Shredded BBQ Chicken

• 
  1/2 cup chicken stock or water (up to 1 cup if very thick bbq sauce
• 3 lbs chicken thighs (or however many come in the organic Costco pack) 
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (optional, did not have so did not use)

Instructions

• Place the ingredients in the instant pot in this order: chicken stock (or water), chicken, onion powder, garlic, powder, paprika, salt, BBQ sauce, onion, and Worcestershire sauce. Do NOT stir. You want the water to stay on the bottom of the pot so the instant pot comes to pressure.
• Place the lid on the instant pot making sure the valve is in the sealing position. Press manual (high pressure) and set to 15 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Add more BBQ sauce if desired. Shred and enjoy on sandwiches, salads, rice, BBQ plates and more!

based on https://meaningfuleats.com/instant-pot-bbq-chicken/

Sicilian Chicken

Ingredients:

1 TBSP avocado oil 

 

5-6 

bone-less skin-less chicken thighs 

 

salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 

cloves garlic, minced

 

1 tbsp. 

fresh thyme leaves or rosemary (or a handful of fresh thyme twigs that you can pick out later because I'm too lazy to strip the leaves off)

 

1 tsp. 

crushed red pepper flakes (optional, did not use)

 

3/4 c. 

chicken broth

 

1/2 c. 

heavy cream or coconut cream

 

1/2 c. 

chopped sun-dried tomatoes

 

1/4-1/2 c. 

freshly grated Parmesan

 (optional)

Freshly torn basil, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large oven-safe skillet (like a cast iron pan) over medium-high heat, heat oil. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper and sear, skin-side down, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and pour off half the fat from skillet (there may be no fat if using skinless thighs).

1. Return skillet to medium heat and add garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute, then stir in broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan and season with more salt. Bring to a simmer, then return chicken to skillet, skin-side up.

1. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until chicken is cooked through (and juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife), 17 to 20 minutes.

1. Garnish with basil and serve.
2. If sauce is too liquidy make a roux. I used 1 tbsp flour (I used gluten free) and 1 tbsp butter, stirred, after it got bubbly I stirred for 1 minute, then added as much sauce as I could. Stirred for 3-5 minutes and returned to the pan with the chicken. 

Serve with garlic mashed potatoes, green beans or broccoli, and/or a salad!

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a46330/skillet-sicilian-chicken-recipe/

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

•  5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled (optional, I did not peel), rinsed and quartered
•  2 teaspoons salt
•  1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 
•  4 tablespoons butter (OR MORE)
•  ¾ cup milk (I didn't have milk, so I put in like 1/8 cup of almond milk and it was fine)
•  Salt and pepper to taste
• A whole head of roasted garlic
• 
  
• INSTRUCTIONS

1. To roast the garlic: Peel off much of the outside paper of the head of garlic, trim the pointy end off (make sure all big cloves are opened), place open area face up on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, fold sides of foil up to enclose the garlic completely and cook in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. 
2. 
   
3. For the mashed potatoes, In a large pot, place the potatoes and cover with water (by at least two inches). Add the salt. Bring to a boil, and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to the hot pot.
4. 
   
5. Begin mashing the potatoes. Add the butter and mash in to the potatoes. Add the milk, cheese, roasted garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Mash until the potatoes are smooth. Serve immediately.

HTTPS://WWW.MELSKITCHENCAFE.COM/ROASTED-GARLIC-AND-PARMESAN-MASHED-POTATOES/

Instant Pot BEEF SHANK (OSSO BUCCO)

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon avocado oil
• 3 thick beef shank slices
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced (optional)
• 1 carrot, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 sprigs thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2-1 cup chicken stock (preferably homemade)
• 1/4-1/2 cup dry white wine (optional, can just use more chicken stock)
• 15 oz can diced tomatoes

Gremolata (optional)

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup parsley leaves

Trim all the fat you can from the outside of the beef shanks. Season the shanks generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil on sauté in the instant pot until hot. Add 1-2 shanks and sear for 3 minutes per side, or until well browned. Remove the browned shanks to a bowl or plate. Add the remaining shanks to the pot, and sear for 3 minutes per side. Move the second batch into to the bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil and fat in the cooker (I had no oil/fat and had to add some more at this point for the veggies). 

Sauté the the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, tomato paste, and thyme in the instant pot. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for five minutes, or until the onions are softened. Add the chicken stock and wine to the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits from the bottom.

Pressure cook the shanks: Add the shanks and any liquid in their bowl back into the pot. Submerge the shanks in the liquid as much as possible. Pour the tomatoes on top, but don’t stir. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker, cook on manual high heat for 36 minutes. Do a natural release for 15 minutes, then quick release any pressure left in the pot.

Prepare the gremolata: While the shanks are cooking, make the gremolata. Mince the garlic, lemon zest, and parsley leaves together, then toss in a small bowl to combine. (I probably won't make this again. It was fine, but I didn't feel like it added much to the dish and I think I prefer it without). 

Delicious with garlic mashed potatoes

https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/pressure-cooker-beef-shank-osso-bucco/

Zucchini Boats

4 zucchinis (one per person)
2 chicken breasts
1 onion
2-3 tomatoes or a bunch of grape tomatoes
3-4 garlic cloves
Parmesan Cheese (grated), enough to sprinkle on each boat
Mozzarella Cheese (grated), enough to sprinkle on each boat
Bacon (optional)
Avocado oil
Spaghetti sauce (optional)

Spices:
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasoning
Basil (fresh or dried)
Oregano

Parchment paper

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Things to chop up to small pieces (separated): chicken, onion, tomatoes, garlic, bacon
Season chopped chicken with salt and pepper
Cut zucchinis in half and scoop out insides
Rub some avocado oil in each zucchini half and salt/pepper
Put zucchini halves on parchment paper upside down and cook for 10 minutes
Sauté onions in avocado oil until translucent, add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds
Add chicken and bacon
Add tomatoes when the chicken is close to being done
Season along the way with additional seasonings listed above
You can add spaghetti sauce to all of the chicken, none of the chicken, or half of the chicken

When zucchini is done remove it from the oven and flip it over and fill each half with chicken mixture
Sprinkle parmesan and then mozzarella on top of the chicken
Bake for 6 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies

Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies

1 Cup of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 Cup of Almond Butter

1 Cup of Light Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Simply mix all 5 ingredients in a bowl, form small round balls, and bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes.  They will be soft when you take them out and will harden a bit when they cool-- be careful not to over bake them. Let them sit for 10-15 minutes on the tray. 

Kelli Note: Cooked the above way for ME created cookies that were too puffy and soft to even pick up, so I flattened them and cooked them for 12 minutes (and let them sit on the tray for 10 minutes) and they were perfect.

jessicarey.com/blogs/news/71051077-almond-butter-cookies

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Ingredients

•  1 cup unsweetened almond milk
•  2 ripe avocados peeled and pitted
•  1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
•  1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
•  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•  1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, I didn't use)
•  Pinch of sea salt
• Alternative ingredients: dates, frozen cherries, coconut milk
•  Raspberries for garnish

Instructions

1. Put the almond milk, avocados, cocoa, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt into your blender and puree on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth and creamy. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides with a spatula.
2. Transfer the pudding to glasses, ramekins, or jars and chill in the fridge.
3. To serve, top each pudding with fresh raspberries.
4. Note-the pudding works best with ripe avocados that don't have any brown discolorations. The pudding is best the day it's made, as the avocados will oxidize and the flavors will change over time.

I only had 1/4 cup of maple syrup so I added 3 dates (could do more), plus a handful of frozen cherries, and a bit more almond milk. Could also add coconut milk! 

Hashbrown Casserole {Without Soup}

Hashbrown Casserole {Without Soup}

CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP SUBSTITUTE INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 3 tablespoons flour (I used gluten free flour)

• 1/2 cup chicken broth

• 1/2 cup milk

• Dash of salt and pepper

CASSEROLE INGREDIENTS

• 30-32 ounces frozen shredded hash browns – thawed in fridge overnight

• 1 batch cream of chicken soup substitute

• 8 ounces sour cream

• 1/2 cup butter, melted

• 1/2 of a small onion – diced

• 2 cups cubed ham (optional, I did not use)

• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided (I used grass fed cheddar from TJ's)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP SUBSTITUTE DIRECTIONS

1. In a small sauce pan, melt butter. Whisk in flour and let cook for 1-2 minutes.
2. Slowly stir in chicken broth, then milk. Stir until it begins to thicken. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Season with a dash of salt and pepper.

CASSEROLE DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Saute onions
3. In a large bowl, stir together thawed hash brown potatoes and melted butter.
4. Stir in cream soup substitute, sour cream, onion, ham, and 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Stir well.
5. Season with salt and black pepper.
6. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese (or more if you’d like).
7. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Freezer Instructions: Assemble casserole. Do not bake. Cover well and store in your freezer for up to 3 months. Allow casserole to thaw completely in your refrigerator before baking, following the instructions above.

https://www.centercutcook.com/hash-brown-casserole-without-cream-soup/

Cauliflower Shepherd's Pie

Hemp seed energy balls

Turmeric Cookies

Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Cookies Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 20-25 minutes Serves: 10-12 cookies Ingredients: 1 cup almond butter 1 cup coconut sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 egg 1 tbsp turmeric 1 tbsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground nutmeg ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp black pepper ½ cup shredded coconut ½ cup crushed pecans ½ cup shredded or finely chopped carrots Equipment:  Large bowl Baking sheet Directions: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine almond butter and coconut sugar in a large bowl. Add vanilla and egg and combine further, then add turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and black pepper.  Now add in shredded coconut, pecans, and carrots and mix thoroughly. Scoop a tablespoon of dough onto the parchment paper and flatten with a spoon. Repeat until you have 10-12 cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops turn a rich golden brown. Let cool, then serve.

Got this in my email from Paleo Valley

Raspberry Chocolate Chia Protein Pudding

I got this in my email from paleovalley.com

Instant Pot Bone Broth

Instant Pot Bone Broth

Ingredients:
2 chicken carcases (or 4 lbs of bones)
2-4 stalks celery roughly chopped
2-4 large carrots roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 onion quartered (not peeled)
1-2 TBS apple cider vinegar
Fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage)
Salt
Some whole peppercorns
enough water to cover carcasses (around 12 cups)
2 bay leaves

Add everything to the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 2 hours (alternatively, you can add the bones, water, and vinegar and let sit for 30-60 minutes before adding all the other ingredients. It may help pull out some of the minerals and nutrients). May naturally release or not. Strain out solids and discard and store liquid in glass. Do not put hot broth in the fridge or freezer as it can increase the temperature of the fridge and make food unsafe. Cool down by adding ice cubes from filtered water until cool enough to refrigerate.

Freeze until ready to use. Good in fridge for 3-4 days.


If using beef bones roast in oven for 40-60 minutes at 400 degrees F. Turn half way through. Do not skip roasting.

Chicken feet are particularly good sources of collagen and nutrients. Only use feet from organic, pastured chickens.

My favorite way to eat this is to sauté 2-3 veggies (zucchini, squash, sweet potato, carrot, onions, celery, braising greens, etc) and then add the broth. Add another fat like butter or coconut milk and then the seasonings. I like adding turmeric, ginger, black pepper, salt, and garlic. Also good with noodles, spaghetti squash, or kelp noodles. SO good! 

Spaghetti Squash

This is my favorite way to make/prepare spaghetti squash so I don't want to forget it!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cut off stem end of squash and then cut in half lengthwise
Scoop out seeds and stringy parts with ice cream scooper
Flip squash over face down on pan and poke some holes in the back with a fork
Flip back up and rub in a little avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
Roast face up in the oven for 40 minutes
Let it cool a few minutes before you use a fork to scrape out "noodles"

Toppings I like to add next:
Bacon or sausage
Fresh tomatoes
Fresh basil
Olive oil
Spices - salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasonings, etc
Pine nuts
Parmesan

Spaghetti Sauce

Pesto 

Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 1-4 pound whole chicken, giblets removed
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
• ½ onion
• ½ cup chicken stock

Directions

1. Using a paper towel, dry off chicken.
2. In a small bowl mix together all of the spices. Place half of the spices in another small bowl and add 1 tablespoon avocado oil to create a paste.
3. Carefully rub the paste underneath the skin on the chicken breasts. Take care not to break the skin.
4. In a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot press the saute function.
5. Once hot add remaining oil and sear the whole chicken, breast side down about 3-4 minutes. Then flip and sear on the other side.
6. Remove chicken, and season the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper and place ½ an onion inside of the cavity. Rub the remainder of the dry spices all over the chicken breasts and thighs and set aside.
7. Place the trivet inside of the Instant Pot and pour in chicken stock.
8. Cook on manual for 24 minutes (or 6 minutes per pound)
9. Natural release for 15 minutes, then use the manual release function to release any remaining pressure.
10. Broil for 4-5 minutes for a crispy skin
11. Let chicken sit until it has cooled down slightly, about 10 minutes. Butcher the legs, wings and finally the breasts and serve along with your favorite sides!

Recipe Notes

1. If your chicken is a different size than 4 lbs. adjust the cooking time to be 6 minutes per pound.

lexiscleankitchen.com/how-to-cook-a-whole-chicken-in-the-instant-pot/