Dry beans – pressure cooker

For each cup of beans add three cups of water and one tbsp of oil. Cook on high pressure 3 to 10 minutes and allow pressure to release naturally (takes about half an hour).

This applies for any kind of dry beans including split peas.

Larger beans like kidney beans should be left on the longer end (7-10 minutes) while smaller legumes only need 3-5 minutes.

Ham & (dry) Bean soup

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 large carrot peeled and diced
  • ½ cup finely chopped celery
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups shredded cooked ham
  • 1½ quarts beef stock or broth (you can use chicken)
  • 2½ cups dry beans — any combination of c white, lima, kidney, black or pinto beans can also be used
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch of salt, if needed

Directions

  1. Cook dry beans
  2. Sauté onions, carrots, and celery in butter or oil for 5 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and ham and sauté for 2 more minutes.
  4. Add broth, beans (including most of the water they were cooked in), and pepper then boil for 15 minutes.
  5. Salt if necessary and serve warm.

Ham & (canned) Bean soup

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 large carrot peeled and diced
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups shredded cooked ham
  • 1 1/2 quarts beef stock or broth (you can use chicken)
  • 4 (15 ounce) cans white beans (cannellini beans) — (any combination of canned kidney beans and black beans can also be used)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch of salt, if needed

Instructions

  1. Sauté onions, carrots, and celery in butter or oil for 5 minutes.
  2. Add garlic and ham and sauté for 2 more minutes.
  3. Add broth, beans, and pepper then boil for 15 minutes.
  4. Salt if necessary and serve warm.

Chinese rice

The name seems like a racist stereotype when I think about it as an adult. There’s nothing Chinese about it except that it is served with chow mein noodles.

Ingredients

  • 1½ lbs ground beef
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 2 cups rice
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1½ cups frozen peas
  • Chow mein noodles

Directions

  1. Cook rice
  2. Brown hamburger with onions
  3. Mix soups, ground beef, rice and soy sauce then bake 15 minutes @ 350°
  4. Stir frozen peas into hot mixture and serve with chow mein noodles.

Broccoli Chicken & Cheesy Rice

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 lb chicken breasts cubed
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 1⅓ cups uncooked rice
  • 2½ cups chicken broth
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • 1½ tbsp flour
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1½ cups shredded cheese
  • 2 cups broccoli florets

Directions

  1. Heat oil on high in pressure cooker with lid off; add chicken and onions; saute until chicken is lightly browned and onions are translucent.
  2. Add rice, broth, salt, pepper and garlic; lock lid and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
  3. Quick release pressure.
  4. With lid off, set pursue cooker on high, whisk milk and flour together, add them to the cooker and simmer for 2 minutes.
  5. Stir in cheese and broccoli, simmer until cheese is melted and broccoli is warmed through.

Chicken Seasoning

This is a homemade seasoning that works as well as Zesty Lemon Seasoning. It’s not the same, just equally well received and as easy to use.

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • ⅛ tsp dill
  • ⅛ tsp ground cloves
  • ⅛ tsp ground ginger

Directions

Mix everything together well and then use the same way you would use Seasoned Salt.

Garlic Naan

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 2 teaspoons sugar, divided
  • ¾ cup warm water
  • 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more for finishing
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or melted ghee)
  • 1 heaping tablespoon minced fresh garlic, divided
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together the yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and water. Allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes until it becomes bubbly. Whisk in the yogurt and olive oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, remaining sugar, and baking powder. Pour in the yogurt mixture and use your hands to mix the ingredients all together. The dough will be very wet and sticky at first but continue to mix/knead until it becomes rather soft and pliable. Once it comes together, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a draft free place for 3-4 hours until it nearly doubles in size.

Place the butter and 1 tablespoon garlic in a small, microwave proof bowl. Heat in the microwave until the butter has melted.

Dust your counter (or other work place) with flour and place your naan dough onto it. Using a pastry cutter or sharp knife, divide the dough into 6 even portions. Lightly roll each of the dough balls into the flour to help them from sticking. Using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the dough portions into a circle about ¼ inch thick –it’s completely okay if it’s an imperfect circle. Sprinkle the top side with a bit of the garlic powder and remaining minced garlic. Use your fingers to press it into the dough and then pass the rolling pin over the top of it to ensure it’s secured. Repeat this method with the remaining dough.

Warm a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it’s nearly smoking. Be sure to have a lid large enough to fit the skillet and have the bowl of garlic butter with pastry brush nearby.

Carefully pick up one of the rolled out naan and gently lay it in the skillet, garlic side up, and cook for about one minute. The dough should start to bubble. After the minute, use tongs/spatula to flip the naan and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip it over again and cover the skillet for about an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. The bread will look blistered and have blackened in a few spots.

Remove the naan from the skillet and generously brush the top with the garlic butter. Sprinkle the tops with a few pinches of sea salt and chopped cilantro. Repeat with the remaining 5 naan. Serve warm.

From The Culinary Chronicles

I’ve heard that this can be used as a pizza crust.

For other intriguing cat iron bread options see Wide Open Eats