Cream Puffs with Custard Filling

NOTE: This recipe is easily halved.  I have a large family so I make a lot.  If you don't want to make the filling, you can use Jell-O instant vanilla pudding, but make it with 1/2 c. less milk than it calls for.  Mix the pudding with whipped cream. 

Cream Puffs
2 c. water
1 c. margarine or butter (2 sticks)
2 c. flour
8 eggs

Preheat oven to 425.  In a saucepan, combine water and butter.  Let the butter melt, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, add the flour and stir well.  Cook on low about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add the eggs all at once.  Initially, the dough will appear coagulated, but just keep mixing until is all combines and a smooth dough is formed. 

Put the dough in a Ziploc bag with a small hole snipped in the corner.  Squeeze it onto an ungreased cookie sheet to your desired size.  The original recipe says 1/4 c. each, and will yield 24 cream puffs.  This is way too big for me.  The ones I make are usually about 2-3 Tbs. 

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 400 and bake an additional 15 minutes.  They will be puffed up and golden brown.  Let cool on a wire rack for a few minutes.  When ready to pipe the filling in, cut a small hole near the top of the cream puff and fill them up. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Custard Crème Filling
2 c. milk
6 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c, flour
2 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Scald the milk in a saucepan on the stove on medium heat.  In the meantime, whisk the eggs and sugar together in a separate bowl until the sugar is almost dissolved.  Add in the flour and whisk some more.  Take about 1/2 cup of the hot milk and mix it into the egg mixture to temper the eggs (so you don't cook them).  Add about another 1/2 cup and mix it in.  Return the egg and milk mixture back to the saucepan with the remaining milk.  Cook on medium until the pudding becomes thick and starts to bubble.  Do not Scorch the pudding!  Remove from heat, and add in the butter and vanilla.  Pour the pudding into a separate glass dish and cover with saran wrap so a film doesn't develop on the pudding.  Let cool completely.

Whipped Cream: (optional)
1 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat the heavy cream until it starts to get thick.  Add in 1/3 cup powdered sugar (more or less depending on your sweet tooth) and vanilla.  Continue to beat until its the desired consistency.  Mix with the custard when completely cooled, and then pipe it into the cream puffs. 

Tip: If you don't care about a great presentation and you want to speed things up, just drop the batter by spoonful onto a cookie sheet.  They won't look as pretty, but they won't be half the mess either when dealing with piping them through a bag.  To fill just cut in half and spoon the pudding in, and replace the top.  EASY! (see pics below)

 

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

- 2 Tbs. Oil
- 2 Tbs. chopped onion (I often use dehydrated onion)
- 1/2 T. minced jalapeno (I seldom have a jalapeno on hand.  I use about 1/2 tsp. cumin and 1/8 -1/4 tsp. ground red pepper instead. A little less than 1/4 is great for my family)
- 2 cloves minced garlic

-1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 cups long gain white rice
- 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
- 3 1/4 cups water (only use 3 cups if you are using the pressure cooker method)


Stovetop: Heat oil in pan.  Add onion, jalapeno, salt, and minced garlic.  Add in the rice.  Sauté until the rice just starts to brown.  Add tomato sauce and water.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve.

Pressure Cooker:  Using the sauté feature, sauté the onion, garlic, jalapeno, and rice for 4-5 minutes.  Turn sauté off and add water.  Add in the tomato sauce and the rice.  Stir well and then set on high pressure for 10 minutes.  Let the pressure release on its own, or for at least 10 minutes. 

Pinto Beans in the Instant Pot

These can be used as refried beans too!

Pinto Beans in the Instant Pot

2 cups dried pinto beans (about 1 lb)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbs. dehydrated onions
1/2 Tbs. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 cups water
2 tsp. salt
3 tbs. chopped cilantro
1/8 tsp. red pepper (ground)

Put everything in the instant pot and turn on to high pressure for 30 minutes.  Allow a natural pressure release. 

If you want to make refried beans out of them, drain most of the liquid (reserving some) and put in the blender.  Add liquid to your desired thickness/texture. 

NOTE: If you want to soak the beans first, go right ahead.  It is not necessary, but it is believed that doing so can reduce the amount of flatulence you experience when your body digests the beans.  I always do a quick soak.  Simply bring the beans to a boil in water on the stovetop (faster than the instant pot in my opinion).  Let them boil 5 minutes, and then rinse the beans.  This does, however, take away a little of the flavor.

Salsa Chicken in the Instant Pot

I have made a similar recipe in the crockpot a lot, recently I tried it in the Instant Pot.  It turned out really good!  My chicken was even frozen when I started. You can use fresh thawed chicken too. 

 

Salsa Chicken

1- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa - chunky works great as well as home canned salsa
1/2 packet taco seasoning
garlic salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)


Place the chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot and Sprinkle just a little garlic salt over the chicken.  Sprinkle taco seasoning over both sides of the chicken breasts.  Poor the salsa over it all.  Set the pressure cooker to 30 minutes high pressure. (If your chicken is thawed it will take 20 minutes).  When it is done, you can quick release or let it set about 15 minutes first (whatever you have time for).  Open the lid and shred the chicken with two forks. 

Optional:  Add in about 1/4 cup chopped cilantro after it has cooked and you've shredded it. 

This is great for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and chicken salad! 

NOTE: I rinsed my chicken first because it was so frozen, and I wanted to have a stickiness to it so the seasonings would stick to it.

This is before it's cooked.  I sprinkled some garlic salt, then added taco seasoning and salsa. 

This is what it looked like after it was cooked, but before I shredded it.

I like to add chopped cilantro in after it's cooked and after I've shredded the chicken.

 

 

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

1 (16 oz) jar salsa
1 (1.25 oz.) package dry taco seasoning mix
1 lime, juiced
3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
3 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into serving portions.

Place the salsa, taco seasoning, lime juice, and cilantro in a slow cooker.  Add the chicken breasts,a and stir all together.  Cook on high about 4 hours, or low 6-8 hours.  Shred chicken and ease over rice, in burritos, a salad, etc.

Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Fajitas

2 chicken breasts, cut in thin strips
2 tbs. oil
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. vinegar
dash of red pepper
1 tsp. chili pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 purple onion, sliced
sliced bell peppers

Mix all together and let the peppers, onions, and chicken marinade for a few minutes.  Sauté the vegetables first, and then add the chicken (along with all the juices).  Heat flour taco shells and squeeze a little lime on them.  Top with the following:

Avocado or guacamole
sour cream
salsa
cheese

Super Easy Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo Sauce
9 Tbs. butter (1 cube plus 1 Tablespoon)
3 c. heavy cream (or half milk and half cream)
3 pinches nutmeg
3 dashes garlic salt
3 dashes seasoning salt
salt and pepper
1 c. grated parmesan

Melt butter and add cream.  Boil until cream is reduced to half (10-15 minutes).  Add seasoning.  Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese.  Serve over noodles. 

Fruit Pizza

Fruit Pizza

Sugar cookie dough
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1/4 c. powdered sugar
8 oz. cool whip
Fruit (bananas, kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, etc)

Roll out dough like pizza crust and bake according to directions.  Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, and cool whip together.  Spread over crust and top with fruit. 

Spudnuts (doughnuts)

This recipe is from my Grammy Blanche!  She is 92 years old, and it wasn't that many years ago when I heard she made these for her entire church congregation for a Halloween Party! 

Spudnuts
1/2 c. warm water
1Tbs. yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
2/3 c. shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 c. scalded milk
1 c. mashed potatoes (she uses instant)
2 c. beaten eggs
6-7 c. flour

Scald milk and cool.  Dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 c. warm water.  Beat eggs, sugar salt, and shortening.  Add to milk and yeast and potatoes.  Add flour until you are able to knead.  Knead 5-10 minutes.  Let rise.  Knead again and roll our 1/2" thick.  Cut with a donut cutter (or a mason jar screw band will work, just be sure to remove the center also with a milk lid or something similar).  Let rise until double in size and then fry in hot oil. 

Glaze:
1/2 c. water
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. powdered sugar

Boil water and sugar until first indication of small thread.  Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar.  Reheat if needed, add a little more water if needed. 

Egg Noodles

Egg Noodles (great for Chicken Noodle Soup)

1 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. milk
dash of pepper

Beat egg until light and fluffy.  Mix in salt, milk, pepper, and flour.  Use your hands to incorporate everything if you need to.  Roll out very thin, and then cut into thin strips with a pizza cutter.  Boil, or mix into hot boiling soup.  The noodles will take around 12 minutes or so depending on thickness.

Note: When making chicken noodle soup for my family, I have to use at least 3 times this recipe. 

Buttermilk Pancakes (Jill)

This is my friend Jill's recipe.  It is good, and you don't actually have to use buttermilk if you don't have any. 

Buttermilk Pancakes:
2 c. flour
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
2 eggs
2 c. buttermilk*
1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbs. butter (I often just use oil when butter prices are high)

Mix all together well and cook on a hot griddle!

Buttermilk Substitutes:  1/2 c. sour cream and 1/2 c. milk, OR 1/2 c. plain yogurt and 1/2 c. milk.  I personally do not like to add lemon juice of vinegar to regular milk to try and get it to be like buttermilk.  It's the thick buttermilk consistency that I look for.

Note: To save time on school days, I have about 10  quart sized Ziploc bags that I mix all of the dry ingredients into.  Each bag will contain all of the dry ingredients for one batch of pancakes.  Then I write on the outside of the bag the additional ingredients needed (ex. 2 eggs, 2 c. buttermilk. 4 Tbs. butter, 1/2 tsp. vanilla).  I save the bags and use them over and over. 

Popeye Pancakes (German pancakes, puffed pancakes)

These oven pancakes have many names, but in my family we always called them Popeye Pancakes. 

Popeye Pancakes:

1 c. flour
1 c. milk
6 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
1/2 cube butter, melted

Mix everything (except the butter) in the blender.  Poor the melted butter in a 9"x13" pan, and then poor the pancake batter in.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

NOTE:  I have found that the pancakes will puff more if you do not use the convection feature on your oven.  The fan seems to deter them from rising as much as they can. 

Penrod Chili Sauce (canned)

Penrod Chili Sauce

This is great for making tacos or burritos.

12 large ripe tomatoes
4 apples (and kind)
4 onions
3 cups cider vinegar (white will work too)
3 cups sugar
2 Tbs. salt
1 tsp each of cloves, ginger, and cinnamon

Chop tomatoes, apples and onion in your food processor.  Combine and boil down until it reaches the thickness you like.  Stir once in awhile and use a thick pan so it doesn't burn.  Process for about 20 minutes in 1/2 pint jars. 

To make Tacos: use a 1/2 pint jar of chili sauce, 1 can of tomato sauce, and 1 lb of hamburger. 

Mandarin Sauce (canned)

Canned Mandarin Sauce

8 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes
2 cups chopped onion
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, undrained
2 cans (20 oz) pineapple tidbits, drain and save juice
4 cups chopped green and red pepper (about 1 extra large pepper of each color)
5 cups sugar
2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 c. soy sauce

Combine all but the pineapple juice and bring to a boil until the onions are translucent.   Add 3/4 c. cornstarch to the pineapple juice, then add to the cooked mixture and let it thicken.  Poor into clean bottles. 

Process pints 35 minutes in water bath.
YieldsL 12 pints

--Serve over pan fried chicken breasts and white rice. 

Winter Squash in the Pressure Cooker

 

Squash

Butter

Brown sugar

 

 

Cut the squash into pieces that are about 4"x4".  Add 1 cup water (for 6 quart pots) or 1 1/2 cups water (for 8 quart pots) and set the squash pieces on top of the trivet or a steaming rack.  Set the pressure cooker on high for 11 minutes.  Quick release after the time is up. 

 

Spread with butter and brown sugar on top while still warm. 

 

Note: The squash used in the picture is a banana squash.

Seasoned Brown Rice (pressure cooker)

Seasoned Brown Rice

2 c. brown rice
2 1/2 c. hot water
2 Tbs. butter (divided)
2 tsp. dried basil
3 tsp. chicken bouillon , or 3 cubes
1 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder (generous 1/4)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. oregano

Press saute button on the pressure cooker.  After it is hot, add 1 tbs. butter and the rice. Saute the rice for about 4-5 minutes.  Add the water, 1 tbs. butter, and the spices.  Pressure cook on high 15 minutes.  Let the pressure release naturally.  

Garlic Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes (pressure cooker)

Garlic Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes

2 lbs. fresh chicken breasts, sliced across the breast so they are thin, and cut into serving sizes
2 cloves garlic
3 tbs. oil
1/2  tsp. salt
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/2 c. chicken broth (1/2 c water and 1/2 tsp. chicken bullion)
3/4 c. whipping cream
1 tsp. Lawry's season salt
1/2 c. fresh Parmesan, grated
1-2 c. fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 c. sun dried tomatoes, chopped

Put the chicken in a Ziploc baggie and pound with a meat tenderizer.  Mix together the oil, garlic, salt, and Italian Seasoning and rub it all over the chicken. If your electric pressure cooker has the saute feature, turn it on and wait a few minutes for it to heat up.  Brown the chicken pieces on both sides.  When they are browned, add in the chicken broth and scrape the pieces off the bottom of the pan.  Set the pressure cooker to high pressure and cook 4 minutes.  Do a quick release once done.

Open pressure cooker and add in the cream and the seasoning salt.  Turn the pressure cooker back on to Saute.  Stir together well and let the cream reduce by half, about 5 minutes.  Add in the Parmesan cheese and stir until it's melted.  Add in the spinach and tomatoes and let it simmer for about 2 minutes.

Serve over your favorite pasta!

Cheese Tortellini Soup in the Pressure Cooker

This recipe is from my friend Tawna Fuller.  She does it in the crockpot. I converted it to just be made on the stovetop (because I never think far enough ahead to do anything in the crockpot), and recently I had great success making it in my Instant Pot. 

Cheese Tortellini Soup

1 lb. hamburger (or sausage)
1 onion
1-3 garlic cloves
6 cups beef broth
1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes, stewed or diced (or 1 quart bottled tomatoes, blended)
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups cubed zucchini
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 c parsley
1 (19 oz, about 4.5 cups) bag frozen cheese tortellini
*Fresh grated parmesan for garnish (optional)

Set the instant pot to sauté.  Brown the hamburger with the onion and the garlic cloves.  Drain the grease.  Cancel the sauté setting.  Add all the other ingredients into the Instant Pot EXCEPT the tortellini and the fresh parmesan.  Set pressure on high for 5 minutes and seal it up.  It will take a long time to come to pressure!  In the meantime, cook the tortellini according to package directions.  When the timer goes off, do a quick pressure release.  Add the cooked tortellini just before serving.  Sprinkle with parmesan.

Note: I have also added the frozen tortellini to the hot cooked soup (after it has de-pressurized) and changed the setting to boil to cook the tortellini for three minutes.  This will save a pan to have to clean up. 
**I hate mushrooms, therefore I have never used them in this soup! But I left them in the recipe because I am sure there are plenty of people (like my husband) who would love them.