Pressure Cooker Meal! Bean/Taco Chicken

Super family/kid friendly recipe! This is a family favorite that I changed up a little to work in the pressure cooker, and my kids LOVE it. The chicken is so moist and flavorly. I like it with avocado and cilantro. My kids like it on chips. Eric just loves it either way :). So it's pretty versatile. I have also left out the corn.

(this makes enough to have lunches for my family…I hate figuring out lunch and it goes to school in a thermos well with Hailey)

In the pressure cooker add:

3-4 Large Chicken Breasts

1.5-2 cups salsa (homemade closer to 1.5. Store bought closer to 2)

about 1/4 cup taco seasoning (we had a bunch of Mel's Taco Seasoning already made on hand at our house this time) but you could throw the spices together right then too….or use regular taco seasoning. That would be great.

Pressure cook. If I do it from frozen, it needs around 20 sometimes even 25 minutes. If not, then like 13-16.

Shred chicken. (put back in pan if you took it out)

Then add in:

1 cup frozen corn (drained)

1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)

Pressure cook again for 3 minutes

Stir and serve! SO yummy!

Danielle

Baja Avocado Pasta

This was delicious! Who would have thought that avocado pasta sauce would taste good? We definitely enjoyed it. Also it used the delicious chicken recipe from this post. So that was awesome.

I didn't use corn because I think corn in Mexican dishes is gross. 

I tried to take pictures, but it was all sorts of blurry. I failed. So if you want to see pictures go look at the site. 

http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/creamy-baja-avocado-pasta-chili-lime-chicken/

• 1 recipe Chili Lime Chicken (click HERE for recipe)
• 16 oz. thin spaghetti, cooked al dente
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• fresh corn kernels from 1 ear of sweet corn
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
• hot sauce to taste
• 
  Creamy Blender Avocado Sauce
• 1 cup light sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeded, deveined and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup packed cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 
  Garnishes (optional)
• Pepitas
• Pepper jack/cotija cheese
• fresh lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare Chili Lime Chicken according to directions. When done, remove chicken to cutting board and cover to keep warm. Don't slice until ready to serve.
2. Meanwhile, add all of the Creamy Blender Avocado Sauce ingredients to your blender and chop then puree/liquefy until smooth.
3. In the same skillet you cooked your chicken in, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat (you can use remaining oil from chicken if there's enough). Add red bell peppers, corn and garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes, or until red peppers are crisp-tender. Add diced tomatoes/green chilies and heat through.
4. Add cooked pasta followed by Creamy Avocado Sauce and stir to combine. Heat through. Taste and add additional salt, pepper, hot sauce to taste.
5. Garnish individual servings with chicken and optional toppings of cheese, pepitas and fresh lime juice.

NOTES

Refrigerate leftover pasta for up to 5 days. The lime juice will keep the sauce from discoloring.

Chicken Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

This was amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. 

The chicken was super tender and not dry. Potentially the best taco chicken I've ever had.

Grilled pineapple salsa? Yum. Make this. Your life will be better. It looks like a lot of steps, but it took about an hour total. Some of the stuff can definitely be made in advance too.

http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/chili-lime-chicken-tacos-with-grilled-pineapple-salsa/

Chicken
1 pounds chicken breasts pounded to 1/2 inch thickness

• Chili Lime Rub
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• fresh-squeezed lime juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
• Lime zest from 1 lime

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, whisk chicken rub ingredients together and rub evenly all over chicken breasts. Timer permitting, allow chicken to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate up to 8 hours then bring to room temperature for before cooking.*
2. STOVETOP DIRECTIONS
3. If chicken has been refrigerated, let sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (time permitting).
4. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed for 3-5 minutes, or until nicely browned (or blackened if you prefer) on one side. Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked through. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
5. Garnish with extra fresh lime juice if desired.
6. GRILLING DIRECTIONS
7. If chicken has been refrigerated, let sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (time permitting).
8. Meanwhile, grease and preheat the grill to medium heat, 375-450°F.
9. Grill chicken undisturbed for for 6-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. (An inserted thermometer should read 155 degrees F.)
10. Remove chicken from grill and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 ripe pineapple, trimmed and sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
• 1/2 small red onion, peeled and cut in half (so you have 2 quarters of whole onion)
• 1 jalapeno, whole
• 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Grease grill and heat to medium high heat.
2. Drizzle red onions with olive oil and thread onto a skewer (if using a wooden skewer, soak skewer in water for at least 30 minutes beforehand). Drizzle red bell pepper quarters and jalapeno with olive oil to lightly coat.
3. Working in batches as needed depending on grill size, grill pineapple and vegetables at medium high heat until tender and lightly charred all over, about 12 minutes for the onions, turning occasionally, about 8-10 minutes for the pineapple, or until caramelized, flipping once, 6 minutes for the red bell peppers, flipping once, and jalapeno for 3-5 minutes, turning occasionally.
4. Once cool enough to handle, dab off any excess oil with paper towels from vegetables and chop pineapple (cutting around core), red bell peppers, and onions. Devein and deseed jalapeno and dice, reserving some of the seeds if desired.
5. Toss pineapple, red bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, ginger, cumin and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. If you would like it spicier, add some of the jalapeno seeds to taste.
6. Can be served immediately or even better chilled.

Tacos and Avocado Crema Directions

• 4 flour tortillas (or 6-8 corn tortillas)
• 1/2 cup favorite cheese, more or less
• 
  Avocado Crema
• 1 medium avocado
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare Chili Lime Chicken And Grilled Pineapple Salsa according to directions.
2. To make the Avocado Crema, add all the Crema ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth, scraping sides down as needed. May make 4 hours ahead of time and refrigerate in an airtight container.
3. To assemble, melt cheese on tortillas in the microwave or stovetop then top with Chili Lime Chicken, Pineapple Salsa followed by Avocado Crema. I did the avocado crema first because I could just spread it on the tortilla. 

Honey-Mustard Bacon Cheese Chicken

This recipe is a knock off of Outback's Alice Spring Chicken.  It was really good!  I made it on the same day I made the squash spaghetti.  The flavors were good together, but they were both kind of high intensity dishes, so I would suggest making this with an easy side like potatoes or something like that so  you get dinner done faster.  

I did most of the prep for this dish while it was marinading.  So I made the marinade, got it marinading and then cooked the bacon, sliced the mushrooms, grated the cheese and put it all in the fridge.  Then when I got done with work (it was a Saturday, so I was only in for a couple of hours) I assembled it.  That worked out well.  

I got this recipe from: http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/our-version-of-outbacks-alice-springs-chicken.html

Ingredients

Honey Mustard Marinade:
• 1 c. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
• 1 c. honey
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
Chicken:
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 c. sliced mushrooms (10?12 mushrooms)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• salt and pepper
• paprika
• 8 slices bacon, cooked
• 1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Use an electric mixer to combine the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whip the mixture for about 30 seconds. Place chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour in about 1/3 of the marinade [at least, I didn't think it needed any for dipping, so I would probably go with 1/2]. Seal the bag and press out as much air as you can and marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
• Chill the remaining marinade until later. After the chicken has marinated, remove chicken from bag and discard the marinade that it has been soaking in. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and heat an ovenproof frying pan large enough to hold all four breasts and 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. (If you don't have an ovenproof frying pan, transfer the chicken to a baking dish) [I transferred my chicken to a foil lined baking dish, I suggest this to minimize clean up!].
• Sear the chicken in the pan for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove pan from heat but keep chicken in the pan. As the chicken is cooking, in a small frying pan saute the mushrooms in the butter. Brush each seared chicken breast with a little of the honey mustard marinade being sure to save a little extra that you can serve on the side later with the dish.
• Season the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika ( I am usually pretty generous with the paprika, I love the flavor). Stack two pieces of cooked bacon, crosswise on each chicken breast. Spoon the sauteed mushrooms onto the bacon, being sure to coat each breast evenly. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese evenly onto each breast followed by 1/4 cup of cheddar.
• Bake the pan of prepared chicken breasts for 7-10 minutes or until cheese is thoroughly melted and starting to bubble. Sprinkle each breast with 1/2 teaspoon parsley before serving. Put extra honey mustard marinade into a small bowl to serve on the side.

One Pot Spicy Rigatoni

Yum! This was delicious! I really liked it! It only had one weird ingredient, Hot Cherry Peppers. The only place in Logan that I could find them was at our natural grocery store…. Annoying. But here's a picture of what the jarred ones look like:

That isn't the brand that I found, but they were sliced. I decided that about 4-5 slices equals one whole pepper (they're not very big). And wow it was plenty spicy. Next time I would cut down to the equivalent of probably 4 of the peppers instead of 6. And for people like Mom and Danielle, maybe even just do 3. You don't want to cut it out too much because the spicy is what makes it awesome. It says that red pepper flakes are optional, it was definitely warm enough that it didn't need that.

Also this makes a lot! Obviously since it uses a pound of pasta.

http://blog.hostthetoast.com/one-pot-spicy-chicken-riggies/

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
• 1.5 lbs chicken breast, cut into small chunks
• 2 large roasted red peppers, sliced into thin strips
• 6 hot cherry peppers, chopped and deseeded
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup cooking sherry or white wine
• 1 cup water
• 1 lb Rigatoni
• 1 cup pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
• ½ stick butter
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• Crushed red pepper flakes, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add in the garlic and chicken. Sauté the chicken until it is just browned on the outside but not cooked through.
2. Stir in the roasted red peppers and hot cherry peppers, and sauté for a minute. Add in the crushed tomatoes and sherry or wine. Add in the water and pasta and bring to a low boil. (If there isn't enough liquid, add a bit more water.) Continue to cook, stirring often, until the pasta has cooked to al dente, about 15-20 minutes.
3. Reduce to low heat and add in the butter, basil, and salt. When the butter completely melts into the pasta, add in the cream and cheese. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top with additional cheese, basil, and red pepper flakes if you really like a lot of heat!
4. Serve warm.

Chicken Flautas

I really like to order chicken flautas at Mexican Restaurants. And now I found a recipe! Woohoo!

These were yummy, fast, and great with guacamole! Also if you have random leftover shredded chicken this would be a great use of that.

I just re-read the recipe and apparently I was supposed to use 5-6 inch tortillas. I used normal size ones, and it was fine. I also didn't use toothpicks (I don't have such luxuries laying about), I just kept the tortilla rolled up by holding it with the tongs.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/chicken-flautas-with-avocado-cream-recipe.html

Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 small red onion, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat finely shredded

1 cup salsa

1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

1 cup shredded Cheddar/Monterey jack blend

1 lime, juiced

Salt

16 (5 to 6-inch) flour tortillas



Directions

Fill a large pot with enough oil to reach 2 inches up the side of the pan. Heat over medium heat until a 

deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reads 375 degrees F. To make the flautas: In a pan over 

medium heat melt butter and saute onions and jalapenos until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, 

cumin, and cayenne pepper and cook until fragrant, another 2 minutes. Add chicken and salsa; stir to 

combine. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro, cheese and lime juice. Let cool slightly.


Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.



Working with 4 tortillas at a time, spread a heaping spoonful along the middle of each tortilla. Roll 


tray while assembling and cooking the remaining tortillas. Roll tortilla tightly around the filling and 

secure with a toothpick. Using tongs, hold each flauta in hot oil until firm, then release to continue 

cooking. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate and 

immediately season with salt. Keep flautas warm in the oven on a sheet 

Grilled Asian Chicken with Peanut Noodles and Cucumber Salsa

Whew… What a title. Anyway this way yummy and fresh and super spicy. I didn't have chili garlic sauce but I did just have chili sauce, so I used that.  Definitely would have been fine with 1/2 tablespoon using that. I'm sure if I had followed the recipe and used the right sauce, it would have been fine though. 

Anyway this was fast and yummy!

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/grilled-asian-chicken-with-peanut-noodles/

Cucumber Sambal:
• 1 cup seeded and diced cucumbers
• 1/2 cup thinly chopped green onions, white and green parts
• 1/2 cup small diced red pepper
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Grilled Chicken and Noodles:
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar, divided (you'll use some for the chicken, some for the noodles)
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce divided (same as the brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon peanut, canola, vegetable or coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
• 12 ounces dry spaghetti noodles
• 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
• 1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce, more or less to taste
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. For the cucumber sambal, toss all the ingredients together and chill until ready to serve (this can be made a couple hours or even 1-2 days ahead of time).
2. Preheat a grill to medium or medium-high heat. In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, oil and salt. Add the chicken breasts and toss to coat the chicken with the sauce. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
3. While the chicken rests in the marinade, start a large pot of salted water to boil.
4. In a microwave-safe bowl or in a small saucepan, combine the broth, peanut butter, remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, vinegar, lime juice, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ginger, chili garlic sauce and sesame oil. Heat, stirring often, until simmering and smooth. Off the heat (or after it is done microwaving), stir in the cilantro. Season with a dash of salt, more or less to taste.
5. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
6. While the noodles cook, grill the chicken 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through (about 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Remove to a plate and tent with foil.
7. When the noodles are finished cooking, reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water in a bowl and then drain the noodles. Dump the noodles into a bowl or on a serving platter and toss with the warm peanut sauce. Add a tablespoon or two of the hot pasta water if needed to loosen up the noodles and sauce a bit (especially helpful if the noodles have sat for 5-10 minutes before serving).
8. Serve the grilled chicken with the peanut noodles (you can even top the grilled chicken with the noodles) and a heaping scoop of the cucumber sambal.

Greek Inspired Steak (or Chicken) and Rice (or quinoa)

I thought this recipe looked very good. And then I made lots of changes. So instead of using flank steak because I couldn't find any and beef is expensive, I just used chicken. And instead of rice I used some quinoa I had hanging around. But this was very good, fresh, and different. Sam really liked it.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2014/03/greek-inspired-steak-rice/

Marinade & Dressing
zest from 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup olive oil 

Steak and Rice
1 1/2 – 2 lb flank steak- I used Chicken and I broiled it which was rather smokey.
non-stick spray or drizzle of olive oil
10-12 ounce pack grape tomatoes
6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
2 cups cooked  brown rice (or quinoa, cous cous, or white rice)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup feta cheese

Instructions

Rinse steak in cool water and pat dry with paper towels.  With a sharp knife, very lightly score the top in a diamond pattern.  Place steak in a zip-lock bag or a shallow pan.

Place all marinade ingredients, except oil, in a blender.  Blend for a few seconds and then with the blender on low, slowly drizzle in olive oil.  Set aside 1/4 cup of marinade and store in fridge.  Place remaining marinade in bag with steak and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 6 hours (longer is fine).  Rotate bag occasionally to evenly distribute marinade.

When ready to cook, remove steak and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.  You may cook steak in one of 3 ways:

1.  Broil:  Preheat broiler and place steak on a broiler pan.  Cook for about 5-8 minutes on each side, or until top is slightly browned and internal temperature reaches about 135 degrees.

2.  Outdoor grill:  Heat grill to high heat.  Lightly oil grill grates and place steak on grill.  Decrease heat to medium-high.  Sear 5-8 minutes per side or until internal temp reaches 135 degrees.

3.  Indoor grill pan:  Heat indoor grill pan to medium high heat.  Once pan is hot (water droplets should sizzle when dropped on pan) brush pan with canola/vegetable oil.  Place steak on pan and cook for 5-8 minutes.  Flip steak and cook until internal temp reaches about 135 degrees.

When steak is done cooking, place on cutting board and tent with foil.  Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

While steak is cooking, heat a small sauté pan to medium heat.  When hot, add a small drizzle of olive oil and add tomatoes.  Stir/toss often, cooking for 4-5 minutes or so, until skins are slightly blackened in spots and tomatoes start to burst.  Remove from heat and add rice, artichokes, parsley, and feta.  Add 2 tablespoons reserved marinade/dressing and toss to combine.  Slice steak thinly across the grain and serve over rice mixture.

Serves 4 (or 6 small servings)