Food

Top Instant Pot Recipes for Stay-At-Home Moms

There is no doubt that stay-at-home moms have the most difficult job. They have to tend to their young children, prepare meals and snacks at least three times a day, and keep their homes in orderly conditions. When you consider these chores, there is little left for me-time. Whatever the case may be, many of these mothers are turning to the instant pot. What is the instant pot and how can it help save time? Read the full recipe on Corrie Cooks.

What Is An Instant Pot?

An instant pot is also known as a pressure cooker. The purpose of the appliance is quick-meal preparation. Households around the globe rely on the instant pot to prepare meals with delicious flavors. Meals generally do not take more than 30 minutes to fully cook, excluding the preparation time. This is why the instant pot is so popular among overwhelmed stay-at-home moms.

Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s pie is a very old recipe that contains ingredients filled with vitamins and nutrients. Preparing the recipe takes on average of 10 minutes, cook-time 35 minutes and 15 additional minutes until the meal is served. The first step of the process is to gather your ingredients, which include vegetable oil, ground beef or lamb, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, beef broth, peas, carrots, potatoes, half-and-half creamer, butter, and garlic salt.

Once you gather your ingredients, you will need to start preparing your instant pot. To do this, you will need to plug it in and switch to the “saute” cooking method. The ideal is to brown the ground beef or lamb, along with the garlic, onions, salt, and pepper. This should take no longer than five minutes.

Once these ingredients are browned, you will need to add the tomato paste, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir thoroughly before adding the carrots, peas, and beef broth. Stir thoroughly again before continuing.

If you want to keep things on the simple side, you can cook the potatoes while cooking the other ingredients. To do this, you will need to install the trivet in the instant pot. The trivet will sit on top of the ingredients without actually making contact with them. Be sure to peel the potatoes before placing them on the trivet. You do not need to dice them unless you just want to. It should only take an additional 20 minutes to cook thoroughly unless your potatoes are large-sized. If so, allow the mixture to cook an additional 10 minutes.

Once the cooking time has expired, you will need to carefully release the pressure inside the instant pot. There should be a mechanism on top of the lid that allows you to do that. Do not remove the lid immediately. Instead, wait about five minutes this will give the pressure time to fully release.

Prepare the potatoes by placing them in a bowl and adding butter and salt. You can mix these ingredients up by utilizing pepper and garlic salt instead of table salt. Now, you will need to mash the potatoes until they are well-blended.

The next step is to place the mixture into the oven for about three minutes. This will be enough time for the top to brown evenly. Now, you are ready to serve your delicious, nutritious, shepherd’s pie.

Hamburger Soup

Hamburger soup is a great meal for late fall and winter. It contains delicious ingredients that are rich in nutrients and vitamins. Plus, the heat from the soup will warm your entire body. To begin this recipe, you will need to gather your ingredients, which include ground beef, onion, beef consomme, tomatoes, water, condensed tomato soup, carrots, celery, pearly barley, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Once you do this, you will be ready to start preparing your hamburger soup.

The second step involves preparing your instant pot. To do this, you will need to plug the electrical cable into an appropriate receptacle Select the “saute” button and you are ready to go. You will need to brown the ground beef, along with the onion in the instant pot. This may take anywhere between five to 10 minutes, depending on how much ground beef your recipe contains. The higher the pounds, the longer it will take the beef to brown.

Once your ground beef and onion mixture have been browned, you will need to add the tomatoes, consomme, tomato soup, water, carrots, barley, celery, thyme, and bay leaf. Now, it is time to seal the lid by twisting clockwise. You will need to set the timer for 30 minutes. This should be enough time to cook the ingredients evenly.

When the cooking time expires, you will need to release the pressure gauge. But, do not immediately open the lid because it takes several minutes for all of the pressure to escape the pot. It is recommended to wait at least 15 minutes but no sooner than 10 minutes.

You can now remove the mixture from the instant pot and place it in a bowl or another type of serving dish. The recipe may be too hot to serve instantly, especially when small children are involved. Let the ingredients cool to room temperature before serving to small children.

Other Instant Pot Recipes

There is no end to the number of instant pot recipes you will find in cookbooks and online. You can choose from beef stroganoff, corned beef, chilli, sweet and sour pork, meatloaf, hard-boiled eggs, Instant pot ribs, instant pot whole chicken, pork chops, instant pot mac and cheese and gravy, and loaded baked potato. You will find enough recipes to keep your family’s tummies satisfied for many years to come.

Conclusion

It is crucial to be careful when utilizing an instant pot. The pressure inside the pot gets extremely hot and can cause moderate to severe injuries when making contact with human skin. Always remember to release the pressure gauge and wait at least 10 minutes before removing the lid. You will need to do this every time you utilize the instant pot to prepare meals. Once you get comfortable with the instant pot, it will just become second-nature to release the pressure before removing the lid.

Food

America’s French Fry King Sounds An Alarm

Americans are revolting against McDonald’s and other fast-food establishments. This is harming French fry suppliers like Lamb Weston.

Lamb Weston, North America’s largest manufacturer of french fries and a significant supplier to fast-food chains, restaurants, and grocery stores, is closing a production facility in Washington state. Last week, the company stated that it would lay off almost 400 employees, or 4% of its workforce, and temporarily shut down manufacturing lines in response to falling customer demand.

Lamb Weston (LW) shares have plummeted 35% this year.

America’s French Fry King Sounds An Alarm

The potato giant is oversupplied at a time when demand is low. In recent years, restaurant prices have risen faster than grocery store prices, prompting shoppers to avoid fast-food establishments.

This move has had an impact on Lamb Weston because individuals are less inclined to prepare French fries at home. According to Lamb Weston, fast-food restaurants account for around 80% of all french fries consumed in the United States.

Fast-food restaurants, such as McDonald’s, are offering bargain menus to entice customers back. McDonald’s has introduced a $5 meal that contains a McDouble cheeseburger or a McChicken sandwich, small french fries, four chicken nuggets, and a small soft drink. However, these promotions are not benefiting Lamb Weston because customers are purchasing fewer portions of fries.

“Many of these promotional meal deals have consumers trading down from a medium fry to a small fry,” Lamb Weston CEO Thomas Werner stated during an earnings call last week.

Lamb Weston did not immediately reply to CNN’s request for comment.

McDonald’s, Lamb Weston’s largest customer, accounts for 13% of revenue. As McDonald’s goes, so does Lamb Weston.

America’s French Fry King Sounds An Alarm

And McDonald’s is struggling. Sales at US restaurants open at least a year declined 0.7% last quarter compared to the same period a year ago, dragged down by fewer consumers visiting the brand.

Lamb Weston is also heavily exposed to other fast-food companies, according to analyst R.J. Hottovy of analytics firm Placer.ai, in a research note to clients last week.

Customer traffic to fast-food restaurants fell 2% last quarter and 3% the prior quarter compared to the same period last year, according to Lamb Weston.

SOURCE | CNN

Food

Logan Paul And MrBeast Have A Lunchables Competitor That They Say Is Healthy

YouTube’s top stars have launched their competitor to Lunchables.

MrBeast, Logan Paul, and KSI are collaborating on a “groundbreaking new better-for-you lunch option” called Lunchly, combining all their goods into a single meal geared at their younger fans.

The all-in-one meal includes a bottle of Prime Hydration, a sports drink alternative founded by Paul and KSI that has grown in popularity; a Feastables milk chocolate bar created by MrBeast, a popular YouTube star with over 300 million subscribers; and one of three processed food options, including pizza, nachos, or turkey aand cheese with crackers.

Logan Paul And MrBeast Have A Lunchables Competitor That They Say Is Healthy

“Our ultimate goal has always been to offer not only high-quality products, but also healthier alternatives,” Lunchly cofounder Logan Paul stated in a press release. He also stated that the school lunch industry has been “dominated by Lunchables” since he was a child, and that it is “time to provide a better option for those looking for a convenient, healthier choice.”

Lunchly promises to be “healthier” since Prime contains more electrolytes than a Capri Sun in Lunchables, and Mr. Beast’s chocolate bar contains less sugar than a Kit Kat or Crunch bar.

Lunchly’s launch comes after Lunchable, owned by Kraft Heinz, announced a huge initiative last year to participate in school lunch programs. However, the company had to reformulate the components first to guarantee that the items met regulatory rules, which included incorporating fresh fruit into their meals.

Consumer Reports reported in 2024 that it recently studied the nutritional profiles of two Lunchables kits supplied in schools and discovered that they contain significantly more sodium than the Lunchables kits available in stores.

Logan Paul And MrBeast Have A Lunchables Competitor That They Say Is Healthy

Of course, KSI, Paul, and MrBeast know how to create brands, thanks partly to their devoted following. Despite government worries about the caffeine content of some of its drinks, Prime sales have risen, threatening industry leaders such as Gatorade and BodyArmor.

“Prime brings a youthful buying cohort that hasn’t had a lot pitched their way beyond traditional kids’ drinks,” Jeffrey Klineman, editor-in-chief of BevNet, previously told CNN. “Paul is significantly more intriguing to a 13-year-old than a juice box.”

SOURCE | CNN

Food

Beyond Soups and Stews: Unexpected Ways to Utilize Your 5 Litre Pressure Cooker

Pressure cookers are very popular cooking utensils for preparing soups, stews, and tenderising meats in quick time. However, their versatility and uses go far beyond these traditional uses.

If you’re trying to use your 5 litre pressure cooker differently, you are at the right place, as we are going to explore unexpected and creative ways to use this essential kitchen utensil.

Infused oils and extract

You can use your pressure cooker to prepare infused oils and extracts. To do that, you have to put the herbs, spices, or citrus peels in a jar filled with oil or alcohol. Then, seal the jar and cook under low pressure for a short time to infuse the flavours uniformly.

By this method, you can extract intense flavours in a quick time as compared to what it takes through traditional infusion methods. You can also experiment with combinations like rosemary-infused olive oil or vanilla extract for baking.

Artisanal Curd Making

You can use your pressure cooker to prepare yoghurt. To do that you have to heat the milk to a proper and specific temperature, and then cool it down before adding yoghurt culture. After that, keep the mixture in jars, seal, and ferment in the pressure cooker with the use of the yoghurt setting. And yes, after that, you will have creamy, homemade yoghurt at a much lower cost than store-bought varieties. You can add up your yoghurt, various flavours and toppings for a healthy breakfast or snack option.

Quick pickling

You can also prepare quick pickles using your pressure cooker. For doing that combine the ingredients such as vinegar, water, salt, and your choice of vegetables or fruits in the cooker.

Now, after that, cook under pressure for a few minutes to infuse the flavours rapidly.

Once it is done and cooled, your quick pickles will be ready to eat and enjoy, giving a taste of tangy flavour to sandwiches, salads, or charcuterie boards. You can do this using different spices and herbs to prepare unique flavour profiles for your pickles.

Steaming vegetables and seafood

You can use your pressure cooker’s steaming capabilities to cook vegetables and seafood very easily and quickly. To do that, you have to place a steamer basket inside the cooker, add water, and put your ingredients.

Then, after that, cook under pressure for a few minutes to keep the nutrients intact and also get the perfect tenderness. From crisp-tender asparagus to succulent shrimp, the possibilities of preparing the dishes are many. You can add different flavours using aromatic herbs, spices, and citrus zest.

Homemade bread and desserts

You can amaze your family with freshly baked bread and delicious desserts that can easily be prepared in your pressure cooker. To do that, use the cooker as a makeshift oven by placing a trivet inside and also adding water to it.

After that, you have to place your bread dough or dessert batter in a heat-proof container, cover it, and then cook under low pressure. In very little time, you will get tender bread or delicious desserts without even messing up the kitchen. You can also try various other recipes like chocolate lava cake or savoury herb bread for a delightful treat.

One-pot pasta dishes

You can easily prepare one-pot pasta dishes that are cooked perfectly in your pressure cooker. To do that you have to combine pasta, sauce, vegetables, and protein in the cooker, and also remember to check and put enough liquid for cooking. Then, seal and cook under pressure for a few minutes. This will allow the flavours to get mixed beautifully.

And with this, from classic spaghetti marinara to creamy Alfredo, your pressure cooker can do it all. You can enhance your pasta with your favourite ingredients and garnishes.

Conclusion on a pressure cooker

Cooking indeed is a creative method. Do justice to your creative culinary spirit with your 5-litre pressure cooker. Bake bread, make homemade yoghurt, and make several main dishes as well as side dishes using a wide pressure cooker.

Impress everyone and yourself! Make the best out of your culinary instincts.

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