Instant Pot "Baked" Beans (vegan)

Instant Pot "Baked" Beans served with Garlic Toast* and a simple salad/slaw

Recipe from The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook by Nisha Vora

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 10-12

No need to use bacon or an oven to make these absolutely scrumptious baked beans.  Take this dish to a pot luck and amaze your friends and family.

1 lb. dried navy beans or great northern beans, rinsed and drained

8 cups water, for soaking

1½ Tablespoons plus 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste, divided

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

3 Tablespoons brown sugar, coconut sugar or date sugar (I will use 1-2 T next time.)

¼ cup blackstrap molasses

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 bay leaves

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup tomato sauce

3 Tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

In a large bowl, combine the beans, 8 cups water and 1½ Tablespoons of the salt.  Stir until the salt is dissolved.  Soak for at least 10 hours and up to 12 hours.  (Soaking the beans in plenty of salted water is key to softening their skins.  Soaking will also aid in digestion and will take less time to cook the beans.)  Drain and rinse the beans.

Stir together in a large measuring cup the vegetable broth, brown sugar, molasses, smoked paprika, and mustard.  Set aside.

Select the Sauté setting on the Instant Pot and let the pot heat up for a few minutes before adding the olive oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the onion. Cook until the onion is browned, 4-6 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until it starts to turn golden, about 1 minute.

Pour ½ cup of the broth-molasses mixture into the pot.  Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned on the bottom of the pot.  Cook 2-3 minutes to slightly thicken the mixture.

Add the soaked beans, bay leaves, black pepper to taste, the remaining broth-molasses mixture. Stir to combine and select the Cancel setting.

Secure the lid and set to Sealing. Select High Pressure and set the cook time to 35 minutes. 

Once the 35 minute timer has completed and beeps, allow a Natural Pressure Release.

Open the pot and check to see if the beans are tender.  (If they are still a bit firm, secure the lid and cook the beans at high pressure for another 5-10 minutes and allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.) 

Discard the bay leaves. Once the beans are cooked to your liking, select the Sauté setting and add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and vinegar.  Simmer the beans uncovered, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick and gooey, 5-10 minutes.  (The beans will also thicken while resting.) Taste the beans and adjust the seasonings to your liking, adding more salt, molasses or vinegar as desired.

To serve: These delicious beans can be served at a pot luck as a side dish.  They can also be served on Garlic Toast!  Slice good quality crusty bread into thick slices.  Place the slices on a cookie sheet and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Broil until toasty.  Rub the toasty side with a clove of fresh garlic.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  Flip the slices and repeat. Sprinkle with some fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Spoon the beans over the toast and serve alongside a slaw for a great lunch or casual dinner.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie w/Cheesy Cauliflower Topping

Serves 8

Recipe from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I had tested Spring Vegetable Shepherd’sPie with Turkey recently and we loved it.  However, I wanted to try something similar but without meat.  I found this Martha Stewart recipe, but because I loved the riced cauliflower and Boursin cheese topping of the turkey version, I decided to use the same topping for this vegetarian shepherd’s pie.  Riced cauliflower is now available frozen and is very convenient. Traditional shepherd’s pie is topped with mashed potatoes, but the cauliflower-cheese topping is absolutely delicious and a bit healthier too. This dish had an issue that I needed to address, but it tasted very yummy and so I thought I’d post this recipe with how I dared to adapt a Martha Stewart recipe. 

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

10 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 Tablespoon tomato paste*

1 Tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (I used Annie’s Naturals.)

1 bay leaf

1 cup French lentils, rinsed

4 cups water**

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons water

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 cup frozen peas

2 (12 oz.) packages frozen riced cauliflower

1 (6.5 oz.) package light garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese (such as Boursin)

Heat the oil in a large soup-type pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring, until tender, about 6 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring until tender and most of the moisture is cooked out of the pot.  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Add the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, 4 cups water**, and lentils; season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes or so.  If the filling seems too soupy or watery, in a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons water.  Pour the “slurry” into the filling, stir and then allow to cook until the filling thickens a bit.  Add the peas.  Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer the mixture to a 2½-3 quart baking dish.*** Prepare the frozen riced cauliflower according to the package directions.  Place the cooked cauliflower into a food processor along with the cheese.  Process until well blended.  It should look like mashed potatoes.  Dollop over the hot filling and spread.  (It may sink in a bit, but forge ahead.) Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until bubbling.  Allow the shepherd’s pie to stand for about 20 minutes before serving to allow it to set a bit.  Serve with a crisp green salad.

*After spooning out 1 Tablespoon tomato paste, measure out by tablespoons the remaining tomato paste into an ice tray.  Freeze the tomato paste and then put them in a freezer-friendly container and pop them back into the freezer for another time.

**The original recipe called for the 4 cups water, but after following the directions, the filling seemed to be very “soupy” and I worried that the pie filling would not thicken up.  So, I ended up adding a “slurry” of cornstarch and water to the filling and cooking until it thickened up some.  I think next time, I will just add 3½ cups water and then see if that makes a difference.  You might try doing that and then you may not need a thickener.

***The original recipe called for a 2-quart baking dish, but I only had a 2 ½ quart dish.  Thank goodness, because the mixture came almost to the rim of the dish.  So, be sure to use a dish that has at least a 2½ quart capacity.

Nutritional Info: (1 of 8 servings) By my calculations, 1 of 8 servings = 248 calories and 8.0 grams fiber.

Pimento Cheese Biscuits

Here is a Pimento Cheese Biscuit served along side Chicken and Zucchini Salad.

By TheRunawaySpoon via Food52.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 8

I have such fond memories of eating sandwiches made with homemade pimento cheese by my grandmother when I was a girl.  My favorite brown-bag school lunch was a pimento cheese sandwich made with pimento cheese that Mother bought at Dalton’s Grocery Store on the neighborhood corner. So, when I found this recipe for Pimento Cheese Biscuits, I had to give it a try.  They are fantastic!  These came together quickly because I used my food processor, but they can also be made using a mixer (original recipe.)  (I’ll put those directions at the bottom**.)  Serve these with your favorite soup or salad.  With a little sliced ham or chicken, they’d also make great little sandwiches for a party.  All the ingredients can be found at our local community-owned grocery store, Lost River Market & Deli.

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

¾ cups cold butter

½ cup well shaken, cold buttermilk, plus a little for brushing

1 egg

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

4 ounces jar diced pimentos, drained and patted dry

1 cup grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

Sea salt for sprinkling (I added a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper too.)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Toss the cheese with a little flour, and do the same to the pimentos. This step keeps the cheese and pimentos from clumping together so they blend throughout the dough.  Set aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, salt, paprika and garlic powder in the bowl (with blade) of a food processor. Pulse a couple of times to mix the dry ingredients.  Cut the butter into small cubes and drop them in the flour. Pulse several times to blend the butter and flour until the butter is the size of small peas. You want some butter blended in, but the visible small pieces of butter help make the biscuits fluffy.  Measure the buttermilk in a measuring jug, crack in the egg, add the Worcestershire sauce, and beat it with a fork until the egg is well blended. While the food processor is running, slowly add the buttermilk and blend just until everything is moist. Add the pimentos and cheese and pulse just until everything just starts to come together.  Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and gently bring it all together, kneading just a few times. Handle with care and don’t overwork the dough, or the biscuits will get tough. A few pimentos may stick to the board or fall out, just stick ‘em back in. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 6 by 10 inches, using the back of a large knife or bench scraper to square off the ends. Flour the knife or scraper and cut the dough into eight squares. (Do not twist the knife, bench scraper or biscuit cutter!!) Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, lightly brush the tops with a little buttermilk and sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake the biscuits for 15 – 20 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. Serve warm, or wrap tightly and store in an airtight container, gently reheat before serving.

**Directions for Mixer:  Put the flour, baking powder, salt, paprika and garlic powder in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir together with a fork. Cut the butter into small cubes and drop them in the flour. Using the paddle attachment, blend the butter and flour on low speed until the butter is the size of small BBs. You want some butter blended in, but the visible small pieces of butter help make the biscuits fluffy.

Measure the buttermilk in a measuring jug, crack in the egg, add the Worcestershire sauce, and beat it with a fork until the egg is well blended. Keep the mixer on low, dump in the buttermilk and blend just until everything is moist. Toss the cheese with a little flour, and do the same to the pimentos. This step keeps the cheese and pimentos from clumping together so they blend throughout the dough. Drop them both in the mixer and, still on low, beat until everything just starts to come together.

Shepherd’s Cottage Pie

Husband-Tested recipe from Alice’s kitchen

Serves 6

Shepherd’s pie is made from lamb. Cottage pie is made from beef. I combined the two meats to make what I call Shepherd’s Cottage Pie. Local lamb and beef is available at Lost River Market & Deli. I made this with the leftover mashed potatoes I had from Thanksgiving, but this comfort food could be made anytime you have mashed potatoes around. My husband loved this along side a crisp salad. It even tasted great left over the next day! This is certainly company worthy, especially if you serve it from a pretty casserole dish.

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
½ pound ground lamb
½ pound ground beef
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken or chicken broth
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 ½ Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ Tablespoon flour
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dry rosemary
1 Tablespoon chopped Italian parsley (Flat Leaf Parsley)
1 cup frozen peas
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
leftover mashed potatoes

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil, and then add the onion, carrot, garlic and meat. Cook until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the fat well (I used a colander) and add the wine. Bring to a boil and allow the wine to reduce completely. Add the broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and herbs. Sprinkle with the flour. Simmer until the juices thicken. Add the peas. Season the mixture with the salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish; set aside. Spread the mashed potatoes over the meat mixture to cover. Bake until the potatoes are golden, about 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the pie to rest about 10 minutes before serving.