Skillet Cacio E Pepe Tortellini With Spinach

 This is by far the easiest and tastiest dinner I have ever made.  I will admit, at first I was skeptical, but was delighted by the first bite.   I also like this recipe because it is a one pan dish.  

You begin by browning the tortellini in some olive oil.  Once they are browned, you add water and spices.  Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the spinach, wilt and add the cheese.  Serve.  That is it.  Dinner awaits.  

Skillet Cacio E Pepe Tortellini With Spinach

From Simply Recipes Adapted by From My Southwest Kitchen

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons olive oil

16-20 ounces fresh cheese tortellini

1 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

3 ounces fresh spinach - 3 packed cups

1/3 - 1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese - adjust to taste. More for serving

Directions:

1.  Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet until shimmering.  Add tortellini and cook.  Toss until browned in spots.

2. Add the water, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to the tortellini.  Stir to combine and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.  Be sure almost all of the water has evaporated.

3. Lower the heat and add the spinach a handful at a time.  Cook until the spinach is wilted.  Remove from heat and add the cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  NOTE: Add a small amount of the cheese at a time and adjust for taste.    Serve with additional cheese and freshly ground pepper.

Makes 4 servings

Easy Pickled Onions

 These Pickled Onions are terrific on everything from burgers to sandwiches or just grabbing a few and popping them in your mouth.  I was amazed at how easy they were to make and how great they tasted.  No harsh flavor.

 You start off with a red onion and slice it thin.  Place the slices in a Mason jar and add vinegar, sugar, salt, and boiling water.  Let the onions come to room temperature then store them in the fridge.  That is it.

Easy Pickled Red Onions

From Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

1 cup water 

1 red onion

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:

1. Bring the water to a boil. 

2.  Slice your onion in half through the root, then in half-moon shapes.  Put the onions in a non-reactive container like a Mason jar or something made of glass. 

3.Add the vinegar, salt, and sugar over the onions. Then add the boiling water (you might need to pour a little extra water to submerge the onions completely—that's fine). Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then cover and stash in the fridge. 

4. The onions should be ready to eat in about an hour and will last two to three weeks, but if you notice any off smells or cloudiness in the jar, throw them out. 

Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

 Instant Pot soup is easy and delicious.   It was an overcast day so, I made some Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup.  It did not disappoint.  The veggies and chicken along with the spices blended wonderfully.  The soup had a great flavor.  Instead of using the traditional egg noodles, this recipe used Ditalini pasta.  A wonderful short tubular pasta.  

It takes about 3 minutes to cook the soup once it is brought up to pressure.  Once the pressure has been released, you stir in some cream with cornstarch.  This thickens the soup but if it is too thick for your taste, add milk to thin it.  

A great soup that is a meal in itself.  

Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

From The Recipe Rebel and Adapted Slightly From My Southwest Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 large carrots peeled and sliced

2 ribs of celery sliced

1 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2" pieces

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup Ditalini pasta

1/2 cup cream

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

1. Set Instant Pot to sauté.  Add the oil and heat.  Add the carrots and celery.

2. Cook for 3-4 minutes.  Add the chicken and cook and stir for 3-4 minutes.

3.  Stir in the parsley flakes, salt, granulated  garlic, onion powder, thyme, tarragon, and black pepper.  Cook until fragrant.

4. Add broth and stir to remove any of the flavorful brown bits.  Scrape down the sides of the Instant pot if needed.   

5. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to sealing.  Press Manual, and set to HIGH pressure for 3 minutes.

6. Release pressure naturally for 7 minutes and then open valve to release remaining pressure.  Remove lid.

7. Whisk together the cornstarch and the cream.  Pour into soup and stir.  Cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened.  Taste and adjusted seasoning if needed. Serve.

Serves 4

Smashed Cucumber Salad

 With hot summer days approaching, I like the cool and refreshing taste of cucumbers.  Biting into a slice of cucumber refreshes me instantly. There is truth to the saying 'cool as a cucumber.'  Cucumbers are easy to grow, can be found a your local market and farmers markets. 

 In this recipe, the cucumbers are smashed -  a Chinese technique which releases the seeds.  The cucumbers are cut into chunks and sprinkled with salt and sugar.  The cucumbers then rest for 20minutes. They are then tossed with a flavorful vingerarette and refrigerated.  

I like this technique of smashing the cucumbers because the dressing get into the cracks of the cucumbers.  This adds a wonderful flavor to the cucumbers. When you serve the salad, a tasty and refreshing dish awaits you.

Smashed Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

2 medium English cucumbers

1/2  teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon sugar 

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 

2 teaspoons soy sauce 

1 teaspoon sesame oil 

1 small clove garlic, finely grated 

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Quarter the cucumbers lengthwise. Put the slices on a cutting board, skin-side-up. Use the flat side of your knife to lightly smash along the length, then cut the cucumbers into 3/4-inch pieces. Toss the cucumbers with 1/2 teaspoon each  salt and sugar, then drain in a colander for 20 minutes.

2. Whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Add the cucumbers and toss to coat. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper, if using.  Refridgerate for 4 hours  before serving.

Serves 4

Easy Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken s a favorite dish eat my house. I must admit, I didn't try to make buttered Chicken until recently.  I y tried this recipe and was pleasantly surprised.  It  is easy to make and the taste is delicious.  I regretted that I didn't make the recipe sooner.  

I found this recipe on the Tasty website.  This recipe was easy to follow and the dish came together easily.   The dish was better than any take out we had tried.  The chicken was tender and flavorful and the sauce had some spice to it.  If the dish is too spicy for your taste, reduce the cayenne pepper.  Overall, this is a delicious dinner which is easy to prepare and doesn't take a lot of prep time.  My family enjoyed this dish and I will be making it again.  

Butter Chicken

From Tasty

Ingredients

for 4 servings

• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided 
• 1 ½ cups yellow onion, diced
• 3 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cinnamon, 3 inch (8 cm) stick
• 14 oz tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• rice, for serving
• fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, season the chicken breast with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, and the teaspoon of turmeric. Let sit for 15 minutes to marinate.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Brown the chicken, then remove from the pot.
3. Melt another 2 tablespoons of butter in the pot, then add the onion, garam masala, remaining teaspoon of chili powder, the cumin, ginger, garlic, cayenne, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant.
4. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.
5. Add the water and cream and return to a simmer.
6. Return the chicken to the pot, cover, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
7. Stir in the last 2 tablespoons of butter and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve the chicken over rice and garnish with cilantro.
9. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Beef Stew

 A good bowl of Beef Stew is a hearty, satisfying and delicious meal.  What better way to make this wonderful meal but in an Instant Pot. Cooking in an Instant Pot is one of my favorite ways to prepare meals.  

This stew has a wonderful flavor and the meat and veggies are fork tender.  The broth gets a flavor boost from the spices, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce.  This is a great meal to make for family and friends or when you need something easy and delicious to prepare.

Instant Pot Beef Stew

From The Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion

2 cloves garlic

2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

3 medium carrots (about 12 ounces total)

3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 12 ounces total)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

Fresh parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cut the aromatics and beef. Dice 1 medium yellow onion, mince 2 garlic cloves, and place both in a medium bowl. Trim 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.

2. Season and sear the beef in two batches. Toss the beef with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker on the Sauté setting until shimmering. Add half of the beef and sear undisturbed until browned on the bottom, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer with tongs to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and beef.

3. Soften the aromatics. Add the onion and garlic to the cooker and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the vegetables.

4. Cut the vegetables. Peel 3 medium carrots and cut on a slight diagonal into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Quarter 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (you want about 1 1/2-inch chunks).

5. Add the seasonings and liquid. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 1 teaspoon dried thyme to the onions and cook until the tomato paste is darkened in color, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup beef broth and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits.

6. Add the vegetables and seared beef. Add the carrots, potatoes, seared beef, and any accumulated juices from the beef, and stir to combine.

7. Cook on HIGH pressure for 25 minutes. Lock the lid on and check that the valve is set to seal. Set to cook for 25 minutes on HIGH pressure. It will take 7 to 10 minutes to come up to pressure.

8. Natural release pressure for 10 minutes and make the cornstarch slurry. When the cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together. Coarsely chop some fresh parsley leaves for garnish if desired.

9.Release the remaining pressure and thicken the sauce. Quick release any remaining pressure. Carefully open the pressure cooker and turn on the Sauté function. Stir in  the cornstarch mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

Season and serve. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve garnished with the parsley if desired.

Makes 4 servings