Butterscotch Blondies

 Butterscotch Blondies

 From Good Housekeeping's "Brownies: Favorite Recipes for Blondies, Bars & Brownies" pg 66.

 Ingredients 

1 cup all  purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

6 Tbsp butter, melted

1 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 13"x9" pan with foil and grease foil. Toast pecans in a pan on the stove over medium heat until they turn a darker brown and smell amazing. In a small bowl, use a wire whisk to mix flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir brown sugar and vanilla into the melted butter. Add eggs and stir until well mixed. Stir in flour mixture, then pecans, just until blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted 2 inches from the edge comes out clean. Let cool in pan on wire rack.

 

Notes

Original recipe doesn't say anything about toasting the pecans. I just really, really like how doing that makes my kitchen smell. Also, the original recipe says to bake for 20-25 minutes, but as has been the case with every single other recipe from this book I've ever made, I've had to add at least 5-10 minutes to the recommended bake time. Feel free to experiment with the bake time in your own oven. The book says, "Do not overbake; blondie will firm as it cools." This is a lie. It will stay underdone and not firm up. Overbake it a tiny bit. The edges are delicious.

Instant Pot Chili Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

1lb pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and sliced into thirds
1.5 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp Penzey's smoked seasoned salt
1/2 tsp table salt
1 cup water
1 tsp dried chopped onions
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp corn starch

Directions

Heat some oil in Instant Pot on Saute. Brown all sides of the pork tenderloin pieces. Remove pork from pot and set aside. Turn off the Saute function. Add a little of the water to the pot and deglaze it, scraping up any browned bits from the pork. Add the rest of the water to the pot. Combine the spices (chili powder through salts), stirring well. Thoroughly coat the pieces of pork with the spice mixture. Set the pork in the water. Add the dried onions and any remaining spice mixture to the water. Close the pot lid and press the Poultry button. Cook for 30 minutes on high pressure, then let the pressure release naturally. Remove the pork from the pot and set aside. Whisk the sour cream into the liquid. Mix the cornstarch with a small amount of water into a slurry, then stir it into the liquid until thickened. Slice the pork and serve.

Instant Pot Carnitas

Instant Pot Carnitas

Ingredients
Pork shoulder roast or pork butt, approx. 2 lbs*
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/4 cup water or chicken broth
3 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp dried orange peel (up to 1 tsp if more orange flavoring is desired)

*If using a larger pork butt or pork shoulder roast, double the spice mix ingredients to make sure you have enough to rub onto all the meat.

Directions
Trim as much fat off the pork as you can. Cut the pork into 2" chunks and pat dry. Combine the spices (salt through paprika) and rub onto the chunks of pork. Add liquids and orange peel, as well as any remaining spice mix, to the Instant Pot. Add pork into the liquid. Close the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Press the Meat/Stew button and set time for 60 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally after the cooking is complete.

Remove the pork from the pot with a slotted spoon. Press the Saute button and set to "More" to bring the liquid to a boil. Let the liquid reduce while you shred the pork, pulling out and discarding any remaining fatty bits. Spread the shredded pork out in a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the reduced liquid, somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 cup. Turn on the oven broiler and let the shredded pork crisp under the broiler for about 5 minutes. Remove pan from the oven, use a spatula to flip the pork over, and return to the broiler for another 5 minutes. (Time is approximate -- keep an eye on the meat to make sure it does not burn. Five minutes each side works perfectly in my broiler, but you may need more or less time.)

Serve with warmed corn tortillas, sliced avocado, cheese, sour cream, or whatever you like!

This recipe is mashed together from the following sources using the ingredients I had available.
https://iwashyoudry.com/crispy-instant-pot-pork-carnitas/
https://www.platingsandpairings.com/best-instant-pot-pork-carnitas/

Chili

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 can reduced sodium dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp Chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp allspice
Pinch crushed red pepper
1 tsp Penzey's Smoky 4S (seasoned salt)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp sugar

Directions

Combine all ingredients in medium sized pot and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25-45 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add a little water if needed for longer simmering. Serve with cheese, crackers, Fritos, hot dogs, and/or enchiladas.

Chicken and Sausage Stew

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 smoked sausage (I used beef sausage links)
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
1 tsp dried chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp tomato paste

Slice the sausage. Heat 1 Tbsp bacon grease in Instant Pot on Saute, then brown each side of the sausage slices. Set aside. Put chicken broth, beans, and spices into Instant Pot. Press Beans and cook for 15 minutes, then quick release. Stir in the chicken, sausage, and tomato paste. Cook for another 10 minutes. Combine a little flour with water and stir into pot to thicken slightly. Serve over rice.

Pressure Cooker Pork Loin Roast

I recently got an Instant Pot for my birthday, and I'm having a lot of fun cooking with it. Here's one of my most successful dinners with it so far.

2 lb pork loin roast
Olive oil for searing
Cavender's
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup soy sauce (Kikkoman)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (more if you like it spicier)
1/4 tsp oregano

Pat some Cavender's all over the pork. Add a couple tablespoons of oil to the Instant Pot and press the Sauté button. Sear the pork on all sides. Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over the pork. Close lid. Press the Meat/Stew button and add time to 90 minutes. When the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. You can use the quick release after 15 minutes. Remove the pork and shred it up. Use a little cornstarch to thicken the juices (using the Sauté button) into a nice sauce, mixing as much into the shredded meat as you desire. Enjoy!

CBR Stuffed Muffins

Recipe adapted from these Mini Pot Pies.

Ingredients

Filling

Olive oil, 1-2 Tbsp
1 lb thinly sliced chicken breasts
2 packets (or ~6 Tbsp, divided) dry Ranch dressing mix
1/4 dried minced onions
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn
2 Tbsp bacon bits
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

Batter

1/2 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs, beaten

Directions

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Pat chicken dry and coat with 1 packet (3 Tbsp) of dry Ranch mix. Place in skillet and cook for 1 minute at medium heat. After 1 minute, flip chicken pieces over, reduce heat to low, and cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Cook on low for 10 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE LID. After 10 minutes on low, turn heat off completely and let sit WITHOUT REMOVING THE LID for another 10 minutes.

During this time, preheat your oven to 375F. Spray a muffin tray with 12 muffins cups. I used PAM Baking Spray, the kind with flour mixed in.

Has it been 10 minutes for the chicken without heat yet? Good. Now you may remove the lid.

Remove chicken from pan and chop into small pieces. Put back into pan and add chicken broth, remaining Ranch mix, onion, and corn. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and let simmer until most of the liquid is gone, stirring occasionally. When most of the liquid is gone, remove pan from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the bacon bits and cheese.

Combine batter ingredients in small bowl with a whisk. Pour a scant tablespoon of batter into the bottom of each muffin cup. Scoop 1/4 cup of chicken mixture into each muffin cup, then top each one with 1 more tablespoon of batter.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in tray for 5 minutes, then use a knife to remove from tray. Cool on wire rack for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!