Pressure Cook: Steel Cut Oatmeal

This is the first time I have done a breakfast recipe in my Instant Pot (pressure cooker)!!

Read through different variations. Some recipes say to cook it for 3 min, 5 min, 10 min but all of them recommend NPR (natural pressure release) so that the contents don't spew out.

Steel Cut Oatmeal
Ingredients:
1 cup steel cut oatmeal
3 cups water (I used 2 cups water, 1 cup cold whole milk)

Directions: 
Pour everything in the pot. Pressure cook for 10 min. NPR.

So how long did it actually take? From getting out my IP to pouring the ingredients to building pressure, it was about 10 minutes. Another 10 minutes for pressure cooking, followed by 15 min NPR (QR after 15 minutes only because I knew there was very little pressure left). Total time was 35 min but you do other things during that time.

The texture was PERFECT.

Sweeten and top as you like it!!

Enjoy!!

Variation:
Apple Steel Cut Oatmeal
Put 1 steel cut oats, 2 cup water, 1 cup whole milk, diced apples (1 small gala apple) into the IP. Pressure cook for 10 minutes (manual HP). After NPR, stir in 1/2 tsp cinnamon with sweetener of choice. Delicious!!

You can't see the apple after it is cooked unless you look very closely but oh the flavor...

Mini Apricot Pie (Filling)

Mini Pies!  Filling is easy to make.  I usually buy premade crust.  So all you have to do is fill them and bake.  You can use any fruit actually.  Add the desired amount of sugar and cornstarch.  Read from bakers about the correct amount but it ends up being to your liking.  Some like them sweeter, some don't.  Some like more liquid (or thicker liquid), others want more fruit.

Filling for Apricot Pie
Ingredients: 
Prep Time: 10 min      Bake Time: 30 min
Serving Size: 6 mini pies
1 lb apricot (fresh apricots sliced)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
a dash of salt (little less than 1/8 tsp)

Directions: 
Mix the apricot, sugar, cornstarch, and a dash of salt.  Fill your mini pies evenly.

Bake at 375F for 30 minutes.

*Note: Apricot pie is a bit tart.  If you want, you could add more than 1/4 cup of sugar.
*Note: I did much reading to see how to make a pie less messy, not too watery.  Read debates about using cornstarch vs flour vs minute tapioca.  Finally decided to use cornstarch (I don't like cornstarch but flour makes the final product grainy white).

Enjoy!!

Easy Coconut Curry (Basic)

After sifting and sifting through recipe after recipe, I decided that Tina's blog, Oh Snap! Let's eat!, was that one I was going to try. This is the first, of many, curry from scratch recipes that will cook in my kitchen.

I didn't want to buy sauce packets like everyone else. So I'm experimenting. Didn't know it was that easy. Well, I still need practice to get the heat and spices correct or change my curry powder, but it was delicious.

Easy Coconut Chicken Curry (For vegetarians, substitute chicken for veggies)
Prep Time: 20 min      Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp curry powder (This time, I used Trader Joe's Curry Powder)
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil
1 onion, sliced
1 tbsp crushed garlic (Or use 4-5 cloves)
2 lb chicken (I used chopped chicken thighs)
3 medium potatoes, cubed
1 tbsp brown sugar (optional)
1 tsp cayenne


Directions:
In a big pot or pan with medium heat, melt butter. Swirl in curry powder. Pour the coconut milk in and stir some more. Add the salt.

In another pan, heat oil on medium heat. Cook onion slices until softened for about three minutes. Add garlic to cook with the onions. Then add the chicken to cook with the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes. Then add the potatoes to pan. Cook for another 10 minutes.

Now pour the chicken and onions into the other big pot of sauce. Simmer on low heat for half an hour. At the end, stir in some brown sugar and cayenne to your liking. That's it!!! Serve it with your favorite kind of rice (I use brown rice).

I had to add more cayenne since the Trader Joe's curry powder had no kick to it. After the cayenne, it started tasting more like curry to me. I will try many many variations of this basic curry to get the spices down.

Next time, I plan to make my own curry powder. Stay tuned!!

Enjoy!!