Hot & Sour soup - modifications

On 12/9/2019 I used Jeffrey Eisner's recipe for Hot & Sour soup from pressureluckcooking.com. It was very good, however I made some modifications and believe my second attempt will suit me better after documenting the modifications and suggestions.

The original ingredient list:
7-8 cups of vegetable broth (I used 7 tsp of Vegetable Better Than Bouillon + 7 cups of water; NOTE: using 7 cups vs. 8 creates an even more intense hot & sour flavor of the soup)
1 tbsp of canola oil
3 tbsp of rice vinegar
1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
1/4 cup of reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp of chili garlic sauce (or Sriracha will work fine too!)
1 tsp of sesame oilsesame oil
1.5 tsp of granulated sugar
2 tsp of ground ginger
1 tsp of white pepper
1.5 tsp of Kosher salt
1 bunch (or about 5 strands) of scallions, sliced
16oz of Baby Bella (Crimini) mushrooms, sliced (you can also use Shiitake mushrooms, just remove the stems)
16oz can of bamboo shoots, drained
8-10oz bag of baby spinach
8-14oz of firm or extra firm tofu, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup of cornstarch + 1/4 cup water, for a slurry
2 large eggs, whisked

I didn't have sriracha, or the correct chili garlic sauce, so I used Louisiana hot sauce and used chicken base in place of the "better than bouillon", since I prefer this brand and had no vegetable base left having used it all the day before.  

I also added diced chicken, hoisen sauce, sweet garlic chili sauce (contains honey as well as the peppers), white mushrooms & ginger.  I omitted the salt & sugar, cut the sesame oil & baby bella quantities in half, and doubled the tofu because I did not want any leftovers. 

I believe next time, I will either cut the tofu quantity in half, (Jeffrey's lowest estimated quantity would have been correct), or I will double the batch of soup.  There was just way too much tofu for me with it being doubled though, and I would add at least one more box of mushrooms, and would repeat all of the additions I made.  It really added to it giving it a much more robust flavor. 

It turned out so good in fact that even my mother, who hates hot & sour soup, ate two bowls! That is the true test of whether something is good! lol! 

Rotisserie Chicken Rub

• 3/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup onion powder
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
•  2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoons dried rosemary
•  2 tablespoons dried parsley
•  2 tablespoons dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons black pepper

Place all ingredients together, mix and store in an air-tight container.  Enjoy! 

Note:  I place all ingredients into a food processor and give it a whirl.  It makes mixing easier, as well as producing a finer texture.

Optional: 

·         1 tablespoon red chili flakes

·         Tarragon

·         Cumin

·         Fresh lemon (when cooking)

·         Fresh garlic (when cooking)

Chinese Chicken & Broccoli (Instant Pot translation and recipe revision)

Good evening my lovely readers! It's a beautiful 50* out and this momma is thinking "chinese"! Hubby and I are getting pretty good at perfecting the homemade chinese, so here is the basic run down of how we handled the last batch we made! My picky little people love homemade chinese normally, but this recipe was such a hit that I didn't even have enough left over to send in lunches for the next day!

This recipe is what I jumped off of, and it's obviously not an IP meal, but is easily translated. Here is the basic ingredient listing, with my revisions:

• 1 large Head of Broccoli, cut into florets
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 boneless chicken thighs skinless, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 cloves, minced or 2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 onion, cut julienned
• 1 can bamboo shoots, drained
• 1 can water chestnuts, drained
• 1 tsp dried ginger, to taste, adjust after cooking
• 2 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce + more to taste after cooking
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce (extra to taste)
• 6 Tablespoons honey **
• 1-3 cups hot water per preference of gravy to veg/meat ratio

** I skip the honey, but have left it in just in case someone else would like to know how much to add.

1. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and push "saute". When it says "hot" add your oil and push it around so it coats your IP liner. Then add your chicken, and sear it lightly, just till the chicken is getting white, or light brown spots.
2. Next you're going to deglaze the liner using the water. While the chicken is still in the bottom of the liner, and while the pot is still good and hot, add 1 cup of water and using a wooden spoon or scraper, scrape up anything that might be stuck to the bottom. The chicken will produce liquid, but the IP requires liquid to work correctly, and we like lots of gravy.
3. Cancel the saute function.
4. Add the garlic, onion, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin, & oyster on top, don't stir.
5. ** If you desire rice with this meal, & have a stainless steel PIP bowl, and a long legged trivet, you can measure your rice & water out into your PIP bowl and place the long legged trivet in on top of your food.
6. Set the cook time for 5-10 minutes depending on how much chicken you have, (if you have a single batch 5-7 is sufficient. If you double it you'll need to cook a little longer. Let it naturally release for 10 minutes.
7. While it's cooking, cut up your broccoli to suit you, some like it big, some like it small, I have preschoolers so I have to accommodate their small mouths.
8. When the IP beeps, you're going to stir the food and taste. Season accordingly. I added more ginger, hoisin, water, oyster, black pepper, and rice wine.
9. Once you're satisfied that it is seasoned to suit you, put the bamboo, water chestnuts & broccoli in on top, in that order. Do not stir it in. Reset the IP to either 0 (zero) minutes HP, or 1 minute LP depending on which one you have. This SHOULD produce broccoli that is softened but not mush... however I am not 100% on it, it COULD be too mushy... some folks like their broccoli pretty firm...
10. Anyway, when it beeps after adding the broccoli do a quick release.
11. If the quick release spits sauce... close it back up and do a controlled pressure release. Don't make a mess of your counter ... just close it back up and release the pressure slowly by hand...

IP French Onion Soup

I had been told that the Instant Pot makes an amazing pot of French onion soup. But after several bloopers on the stove top years ago, I was uneasy trying this. My craving got the best of me however, and I am ever so glad it did!

I used Jeffrey's French Onion Soup recipe from his site pressureluckcooking.com.

I really didn't do very many things different, just cut it in half, doubled the garlic and pepper quantities, used Italian bread instead of croutons, & kept the bread on the side to be eaten as garlic cheese bread. But it turned out so fabulous that I have been "forced" to make it again in less than a week!  Below are my adjusted quantities. I followed the directions as Jeffrey has them written.

Instant Pot French Onion Soup - revised
1½ teaspoons of salted butter
1½ teaspoons of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of light brown sugar
One half from 4 big onions. Onions should be halved and sliced into ribbons (I used ½ of each: Vidalia/Sweet, Red, Yellow and Spanish)
2 cups of beef broth (1 can of beef broth is 2 cups of liquid)
½ cup of dry red wine (I used a pinot noir)
½ teaspoon dry thyme
½ teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of pepper
1 loaf of Italian bread, sliced into rounds and toasted in the oven, or a package of your favorite croutons

** I chose to slice the bread and toast with cheese & garlic on top. Suggested cheeses include: Provolone, Mozzarella, Swiss/Gruyere and Asiago (optional)

Instructions:
1) Cut the onions so they are halved and then slice into strips (don’t dice!) and set aside in a bowl
2) Put the Instant Pot on Sauté and melt the butter and oil until it sizzles
3) Add the onions and brown sugar and stir regularly for about 10-15 minutes or until the onions have cooked down by about half and have become translucent and have a pasta-like consistency. Make sure they aren’t too firm or too mushy!
4) Add the broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaf, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Give it a stir and secure the lid.
5) Hit “Manual/Pressure Cook” or "Soup/Broth" for 8 minutes. Quick release when done. Adjust seasoning as needed.

** If intending to handle as I did, follow steps 6 & 7.

** If intending to handle as normal French onion soup, bake the Italian bread, cut into slices and toast, then follow steps 8-11.

** If intending to handle as Jeffrey did, he used croutons instead of bread as his case for the cheese on top of the soup.

6) Place the bread slices on a cookie sheet, spread with butter & sprinkle with garlic powder. Layer and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until cheese is beginning to golden up.
7) Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the garlic cheese bread on the side.

8) Preheat your oven to broil while quick releasing.
9) Ladle the soup into the crocks until it’s just below the brim. Lay one slice of toasted bread, or a layer of the croutons, on top of the soup so that it serves as a foundation for the cheese.
10) Seal with 1-2 slices of cheese (depending on how wide your crocks are, mine need 2 to cover it properly but many will only need 1). And then layer a slice of Swiss or some shredded Gruyere (and a few flakes of the Asiago, if using). Leave some of the Swiss a little over the edges so when it bakes, it coats some of the side of the crock. Peeling the cheese off while eating is one of the best parts of the french onion soup experience! Sprinkle lightly with some paprika.
11) Place the crock on a baking tray lined with tin foil and pop into the oven for 5 mins or until the top begins to bubble, turns slightly brown and forms a cheese-like crust. ENJOY!