Enchilada Sauce

This is great when you don't have a packet mix or can of enchilada sauce!

Enchilada Sauce:

1 can tomatoe sauce
1/3 c. water
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbs. cumin
1/2 Tbs. minced onion
1 Tbs. vinegar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ceyanne pepper

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