WTF Cookbook

[wtg]

WTF 10th Reunion Hummus Dip

(will post a pic tomorrow)

I'm not giving specific proportions or amounts, because you can scale this as required. I often make a small plate of this for lunch; for the reunion, I used a medium platter.

Homemade is best, but store-bought hummus makes the prep super fast and easy. I buy many of the ingredients at Costco so I'm listing the brand names that I used for the garnished hummus that was served at the reunion.

Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus
Ground cumin (The Spice House - not Costco)
Ground sweet paprika (The Spice House - not Costco)

President crumbled feta cheese
Pitted kalamata olives, quartered
Grape tomatoes, quartered
Chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

Trader Joe's California estate extra virgin olive oil

Stacy's sea salt pita chips

This is a layered dip.

Spoon hummus on a plate and spread it out to the edges of the plate so it's maybe a half inch (or maybe a little more) thick. Sprinkle ground cumin and paprika on top to taste. Top with all other ingredients (like a pizza)... crumbled feta, olives, tomatoes and parsley, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with pita chips.

Of course you can use fresh homemade pita or other crackers. And change or delete spices and other ingredients as you prefer. Or try different flavors of prepared hummus. I think this might also be really good using baba ghannouj as a base instead of the hummus.

[wtg]

(from Well-Tempered Gardener)

My work buddies and I used to go to Berghoff's for lunch pretty frequently. I used to order this as one of my sides all the time.

Berghoff's Creamed Spinach

Ingredients

2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons chicken base, or 1 cube chicken bouillon
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic (see note)
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (2 1/2 cups)
salt and ground white pepper, if desired
ground nutmeg, for garnish
crisp, cooked, crumbled bacon, for garnish

Ingredient note: Granulated garlic is dried granular garlic, not the same as dried minced, dried chopped, or garlic powder. It has the best flavor of all the dried garlic products, in our opinion. Some supermarkets carry it in the gourmet spice section, and it’s available from spice shops.

Preparation

In a medium size saucepan, heat the half-and-half, milk, chicken base, Tabasco, and seasonings to a simmer. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

In another medium size saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk well to combine. Cook this mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Slowly whisk the heated milk mixture into the butter mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly until smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until it thickens. The sauce will be very thick.

Stir in the spinach and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Serve while hot.

To serve: Place the hot creamed spinach in a bowl, sprinkled with an extra touch of ground nutmeg on top. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon of crisp, cooked, crumbled bacon, if desired.

Idea: For a decadent breakfast, make an omelet with leftover creamed spinach, bacon, and goat cheese.

Chicago's Berghoff restaurant:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...off_(restaurant)

[wtg]

Bernard's molded waldorf salad

(I omit the lemon juice because it makes it too lemony for my taste.)

1 6-oz. package lemon gelatin
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. hot water
lemon juice
3 medium golden delicious apples
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 c. heavy cream, whipped
1 c. finely chopped celery
1 c. finely chopped walnuts

Dissolve gelatin and salt in hot water then stir in 2 Tblsp lemon juice (if you use it). Chill until thickened. Pare 2 apples partially (leave a little skin on for color), then core and dice. If you want to get fancy, core and cut remaining apply into thin slices, otherwise dice the 3rd apple as well. Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Fancy (optional): Arrange apple slices, skin side down around bottom of an 8-cup mold.

Blend the mayo into the thickened gelatin and fold in the whipped cream (yum!). Fold in the diced apples, celery, and walnuts gently. Spoon over apple slices. Chill until firm. Unmold.

Voila! Swank molded Waldorf!

[wtg]

Mik's Moroccan Chicken with Lemon and Olives.

I highly recommend this chicken dish. It was beyond awesome. Used Castelvetrano olives that are really bright green and turned out so buttery. The sauce was reminiscent of Cincinnati chili, and would be moreso if you skipped the lemon wedges.

Definitely a keeper.

Moroccan-Chicken-with-Green-Olives-and-Lemon

2 Meyer lemons or regular lemons
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, halved, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 4 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed (I used legs and thighs - they take braising better than breasts)
1/2 cup green olives (I reccomend Castelvetrano - see above)

Preparation: Cut 1 lemon into 8 wedges. Squeeze enough juice from second lemon to measure 2 tablespoons; set wedges and juice aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper; sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add next 5 ingredients; stir 1 minute. Add broth; bring to boil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Add lemon wedges. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Add olives and 2 tablespoons lemon juice to skillet. Increase heat to high; boil uncovered to thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over chicken.

[wtg]

From piqaboo:

Completely unsubtle buffalo chicken dip
[recipe also on bottle of Frank's]

1/2 c Frank's Red Hot hotsauce
1/2 c blue cheese
3 oz cream cheese
1/2 dressing: ranch or blue cheese (I left this out, didnt miss it)
2 c shredded cooked chicken.

slice french bread, crackers, carrots, celery etc

Melt 1-4 together and stir thoroughly. Stir in chicken. Serve warm (I use a pre-heated crockery container and sit it on an oven mitt, I've seen it served in a crockpot.)

serve on slices of baguette, or carrots, or.....

Salty, tangy, spicy, fatty. Not subtle. Not easy to walk away from.

[wtg]

From Steve Miller:

yield: 1½ cups prep time: 15 minutes cook time: 15 minutes total time: 30 minutes

A homemade Nutella spread, full of roasted hazelnuts and a rich chocolate flavor.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups (8 ounces) hazelnuts
1 cup powdered sugar
⅓ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread the hazelnuts out on a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until dark brown and fragrant, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Keep a close eye on them, as they can go from perfect roasted to burnt in a short amount of time. Transfer the hazelnuts to a medium-sized bowl.

2. Once the hazelnuts are cool enough to handle, place a second bowl upside-down on top of the bowl with the hazelnuts. Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds to remove the skins of the hazelnuts. It may take a few times to get all of the skins off; each time, remove the hazelnuts that have lost their skin to the bowl of a food processor, then continue shaking.

3. Process the hazelnuts in a food processor until their oil is released and they form a smooth, loose paste, 2 to 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl often.

4. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, hazelnut oil, vanilla extract and salt and process until fully incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes. The mixture will loosen and become glossy. Transfer the spread to a jar with a tight-fitting lid or an airtight container. You can store it in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 1 month.

• If you want to do away with having to remove the hazelnut skins, you could purchaseblanched hazelnuts, which I might try next time. (Sharon's note: if you can get blanched do it. Peeling hazelnuts is the worst job ever)
• I was not able to find hazelnut oil at any local grocery stores. Recipe author suggested ordering it from Nuts.com. You could substitute walnut oil or vegetable oil, but the hazelnut oil really helps give the spread a silky smooth texture.
• You can substitute regular unsweetened cocoa powder for the Dutch-process. (Sharon's note: I totally used grocery store unsweetened cocoa)

[wtg]

From wtg:

From Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Slow-Cooked Zucchini Coins with Chopped Herbs and Crumbled Feta

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced (I omit this)
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped mixed herbs - dill, basil, parsley and cilantro (Mr WTG is a no cilantro guy)
1/2 cup crumbled feta (President crumbled feta from Costco - a bit milder and less salty than some feta cheeses)

Heat the oil in a wide skillet, then add the zucchini and garlic. sprinkle lightly with salt and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every so often. The finished squash should have a light golden glaze over the surface and be carmelized in places. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Toss with the herbs and cheese and serve.

Mr WTG loves onions, so I've also chopped up some Vidalia-type onions and sauteed them with the zukes.

[wtg]

From pj:

I'm not sure it actually rises to the level of "recipe", but...

Last week, I stopped in at a large Asian grocery store. I found a "pork shoulder butt roast" (huh? shoulder butt? aren't those two opposite ends of the animal?) for about a buck and a quarter a pound. I bought a two-pound-ish piece.

I have a lot of thyme growing in my front planter. Besides the wooly thyme, I have some lovely culinary thyme and some "orange balsam" thyme. I grabbed several fistfuls of both of these.

I sliced the roast open lengthwise and stuffed all the thyme into the middle. I put a little bit of sea salt and a lot of black pepper on both outside sides. I stuck it in a cast iron pan and put a piece of foil over the top -- not quite airtight.

I stuck it in the oven at 350. A short while later, someone called and asked if I was available for dinner. Sure.

Before I left, I turned the oven down to 275. So the pork was in for about half an hour at 350, then something over two hours at 275.

When I got home, it was perfect. It was falling apart, but not dried out. And the whole house smelled like pork roast and thyme.

So... stuff your pork roast with whatever herbs you have growing in your yard, salt and pepper it, cover the pan with foil and stick it in the oven at 350 for half an hour, then 275 for an hour per pound.

[wtg]

From Catseye3:

Broccoli-Brussel Sprouts Stirfry

3 T butter, divided
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 Brussels sprouts
2 cups broccoli florets
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Melt 1 T butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir garlic in hot butter until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir broccoli and Brussels sprouts into garlic; add tomato and remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper flakes.

Stir mixture until well combined. Cover the skillet and cook until browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip and brown the other side, about 4 minutes.

Notes: This is a easy, tasty side dish, and very pretty.

You can buy fresh everything and chop it. If you're a Cats kind of cook, you can acquire broccoli florets and Brussels sprouts from your friendly grocer's frozen foods section and keep them in your freezer until the spirit moves you to do even the minimal labor required for this dish, and you can use garlic powder.

Note the instructions say '8 Brussels sprouts', not '8 cups of Brussels sprouts'.

Important: I found that doing the last step made them close to mushy. I will be skipping that from now on.

Also, if you want to ruin this dish, replace the butter with "heart healthy oil." Feh.

[wtg]

From jon-nyc:

Here's one we love, very fast to make, as long as you buy the shrimp cleaned.

Here's what it looks like, though I remove the tails to make it easier to eat.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 pound large raw shrimp peeled & deveined
1 pound asparagus ends trimmed and each stalk cut into 2-3" pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt divided
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Lemon Sauce
2/3 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the lemon sauce ingredients and set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to pan in a single layer and cook for about 3 minutes, turning them over to cook both sides. Season shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Remove from frying pan and place shrimp on a plate.

In same frying pan, heat another 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and cook until asparagus is tender-crisp, bright green, and just barely beginning to brown. Season asparagus with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add ginger and garlic and stir to combine with asparagus. Cook for another 30-45 seconds or so.

Pour in lemon sauce mixture into frying pan with asparagus. Add shrimp back into pan and combine sauce with asparagus and shrimp. Simmer for about a minute or until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and serve.

[wtg]

From wtg:

Old-fashioned Rice Pudding made in the Zojirushi fuzzy logic rice cooker, would probably work in the Instant Pot but I haven't tried that yet.

2/3 cup (real measuring cup, not the rice cup that comes with the cooker) medium-grain white rice, such as Arborio, Calriso, or other California-grown rice

4 cups milk
1 large egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Place rice and milk in the rice cooker bowl; stir to combine. Close the cover and set for the Porridge cycle.

2. When the machine switches to the Keep Warm cycle, combine the egg, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl and beat with a whisk. Open the rice cooker, spoon a few tablespoons of the rice milk into the egg mixture, and beat with a wooden spoon. Beating the rice milk constantly, pour the egg mixture into the rice cooker bowl. Stir for a minute to combine. Close the cover and reset for a second Porridge cycle. (I have to remove the bowl and let the whole machine cool down for a couple of minutes; otherwise I get an error message when I try to set the second Porridge cycle). Stir every 15 to 20 minutes until the desired thickness is reached.

3. Pour the pudding into 6 custard cups or ramekins. Serve warm or let cool slightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When cold, cover with plastic wrap and store for up to 4 days.

[wtg]

From wtg:

Risotto Ai Funghi in the Instant Pot

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms OR 1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms, chopped and soaked to rehydrate
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup dried tomatoes, chopped and soaked to rehydrate (optional for me)
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in pressure cooker (medium Saute setting). Add onion and saute until translucent.

2. Add rice, stirring often, until lightly golden.

3. Add mushrooms, stir to mix.

4. Add wine, stir to mix. Add tomatoes and broth.

5. Set cooker to Pressure Cooker, high pressure setting. Cook for 7 minutes.

6. Use quick pressure release.

7. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

(To double the recipe, only increase the broth to 3 1/2 cups.)

[wtg]

From wtg:

Split Pea Soup in the Instant Pot

1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 potato, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup green split peas, rinsed
2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper

I usually throw in a hunk of smoked pork of some kind - leftover ham, a ham bone, smoked pork hock...it adds it's own flavor, but isn't absolutely necessary.

1. Add all ingredients to IP bowl.

2. Set IP to Pressure Cook, high setting. Cook for 15 minutes

3. Use natural release method (let cool on its own).

4. Remove meat, if you included it. The non-fat parts can be chopped up and added back to the soup if you're so inclined. Sometimes I use an immersion blender to get a smoother soup, or you can leave it if you like the veggie pieces to be intact.

Mr WTG likes a splash of dry sherry and a bit of sour cream in his soup, a la The Magic Pan (their Potage Saint Germain). I like mine with no additions.

[wtg]

From AdagioM:

It was delicious. Even better than crock pot. About 1.5 hours start to finish. I started the rice first, then started on the curry. Timing pretty close on both ends this way; I forgot the rice had to steam 15 minutes after the countdown, but that was enough time for the IP to depressurize naturally. Here's (my adaptation of) PJ's recipe:

Chicken Spinach Curry

bunch of cut up chicken pieces (1 lb skinless boneless thighs)
bunch of diced potatoes (3 - 4 white or Yukon gold)
diced onion one
cauliflower pieces (12 oz bag frozen)
Fresh spinach (1 salad bag, divided. Half at beginning and couple handfuls after depressurizing)
can o' (lite) coconut milk
generous quantity of curry powder (3 tablespoons)
No extra water needed.

Instant Pot: Saute onion in 2 T olive oil til translucent but not squishy, add chicken and saute a bit (I didn't wait for all the pink to disappear). Add potatoes, stir, add everything else, stir.

Process 14 minutes on manual/high pressure. Let it depressurize naturally (about 15 mins). It looks watery, with chunks of potato and cauliflower, but when you stir in the rest of the spinach, the potatoes and cauliflower break down and it's a lovely smooshy texture with some small chunks left. The spinach is still green.

Serve over rice, garnish with some fresh cilantro leaves if you'd like.

Yummmmmm.

[wtg]

Instant Pot Chicken stock

4 lbs. chicken wings and/or backs (I buy organic drumsticks from Costco - skin on, bone in. Come in a three-pack, each pack is about 2 pounds. Only $1.99 a pound, I think.)

2 medium onions, peeled and quartered

2 ribs celery, cut into 2 inch lengths

2 carrots, peeled, cut into 2 inch lengths

(Original recipe also calls for 2 leeks cleaned and cut into half lengthwise. Also a couple of parsnips, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks. These are items I don't usually have in the frig, so I've never made the soup using them. I think they might be a good addition, though. ETA I added a cut-up leek the last time I made this stock; it was a fabulous addition.)

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs parley

3 sprigs thyme

9 to 10 cups water

Place chicken in the IP along with the onions, celery carrots, bay leaves, parsley, thyme. Add water.

Select high pressure and set timer for 45 minutes. Natural pressure release.

Strain, discarding chicken bones, meat, skin, vegetables and herbs. (The chicken meat is pretty well spent, but Mr WTG saves it, chills it, and then chops it up to make a pretty good chicken salad with celery and tarragon.)

Pass the stock through a fine mesh strainer to remove small bits. Cover and refrigerate. When chilled and congealed, remove chicken fat. With the chicken drumsticks, I don't usually get much fat at all, so I often skip this step.

Will keep frig for 3 days or in freezer for 6 months. I put the stock into 2 cup containers and freeze it. Much better than the store-bought stuff in the cartons.

Cheater hint: Sometimes I do add a little Better Than Bouillon stuff when I make soup recipes; adds a nice depth of flavor.

[wtg]

From Adagio M

This lentil soup is a winner! Mine wasn't vegan; I like chicken broth better than vegetable broth. But yummy!

Recipe here.

Yield: Serves 4
Instant Pot Golden Lentil & Spinach Soup

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes (including sauteeing and warm-up)

Total: 35 minutes

A thick and hearty lentil soup packed full of flavor. Made specifically for the it-appliance of the moment, The Instant Pot!
Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium stalk celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)
4 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper+ more to taste
1 cup dry brown lentils, rinsed well in cold water
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
8 ounces (about 6 cups) baby spinach

Directions:

Hit “Saute” button on Instant Pot. Add oil. When hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.

Add the lentils and pour in the broth. Stir.

Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the release valve is in the “sealing” position. Press the “Manual” button and set the timer at 12 minutes.

The Instant Pot will warm up for about 10 minutes and then start cooking. After the 12 minutes is up, quick-release by flipping the release valve to “venting” (a little bit at a time at first).

Once venting is complete, remove the lid of the Instant Pot. Stir in the spinach. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve.

Keeps in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Freezes well too!

Weight Watchers: 6 Smart Points per 1 1/4 cup serving

Nutrition Information

Yield: Serves 4, Serving Size: About 1 1/4 cup (1/4 of recipe)

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 134 Calories Total Fat: 3g Sodium: 580mg Carbohydrates: 17g Fiber: 8g Sugar: 4g Protein: 9g

[wtg]

From Adagio M:

Last night's dinner. Original recipe had 4 chicken breasts halved crosswise, but I think I'd prefer thighs on the next go-round. Added a bunch of stuff to it (celery, olives, capers, Italian seasoning) to make it more interesting.

25 min prep, 25 min cook (10 min pressure, instant release)
Serve over rice, pasta, or with crusty bread

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more if necessary

10 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

8 bone-in chicken thighs

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 large carrots, sliced 1/4" thick

2 ribs celery, sliced

1/2 cup dry red wine

8 sprigs fresh thyme

1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, DRAINED

2 tsp capers, drained

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives

2 tsps Italian seasoning

Small handfull chopped parsley for garnish

1. Turn the Instant Pot on to saute. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. (Yes worth it to do these first.)

2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add half the chicken, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the onion and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

4. Add carrots and wine, and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you add them to the pot. Add Italian seasoning, thyme, mushrooms, olives, and capers, and mix to combine. Press Cancel.

5. Arrange the chicken on top of the tomato mixture. Lock the lid. Press Manual and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Use the “Quick Release” method to vent the steam, then open the lid.

6. Serve the chicken and vegetables over rice or pasta, garnished with parsley.

[wtg]

From wtg:

Pressure Cooker Sauerbraten from Pressure Cooking for Dummies

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time:60 minutes under pressure
Pressure: High

1 cup water
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp. salt
Salt and pepper
4-pound beef chuck or rump roast (I use the latter)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed (I omit this)
3/4 cup finely crushed gingersnaps
2 bay leaves

1. Combine the water, vinegar, wine, brown sugar, cloves, and 2 teaspoons salt. Set aside.

2. Generously salt and pepper the meat.

3. Set Instant Pot to Saute at medium heat. Brown the meat evenly on all sides.

4. Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, crushed gingersnaps, and bay leaves. Pour the mixture from STep 1 over the meat. Stir to combine. Cover, set IP to Pressure Cook, high, and cook for 60 minutes.

5. Release pressure using quick-release.

6. Remove the meat to a platter and cover with foil. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the liquid in a food processor or blender until smooth, or use an immersion blender. Season to taste. Slice the meat across the grain into thick slices and serve with gravy. Egg noodles, spaetzle, or mashed potatoes on the side.

Couple of notes:

a. The sauerbraten is easier to slice if you cook the recipe ahead of time and refrigerate the meat. Much firmer and easier to cut. Straight out of the pot, it's delicious too, but the meat wants to fall apart a bit more.

b. I've used chuck roast in this recipe and it falls apart more than the rump roast, which is more "sliceable". Both are tasty. I think you could cook the pot roast for maybe 45 minutes rather than the full 60.

c. We like Hengstenberg Red Cabbage with apple as a side to sauerbraten and spaetzle: https://www.hengstenberg.com/products/red_cabbage

[wtg]

From wtg:

Winner, winner, Lamb Biryani Dinner!!!

So far all of the recipes I've tried from Indian Instant Pot Cookbook by Urvashi Pitre have been fabulous.

I buy boneless leg of lamb from Costco for about $5 a pound, cut it into one pound chunks and freeze to use in this type of recipe. Each pound portion gives us two generous dinner portions, plus a nice sized lunch for one of us the next day.

Lamb Dum Biryani

1 cup basmati rice (aged Indian basmati preferred)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons Garam Masala
1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced
1 pound boneless shoulder or leg of lamb, cut into cubes and all visible fat removed
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon peanut oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

1. Rinse the rice and set aside. This will allow the rice to soften a bit and absorb some water.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, onion, cilantro, mint, ginger garlic, garam masala, 1 teaspoon of the salt, turmeric, cayenne, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and serrano pepper. Add the lamb and stir to coat lamb cubes with the marinade. Let the lamb marinate for 30 minutes.

(I just sauteed the sliced onions in a skillet with a little oil and butter rather than using their broiler method, which follows)

3. Preheat the oven to broil. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.

4. With your fingers, break apart the onion slices onto the foil-lined pan. Add the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt and the peanut oil and mix well.

5. Broil the onions for about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they are well browned and crisp (Traditionally this is done in a pan on the stove, but it's quite a painstaking process. This method is largely hands-off and works well) Set aside.

6. When the lamb has finished marinating, pour the marinade, along with the lamb, into the inner cooking pot. Spread the lamb, yougurt, and spice mixture to cover the bottom of the pot.

7. Carefully spread the rice over all the meat in a uniform layer.

8. Pour in the water and gently push down the rice until it's submerged under the water. Do not mix the lamb and the rice together.

9. Lock the lid into place. Set to Pressure Cook and High. Cook for 6 minutes.

10. When the cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally.

11. Unlock the lid and serve, top with the browned onions and cilantro.

It was pretty amazing. The rice grains stood up straight, almost like porcupine quills. The meat was fork tender and the rice perfectly done.

It doesn't get any better than this. I can finally cook good Indian food at home!

[wtg]

From wtg:

Tried a couple of other recipes from the Indian Instant Pot Cookbook. One was a vegetarian cabbage dish that we were both kind of neutral about (though it improved a lot when we topped it with a little Major Grey Chutney).

OTOH, we both loved this lamb dish:

Lamb Rogan Josh (Lamb Curry)

1 cup diced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup water
1 pound boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes

1. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients except the lamb. Add the lamb and stir to coat. Cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to 24 hours. (If pressed for time, skip marinating and proceed to cooking.)

2. Transfer the lamb mixture to the inner cooking pot of the Instant Pot. Lock the lid into place. Set to High pressure. Cook for 20 minutes (15 minutes if you prefer chewier meat).

3. When cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally. Unlock the lid and serve.