Weeknight Meat Sauce with Rigatoni (Pressure Cooker)

If you have never invested in a pressure cooker, you really should consider it.  The new models are so easy to use and take all the fear out of making a quick meal.  
This quick meat sauce with all the flavor of Bolognese, is cooked with the uncooked pasta and is ready is 5 minutes!

1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped Salt and Pepper 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 1 lb. 85% lean ground beef (or turkey) 3-1/2 cups water 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes (crushed by hand) 1 lb. rigatoni Chopped fresh basil Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Heat oil in pressure cooker on "Brown" setting.  Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until onions are softened and lightly browned.  Stir in garlic, pepper flakes, oregano and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until jjno longer pink, about 3 minutes.  Stir in water, crushed tomatoes and pasta.
Lock pressure-cooker lid and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.   Let pressure come down naturally.  Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with basil and cheese

Ropa Vieja - Cuban Beef Stew (Pressure Cooker)

Cuban Beef Stew is a simple dish.  Shredded beef, peppers and onions that are braised in a deeply flavored tomato sauce with olives, garlic, cumin and oregano.  I first had this dish over at my neighbors house and I just fell in love with the flavors.  This dish can also be made in the slow-cooker or braised on top of the stove - so there is no excuse not to make this!

2 lbs. flank steak, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces Salt and Pepper 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 large Spanish onion, halved and sliced 1/2" thick 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 cup beef broth 1 (28 or 32 ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand 1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips 1/2 cup pitted green olives, halved 2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar 1 tsp. sugar
Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in pressure-cooker pot over medium high heat until just smoking.  Brown half of meat on both sides, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to bowl.
Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in empty pot over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in broth.  Scrape up all browned bits stuck on bottom of pot.  Stir in tomatoes, olives, browned beef and any juices and remaining unbrowned beef.
Lock pressure-cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 25 minutes.
Remove pot from heat and allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes.  Release any remaining pressure.  
Transfer beef to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred meat into bite-size pieces.  Return to pressure cooker.  Stir in peppers, parsley, vinegar and sugar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Lock pressure cooker lid, return to high pressure and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Serve with yellow or white rice. Crock Pot - 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW.  Brown beef as directed above and add remaining ingredients to Crock Pot.

Next-Day Turkey Soup with Crispy Stuffing Croutons

We all know that leftovers can be the best part of Thanksgiving. Make up a batch of soup to use up your leftovers. You can add just about anything to this soup!

Thanksgiving leftovers for me are generally a sandwich.  I love leftover turkey sandwiches.  With cranberry sauce and a slice of dressing and a little gravy on the side for dipping.

I always make a whole turkey, but the dark meat gets left aside. Get the most out of your turkey! It's also a great way to use up what's left in the fridge. If you have a pressure cooker, it takes no time at all to make a batch of soup. I made double stuffing this year and thought I would use some of it to top off this delicious left-over turkey soup.

NEXT DAY TURKEY SOUP
1 Turkey carcass 1 carrot, roughly chopped 1 stalk celery with leaves, roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic 3 scallions, roughly chopped 2 Tbsp. turkey fat drippings (skim off the top of your gravy) 10 cups water
Place all ingredients in pressure cooker.  Cover, bring to high pressure and cook for 30 minutes.  Let pressure come down naturally.  If you don't have a pressure cooker, you'll have to simmer this stock for about 3 hours.
Remove bones and large pieces of turkey.  Strain remaining stock through a cheesecloth.  At this point you can add whatever veggies you have left from Thanksgiving or in the fridge.  
2 carrots, sliced 2 celery stalks, sliced 1/2 tsp. thyme leaves 2 cups leftover turkey 1/2 cup white rice 1 cup leftover stuffing
Bring stock to a simmer.  Add vegetables, thyme and white rice.  Simmer on low for about 30 minutes.
Cut up leftover stuffing into cubes.  Saute in about 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter until browned and crispy.

Add stuffing cubes to your soup and enjoy!!

Pupusas - Stuffed Corn Tortillas

Pupusas are a traditional dish from El Salvador. Corn tortillas with a filling usually cheese, beans and/or Salvadoran-style chicharron (finely ground pork). Plus it's a fun thing to say!
Pupusas are cooked on a griddle and served with a pickled slaw called curtido. I don't know how these two got together, but it's the perfect combination of flavors.

I first had pupusas when we took a trip to Costa Rica.  A little open air shop where all the little ladies were forming and cooking pupusas.  They allowed me to go 'backstage' so I could see how they were prepared.

There is knack to these, I won't lie, but once you have them, you'll get a craving for them again! For the Curtido:
1/2 head small cabbage, shredded 1 carrot, grated 1/2 sweet or red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup water 1/2 tsp. each of oregano, red pepper flakes and brown sugar 1/4 tsp. each of cumin and coriander 1 tsp. salt

Combine the vegetables in a large bowl.  In a small saucepan, add the vinegar, water, spices, brown sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the vegetables. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, stirring occasionally. This will keep for 2-3 weeks.
Chicharron:
3 lb. pork butt, trimmed and cubed 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper 6 cups water 1 15 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1 sweet onion, diced 2 cloves garlic 1 jalapeno pepper, diced 1/2 tsp. oregano
Season the pork with salt and pepper and place in a medium saucepan.  Add enough water to cover by 2-inches, about 6 cups.  Bring to a simmer and partially cover the pot; cook until the meat is very tender and almost all the liquid is evaporated, about 3 hours.  
I started the pork in my pressure cooker.  After an hour, I put the lid on and finished cooking it under high pressure for 40 minutes.  I did have most of the liquid left in the pot.  I drained all but one cup (which also removed most of the fat).

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno and oregano in a blender.  Puree until smooth.  Add the tomato mixture to the pork in the saucepan.  Lower the heat and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until pork is falling apart and most of the liquid has reduced from the sauce.  The pork mixture should be very thick.  Set aside to cool.  (This makes more pork than you need for the recipe, but any leftover can be frozen or used in other recipes.  Makes a great filling for tacos, burritos or even on a sandwich mixed with some BBQ sauce).
For the Tortillas:
3-1/2 cups Masa harina 2-1/2 cups warm water 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 cup canola oil 1-1/2 cups shredded Monteray Jack cheese
Combine the masa harina with the warm water and salt.  Mix until a soft dough forms.  Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes.  Stir in up to 1/4 cup of canola until the dough becomes soft but not sticky.  You may need to add a little more water.  You want the dough to be very soft.  It should be the consistency of clay or playdough.   Divide the dough into 16 golf ball size pieces.  Keep the dough covered as you work.
To form a pupusa:  Rub the palm of your hands with a little olive oil.  While holding the dough ball in one hand, press the thumb of your other hand in the middle of the ball of dough to form an indentation, then turning the dough, begin to flatten it with your fingertips into a 4-inch disk resembling a small bowl.  I tried this a few times, but found it easier to flatten the dough on my tortilla press.

  Add 1 heaping tablespoon of the pork and 1/2 tablespoon of shredded cheese.  

Bring the edges of the dough together over the filling and squeeze to form a seal.  Working gently, press the dough into a flattened disk, flattening the dough middle and edges to form a pancake about 4 inches in diameter.
Place pupusas on a heated, greased grilled or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook each side until golden brown in spots and slightly puffy, 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Serve hot, with pickled cabbage on the side.

Portions of this recipe were adapted from Emeril Lagasse
Sharing with: Weekend Potluck

Unstuffed Cabbage

I bought a head of cabbage with all good intentions of making a big pot of stuffed cabbage during this cold weather. I took the easy way out and made "unstuffed cabbage".  All the flavor of regular cabbage rolls, but alot less bother to make. When I make stuffed cabbage and there is any meat filling left and no cabbage leaves, I usually just make meatballs and add them to the pot. This is how this recipe came about. If you would like to make regular stuffed cabbage, This is my recipe: Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Grandma

  1 head green cabbage, cored and chopped into 1-inch pieces 1 28 oz. can tomatoes with juice, chopped 1 can tomato soup 1 can water Meatballs 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1-1/2 cups cooked white rice 1 large egg 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. paprika Salt and freshly ground pepper Add cabbage, tomatoes, tomato soup, water and salt and pepper to pressure cooker (this can also be done on your stovetop). Cook at high pressure for 3 minutes. Simmer on the stove about 20 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Saute onion in butter until golden brown.  Let cool slightly. Mix beef, sauteed onion (along with the butter in the pan), rice, egg, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt and pepper.  Mix by  hand until combined. Form into meatballs. Add to cabbage and tomato mixture and simmer over low heat until meatballs are cooked through (approx. 30 minutes.  Stir gently during cooking time to be sure meatballs are submerged in sauce.

Serve hot in bowls with freshly ground pepper and maybe some rye bread and butter. Enjoy!

A Soul Warming #SundaySupper - Cowboy Beef Stew

 I never try a new recipe when I cook to feel better, and I don't think most people do. The familiar is what soothes.  When I found out the theme for this week was "Soul Warming", this was the first recipe that came to mind.  Our host this week for #SundaySupper is Susan @ The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen.  Our fabulous team has made recipes that keep us warm - heart and soul.  Our prayers go out to those affected by Hurricane Sandy, and hopefully they can get a nice, hot comforting meal.

Hurricane Sandy - Help Those in Need

This has to be one of my most favorite comfort foods.  Not only because it's delicious, but it brings me right back into my mom's kitchen.  I can only remember my mom making one thing in the pressure cooker - stew.  It was one of my Dad's favorite meals.  She used to serve it in a big bowl "family style" and he used to call it "Cowboy Food", hence the title of this recipe.  I still have my mother's pressure cooker from the 1950's.  Unfortunately, this was the last stew for the pot.  She finally gave out on me.  I think the pots back then were make out of German Tanks!  If I could get a replacement gasket for it I would, but it's time for a new one.

 When I cook my stew, the sound of the weight hissing, and jiggling on the pot, brings me right back home.  My mom is truly here in spirit when I make this for my family!

You will need:

• 2 lbs. Chuck Stew Beef
• 1 Tbsp. Oil
• 1 Tbsp. butter, unsalted
• 1 lb. fresh carrots, peeled and cut into half-moons
• 2-1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1/2" chunks
• 1/2 large Spanish onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 10-ounce pkg. frozen peas
• Garlic Powder, Paprika, salt and pepper to taste
• 3 Tbsp. flour 

Cut stew beef into 1-inch cubes, removing any fat.  Heat oil and butter in pressure cooker on medium-high and brown beef cubes.  Continue cooking beef until all water from the meat evaporates and begins to caramelize.  Add onions, salt and pepper, garlic powder and paprika (I just sprinkle it in the pot - maybe 1 tsp. at the most).  Saute about 5 minutes.  Add beef broth, cover and set 15 lb. weight on cooker.  Cook at 15 lbs. pressure for 20 minutes.  Let pressure come down on its own.

While meat is cooking, peel carrots and potatoes and keep in a large bowl of cold water until ready to use.

 Remove cover, add potatoes and carrots and cover and bring back to 15 lbs. pressure.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Place pressure cooker under cool running water in the sink to bring pressure down quickly.  Remove meat, carrots and potatoes to a large baking pan or casserole dish.  Bring pan juices up to a boil.  Add peas and simmer 5 minutes.

To thicken gravy, mix 3 heaping Tbsp. flour into 1/2 cup cold water and stir to combine.  Gradually add into simmering pan juices until it is the thickness you like.  I kind of make it in between a soup and gravy consistency - Stoup - as Rachael Ray would say.  Adjust seasonings.

Pour gravy over meat and potatoes in pan, try to wait until it cools off for a minute before you dig in!

Chow Down Pardner!

Serve with crusty bread or biscuits

If you don't have a pressure cooker, I would suggest making this stew in the oven @350 degrees F for at least 2 hours or until the meat is very tender, add potatoes and carrots, bake an additional hour and finish on the stove.

Main Entrees: 

• Carrot, Parsnip and Lentil Casserole  - Happy Baking Days
• Chicken with Herbed Dumplings – Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Chicken pot pie – Gotta Get Baked
• Cholula Chicken Enchiladas – Kwistin’s Favorites
• Eggplant Parmesan – The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
• Roasted Roots and Fruits with Sausage – Shockingly Delicious

Chili/Stews:

• Beer-Braised Beef – Sustainable Dad
• Bigos {Authentic Polish Hunter’s Stew} – From Fast Food to Fresh Food
• Brunswick Stew and Rice – Big Bear’s Wife
• Calico Beans – Home Cooking Memories
• Carbonnade Flamande – The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Chicken Cacciatore {Hunter Style Stew} with Easy Creamy Polenta –Webicurean
• Chicken & Mushroom Stew On Egg Noodles –  Galactosemia in PDX
• Cowboy Beef Stew - Comfy Cuisine 
• Ham and String Beans –  Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Hearty Moose Meatball Stew – Mrs. Mama Hen
• Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili - Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Lentil and Chorizo Stew – Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Seafood Gumbo and Soul Warming #SundaySupper Wine Pairings - ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
• Soul Warming Hearty Beef Stew - In The Kitchen With KP

Soups:

• 30 Minute Black Bean Soup – Supper for a Steal
• Black Bean Soup – Basic and Delicious 
• Black Bean Soup with Hot Roast Pepper Cream - The Lovely Pantry
• Canadian Beer Cheese Soup – Juanita’s Cocina
• Chicken Pot Pie Stew Soup – Ruffles and Truffles
• Chicken Soup with Dumplings – The Messy Baker
• Chicken Tortilla Soup – Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Coconut Curry Chicken Soup – Damn Delicious
• Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup – Mama Mommy Mom
• Easy Chicken and Dumplings – My Catholic Kitchen
• Easy Italian Wedding Soup – Family Foodie
• Easy Wonton Soup – Soni’s Food
• French Onion Sou – Momma’s Meals
• Homestyle Chicken and Dumplings – I Run For Wine
• Lasagna Soup – Cravings of a Lunatic
• Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup – Mangiamo
• Lentil and Bacon Soup – Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Lentil Soup with Spinach – Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Peppery Mulligatawny Soup with Cherry Tomatoes & Cilantro – Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Pozolillo Verde {Green Chicken & Corn Pozole} – La Cocina de Leslie
• Red Lentil Soup with Crispy Aromatic Coriander – Chattering Kitchen
• Roasted Jalapeno Soup – Chocolate Moosey
• Rule of Thirds Soup - What Smells So Good?
• Seafood Chowder – Noshing with the Nolands
• Spanish Garlic Soup – Pippi’s In The Kitchen Again
• Spicy Gumbo Z’herbes – Pescetarian Journal
• Spicy Korean Brisket Soup {Yukgaejang} - Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
• Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup {Jjamppong} – Kimchi Mom
• Spicy Udon Noodle Soup – My Trials In The Kitchen
• Turkey Noodle Soup – Magnolia Days
• Tuscan Bean Soup  - The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Twisted Chicken Noodle Soup – The Meltaways
• Warm You Up Spicy Bacon Cheeseburger Soup - Daily Dish Recipes

Desserts/Beverages:

• Hot Fudge Pudding Cake – That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• White Hot Chocolate with Orange – GirliChef

Join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat. 

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

We’d also love to feature your Sunday Supper Soul Warming Recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.

Adobo Pork Tostadas - Two Ways

Sometimes I want to make something in the slow cooker - when I finally decide, it's a little too late for the 6 hour wait.  So I turn to my trusty pressure cooker.  You can make this recipe two ways.  If you plan ahead, use the slow cooker - if you decide at the last minute you are craving something smoky and spicy, the pressure cooker comes to the rescue.  Use chipotle peppers to suit the heat level you like. 

Ingredients:

• 1 3 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast
• 1 10-oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies (Ro-tel)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (original recipe called for 2 Tbsp.)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seed
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 cup refried beans
• Corn tostada shells or tortillas
• Mixed salad greens
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 1 cup queso fresco cheese (optional)
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Trim fat from pork; cut into chunks.  Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in pressure cooker and add pork.  Brown on all sides.  Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes with chilies, chipotle peppers, garlic, salt, cumin and cumin seeds, coriander and black pepper.  Cover and cook at 15 lbs. pressure for 35 minutes.
Slow Cooker: - Place pork in slow cooker, add remaining ingredients as above, reducing chicken stock to 1/2 cup, cover and cook on low-heat for 10-12 hours or on high-heat for 5 to 6 hours.

Remove pork from cooker and shred with two forks.  Spread refried beans over tostada shells.  If using corn tortillas, char on both sides on open gas flame.  Top evenly with pork mixture and your toppings of choice.
Cook's Note:  I could not find a boneless 3 lbs roast.  I had a 6 lb. bone-in, cubed the pork and added the bone to the pressure cooker for extra flavor.
~Adapted from BHG Ultimate Slow Cooker
Sharing with Everyday Sisters - Sharing Sundays
Melt in your Mouth Mondays