Category: Instant Pot

Instant Pot Dominican Beans

Rice and beans with meat and a green salad was almost always on the dinner menu growing up. As the daughter of Dominican-born parents, it’s hard to imagine a childhood without it. It’s part of La Bandera, which is arroz con habichelas y pollo guisado – rice with beans and stewed chicken. It’s also cheap eats. A heaping serving of rice and beans with a green salad probably only costs about $2-$3 a person to make. Not bad if you’re trying to save some money.

Latin rice and beans is similar to New Orleans red beans and rice but with some distinct differences. Both the New Orleans-style recipe (check out my “Inspired” recipe here) and Dominican version cook over a low heat for hours, melding the flavors of the seasoning into the dish itself. Both dishes are typically served over rice and may or may not include meat. Dominican habichelas themselves do not contain meat. They are also not spicy.

My recipe below produces a delicious steamy bean stew that goes well over rice and your choice of meat. Check it out!

Some of the cast of characters. Not pictured: chicken stock.
Pinto beans in water.
I always pre-soak my beans to soften them and remove any sugars that can cause digestive issues.

Equipment List:

  1. Instant Pot. I used my 3-quart for this recipe. You can easily double it but go for the 6 quart instead.* (See tips below.)
  2. Chef’s knife.
  3. Cutting board.
  4. Wooden spoon.
  5. Ladle for serving.
  6. Small bowl.
  7. Measuring spoons and cup.

Ingredients List:

  1. 1 pound of pre-soaked pinto beans (for this recipe, I pre-soaked 8 ounces’ worth of beans, which became about 1 pound after soaking).
  2. 1/4 teaspoon oregano
  3. 1 bunch cilantro.
  4. 1 green bell pepper.
  5. 4 cloves garlic.
  6. 1 white onion.
  7. 3 cups chicken stock or water.
  8. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
  9. 1 tablespoon tomato paste.
  10. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tip: You can double this recipe, but keep in mind that you should keep the combination of ingredients lower than the 1/2 way mark on the pot. Beans foam and could clog the sealing valve.

Recipe Instructions:

  1. Pre-soak your beans. (Cover the beans with about an inch of water in a bowl and allow to soak overnight or for 8-10 hours. No need to add salt. Drain, rinse, then set aside.)
  2. Measure out the oregano and tomato paste, set aside.
  3. Wash half the bunch of cilantro and pat dry.
  4. Dice the green bell pepper, garlic, and white onion to make about a half cup.
  5. Rinse and pat dry the cilantro bunch. Keep it tied together.
  6. Set the Instant Pot to saute and more to adjust the heat level.
  7. Once the display reads “HOT,” pour in the vegetable oil.
  8. After a minute, sweat the bell pepper, garlic, and white onion in the hot oil. Sauté for about three minutes, taking care to not let the aromatics burn, but become translucent and fragrant instead.
  9. Stir in oregano.
  10. Pour in the beans.
  11. Stir in the tomato paste and quickly add the stock or water until the beans are covered by about 1/2 inch to an inch of liquid. (Note, don’t go over the 1/2 line!)
  12. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add more if needed.
  13. Add in your bunch of cilantro on top.
  14. Close and lock the lid. Make sure the knob is set to sealing.
  15. Push the Bean/Chili button and adjust to 40 minutes at high pressure.
  16. After the cooking cycle, allow the pot to rest for about 10-15 minutes then carefully release any remaining pressure in the pot.
  17. Remove the bunch of cilantro. Discard.
  18. Stir the beans. With the back of a spoon, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot. This will naturally thicken the broth to your liking. Keep in mind that a little mashing goes a long way. You can quickly go from soupy to gloopy with too much mashing! You’re looking for the consistency of a thick barbecue sauce – not too runny, but not like molasses either.
  19. Serve over rice and with your choice of meat!
Nicely thickened and ready for some rice.
White rice, stewed beans, and chicken breast.
All that’s missing is a nice green salad.

I had mine a couple of days later with rice and chicken breast, both of which I made in my Instant Pots! Stewed beans are always better the next day and keep in the fridge for up to a week. They also freeze well and will keep in the freezer for 6 months to a year.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe. If you did, let me know in the comments below. If you make stewed beans, let me know your recipe and what you like to have it with. Don’t forget to subscribe and if you have any suggestions for what I should learn to make next, let me know!

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Buen provecho! – Sami B.

New Orleans-Inspired Red Beans and Rice

Disclaimer: This post uses Amazon affiliate links. If you use my link and purchase the item, I get a small commission (and it doesn’t cost you anything).

I love my Instant Pot. Mine is a 6 quart 7-in-1 multicooker that can saute, pressure cook, make yogurt, steam, cook eggs, among other things. I’ve had since 2016 when we bought our house and since then we bought a 3 quart and adopted another 6 quart. I love having multiple pots since I can cook so many things at once for meal prep or potlucks. If you haven’t purchased one, you should consider it!

New Orleans has a special place in my heart. I’ve been there twice with my husband: once around Saint Patrick’s Day (when he proposed) and then the following year during the summer. NOLA is a place full of soul, cobblestone-lined streets, parties, raucous visitors, and the sound of music spilling out of every bar.

NOLA is a place full of magic. There were so many wonderful shops to walk through. There was a store solely dedicated to Christmas decorations and several others that sold only masks.

Exhibit A: There is legitimately a store called “Santa’s Quarters” on Decatur Street that sells Christmas stuff. All. Year. Round.
Exhibit B: Mask Factory, one of many shops in town dedicated to masks.
Exhibit C: I became a snow leopard that day… 

A favorite memory – aside from getting engaged after the Saint Patrick’s Day parade – is of us wandering Bourbon Street late into the evening after a nap and dinner. I don’t remember where we were going or why, but I recall the NOPD mounted police trotting along. Once we got to one end of Bourbon Street at the corner of Canal behind Walgreens and across from Krystal, a band took up their instruments and started to play. They were jamming out beautiful jazz music and a crowd formed to watch. NOPD mounted police took up a stance at the intersection of Bourbon and Canal to detour traffic. It was amazing. I remember dancing along and laughing, wishing that we never had to leave.

I also love NOLA for its food. The food has African, Latino, French, Spanish, and Haitian (among other) influences. You can see these influences in delicious dishes like etoufee, jambalaya, dirty rice, and gumbo.

One of my favorite New Orleans dishes is red beans and rice. Growing up, I ate my parents’ pinto beans and rice with meat, chicken, or fish, which was delicious. This is a New Orleans-inspired version which is spicier and includes meat cooked at the same time as the beans. I’ll post a Dominican beans recipe for those who still want savory beans but not the spicy. (Of course, you could always adjust the spice level in this recipe to suit your tastes.) For the New Orleans-inspired version, read below!

Today’s cast of characters photo only features the spices I used for this recipe. I find that these are the non-negotiables for my take on red beans.

Please note that my recipe ISN’T exactly dump and go. It can be if you put dried beans straight in to pressure cook with the rest of the ingredients, but I find the texture and overall flavor to be much better with pre-soaked beans. There are plenty of articles of you Google “should I soak my beans” that give you opinions either way. What’s more important is the receiving audience of your food creation. So, ultimately, you do you.

Soaking is easy. I pour a pound of dried beans into a medium bowl and add water until the beans are covered by at least a 1/2 inch. Then, I walk away for 8-10 hours. Afterwards, I drain the beans in a mesh sieve and set aside for the cooking process.

Equipment List

  1. Instant pot. I used my 6 quart Duo 7-in-1.
  2. Medium sized bowl.
  3. Wooden spoon.
  4. Chefs knife.
  5. Vegetable chopper.
  6. Cutting board.
  7. Slotted spoon.
  8. Measuring spoons and cups.
  9. Ladle for serving.

Ingredient List

  1. 1 pound of dried (or soaked and drained) kidney or small red beans.
  2. 1/2 to 1 pound of andouille sausage.* (See tips below)
  3. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
  4. 3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock.
  5. 2 cups of water.
  6. 3 stalks celery.
  7. 1 green bell pepper.
  8. 3 cloves (or more) of garlic.
  9. 1 medium white or yellow onion.
  10. Black pepper to taste.*
  11. Creole seasoning blend (I used Tony Chachere’s) to taste.*
  12. Cayenne pepper to taste.*
  13. 2 teaspoons dried oregano.
  14. 1 tablespoon smoked paprika.

Tip #1: You can use any sausage you like. Traditionally, this is made with the bone and bits of a ham hock from the previous evening’s meal. That imparts smokiness to the dish. You can also omit the meat entirely for a vegetarian-friendly version. If that’s what you are looking for, then swap the chicken stock for veggie stock.

Tip #2: The black pepper, Tony Chachere’s, and cayenne pepper amounts are all up to you. Want a mild heat? Go for 1/2 teaspoon each. Want to kick it up a notch Emeril-style, then “Bam!” your way to go spice heaven with a 1/2 a tablespoon or adjust as you go. Remember that you can always add more but not take away.

Tip #3: I did not add salt to this recipe because Tony Chachere’s contains salt.

Recipe Instructions

  1. Chop celery, onion, and garlic.
  2. Slice, remove the seeds, and chop the green bell pepper. (Note: I recommend you chop the veggies into uniform-sized pieces.)
  3. Cut your sausage into even sized medallions.
  4. Turn on your pot to sauté and “more” to increase the cooking temp quickly.
  5. When the displays “HOT” put in 2 tablespoons of oil.
  6. Sauté sausage for a few minutes until browned on both sides.
  7. Remove the sausage.
  8. Sweat the vegetables in the pot until they are translucent. Use the wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits and deglaze the bottom of the pot. The veggies will release their liquid and make it easier to do this.
  9. Add back the cooked sausage and their juices.
  10. Add the beans.
  11. Add the chicken stock and water to cover the mixture by about 1/2 to 1 inch.
  12. Season the mixture with the spices and mix. Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings close to your preference.
  13. Close the lid and lock it in. Set the valve to sealing.
  14. Select the manual or pressure cook button and use the +/- buttons to set the cook time to 40 minutes.
  15. When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pot naturally release pressure for about 20 minutes. (The display will read “L 00:20.”)
  16. Quick release the remaining pressure and carefully open the pot.
  17. Stir the red beans, taste, and adjust seasoning (if needed).
  18. Remove about a 1/4 cup of beans and liquid and place into a bowl. Using the back of a spoon or the bottom of a ladle, mash the beans. Add the mashed beans back to the pot and mix to incorporate.
  19. If you want the red beans thicker, mash more beans and add them back in. Keep in mind that this will thicken up slightly anyway.
  20. Serve with hot rice and a scatter of green onion.
  21. You can dot it with hot sauce (Krystal) if you want some additional heat.
The result after mixing in some mashed red beans to naturally thicken this up.
Plated with some Instant Pot Jasmine rice and a scattering of green onion from my backyard garden. Yum!

If you enjoyed this recipe, please give it a like and let me know in the comments below how you like your oatmeal. Share this with your friends and subscribe to this blog!

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Buen provecho! – Sami B.

Instant Pot Swedish-Inspired Meatballs

Disclaimer: This post uses Amazon affiliate links. If you use my link and purchase the item, I get a small commission (and it doesn’t cost you anything).

I love my Instant Pot. Mine is a 6 quart 7-in-1 multicooker that can saute, pressure cook, make yogurt, steam, cook eggs, among other things. I’ve had since 2016 when we bought our house and since then we bought a 3 quart and adopted another 6 quart. I love having multiple pots since I can cook so many things at once for meal prep or potlucks. If you haven’t purchased one, you should consider it!

There’s an Ikea just up the freeway from us. We don’t go often because it’s really an all-day thing. I once went on a lunch break to return an item and ended up staying there for almost 2 hours! On the days that we go, it’s just so hard look at some of the things. We have to look at all of the things!

There’s also the cafe. The wonderful delicious food at the cafe. If you’re an Ikea Family Member, you can get a mug of coffee for free and you can enjoy some lunch at the cafeteria which is conveniently placed on the second floor of the store where we live. I suppose they worked out that shoppers need energy to keep shopping, hence the cafeteria. Those sneaky Swedes!

One of my favorite things to eat as the Ikea cafeteria is Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce. So delicious! I can almost taste the flavorful sauce with the tender meatballs and the light sweetness of the lingonberry. You ever have that one thing that you just enjoy eating so much? That’s the Swedish meatballs at Ikea for me!

Also, I recently had some Swedish meatballs at a congregational meeting last month. I enjoy congregational meetings because we all get together to share some good food and talk church business. One of the ladies prepared Swedish meatballs and they were so delicious! The boys actually enjoyed a few pieces themselves, the picky eaters they are. Ever since that Sunday, I couldn’t get that meal out of my head. I needed to make some for myself!

This instant pot recipe for Swedish-Inspired meatballs is my take on the iconic dish. Lingonberry sauce is hard to find where I live, so I substitute cranberry sauce in its place. You’ll find that this recipe does meet the mark if you’re in the mood for some Swedish food, but not wanting to go to Ikea and not living in Sweden already. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Ingredients photo that includes: all purpose flour, garlic powder, salted butter, Dijon mustard, heavy whipping cream, frozen meatballs, chicken stock, and soy sauce.
Today’s cast of characters. Not pictured: salt and pepper and cranberry sauce.

The Dijon mustard was being a bit saucy for the group photo, LOL!

Equipment list:

  1. 6 quart Instant Pot
  2. Measuring cups
  3. Measuring spoons
  4. Wooden spoon
  5. Whisk
  6. Small bowl
  7. Soup ladle (the one that came with your Instant Pot works perfectly for serving)

Ingredients list:

  1. 2 cups chicken broth
  2. 1 package of your favorite meatballs* (check out the tip below)
  3. 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce (I only had the fully leaded version)
  4. 1/3 cup butter
  5. 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  6. Garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste
  7. 1 cup heavy cream*
  8. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour*

*Tip: If you want or need to make this recipe gluten free, replace the all-purpose flour with arrowroot flour and read the packaging on your meatballs! We don’t have an issue with gluten, except for the fact that we love it so much (bread, cookies, pizza…), so I don’t mind that the Safeway Kitchens brand that I used has gluten. I also have no issue with using flour as the thickener.

*Tip #2: Always add major dairy products (milk, cheese, heavy cream, sour cream, etc.) in after the cooking cycle is done. Pressure cooking dairy makes it curdle and not as appealing at all. You’re better served mixing it in at the end.

Recipe instructions:

  1. Turn on the pot to saute and adjust to less by pressing “saute” and pressing the “adjust” button.
  2. Pour the chicken broth into the inner liner of your Instant Pot.
  3. Mix in Dijon, soy sauce, and garlic/salt/pepper to taste.
  4. Add desired amount of meatballs (I did about 20 ounces which was 20 meatballs).
  5. Close and lock the lid and set the valve to sealing.
  6. Select the “manual” or “pressure cook” button and using the +/- buttons, set the cook time to 5 minutes.
  7. Once the cooking cycle is over, let the pot naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure but moving the sealing knob to venting.
  8. Press the “keep warm/cancel” button and go back to saute mode. It should stay on the “less” setting.
  9. Carefully pour in the heavy cream and stir with the wooden spoon.
  10. Scoop out about one cup of the broth into a snack bowl and quickly whisk in the flour.
  11. Add the flour slurry to the pot, quickly stirring with the wooden spoon. Saute until thickened to your preference.
  12. Serve!

I had mine over rice with some canned cranberry sauce. Pretty tasty.

Swedish meatballs on Jasmine rice with a little cranberry sauce.
Should’ve added some parsley, but I’m a home chef, so… 💁🏾‍♀️

Nutrition Information:

675 calories, 16 grams protein, 63 grams carbohydrates, 40 grams of fat. 1 serving is five meatballs with about a half cup of sauce. Tasty, but not for every dinner!

Let me know what you like to eat Swedish meatballs with or if you have any variations I should consider. If you have any suggestions for other meatball recipes you want me to try on the Instant Pot, let me know in the comments below. And if you like this recipe, hit the like and subscribe so you keep up to date with what I post. Share with your friends, too!

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Buen provecho! – Sami B.

Overnight Oats in the Instant Pot

Disclaimer: This post uses Amazon affiliate links. If you use my link and purchase the item, I get a small commission (and it doesn’t cost you anything).

Recently, we went on a vacation to visit Yosemite National Park. We weren’t staying in an RV or camping. Instead, we rented a cabin in kinda-nearby Coulterville which is about an hour or so away.

While prepping for the trip, I decided to bring my 6 quart 7-in-1 Instant Pot Duo along to make quick work of meals and snacks. I didn’t get to use it as much as I liked, but I did get a chance to make one of my favorite breakfasts: oatmeal.

Now, I think I know what you are thinking: “Sami, I can buy some instant oatmeal in a microwave pouch and be done.” I totally get it. Microwave oatmeal is quick and delicious. But I prefer the Instant Pot version. It’s easy to throw together the night before and insanely versatile as far as make ahead breakfast goes.

Buying bulk oatmeal is cheaper. And making it in the Instant Pot means you can pitch those instant oats that are insanely processed bits of cardboard and go for some nutrient-dense steel cut or rolled oats. Here’s a comparison of the nutritional value of each:

Groats are best, but you can still get a lot out of rolled oats. Way better than instant.

And what’s more? No babysitting! Whether it’s the microwave or the stove top, you have to watch it cook. You can’t set it up and walk away because you run the risk of the oatmeal frothing and spilling over. Ain’t nobody got time to clean up that mess! And ain’t nobody got time to watch something cook. The Instant Pot makes it perfect every single time and you don’t have to watch it.

So, the first night in Coulterville, I set up the pot and had oatmeal waiting for me the next morning. Read on for the recipe!

Ingredients and Equipment List:

For this recipe, you’re going to need a measuring cup (the rice cup is about 180 ml or 3/4 cup), measuring spoons, the Instant Pot, a wooden spoon or the rice paddle, and a ladle. Ingredients include rolled oats, table salt, butter (or margarine – you do you, boo), and water.

Recipe Instructions:

  1. Choose your measuring vessel. The trick to creamy, delicious oatmeal is a ratio of about 1:2.25 oats to water. Measure out 2 rice cups of oats. Pour into the inner lining of your pot.
  2. Measure out 4.5 rice cups of water. Pour that into the pot.
  3. Slice off a pat of butter. Drop that on top of the oats and water.
  4. Add about a 1/4 teaspoon of salt and mix.
  5. Ensure the oats are completely submerged in water.
  6. Place the lid on, lock it in place and make sure you turn that sealing nob away from you to sealing, not venting.
  7. I preset my Porridge button to 5 minutes, but you can also select the manual or pressure cook button and use the +/- buttons to set it to 5 minutes.
  8. Press the Timer and using the +/- buttons, you can set how long of a delay you want before the pot starts the cooking program. Keep in mind that you need to account for the cooking time, about 10-15 minutes to build pressure before cooking, and about 10-15 minutes of natural pressure release. All told, this will go for about 35 minutes.
  9. Once the program concludes, let the pot naturally release pressure for about 10-15 minutes. Don’t release sooner, or else you’ll have a foamy mess on your hands!
  10. Mix on your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Pro-tip: Oatmeal expands, so don’t feel the pot more than half way.

When I made my Instant Pot oatmeal, I mixed in brown sugar and cinnamon. You can mix it with anything you want.

Instant Pot cooked rolled oats.
Delicious, filling breakfast made easy.

If you enjoyed this recipe, please give it a like and let me know in the comments below how you like your oatmeal. Share this with your friends and subscribe to this blog!

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Buen provecho! – Sami B.

Instant Pot Jasmine Rice

Updated August 3, 2019 with pictures and a little more backstory.

Disclaimer: This post uses Amazon affiliate links. If you use my link and purchase the item, I get a small commission (and it doesn’t cost you anything).

I love my Instant Pot. Mine is a 6 quart 7-in-1 multicooker that can saute, pressure cook, make yogurt, steam, cook eggs, among other things. I’ve had since 2016 when we bought our house and since then we bought a 3 quart and adopted another 6 quart. I love having multiple pots since I can cook so many things at once for meal prep or potlucks. If you haven’t purchased one, you should consider it!

One of the things I really enjoy making is Jasmine rice. It goes so well with chicken, beef, eggs, and can be a great base for other dishes. It keeps for about five days in the fridge and is relatively inexpensive to buy. I grew up on rice as part of dinner. I think it would be hard to find a Hispanic household that didn’t have rice with dinner.

My husband and kids love rice, too. I personally have to cut back on my rice consumption, because it’s so easy for me to have a huge bowl of rice just on its own! My waistline and my scale are complaining, haha!

The dinner I made using Instant Pot Jasmine rice as a base: fried egg over medium, seaweed seasoning, steamed veggies, and Sriracha.
And no wonder my scale is tipping. Tonight’s dinner: Jasmine rice topped with steamed carrots, asparagus, and corn. Add a fried over medium egg with some seaweed seasoning and Sriracha sauce dotted on top and I was done.

Rice is ridiculously easy to make in the Instant Pot. This recipe is so simple and it doesn’t involve babysitting like it would on the stove. My mom used to make huge pots of rice and would have to fill the pot to a certain level, stand over the pot stirring, boiling the water, salting the water just right, putting the rice in, make sure the metal spoon could stand in the rice and water (a very useful trick to know how much water is the right amount of water), stirring the rice, watching the rice, lowering the temp just so, putting the lid on the pot just so, etc.

In the Instant Pot? Stupid simple. So simple in fact, that I am pretty sure my Dominican mother was amazed with how good the rice was with minimal effort on my part.

Equipment List:

  • Instant Pot (I used my 3-quart)
  • Wire mesh strainer or sieve
  • Rice paddle
  • Measuring cup
  • Measuring spoons.

Ingredients List:

  • Jasmine rice
  • Water
  • Table salt
Picture of ingredients and tools: rice, salt, measuring cup, rice paddle, mesh sieve, and 3-quart Instant Pot Duo.
The cast of characters for this recipe. Not pictured? Those pesky measuring spoons.

Recipe Instructions:

  • Choose your measuring vessel. I use the rice cup that came with the Instant Pot, which is about 3/4 of a cup. Measure out at least a cup’s worth of rice and pour into a fine-mesh colander.
  • Add the same amount of water to the inner liner of your pressure cooker. Salt to taste.
  • Rinse the rice under cool water until it runs clear. If you wonder why you should rinse your rice, check out this TheKitchn link here.
  • Add the rice to the inner liner and stir to combine. Make sure all the grains are submerged in the water.
  • Line up the arrow of the lid with the arrow on the base and turn it an eighth turn clockwise to lock it in. I love the sounds my Instant Pot makes!
  • Make sure the sealing knob is set to sealing. On my Duo model, it’s a quarter turn clockwise.
  • Select “Manual” and make sure it’s on high pressure. Click the + or – button to set the time to five minutes.
  • After the cooking cycle is over, let the pot sit for about 10 minutes to release pressure naturally.
  • Open the pressure cooker, fluff your rice, and enjoy!
Fluffy, cooked Jasmine rice in the Instant Pot.
Come to Mamacita!

Nutrition Information:

One 1/2 cup serving of rice is about 102.5 calories, 0.2 g of fat, 22.5 g of carbohydrates, and 2.1 g of protein.

Let me know what you use your rice for in the comments below!

Thank you for sharing some of your screen time with me! If you liked this recipe, please hit the like button so I know to make more content like this. Tell me what you want me to try making next in the comments below. Also, check out my Facebook and Instagram (tag me at @cookwithsamib) for more photos and my Pinterest for what inspires me. Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to my blog for updates when I hang new posts!

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Buen provecho! – Sami B