protein, along with an impressive 8 to 10 grams of fiber from the soybeans. (Tofu has about 1/2 the protein content and no fiber). The fermentation process also makes the bean more digestible, adds pro-biotics and healthy enzymes to the food.

What is my favorite brand of tempeh?

I am very fortunate to be in Brooklyn where I found a tempeh artist who makes his products from non-GMO grains and beans from scratch, freeze-packing them without any pasteurization. The result is a fresh, living food that tastes way better than the vacuum sealed products you see in most markets. (But any tempeh is better than no tempeh at all!) You can find Barry's tempeh here.

How do I cook tempeh?

Tempeh is a dense, unyielding food with a distinct flavor, but it also absorbs whatever marinade or sauce you give it. For me, browning them in a cast iron pan gives it the best crunchy texture. A glaze or a rich curry sauce also works amazingly well. Here are my two favorite recipes:

Tempeh in Red Pepper Sauce

Sweet and Sour Glazed Tempeh

Protein Powerhouse Smoothie

Before you throw in that protein power, think nuts and seeds! You get a rich protein shake with all the good fats and oils, without any processed ingredients.

Ingredients:

• Fruits - a mix of frozen berries, goji berries and half a banana
• Nuts - cashews (but why not almonds, walnuts or pistachios?)
• Seeds - a mix of pumpkin, chia, ground flax (try hemp, sesame)
• Liquid - home-made almond milk (you can use any nut milk, quinoa milk, anyone?)
• A tsp of coconut oil
• The secret ingredient - a sprinkle of organic cacao powder
• Honey for extra sweetness

Be creative! Have fun with it!

Tempeh (or chicken) in red sweet pepper sauce

Start with a good tempeh. Check out Barry's Tempeh - "the only fresh tempeh in New York" that is "unpasteurized, fresh and alive with an abundance of probiotics and enzymes"!

This recipe is based on my Indian food guru, Madhur Jeffrey's chicken in red sweet pepper sauce. Over the years I've made this so many times I can practically throw it together with my eyes closed.  This recipe is so perfectly balanced in flavors you don't want to make any substitutions - except for the protein part, it works just as well with tempeh, or half chicken and half tempeh (for those of you who want to increase your intake of plant-based protein but are intimidated by tempeh!)

The most tedious part of the cooking process is assembling all the ingredients and spices together for blending.  Once the sauce is made, you can kick back and relax while it cooks.

Ingredients for blending:

• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 inch cube of ginger
• 1 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 big handful (1 oz) slivered almonds
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground tumeric
• a little cayenne (depends on your comfort level)
• 2 tsp of salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender, pushing them down with a spatula whenever you need to, until you get a paste like this. ( Most of the work is done!)

Decide on your protein. I like to use about 8 oz. of tempeh and 1 1/2 lb. of chicken. Double the amount of either protein if you decide to go for only one of them.

Put 5 tbsp of oil ( I use olive oil)  in a pot set over medium heat. When hot, add the blended paste, stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Put in your protein. Add 4-6 oz. of water, 2 tbsp of lemon juice and black pepper. Stir, bring it to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer gently for about 40 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Stir a few times.

It is absolutely delicious. Leftovers taste even more amazing the next day!

Avocado and tofu salad

This is my latest obsession.

It does not require any cooking or extensive washing and chopping.

Here are the easy steps -

1. Dry your tofu really well. I recommend using soft, non-GMO tofu, wrapped in a paper or kitchen towel for a few minutes to soak up all the water.
2. Cut up an avocado.
3. Sprinkle sesame seeds.
4. Add cilantro / scallion.
5. Pinch of salt.
6. Dress it with sesame oil and tamari.
7. (Optional) I add a little shiso dressing from Momo dressing to make it even more irresistable. Be creative!