Instant Pot Seafood Boil

 

Hey, guys!  It's been a minute since I've last shared a recipe.  Over two years to be exact!  It was never my intention to go so long... but life!  We've experienced a lot of life change between then and now.  What's new?  Well, our son, Lucas, was born (already 26 months old).  He's brought us so much joy.  I also accepted the full-time position of Director of my church's Children's Ministry and Preschool.  While lots of things are different, lots of things are the same.  We still homeschool my little sous chef, who isn't little anymore.  She's turning 17 this year!  Finding time to cook, plate, photograph, and edit dishes has proven to be difficult, but there is still plenty of cooking and good eating happening over here.  Another thing that hasn't changed is God's goodness.  Even in a pandemic, He has blessed us with so much.  

Now that I've shared a little update, I might as well share a recipe that we thoroughly enjoyed this weekend.  I've made seafood boils in the past, but this was the first time trying it in my Instant Pot.  After a few bites, I had to pull out my phone to take a few pictures to share with all of you lovely people!  While the photos don't do it justice, it was phenomenal.  I'll be dreaming of dipping my crusty bread into the savory seafood broth for a long, long time.  So.  Good.  

Ingredients:

Adapted from Damn Delicious

• 1 1/2 lb baby red potatoes 
• 1 pkg andouille sausage, thinly sliced 
• 1 c sweet onion, chopped 
• 4 tsp Old Bay seasoning, divided  
• 3 ears corn, shucked and halved 
• 16 oz chicken broth or beer
• 1 lb jumbo shrimp, shell on
• Clams 
• 1/4 c butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 

Directions:

Place potatoes, sausage, onion, and 3 tsp of the Old Bay seasoning in an 8-quart Instant Pot.  Stir until well combined.  Top with corn and pour chicken broth (or beer) over all.  

Select the manual setting, adjust pressure to high, and set time for 5 minutes.  When finished cooking, quick-release pressure.  

Add shrimp, clams, and half of the lemon wedges.  Select manual setting, adjust pressure to high, and set time for 1 minute.  When finished cooking, quick-release pressure.  

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in garlic and remaining 1 tsp of Old Bay seasoning, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Set aside.

Serve seafood mixture immediately and drizzle with butter mixture.  Garnish with parsley and lemon.

Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!  

Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken

I've been busy recently preparing for when our little bundle of joy arrives.  I'm currently at 38 weeks and growing larger and larger more and more impatient to meet our little guy!  In the meantime, I've been making lots and lots of freezer meals (recipes to come) and have also been playing around a lot with my Instant Pot.  

Easy Homemade Yogurt - Instant Pot (Cold Start)

I'm here to profess my undying love for my Instant Pot.  I've made so many wonderful things with it, and it's hard to choose what has been my favorite so far.  Chicken that literally falls off the bone, pot roast that melts in your mouth, healthy bone broth, hearty soups, amazingly creamy yogurt... the list goes on and on.

Who knew homemade yogurt could be so easy and tasty to make!?  With the Instant Pot, there's no need to go through the tedious steps of heating the yogurt to 180, cooling it to 115 degrees, etc.  This is a cold start recipe, meaning you simply dump the cold ingredients into the pot, cover it, use the yogurt setting, and then chill it in the refrigerator!  I won't be using store-bought yogurt anymore!  I love the fact that I can control exactly what I put into my yogurt!

Crescent Breakfast Ring

Merry Christmas!!

This is a make-ahead breakfast that is just perfect for the holidays.  Think Thanksgiving morning, Christmas morning, New Year's morning, Easter morning, etc.  It's very versatile, so you can really add any ingredients that your family enjoys.  Assemble it the night before and pop it in the oven when you're ready to eat!  So simple and so tasty!  Oh, and the presentation isn't bad either, huh?!  Next time, I'll use ham or breakfast sausage in place of the bacon, as the bacon kind of gets lost in everything.

Zuppa Toscana (Instant Pot Recipe)

On Friday, I'll be 30 weeks pregnant!  There is 14 years' difference between my little sous chef and our little... oh!  I just realized that I never announced the baby's gender!  We're having a...

Baked Cheesy Pesto Chicken

In a few days, I'm going to hit the halfway point of my pregnancy, and I have been having some serious cravings!  Mostly good things like apples and grapes... some not-so-good things like chocolate milkshakes and fries.  Another weakness of mine recently has been pesto.  I could seriously slather that stuff on anything!  I decided to make a baked pesto chicken for dinner tonight and add some cheese and tomato freshly picked from my garden.  Oh, my goodness, was this fantastic!  If you're a pesto lover, this is a must make!  

Zucchini Crisp - Tastes Just Like Apples!

'Tis the season for zucchini!  As much as I love a good zucchini cake, after a while, I get tired of the same old zucchini desserts.  Enter Zucchini Crisp.  Shh!  Don't tell anyone, and I promise they'll never know that this crisp has zucchini in it.  It tastes just like apples and the consistency is just like apples, too!  Really?  Really!  My daughter, who HATES zucchini, gobbled it up and absolutely loved it.  Once I told her what was really in it, she had a complete look of disbelief on her face and said, "How did you get apple flavor inside the zucchini?"  She even continued to finish and have seconds after the secret was revealed to her.  Give it a try... you will not be disappointed!  

Notes:  If you use a very large zucchini from your garden, make sure to remove the seeds from it after you cut it lengthwise.  Small zucchini don't need to be seeded.

A Life Update...

If you happen to be wondering why you haven't heard from me for a while, it's for an important reason.  There have been some major changes in my family that have affected every facet of my life.  These changes have affected my marriage, my little sous chef, my church ministries, my family, my health, my job, it will affect my homeschooling, and it has even affect my gardening and other hobbies, too.  I recently found out that we're pregnant!  We are over the moon and cannot wait to meet our Valentine's Baby!  

It's been tough to hold down food the last several weeks, let alone cook, which is why I haven't been posting much.  Another recent, minor change is that I decided to stop the Keto diet, especially since crackers and cereal seem to be the only things that help with the nausea!  But I'm not complaining... looking on the bright side, it's only temporary, and it will all be worth it in the end!     

Anyway, I just wanted to jump on here and share the exciting life update with you guys!

Keto Cheddar & Broccoli Soup

We are officially through our home school year!  My, that went by quickly!  Now that it's summer break and I have a little extra time on my hands, I hope to post recipes more frequently than I have been.  

It's been four months since I started on the Keto diet.  I originally intended to use it as a tool to lose the extra weight that I put on over the winter months.  After losing the extra pounds, I decided that I'm actually going to stick with it.  It's hard to put into words exactly how, but I overall feel better mentally, emotionally, and physically while on this diet.  I feel like I have more clarity of mind, which is super important while home schooling... and working and adulting in general.  Don't get me wrong, though; I still have mom brain from time to time!  

This Keto Broccoli & Cheddar Soup came out fan-flippin'-tastic!  It's rich, creamy, and so delicious that it feels like I'm cheating on my diet while eating it!  This was my first time using xanthan gum as a thickening agent, and it worked like a charm!  

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Fat Bombs (Keto)

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to a little gem that gets me through those times when I'm craving something sweet and naughty.  Ever heard of a fat bomb?  I hadn't until I started my Keto diet journey.  They sound kind of gross, don't they?  Actually, fat bombs are so high in fat and low in protein that they help your body burn more fat for fuel and stay in ketosis.  And when I say "fat," I'm talking about healthy fats.  Here's the homeschooling mom coming out... we need these healthy fats to help our bodies absorb fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A, D, E, and K.  Thanks, Apologia science!  Anyway, back to the recipe.  These chocolate and peanut butter fat bombs are amazing!  1 gram of carbs never tasted so good!    

Notes:  The mixture will sweeten as it sets.  Carb count will vary depending on the size of your silicone molds.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.