Instant Pot Tortilla Soup

So I have a confession to make, I've joined a cult. On Black Friday I took the plunge and ordered an Instant Pot, and now I am a proud member of the Instant Pot Cult. Okay, I'm kidding there really isn't an Instant Pot cult, but using one has a huge devoted following. 

If you haven't ever heard of an Instant pot, the best way to describe it is it's a pressure cooker that can cook almost anything. 

This week I have made beef stew, which cooked in a whopping 35 minutes, it was amazing! I also made sesame chicken that only cooked for 4 minutes, the family loved it.
The machine does take about 10 minutes to come to pressure, and then it also takes a few minutes to release the steam when it's done. But this cooking style is revolutionary for me, and anyone and everyone with busy lives. I have an ever growing list of recipes I want to try in it.

The best things I made this week in it was this Tortilla Soup. I can't stop thinking about how delicious it was.

Instant Pot Tortilla Soup

Makes 4 bowls of thick hearty soup

1 T. vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 clove garlic
1 T. fresh cilantro 
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. paprika
4 C. chicken broth 
1 C. water
1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 t. salt
pinch of black pepper
5 tortillas 
1/2 lime

garnish- all optional, but make it so good
avocado, diced
tortilla strips- recipe below, or crumbled tortilla chips
fresh cilantro, chopped
shredded chicken

Turn machine on and push the Saute button
Add the oil, then the onions, saute until the onions start to get translucent, add the carrots, celery, and garlic, saute a minute more, add the cilantro, cumin, chili powder, and paprika. Then add the chicken broth, water, diced tomatoes with green chiles, salt, pepper, and tortillas. 
Place the lid on the instant pot. Make sure the seal valve is closed.
Turn on the soup button, which will default at 30 minutes.
Once the soup is done, release the steam with the quick release, you can also natural release if you have more time.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup right then and there until its almost smooth. Taste and check if it needs more salt. Squeeze in half a lime and stir to incorporate. 
Garnish the soup as desired to serve.

Tortilla strips
4 corn tortiilas
2 t. vegetable oil
sprinkle of salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment. Brush the tortillas with oil. Stack them, and cut into very thin long strips. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crisp and starting to brown.
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Now, I'm really hoping you will drink the kool-aid and join me in my new addiction.
There are some Instant Pot groups on Facebook, lots of recipe pins of Pinterest, and if you can find a friend that has one, you will have endless ideas of things to make with it.

Enjoy!

x

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Turkey Eggroll Bowls

We are back in the swing of things. School started 2 weeks ago. We have homework, 2 seperate basketball teams, carpools, playdates, and swimming lessons. Basically, I am pulled in 20 different directions. This leaves me with little time to prepare dinners. The best kind of dinners these days are the ones that I can make quickly.

These turkey eggroll bowls are delicious and nutritious. You could serve it with plain steamed rice, or those Chinese crispy noodles.
Kikkoman now makes a kosher and gluten free hoisin sauce. It is so good! I put a little bit on top of my eggroll bowl, I highly suggest it! Would also be good with Srichahchachachachaha sauce if you like it a little bit spicy.

Turkey Eggroll Bowls

Makes 4-6 servings

2 lbs. ground turkey
1 T. minced garlic
1/2 onion grated
2 packages of coleslaw mix, can be with the carrots and purple cabbage or angel hair
1/2 C. soy sauce
1/4 C. sherry cooking wine (you can leave this out if you don't have)
1 T. toasted sesame oil
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. salt
pinch pepper, more to taste
sprinkle of garlic powder and onion powder

1. In a large pot, brown the turkey with the onion and garlic until it is cooked through, chopping the turkey into small pieces
2. Add the coleslaw mix, and cook stirring until the coleslaw has wilted
3. Add the soy sauce, sherry cooking wine, sesame oil, ginger, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the top with onion powder and garlic powder. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, seasonings accordingly.
4. Continue to cook stirring, until completely mixed and looks like the inside of an eggroll.
5. Serve with hoisin sauce, or sweet-n-sour sauce, or srichaha sauce, and steamed rice on the side.






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Barbecue Brisket

Last week my oldest turned 10! Time is seriously flying. In honor of his birthday I made him a Shabbat dinner. He requested I make chopped beef barbecue brisket sandwiches.

I don't have a smoker, and I didn't want to let him down. So I came up with an alternative to smoking the brisket and still having that barbecue flavor.

Alongside the meat, we had all of the fixings: coleslaw, pickles, barbecue sauce. The dinner was a huge hit, and it was too easy.

Barbecue Brisket

1- 4 lb. trimmed brisket
salt, pepper, and garlic powder
barbecue sauce (I used a combo of Stubb's and Heinz Classic)

1. preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Place the brisket in a large baking dish
3. sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
4. cover the top of the brisket with barbecue sauce completely
5. cover tightly with foil
6. bake for 4 hours
7. remove brisket and either slice against the grain or chop
8. put meat back into the juice, and keep warm until ready to serve, serve with extra barbecue sauce

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Roasted Garlic Baked Chicken, Shabbat Dinner

I am so excited I've been able to get my domain www.leehock.com back!!! It's a loooong story. It took lots of time, and figuring it out. Just know I feel like a computer programmer at this point.

This chicken for me is soul food.

This recipe almost cannot qualify as a recipe because it is embarrassingly easy. I have been making this once a week lately, it's so delicious, and it is even good the next day cold out of the fridge.

I serve it with basmati rice, and a vegetable or salad. So simple!

You need to buy this seasoning:

Roasted Garlic Baked Chicken
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place a cut up chicken in a single layer in a baking dish
Drizzle with 1 T. vegetable oil
Sprinkle with the seasoning, on both sides.
Bake for 1.5 hours, you want the skin crispy

Have a good weekend!

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Coconut Rice -SO EASY!

Coconut Rice

Coconut rice is so easy, and so good. Serve with teriyaki marinated grilled chicken and steamed broccoli for a perfect dinner. 

1. C. rice
1 can coconut milk
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Place rice in a colander or sieve and rinse until the water runs clear.
2. Place in small pot that has a tight fitting lid, add the coconut milk and salt
3. Bring to a boil uncovered, once boiling, stir, cover with the lid, and then turn the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes.
4. Voila! It's ready, you can stir it gently with a fork before serving. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if you want to be fancy. Pin It

Baked Chicken Fingers

I'm back for right now, not making any long term promises, but I do promise to blog if there is a recipe I must share.
Talking about sharing, sharing is caring, but if your initials are JG (you know who you are) you may not steal my recipes or ideas for your cookbooks. Now that that is out there, we can move on to baked chicken fingers.

Here is the criteria for our dinners:  fast, easy, healthy, and delicious
It is a big challenge to find food that everyone agrees on, and I refuse to make 1000 different dinners. This is one of those special recipes that everyone will eat. Huge thanks to a good friend of mine for teaching me the secret to perfect baked chicken fingers, you have forever changed our lives.

 

Baked Chicken Fingers

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 C. mayo
4 C. cornflakes
3/4 teaspoon Lawry's seasoning
Olive oil spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, cover a sheet pan with parchment paper, spray generously with olive oil
2. Cut chicken into strips
3. Put the mayo in a gallon size Ziploc
4. Put the cornflakes and Lawry's seasoning in another gallon size Ziploc, use a rolling pin to crush the cornflakes to make crumbs
5. Put the chicken strips a few at a time in the mayo bag, coating completely, and then the cornflake crumb bag coating completely, and then place on the prepared baking sheet, repeat with remaining chicken
6. Generously spray the top with olive oil spray
7. Bake for 30 minutes.



Enjoy!


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Momofuku Milk Bar Birthday Cake PARVE!

!Warning!
This cake is not for the faint of heart bakers. 
This cake will take over your life. 
This cake will invade your every thought. 
This cake is out of this world.

Have you ever been to Momofuku Milk Bar? 
I was in New York City late last summer with my sister and she was adamant we pay a visit to this place. She wanted some Cereal Milk Soft Serve Ice Cream. So, we went and all I can say is whoa. Cereal milk flavor is all the rage right now, it's the milk leftover after you eat a bowl of cereal. 
Unfortunately, I couldn't partake in the Cereal Milk flavor because I have to eat gluten free. I was diagnosed with Celiac a year ago, which I could talk about for hours on end, but for right now I'll save it for another time. I had the cola flavored soft serve, I still can't wait to return to this place.

Last week, a friend of mine posted that she attempted this cake. All I know is I saw it and knew I had to make it, and luckily I had a reason, my Liam's 5th birthday!

I made 2 versions, parve and gluten free parve. 
If you would like to make it with dairy here is the original recipe:
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/momofuku-milk-bars-birthday-layer-cake

To make Gluten Free, I substitued the flour with this flour, which I highly recommend! I got it from Amazon:


It's a good idea to watch this video before you attempt this cake, I must of watched it 4 times!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EuESxt1gPE


Parve Momofuku Milk Bar Birthday Cake

Cake:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray, like Pam

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles, divided
• ½ cup parve buttermilk- place 1 1/2 teaspoons of white vinegar in a 1/2 cup measuring cup and fill to the top with regular soy milk 
• ⅓ cup grapeseed oil, do not substitute
• 2 teaspoons clear imitation vanilla extract, preferably McCormick brand - VERY IMPORTANT DO NOT SUBSTITUTE for the entire recipe
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup vegetable shortening, I used Crisco
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted margarine, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs

Crumbs:

• ¾ cup cake or all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon clear imitation vanilla extract

For The Frosting And Assembly:

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted margarine, room temperature, I actually used Earth Balance Sticks, so I omitted the salt from the recipe
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening, I use crisco
• 2 ounces Tofutti cream cheese, room temperature (1/4 of the container)
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon clear imitation vanilla extract
• 1¼ cups powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon citric acid (or ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice) I found this on amazon
• For the Cake Soak:

1 teaspoon clear imitation vanilla extract

• ¼ cup soy milk 

Special Equipment: I bought both of these from Amazon, you can click the link

• 6" cake ring or springform mold
• 2 strips acetate (flexible plastic paper), each 3" wide and 20" long

Directions:

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9" rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with nonstick spray; set aside. I sprayed the whole pan first, then added the parchment, and then sprayed the parchment.

Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and ¼ cup sprinkles in a large bowl. Combine parve buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat granulated sugar, shortening, butter, and light brown sugar in another large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of bowl. Continue to beat mixture, occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of bowl, until almost doubled in volume and very light, airy, and pale yellow, about 4 minutes.

With mixer on low, add buttermilk mixture until incorporated. Add dry ingredients, beating until just combined, about 1 minute.

Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp. sprinkles. Bake until cake is light golden brown, the center springs back when gently pressed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 30–35 minutes.

Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Do ahead: Store cooled cake wrapped in plastic in fridge up to 5 days.

Crumbs:

Preheat oven to 300°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Combine flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, sprinkles, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add oil and vanilla, and using your hands, mix until no dry spots remain and large clumps form when mixture is pressed together. As though you were making a crumble topping, break mixture up into clusters (some small, some large) and spread onto prepared baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until crumble is light golden brown and crunchy, 10–12 minutes (it will firm up as it cools). Let cool completely.

Do ahead: Wrap crumbs tightly in plastic and store at room temperature up to 5 days.

Frosting and assembly:

Combine margarine, shortening, and Tofutti cream cheese in large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high until mixture is smooth and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and slowly stream in corn syrup and 1 Tbsp. vanilla. Beat until mixture is silky smooth and glossy white, about 3 minutes.

Scrape down sides of bowl and, with mixer on low, add powdered sugar, baking powder, and citric acid until just combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until it's completely smooth.

For the assembly:

Place a piece of parchment on a counter. Invert cake onto parchment, then peel parchment off of the cake. Use cake ring to punch out two 6" rounds from cake (or, using a springform pan as a guide, cut out 2 rounds using a paring knife). These are your top 2 cake layers (the remaining cake scraps will form the bottom layer of the cake).

Line a sheet pan with a clean piece of parchment. Clean cake ring and place it in center of the pan. Use 1 acetate strip to line inside of cake ring. Place cake scraps inside ring and use the back of your hand to press scraps together into a flat, even layer (you never see this layer, so it’s okay that it’s messy—but since it’s the base of the cake, it needs to be flat).

Combine soy milk and remaining 1 tsp. vanilla in a small bowl. Spoon soymilk mixture and use half of it to generously moisten the base layer.

Use the back of a spoon to spread about 3 Tbsp. frosting evenly over cake. Sprinkle ⅔ cup birthday crumbs evenly over frosting. Use the back of your hand to press them in place. Use the back of a spoon to spread another 3 Tbsp. frosting as evenly as possible over crumbs.

With your index finger, gently tuck second acetate strip between cake ring and the top ¼" of the first acetate strip, so that you have a clear ring of acetate 5–6" tall—high enough to support the height of the finished cake. Top with a cake round (if 1 of your 2 cake rounds is less pretty than the other, use it for the middle layer and save the most perfect one for the top). Brush layer with remaining milk mixture. Repeat frosting-crumb layering process.

Nestle remaining cake round into frosting. Cover top of cake with remaining frosting. Use an offset spatula to form decorative swirls, or do as they do at Milk Bar and shape it into a perfectly flat top. Top with remaining birthday crumbs.

Transfer cake to freezer and freeze at least 3 hours to set cake and filling.

At least 3 hours before serving the cake, pull sheet pan out of freezer and, using your fingers and thumbs, pop cake out of cake ring. Gently peel off acetate and transfer cake to a platter or cake stand. Defrost in fridge at least 3 hours. Store cake in the refrigerator.

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All I can say is go for it and good luck!!!

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Cinnamon Roll Challah- Liam's 5th Birthday Shabbat Dinner

It's no secret I love celebrating birthdays. Birthdays in our family usually are celebrated a few times, at least! We always make a Shabbat birthday celebration around whoever's birthday it is. Well, this week it was Liam's 5th birthday shabbat dinner, and I really wanted to make it extra sprecial. He loves trolls, so we went to town with troll decor.

After seeing a video on Cinnamon Roll Challah, I had to try it. The results were phenomenal, you must make this.

I kept the meal simple, he had requested spaghetti, and he loves caesar salad.

Here's our menu:

Cinnamon Roll Challah- see recipe below

Spaghetti 

Meat Balls

Homemade Bolognaise- recipe below

Caesar Salad 

Roasted Asparagus

Momofuku Milk Bar Birthday Cake (Parve!)- will be my next post

Cinnamon Roll Challah- bread machine, makes 2 large loaves

Everyone went CRAZY!

This is my go to bread machine Challah recipe, get ready because this is the first time I've shared this on here

2 eggs

1 1/4 C. water

1/2 C. oil

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 C. heaping white sugar

4 2/3 and 1 T. flour you can use all purpose or bread

1 packet of active dry yeast

Cinnamon Filling:

1/2 C. vegetable oil

1 C. brown sugar

1/4 C. white sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 T. honey

Directions-

Place the challah dough ingredients into bread machine bowl with paddle attached in the order listed above. Make a small well in the flour and add the yeast. Put machine on dough cycle. 

When the dough cycle is over, my machine is 90 minutes, remove the dough.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Cut the dough into 6 equal parts.

Roll each part into thin rectangle about 4 inches by 6 inches

Evenly spread the cinnamon filling over all of the rectangles. 

Roll each rectangle up longwise, to create a rope, pinch and seal the seam.

Take 3 of the pieces and braid. Place the to challahs on the prepared sheet pan.

Cover with a dish towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Place in the oven. I did not use an egg wash, but if you are making regular challah you need to crack an egg into a bowl, beat it, and brush it over the top of the challahs before putting in the oven. 

Bake for 30 minutes. 

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The Best Bolognaise Sauce

1 ½ lbs ground beef

¼ cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes, Italian Style, Muir Glen or Hunts

2 cans tomato paste, I used hunts

1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes, I used organic Muir Glen brand 

1 t. salt

1 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. onion powder

Brown the ground beef in a large pot with the oil, garlic, and onion. 

When the meat is completely browned add the rest of the ingredients. Stir thoroughly to combine.

Let mixture bubble and then turn heat to low and cook for at least an hour on low. 

Serve over pasta.

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Can't wait to hear how y'all like these recipes!

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