Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Chili Lime Chicken (Pressure cooker)

I love my friend Robin for many reasons.  Her introducing me to Trader Joe's Chili Lime seasoning and this recipe is most definitely among them!  (The fact that she has a huge heart, is funny, kind and teaches a kick-a** yoga class doesn't hurt, either.)  This recipe has become a staple in my house, as she promised me it would be.  It is easy and versatile, and there isn't a member of my family who isn't happy to see it on the menu.  Though Robin originally made it in the slow cooker, I love tossing this together in the pressure cooker and serving it with some rice.

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 lb Chicken breast
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 2 T chili  lime seasoning (Trader Joe's)
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Place chicken in instant pot and add all other ingredients on top of it, in the order listed.
  2. Set pressure level to high and timer to 6 minutes. Start.
  3. When the timer goes off, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes and then quick release.
  4. Shred chicken.  Serve over rice with toppings of your choice or as burrito or taco filling, or as the protein in a taco salad.  The options are limitless!
  5. Slow cooker instructions: add all ingredients to slow cooker, cook on low 6-8 hours.

Sometimes I add tomatoes and sour cream, too!
Difficulty: super easy
Time: 15-20 minutes
Source: My friend, Robin J.


Tuesday, January 21, 2020

One Pan Smoked Sausage and Veggies

Since my kids have shown an interest in cooking, I have decided to capitalize on the moment and cross my fingers that it lasts.  My son just turned 13 this month and when he asks to cook it is usually to make a dessert of some sort.  When I finally convinced him to try a meal instead of a dessert, he first went for the recipes with the most obscure ingredients and the most steps possible.  It took a minute, but when he approached me with this recipe, I was all about it.  He made me a list of the ingredients that he needed, I added them to my shopping list, and we were set.

The recipe took a bit of time for my son to make, simply because of the careful chopping of the vegetables that he did.  I asked that he take his time with the knife, and he did.  If you are a bit speedier with the chopping, this recipe is a pretty quick one to throw together.  And the one pan clean up is fabulous.  (Disclaimer: I also had him mix the veggies in a large bowl instead of on the pan, which made for two things to clean, but was a bit easier to assure an even coating of the oil and seasonings.)

The whole family loved this meal, and I was thrilled to not have to cook!  (Sorry for less than thorough photographs...)

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 cups quartered small potatoes
  • 1 pound green beans
  • 1 large head of broccoli (~ 1 and 1/2 cups)
  • 2 large colored bell peppers (chopped)
  • 1 lb smoked sausage
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • Serve with: fresh parsley, quinoa/rice, lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Line a large sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.
  3. Prep the veggies: chop the potatoes (pretty small pieces here so they will be tender in time), trim and halve the green beans, chop the broccoli, chop the peppers into thick squares, and coin the sausage in thick slices.
  4. Place all the veggies and sausage on a sheet pan. Pour the olive oil and all the spices on top. Toss to evenly coat all the veggies and meat. (We did this in a bowl - despite the extra dish to wash, we felt it was easier.)
  5. Bake 15 minutes, remove from the oven and flip/stir all the veggies around. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender and sausage is browned.
  6. If desired, sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the veggies and sausage as soon as they come out of the oven.
  7. Enjoy with rice or quinoa and fresh parsley if desired.

Difficulty: easy - as long as chopping veggies isn't an issue
Time: 15 min prep, 30 minutes baking
Source: slightly adapted from https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/