Instant Pot Pork Chops in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

 Instant Pot Pork Chops in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Ingredients

• 2 lbs center cut pork loin chops, bone in or out (about 4 large)
• salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• olive oil
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• a bundle of fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)

gravy

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 ½ Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 2 tsp dried)
• salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of broth from the pressure cooker, instructions below.

Instructions

1.                   Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper.

2.                   Put a tablespoon of oil into the Instant Pot and press Sauté. When it gets nice and hot, brown the chops for several minutes on each side to get a nice caramelization going. Work in batches so you don't crowd the pan. Remove and set aside.

3.                   Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot and add the shallots, stir for a minute or two to soften. Add ½ cup chicken broth and let it bubble while you scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

4.                   Press Off. Stir in the rest of the chicken broth, then layer the chops back into the pot. Add the bundle of fresh thyme. Close the lid, set the vent to Seal. Press pressure cook and set the timer for 10 minutes.

5.                   In the meantime cook the mushrooms in the butter and olive oil in a large skillet until they release their moisture and start to brown. Add the heavy cream, mustard, and the thyme leaves.

6.                   When the machine beeps, let it sit for 10 minutes, then press Off.

7.                   Release the vent and wait for the pressure to come down. Then open the lid and remove the chops to a plate. Pour about 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to the skillet and bring the sauce up to a gentle simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8.                   Nestle the pork chops down into the sauce in the skillet. Spoon some of the sauce and mushrooms over the meat, and heat everything through.

9.                   Serve sprinkled with a little fresh thyme.

 

WHITE FISH STREET TACOS

 White FISH street TACOS

Fish:

·         2 pounds white fish, like tilapia, cod, rockfish or halibut

·         1/4 cup olive oil

·         1/4 cup fresh lime juice

·         2 teaspoons chili powder

·         2 teaspoons ground cumin

·         1 teaspoon garlic powder

·         1 teaspoon smoked paprika

·         1 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt, use a bit less if using table salt

·         1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Sauce:

·         1/2 cup sour cream

·         1/2 cup mayonnaise

·         3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

·         1 teaspoons sriracha sauce, heaping

·         1 teaspoon garlic powder

Tortillas + Toppings:

·         12 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas

·         finely shredded cabbage (angel hair coleslaw mix works well)

·         fresh cilantro

·         diced avocados

·         pico de gallo – tomatoes, cilantro, salt, lime juice and onion

·         Cotija or queso fresco cheese

INSTRUCTIONS 

1.       Place fish in shallow dish or ziploc bag. Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and cayenne. Pour the marinade over the fish and toss to coat all sides of the fish. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 30-45 minutes.

2.       For the sauce, whisk together all the ingredients until well-combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. The sauce can be made several days in advance.

3.       Cook the fish using a grill, air fryer, oven or stovetop. Timing will depend on the thickness of the fish and exact temperature. Keep a close eye on the fish and cook until it easily flakes with a fork and is no longer translucent/raw in the center.

Grill: preheat a grill to medium-high, lightly oil the grates (or use a grill basket), and cook the fish for 2-3 minutes per side.

Air Fryer: preheat an air fryer to 370 degrees for 2-3 minutes. Lightly grease insert of air fryer. Add fish in a single layer and cook for 6-7 minutes.

Oven: preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking dish with aluminum foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Add fish in a single layer and bake for 3-5 minutes per side.

Stovetop: heat 1-2 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the fish in a single layer (don't crowd the pan; may need to cook in batches), and cook for 3-4 minutes per side.

After cooking, season to taste with additional salt and pepper!

4.                   Serve the fish on warmed corn or flour tortillas piled high with toppings and drizzled with sauce. (warm tortillas 5 at a time in microwave with damp dish cloth over top for 30 seconds)

Churro Toffee, Disneyland Copycat Recipe

 Churro Toffee, Disneyland Copycat Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter equal to 1 cup
• 1 cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ bag Ghirardelli White Melting Wafers

Cinnamon Sugar Churro Topping

• ¼ to ½ cup granulated sugar mixed with ½ - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1.                   Place parchment paper in 9x13 pan.

2.                   Place the butter, sugar and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Mixture will come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark golden color. Cook and boil until the temperature has reached 285 degrees F (137 degrees C). Continue stirring occasionally.

3.                   As soon as toffee reaches temperature, pour into prepared pan (don’t let it get dark or it will burn). Let set up for 20 minutes in refrigerator. Melt wafers according to package directions and pour over toffee. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture and let set up another 40 minutes. When set, break toffee into pieces and enjoy!

 

Homemade Eggnog

 Homemade Eggnog

Ingredients

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ground cinnamon , for topping

Instructions

1.                    Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl until light and creamy.

2.                    In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream, milk, nutmeg and salt. Stir often until mixture reaches a bare simmer. 

3.                    Add a big spoonful of the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Repeat, adding a big spoonful at a time, to temper the eggs. 

4.                    Once most of the hot milk has been added to the eggs, pour the mixture back into the saucepan on the stove. 

5.                    Whisk constantly for just a few minutes, until the mixture is just slightly thickened (or until it reaches about 160 degrees F on a thermometer). It will thicken more as it cools.

6.                    Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, and alcohol*, if using.

7.                    Pour the eggnog through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher or other container and cover with plastic wrap. 

8.                    Refrigerate until chilled. It will thicken as it cools. If you want a thinner, completely smooth consistency, you can add the entire mixture to a blender with 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk and blend until smooth.

9.                    Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg, and fresh whipped cream, if desired.

10.                 Store homemade eggnog in the fridge for up to one week.

https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/homemade-eggnog/

Sweet Potato Casserole

 Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Casserole

• 4-5 large (4 pounds) sweet potatoes 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, I use dark brown, but light works great too
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk (1%, 2%, or whole milk will work ok)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs

Pecan/Marshmallow Topping

• 4 tablespoons  butter, melted
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, I use dark brown, but light works great too
• 1/2 cup white all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 - 3 cups miniature marshmallows

Instructions

1.                     Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and deeply pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork and transfer to a foil-lined large baking sheet. Bake 1 hour, or until very tender when pierced with a fork. Once fork tender, remove from the oven, allow to slightly cool, and then cut potatoes in half and pull off the skins (they should slip right off!) 

2.         If the skins don't come off easily, scoop out the flesh from the halved potatoes. Place into a large mixing bowl and mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Add in brown sugar, white sugar, butter, vanilla, evaporated milk, cinnamon, and salt. Blend, using an electric hand mixer on low speed until smooth. Add in eggs and beat until blended and smooth. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

3.         Smooth the sweet potato mixture into a 9x13-inch pan. In a separate bowl, combine the pecan topping: the melted butter, chopped pecans, brown sugar, flour, and salt. Stir until ingredients are well incorporated. Top the entire casserole with this mixture. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes (tent with foil if streusel is browning too quickly).

4.         Remove casserole and add marshmallows in diagonal rows over the casserole. Return to the oven and bake for 4-8 minutes or until marshmallows are melty and lightly golden (watch carefully!). Remove from oven and serve warm.

5.         MAKE IN ADVANCE: You can make this casserole in advance by following these tips: store the pecan topping and marshmallows separately. Cover the sweet potato casserole tightly and refrigerate. When ready to bake, add pecan topping and place in the oven while it's preheating; continue to bake for 25-30 minutes once preheated. Add marshmallows according to recipe instructions.

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