Category: Vegetarian

Instant Pot Hard Cooked Eggs (4-3-4 Method)

Hard boiled eggs are a staple for various reasons: meal-prep, egg salad, potato salad, stuffed eggs, as a topper for a salad, inside of a delicious and ultra-fattening Scotch Egg, or on their own as a quick snack. According to The Incredible Egg, one egg is:

70 calories, 5 grams fat, 0 grams carbs, 6 grams protein, among other nutrients.

That’s pretty good.

Eggs cooked in the shell are good for up to one week, according to TheKitchn. I usually make mine on Sundays for the boys’ breakfasts during the week and for my post-workout snacks. My Instant Pot comes in as the nearly-foolproof way to make a bunch of them.

When I first got my Instant Pot, there were so many naysayers about how amazing it is. But hard cooked eggs is a reason why the Instant Pot is so amazing.

Jump to the Equipment List. Jump to the Ingredient List. Jump to the Recipe Instructions.

What’s so Special about IP Eggs?

There are so many reasons why hard cooking eggs in the Instant Pot is awesome. The shells come off easily, you can cook one or one dozen, there’s very little babysitting involved, and there are so many uses for this powerhouse food.

The Shells Peel off Incredibly Easy

Nine times out of 10, the shells slip off, leaving you with a perfectly smooth white interior. This method (that I call “4-3-4”) does not overcook the yolk – something that my little guy hates and will refuse to eat it if the yolk is grey.

You Can Cook as Many Eggs as Will Fit

You can literally cook as many eggs as you want as long as they fit in the Instant Pot you are using. You can make one or one-dozen. Need six eggs for the week? Order up!

You Don’t Have to Worry Much

This recipe does need a little bit of babysitting, but not much. You’re really watching the clock. You don’t have to worry about water boiling over on the stove. No need to add baking soda or salt salt, or starting with cold or hot water. No guess work. No fuss. I find that this is really the best way to make hard cooked eggs!

Too Many Eggs? Not a problem

Egg salad sandwich from instant pot hard boiled eggs. Delish!
I love egg salad sandwiches. So delicious and ready in an Instant. See what I did there? LOL!

One time, I made too many eggs and they were going to go bad. I had some mayo, some yellow mustard, garlic powder, salt, and soon, I had a delicious egg salad sandwich to munch on while thinking about how I was going to type up this post!

Read on for the recipe.

Equipment List:

*Tip: Don’t use the trivet. A sturdy steamer basket that doesn’t flop around when you move it will serve you best. Time is usually of the essence at the end of this recipe. The best thing about the steamer basket is that you can just pull it out of the pot and drop it straight into an ice bath.

Ingredient List:

  • As many eggs as you want
  • 1 cup of water for the inner liner
  • Ice for the bowl for after the eggs are cooked
  • Water for the bowl for after the eggs are cooked.

Recipe Instructions:

  • Pour one cup of water into the inner liner of your instant pot.
  • Set your basket in the pot.
  • Gently place your eggs in the pot.
  • Place the lid on and lock it in with a quarter turn clockwise.
  • Set your sealing knob to sealing (turn it back).
  • Press the manual or pressure cook button (depending on your model) and use the +/- buttons to set it to 4 minutes.
  • After the cooking cycle is complete, set out your bowl and fill it halfway with ice. Pour water into it and keep it handy.
  • Once the screen says: L 00:03, carefully turn the knob to venting.
  • Once all the pressure has been released and the pin has dropped, carefully open the lid away from your face.
  • Pull the eggs out and place them into the ice bath.
  • Let cool for at least four minutes.
  • Peel and enjoy, or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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!

Let me know how you use up your hard boiled eggs in the comments below. Share with your friends, and don’t forget to subscribe. That way, you won’t miss a single food post.

Buen provecho! – Sami B.

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Instant Pot Sweet Corn Spoon Bread Bites

Inspiration struck as I was looking at the pantry. I was thinking about a baby shower I was going to the next day. I wasn’t cooking anything for it but I was wondering what I would make. I saw a box of corn meal and it dawned on me that I love and miss sweet corn spoon bread.

I thought to myself, why not try and make some? So, I got to experimenting. This experiment resulted in way too many corn spoon bread bites and a recipe that I’m happy to share with you.

Jump to the Equipment List. Jump to the Ingredient List. Jump to the Recipe Instructions.

Spoon bread is ooey, gooey, and sweet. It’s cooked all the way through to a safe temperature, but very soft and delicious. I would add this to the comfort foods list. This would go well for end-of-summer barbecues or potlucks that focus on “small bite” fare. This can be easily consumed with your hands, or you can use a fork and knife instead.

I’ve had spoon bread at Thanksgiving, too. It replaced the sweet potato casserole as the sweet dessert-before-dessert. Sometimes I prefer spoon bread to sweet potato casserole because it isn’t too sweet.

Spoon bread is the kind of side that my kids enjoy and will ask for continually. Some Mexican restaurants serve a similar side dish called sweet corn cake. It’s got the consistency of a cake and is slightly sweet. Whenever we go to El Torito, we make sure to grab a larger bowl of it to share between me and the kids.

Equipment List:

  • 6-quart Instant Pot
  • Trivet with legs
  • Egg bite mold (I use this one)
  • Paper towel to cover the mold
  • Aluminum foil to cover the mold
  • Two medium-sized mixing bowls
  • Wire whisk
  • Measuring spoons and cup
  • Plate larger than the mold to pop out the bites

Ingredient List:

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup corn meal
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons white sugar
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 cup sweet corn (drained if from a can)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons milk
  • 1/2 cup creamed corn (about 1/3 of a can)
  • 4 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted and at room temperature
  • Cooking spray or melted butter to grease the egg bite molds
  • 1 cup water for cooking
Cast of characters for this experiment. I definitely ended up making a lot that night! I was also making dinner in my other 6-quart and my 3-quart Instant Pots. Let’s talk about multitasking!

Recipe Instructions:

  • Mix all the dry ingredients together in one bowl.
  • Mix all the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl.
  • Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Little lumps are OK, but you don’t want to activate the gluten in the flour.
  • Grease your egg bite mold. This will help the bites pop out when done cooking.
  • Pour the batter into the mold.
  • Cover the mold with a paper towel to collect any condensation that may occur.
  • Cover the mold and paper towel with aluminum foil.
  • Pour one cup of water into the inner liner of your Instant Pot.
  • Place the trivet inside.
  • Carefully place the mold on top of the trivet.
  • Seal and lock in the lid and set the sealing knob to the seal position.
  • Press manual (or pressure cook, depending on your model) and using the +/- buttons, set it for seven minutes’ cook time.
  • After the cooking cycle is complete, carefully turn the knob to the venting position for a quick release.
  • Carefully remove the lid and the mold. The mold will be hot!
  • Place a plate upside down over the mold and flip.
  • The bites should pop out easily. If not, run a knife around the edges of each bite.
The finished product.

If you enjoyed this, like this recipe. What occasion do you make these bites for?

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!

Join 82 other subscribers

Buen provecho! – Sami B.

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.

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!

Join 82 other subscribers

Buen provecho! – Sami B