Slow Cooked Potato Soup with Dill

Having a Polish Babcia, growing up eating dill sprinkled in soups was very common in her house. I have been making this soup for years, but never in the slow cooker because you need to sauté the veggies before simmering them. Sautéeing the veggies adds a depth in flavor that you wouldn't get if you simply put them in the pot to simmer. It's a must. Enter the Instant Pot IP-DUO, which has both sauté and slow cook functions...game changer! This pot is not only an electric pressure cooker, it can sauté, make yogurt, steam, and slow cook, and much more. 

Slow Cooked Potato Soup with Dill

By Tonda

Adapted from Chunky Potato Soup with Dill by Ruth Cousineau

1/4 cup butter

3 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 large stalks of celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large onion, diced

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup whole milk

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Set the Instant Pot to the Sauté function and press the Adjust button once to heat the pot on More. Once the pot is heated, melt the butter in the pot and then add all of the veggies. Sauté the veggies until the potatoes begin to brown and stick to the bottom of the pot, approximately 10 minutes. Press the Keep Warm/Cancel on the pot to stop the Sauté function. Press the Slow Cook button and then press the Adjust button twice to heat the pot to less. Add water, salt and pepper. Cover the pot (I used a lid that fits one of my pans, and it fit perfectly.) and cook for two hours on low. After two hours, remove 3 cups of the soup and blend to puree. I use an immersion stick blender for this and it works perfectly. Mix 5 Tablespoons of the puree, one Tablespoon at a time, into the milk, and then pour the milk mixture and the puree back into the pot. Stir in the dill.

Enjoy!

Oxtails with Sofrito - A super-simple hurry-up recipe

Oxtails are one of my favorite foods, and a throwback to my childhood. My mom often made them with a tomato sauce with a hint of barbecue, but I've expanded my oxtail repertoire a bit. But still ... I often make them with a red sauce - and this recipe is no exception.

If you've never tried oxtails, they're kind of weird to look at. The flavor is similar to any of the tough cuts of beef like stew meat or short ribs. Give them a try!

Since the whole point of an Instant Pot is to make dinner fast and easy, I decided to create a super-easy recipe. I used a little cheat - a jar of sofrito. While in theory you can make your own sofrito, the one in a jar has a spice that I've never seen anywhere - culantro.

Nope, that's not a misspelling of cilantro. It's a different herb. It's sort of like cilantro, but it's not. Just like marjoram isn't oregano.

Oxtails with Sofrito
By Donna Currie from Cookistry

3 pounds oxtails, trimmed of excess fat
1 onion, diced
1 12-ounce jar Goya sofrito
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Place all ingredients in your Instant Pot. Put the cover on and make sure the knob is set for sealing and not for venting.

Press the "meat/stew" button and make sure it's set for 50 minutes.

When the time is up, turn the cooker off (or, if your Instant Pot has the feature, you could simply set it ahead of time to not go to the warm setting) and wait 15 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure.

Serve immediately (skim off any excess fat on top of the sauce, if there's a lot) or transfer to storage containers and refrigerate. I like stewed meats best if they've been chilled and reheated, but it's up to you. If you refrigerate, the fat will rise to the top and harden, making it easier to remove. Just pull that off, reheat, and serve.

I served these with polenta, but they'd be great with rice, potatoes, or noodles to sop up all the extra sauce.

You can follow Instant Pot on Twitter or Facebook. Want to chat with other Instant Pot users? There's a very lively Facebook group dedicated to the pot! 

Cuban Style Sliders

When my Instant Pot arrived, I sat it in a chair in the kitchen. We stared at each other for days. I am a stainless steel pan and a grill girl. Or so I thought! After reading all the literature and checking out the parts, I started to get excited! I still have memories of my parents using a heavy metal pressure cooker with the hissing disc on top. That thing truly scared me! I would not go near the kitchen if it was on the stove. My goal with this recipe was to use multiple features to get a real feel for the greatness of this product. What would have been a 3-4 hour cooking process was completed in less than half the time. About this recipe: I visit my Dad regularly in the Florida Keys. We love a good “Cubano” and there is a place close to him that makes authentic delicious sandwiches. I wanted to do a party-style slider and this is what wowed the crowd!

Cuban Style Sliders
by Susan Ritchie-Hubbard

For the Mojo Marinade:

1 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed or store bought
Zest of 1 lime
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice, about 3 limes
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 Tablespoon dried
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 Tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
2 pound pork shoulder roast, tied
1 Tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

For the Mustard Cheese Sauce:

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk at room temperature, I had 2% milk on hand
8 ounces grated Gruyere cheese
1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoons coarse grain mustard (Grey Poupon has a nice one)

For the Sliders:

Slider rolls, sliced in half, I used potato rolls
Melted butter or canola oil
Bread and Butter pickle slices
1/2 pound very thinly sliced, good quality deli ham, I used Boar’s Head

Make the Mojo marinade by combining the first 8 ingredients is a zip-top plastic bag. Using a paring knife, make 1/2-inch deep slits all over the pork roast, pressing in pieces of the chopped garlic as you move around the roast. If you do not use all of the chopped garlic, place the remaining garlic in the zip-top bag with the rest of the Mojo ingredients. Add the pork roast to the bag, squeezing out all of the air to completely immerse the meat in the marinade. Place the bag in a shallow bowl and refrigerate at least 8 hours. Overnight would be best.

Allow the roast to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking. Remove the roast from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the marinade. Discard the remainder. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté, normal heat. Add the canola oil. When the pot is hot, add the roast, searing on all sides until lightly browned. Turn the pot off. Add the reserved marinade, cover the pot and set the pot to Manual 70 minutes. NR. Transfer the roast to a plate and cover with foil and allow to cool enough to handle.

Discard the cooking liquid, clean the liner and return to the Instant Pot. Set the pot to Sauté, normal heat. When the pot is hot, add the butter and as it melts add the flour, whisking constantly until the flour cooks, and develops a nutty fragrance. Approximately 3-4 minutes. Add the milk and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn off the pot. Add the Gruyere and whisk until the cheese melts. Add the mustard and whisk to incorporate. This sauce will be on the thick side. Remove the foil from the pork and shred the meat with 2 forks. Cover with the foil.

Using a grill pan (or skillet) on medium heat, brush the rolls with the butter or oil and grill until the rolls are golden brown.

It’s time to assemble our sliders! The number of sliders will depend on how much deliciousness you want each guest to enjoy. I got a little carried away. On the bottom half of the roll, add a nice layer of the pork, top that with a few pickles, now it is time for the ham. I made a little mound with each slice. Spoon the mustard cheese sauce on top of the ham. Place the other half of the roll on top and secure with a short skewer or solid toothpick.

These sliders have incredible flavor and with the Instant Pot, so easy to make! The Instant Pot really cut down the cooking time and I had only one pot to clean when I was done.

Una Olla Carnitas Street Tacos

This is a recipe that I have used for many years, even once upon a time for weight loss believe it or not! Tacos seem to be very filling and not many calories or Weight Watchers points, especially when you load up on the raw vegetable filling. My original recipe required the use of a lot of kitchenware, including cookie sheets, a cast iron skillet, and my stove top pressure cooker. Instant Pot has made it possible to only use one pot, hence the name "una olla"! Enjoy, I know we sure did!

Una Olla Carnitas Street Tacos
by Willie Simmons

2 Tablespoons cumin
1 Tablespoons oregano
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoons onion powder
1 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons black pepper
2 pounds pork shoulder
4 Tablespoons avocado oil, divided
12 ounces orange juice
Chopped cilantro
Chopped white onions
Corn or flour tortillas

Set Instant Pot to Sauté.

Mix dry seasoning. Cut pork into 2-inch chunks. Sprinkle seasoning over pork and rub it in.

Once the Instant Pot screen says "hot", add 2 Tablespoons of oil and sauté the pork until brown on all sides, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon as the pork browns.

Set Instant Pot to Meat/Stew.

Pour in orange juice and close the Instant Pot top and set to Sealing. Cook for 35 minutes and then do a Quick Release. Remove meat. Liquids may be discarded.

Set Instant Pot to Sauté.

Brown the meat in remaining oil, breaking up chunks as you stir until the meat just begins to get crispy.

Heat tortillas by turning off Instant Pot and placing the tortillas on top of meat and putting the cover back on for 5 minutes.

Serve the meat on heated corn tortillas with chopped cilantro and chopped onions.

Pressure Cooker Flan

Our sponsor, Instant Pot, gave us the opportunity to play and revel in this fantastic new electric pressure cooker. This beauty does it all: 7-in-1 Multi-Functional Cooker: Pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker/porridge maker, steamer, sauté/browning, yogurt maker and warmer. I had been researching and seriously considering buying one around the holidays. I had been following their Instant Pot Community on Facebook, and amazing things were happening in kitchens around the world. I have made a cheesecake in the Instant Pot. It may have been the best cheesecake I have ever made. I have cooked rice at the snap of my fingers. I could go on forever about the eggs that practically peel themselves and the “poached” eggs I have made in this life-changing electric pressure cooker. I cooked a fork-tender brisket in about 1.5 hours. It takes over 4 hours in the oven.

Ha! I saw that eyeroll!! You're thinking "She said this Instant Pot is life-changing". I think you will agree, once you see the fantastic recipes on our 37 Cooks blog. I'm back! I just jumped up to put some eggs in to make deviled eggs for lunch. Like many, I worried initially that this pressure cooker would blow up all over my kitchen and damage me in the process. It didn't take me long to realize that was not going to happen. The Instant Pot is very user friendly. It comes with clear instructions and sample recipes to try. I glean most of my info and recipes from the IP Community on Facebook. With over 52,000 members, there is a wealth of information, people ready to help and more recipes available than I will ever be able to make in one lifetime.

I decided on flan because I have never made it before. I made one as a test dish and the caramel was a tiny bit burnt so this time I kept the burner heat a little lower. My test subjects loved the trial run, burnt caramel and all. They couldn't believe that I made it in the Instant Pot! My second flan, for this challenge, was spot on. Smooth, extra hit of vanilla and a perfect caramel sauce. Give the Instant Pot a try and join the rest of us who continue to be amazed by it’s capabilities.

Pressure Cooker Flan
by Sharyl W.
Adapted from Key Ingredient's Creme Caramel (or Caramel Flan), Pressure Cooker Style

Caramel:
1 cup sugar

Cream base:
5 eggs – 4 whole eggs and 1 yolk
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (I used 1.5 tablespoons, because I love vanilla)

I used a 7” soufflé container. Make sure whatever you choose, has a solid bottom.

To make the custard, add the eggs to a bowl and whisk. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the milk and vanilla and whisk together. This will be poured over the caramel when it is ready.


Make the caramel in your widest sauté pan. Add the sugar and turn the heat to medium-high and wait (I have an electric stove. The first time I made the caramel I burned it because the heat was too high. What works best for me is a burner setting of 7, sometimes lowering to 6). One rule for making caramel is don't stir it. Don't pick up that spoon! If you must, and I did, swirl the sugar around the pan. Once almost all of the sugar has melted and caramelized, remove pan from the heat. Pour the caramel into the flan dish.

Pour the egg milk mixture over the caramel. Don't overfill - leave at least 1” from the top of the container.

Add 1 cup of water into the liner pot of the pressure cooker. Lay trivet in bottom of liner and place flan container on trivet. It is important that the flan dish be on a trivet (the Instant Pot comes with a trivet). Cover flan dish lightly with foil. Lock the lid into place and make sure the vent is in sealed position. Set the manual pressure to high and set time for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, the Instant Pot will beep several times. Don't do anything yet. Allow the pressure to release naturally. After 10 minutes, open the pressure valve to release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid and carefully remove the flan container.

Cool for 1 hour and then cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. When ready to serve, set the bottom of the flan dish, in a dish of very warm water, for about 1 minute. Use a knife to go around the sides of the flan to release from the side of the container. Place your serving dish on top of the container and flip it over and voila! You're a pro! You just made tasty flan in the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.

Twice Cooked Pork with Preserved Vegetables

The Instant Pot offers so many options for the home cook: It can pressure cook, slow cook, saute, steam, make yogurt, cook soup, rice, and multigrain dishes. I decided to try several of the cooking modes in one recipe, and this favorite Chinese dish fit the bill. I used it to initially pressure cook the pork, saute the pork, then steam the final dish. Such versatility!

Though this dish has many steps, the final product is worth the effort. The pork is rendered meltingly tender after the multi-stage cooking, and the flavorful sauce, packed with umami from two soy sauces and the salted, preserved vegetables, is truly addictive.

Twice Cooked Pork with Preserved Vegetables
by Gary Gee
Adapted from Mei Cai Kou Rou from The Woks of Life

6 ounces dried preserved mustard greens
2 pounds pork belly or boneless picnic with fat cap
4 1-inch pieces ginger, peeled
2 star anise
1 Tablespoon coarse salt
2 Tablespoons peanut oil, divided use
1 teaspoon PLUS 1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce, divided use
2 Tablespoons cane sugar
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 Tablespoons light soy sauce

2 Tablespoons shaoxing wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon water

Soak dried greens in a large bowl. Stir occasionally to loosen any grit. Lift greens out of water and place in colander in sink. Rinse briefly. Pour off soaking liquid, rinse out bowl, replace with clean water, and soak greens again. Repeat four to five times, letting soak 20-30 minutes between rinsings. When no more grit is found at the bottom of the bowl, drain greens well, pressing to extract as much water as possible. Set aside.

Place pork in Instant Pot liner with ginger, star anise, and salt. Add enough water to just cover pork. Lock lid in place, and set cooker on HIGH pressure for 20 minutes. Release naturally. Remove pork, drain, and blot dry with paper towels. Discard cooking liquid and solids. Clean out the liner, wipe dry, and return to the unit.

Set cooker to Saute, and when hot, add one Tablespoon oil. Brown pork on all sides, taking care not to disturb the meat too soon and tear the surface. When brown, add one teaspoon dark soy sauce and one Tablespoon water, coating the pork with the liquid. Remove pork to a shallow dish, and pour pan liquid over all. Set pork aside to cool (may be refrigerated at this point overnight). Clean out the liner, wipe dry, and return to the unit.

Slice pork into thin slices against the grain. Arrange pork, shingled, in a shallow pan that fits well in the Instant Pot liner on a trivet.

Heat cooker to Saute, and add remaining Tablespoon oil. Add sugar, stir and cook until slightly caramelized. Add ginger, stir to combine. Add 1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, shaoxing wine, and chicken broth. Add preserved greens, stir to mix well, then press Cancel to stop cooking. Spoon preserved green mixture over pork. Clean out the liner, wipe dry, and return to the unit. (This could be a good reason to own more than one liner!)

Add one cup of water to liner. Place trivet in liner. Set dish of pork on trivet. Set cooker to Steam for 45 minutes. Release naturally. Carefully remove dish from liner. Remove trivet and pour off water. Heat cooker once more to Saute, and carefully tip accumulated liquid from dish of pork into liner. Bring to a boil. Make a slurry with cornstarch and 1 teaspoon water. Add to simmering liquid, and stir until thickened. Carefully flip pork and vegetables out onto serving platter (you may spoon vegetables off of pork first, then lift pork with a spatula and turn over on top of vegetables. Check sauce for seasoning, and spoon over pork. Serve at once with steamed rice and a fresh vegetable.