Pressure Cooker Chunky Applesauce

Our past 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 & Warmer. For our Past Sponsor Challenge, I decided to make something I hadn’t made before. I decided on applesauce, since its fall. I gave some of this batch to my MIL, and she raved about it. She warmed it, and put in on top of vanilla ice cream, and topped it with crumbled lemon cookies. The next morning she put it on pancakes. She and her friend were in applesauce heaven! I don't think I'm going overboard to call the Instant Pot, the Magic Pot. I have made 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. Give the Instant Pot a try, and join the rest of us who continue to be amazed by it’s capabilities.

Pressure Cooker Chunky Applesauce
by Sharyl W.

8 medium to large apples (I used an assortment of Granny Smith, Honeycrisp and Gala)
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup of sugar (I used white, but one could also use brown sugar)

Add the water and lemon juice to the Instant Pot liner pot. Peel, core and slice, or chop the apples. Add the apples, nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar, to the pot. Set high pressure manual for 6 minutes and then NPR (natural pressure release) until pressure drops and lid can be removed. For smoother applesauce, blend with an immersion blender or mixer. I like ours to be chunky, so I didn't do this step. 

Note: I discovered later that most don't peel their apples. Peeling apples is a step I detest, so I will never again peel my apples, for applesauce! I didn't want real sweet applesauce, so I didn't use much sugar. Adjust to personal taste.

Steel Cut Oatmeal Bread

Especially in cold weather, I love to start the day with a bowl of great oatmeal. I love Bob's Red Mill's steel cut oats - they cook into a hearty porridge. It does take longer to cook than rolled oats, so I tend to make a large batch and then keep leftovers ready to heat throughout the week.

Sometimes, though, I want a change from my morning oatmeal. I love to use leftover oatmeal as the basis for bread. Three cups of leftover oatmeal will give you two large loaves of some of the best bread available. I'll confess that sometimes I go out of my way to make a batch of oatmeal especially to use for this bread. Toast made from this bread is absolutely the best!

Steel Cut Oatmeal Bread
by Maurita Plouff blogging at Get the Good Stuff!
Makes 2 loaves

3 cups leftover cooked oatmeal (I like to use Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats)
2 cups warm water
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4+ cups all-purpose OR bread flour

If you make oatmeal especially for the bread, let it cool until just a little warm to your hand. If you're using leftover oatmeal, warm it up a bit and stir it around, so it's not stone cold and has no hot spots. Measurements are approximate, and you should feel free to add a bit more of this, or a bit less of that, to your personal taste.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oatmeal, water, honey, and yeast; stir i.e. enough to break up the oatmeal. Let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes or so.

Add the salt and 2 cups of the flour, and mix very well. Don’t be afraid to beat it hard; you’re developing gluten that will help the bread rise. Add additional flour, mixing well after each addition, until the dough just comes together – it may take 2 more cups, or it may take a lot more, it depends on the weather, the humidity, and the moisture content in the leftover oatmeal.

When the dough will just hold together in a shaggy mass, turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Knead, adding more flour as needed, for 2 to 3 minutes. Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rest for 20 minutes or so.

After the dough rests, knead it another 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed. It takes a bit of experience to know when you’ve kneaded enough. It will no longer be sucking up flour, the surface will be smooth and a bit less sticky, and it will feel alive under your hands.

Put the dough in an oiled clean bowl, turn it so that all surfaces are greased, then cover with a tea towel and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk - 1 to 2 hours.

Turn out onto a floured surface and gently punch it down. Shape into 2 loaves, put into greased bread pans, and let rise, covered with a tea towel, until doubled in bulk again.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Slash the loaves if you prefer, and bake 30 minutes. Check for doneness: each loaf will look done, and will sound hollow when turned out of the pan and thumped on the bottom. The internal temperature is 190-200°F.

Let the bread loaves cool for at least an hour before slicing.

Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker Fudgy Pudgy Cake

Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker Fudgy Pudgy Cake
by Holly K of Holly's Table
Adapted from Baked Fudge Pudding Cake

Cooking spray
6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon dried orange peel, or 1 teaspoon freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream + 1/2 cup whipped, for serving
1/4 cup crushed pistachios, for serving
1/4 favorite berries, for serving


Spray the inside of the Hamilton Beach Set & Forget® 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker  with cooking spray and set on low to heat.

Combine the cocoa powder, flour and salt in a small bowl, set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs on medium-high until thickened. Sprinkle in the sugar slowly and continue to beat until very thick. Drizzle in the butter. Add the vanilla. Keep mixing. Add in the orange peel, nutmeg and cocoa mixture. On low, stir in the cream.

Pour the batter into the slow cooker. Line the lid with paper towels to prevent condensation. Cook on low 3 hours. 

Top with nuts, berries and whipped cream. Serve warm.

Slow Cooked Ropa Vieja

I live in Texas. So when the temperatures drop below 80, it's time to pull out the slow cooker to let dinner cook slowly during the day. Why I associate a slow cooker with cooler weather is beyond me. It doesn't heat up the house. Plus, it's a major life saver when we are scrambling to get a healthy dinner on the table after work. I need to work on pulling out my Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker year round!

This recipe calls for many herbs and spices, but they are simple ones that you will have on hand. They create a hearty dish filled with so many layers of flavor. Simply served over a bed of white rice with a side of sautéed plantains makes a perfect Cuban meal.

Slow Cooked Ropa Vieja

By Tonda

Adapted from Authentic Cuban Shredded Beef "Ropa Vieja" Cubana from Just a Pinch

2 medium yellow onions, diced small

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 medium yellow bell pepper, sliced thin

1 medium jar of fire roasted red peppers, sliced thin

20 jalapeno stuffed olives

3-4 pounds rump roast

8 cloves of garlic

1 handful curly parsley

6 sprigs cilantro

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 packet Sazon Goya seasoning with Culantro and Achiote

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 Cup ketchup

1 small can tomato paste

1/2 cup beef broth

2 large bay leaves

Layer the onions, peppers and olives in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the roast on top. Add garlic, parsley, cilantro to a small food processor and process until chopped fine. Add oregano, cumin, garlic powder, Goya seasoning, salt pepper, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, Worcestershire, and white wine. Process to blend all of the dry spices with the fresh herbs and garlic. Add ketchup, tomato paste and beef broth. Process again to blend. Pour mixture over the roast. Add 2 bay leaves. Set the Hamilton Beach slow cooker to low for 8 hours. Once the roast is ready, shred the beef in the cooking liquid. Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Golden Graham Cereal Butter

Have you ever had the cookie butter from Trader Joes? It is so delicious. If you have I am sure that you love it just as much as everyone else. It has a huge following. Now let’s take this one step further – Have you read the ingredient list? No. Don’t. Trust me on this. It has an oil base. Yikes. I knew that I had to come up with a healthier option for my family, while keeping it just as delicious. My husband didn’t think my version would be as good as the original. My kids were more than happy to be my taste testers, they quickly declared it to be better than the original!  My husband finally tried it and ‘oh wow’ ‘this is so good’ ‘this is way better than I thought it would be’ came out of his mouth. I guess he didn’t have much faith in me making a healthier version of cookie butter. I think that you will love this just as much as my family does. If you have fifteen minutes make it. You can thank me later as you are eating it off of a spoon. Don’t worry that happened here also.

Golden Graham Cereal Butter

By Lindsay O’Connor
Inspired by Trader Joe's

1 1/2 cups Golden Grahams cereal
2 cups cashews – I used lightly salted
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Salt as needed

1. Place Golden Grahams cereal in food processor. Process for 15 seconds or until the cereal has become powder, remove the powder to a bowl and set aside.

2. Add cashews and process until completely smooth and loose, scraping down the bowl as needed. It can take up to ten minutes, depending on your machine. You might think it won’t work, but it will. First the cashews will be sandy, the oils will start to release, then it will turn into a ball in your processor. Once it hits the ball stage you are only a few minutes away from perfect cashew butter. Take a look at the picture above to see the stages your cashews will go through.

3. Once your cashews are processed, add your white chocolate chips. Process for one minute or until the chocolate has melted.

4. Add the powdered cereal and process until it is incorporated into your cashew butter. Taste and add salt if needed.

Grilled Shrimp And Pineapple Skewers, With A Warm Coconut “Cocktail” Sauce!

Back in 2013, 37 Cooks started a group discussion about coconut oil. We realized we all had quite a bit to learn about coconut oil and many of the other coconut based products available. We had the opportunity to work with products from Tropical Traditions. We began experimenting and ultimately conquering our fear of cooking with coconut. When I received my jar of Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate, I stared at it for several days before I had the courage to remove the lid and sample the coconut cream. I was amazed at the delightful flavor! My immediate thought was to stick with a “Tropical” themed recipe. What pairs well with coconut? Pineapple! I can’t resist grilled shrimp in the summer, so it was an easy decision once I realized how versatile the coconut cream could be. I am confident once you try this delicious recipe for grilled shrimp, you will be ready to start your own coconut journey.

Grilled Shrimp And Pineapple Skewers, With A Warm Coconut “Cocktail” Sauce!

By Susan Ritchie-Hubbard

1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on

1 fresh pineapple peeled, cored and cut into at least 1” chunks (reserving any juice)

1/3 cup Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate (with a very rich coconut flavor, 1/3 cup is plenty!)

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup good quality mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon sambal oelek

3 Tablespoons pineapple juice (I had enough pineapple juice from preparing the pineapple, but store bought is fine)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Metal or bamboo skewers (If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling)

For the warm coconut cream cocktail sauce:

The coconut cream concentrate is just that. Concentrated! I warmed the coconut cream slightly on a low temperature in the microwave. Microwaves vary, but I did 20 seconds at 50% power. This resulted in a creamy consistency. Combine the coconut cream, sour cream, mayonnaise, sambal oelek, pineapple juice and sea salt in a bowl. It will solidify somewhat because of the coconut cream. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. This sweet and spicy cocktail sauce beautifully showcases the fresh, intense flavor of the coconut cream concentrate!

For the grilled shrimp:

Preheat the grill to high. Medium-high if you have WeberQ. Grilling at a high temperature helps caramelize the pineapple and gives the shrimp a very flavorful char. Alternate the shrimp and pineapple chunks on the skewers (I had enough pineapple to make an additional pineapple skewer). Grill the skewers until the shrimp are barely opaque, approximately 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer the shrimp and pineapple skewers to a clean plate and loosely cover with foil. Gently heat the coconut cream cocktail sauce in a small saucepan (over medium low heat) or in the microwave (at 50 % power), until it melts into a creamy sauce. If using the microwave, stir the coconut cream sauce every 30 seconds.

To serve:

Remove the shrimp and pineapple chucks from the skewers and arrange on a serving plate. (I happened to have some small bamboo cocktail picks, so I put 1 shrimp and 1 pineapple chunk on each pick.) Drizzle the coconut cream cocktail sauce over the shrimp and pineapple. If desired, garnish with additional chopped pineapple. Enjoy!