Instant Pot: Lactose-free Yogurt

My Instant Pot is the 7-in-1 model and one of the features is a yogurt maker.

I got excited when I realized I could make lactose-free yogurt!

I purchased the two ingredients -- milk (Fairlife) and yogurt (Fage 2%).

I was prepared to use the boil method, but I learned that since Fairlife is filtered, you don't have to boil it!  (the filtering also means it's lactose free and higher in protein; you can find a list of grocery stores that carry it on Fairlife's website)

I put 52 oz of Fairlife milk in my Instant Pot, added a heaping tablespoon of "starter" (Fage yogurt), and stirred with a plastic whisk.  I put the lid on, hit the yogurt button on the IP and went to bed.  (the yogurt feature does not pressure cook)

Six hours later, I put the IP liner pot in the fridge to cool.  After cooling for a few hours, the yogurt was thinner than I wanted, so I lined a colander with cheesecloth and set it inside a bowl.  I put it in my refrigerator for several hours.  Straining the whey creates Greek yogurt.  (if the whey isn't clear, add more layers of cheesecloth; when it's done you can save the whey to make bread or other things)

Incubating for six hours created a very mild yogurt with no tartness.  The longer you incubate, the more tart the yogurt becomes.  Eight hours is average; some people like to incubate longer.

A few tips I've read:  You can use any kind of Fairlife milk -- I used whole.  You can use any yogurt that doesn't have added flavors or sweeteners (I've read that Fage gives a more mild taste than other brands).  Save a heaping tablespoon of your homemade yogurt to use as your starter next time.

You can sweeten your yogurt naturally with honey, stevia, or pure maple syrup.  There are lots of ideas online for how to top it -- such as fruit compote and lemon curd (both can be made in the IP).

I sweetened mine with stevia, added a few drops of vanilla, and topped it with fresh strawberries.  It tasted like ice cream!

I found this recipe on a post in the Instant Pot Community on Facebook, but you can find similar recipes online, like here.

Update:  I made this recipe a second time.  I used paper towels instead of cheese cloth to strain the yogurt -- much cheaper and easier.  Just be sure to use good quality paper towels.

Green Frog Pops

I really prefer homemade food to processed food, so I love finding easy recipes that replace things I'd usually buy at the store.

This is a popsicle version of a green smoothie -- it packs lots of vitamins.

I started with this recipe from one of my favorite blogs -- super healthy kids.

I adjusted it a bit:

2 ripe bananas
4 cups baby spinach
2 cups frozen peaches (or other frozen fruit)
1-1/2 cups pineapple juice

Just blend it together and pour it into popsicle molds.  This fills 6 large molds (you can drink any leftovers as a smoothie).

My kiddo and I love them!  And they're under 100 calories each.

Meal Kit Review: Home Chef

When I wasn't happy with Blue Apron, a friend suggested that I try Home Chef.  I've ordered three meal kits with two meals each.

I like that most Home Chef meals come together in about 30 minutes.  And they have lots of flavor.  The price point is very similar to Blue Apron (still high for our family).

Unlike Blue Apron, Home Chef has a limited number of healthy options.  Even some of the low calorie meals are high in fat.  So if you eat healthy, choose your meals carefully (fortunately it's very easy to access nutritional info).

Tip: if you order a $40 meal kit, you'll pay shipping.  But if you add the fruit basket or smoothie kit, you will qualify for free shipping -- and get more food for the same price.

I found a few recipes that I'll make again.  I loved the blue cheese quinoa salad.  And the Parmesan spoon bread (that came with BBQ chicken) was delish.  I liked the egg roll in a bowl but next time I'll make it with chicken.

Want to try Home Chef?  I'll send you a coupon for $30 off your first order!

White Cake with Lemon Cream Filling

I wanted to bake on my day off for July 4th, and decided on this recipe that I'd seen in my Facebook feed from King Arthur flour.

This recipe is a bit of work -- make the cake, make the lemon curd (I used my Instant Pot), make the pastry cream (I made it from scratch), make the whipped cream.  Fortunately I had plenty of time to enjoy the process.

I adjusted the recipe slightly -- I used all of the lemon cream in the middle of the cake, and topped the cake with plain whipped cream.  Since it was July 4th, I added raspberries and blueberries.  The cake layers didn't rise as much as I'd expected, but it was still a delicious cake that garnered lots of compliments!

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

I recently discovered king ranch chicken casserole.  I love to make it for our family, and it's my go-to recipe when I take a meal to someone.

I started with this recipe from allrecipes and made a few adjustments:

butter instead of vegetable oil
omit the peppers
increase Rotel to two cans, drained
omit chicken broth
omit ancho chile powder
increase chipotle powder to 1-1/2 teaspoons (I use this blend)
cook 1 lb. chicken thighs using this recipe for the instant pot
reduce cheddar cheese to 4 oz
substitute tortilla chips for the corn tortillas

I use a 9x9 pan.  I save all the cheese for the top.  I bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

This makes a much thicker casserole that is almost like a lasagna.

Instant Pot: Indian Butter Chicken

I decided to make the butter chicken that is so popular on Facebook.  I used this recipe from two sleevers.

I did not have all of the spices on hand, but I found them at my local Super Target (I bought them online for in-store pick up to save my husband from hunting for them).  I bought the KitchenAid two-speed immersion blender, since that seems like a good tool to accompany the IP.

The recipe was quite easy.  I used six cloves of garlic, one teaspoon of ginger, and only 1/4 teaspoon cayenne.  I used a half cup of cilantro.

The recipe makes 3 cups of sauce and I put half of it in the freezer for the future.  (I'm planning to cook the chicken in the IP in a can of diced tomatoes, and then remove the chicken and use it with the leftover sauce.)

I will definitely make this recipe again!

Instant Pot: Steamed Red Potatoes

I love red potatoes and they turn out PERFECT in my IP.

I adjusted this recipe from recipethis.

I put the water in the bottom of the liner pot, add the trivet (the wire rack thing that came with the IP), and place the potatoes on top of the trivet.  4 minutes on manual, 5 minutes natural release

I add butter and fresh herbs (dill) after the potatoes are cooked and before I serve them.

Instant Pot: Mexican Chicken

The IP recipe that I've made over and over is for chicken that I put into quesadillas and king ranch chicken casserole.

I modified this recipe from dad cooks dinner that a friend recommended.

I reduce the vegetable oil to 1 teaspoon or use cooking spray
I use 1 cup frozen chopped onion instead of fresh
I omit the salt
I use water in lieu of the beer
I use this chipotle chile powder mix in lieu of the ancho chile powder -- it's AMAZING
I use Rotel original for the tomatoes
Sometimes I add a packet of taco seasoning

This chicken is so delicious that I can eat it right out of the IP!

My king ranch chicken casserole recipe will be in a future post.

Instant Pot: Chicken Soup

I decided to jump on the Instant Pot band wagon.  I don't use it for every meal, but there are things I like to use it for.

The biggest benefits of the IP are not just that it cooks quickly, but that you can start it and walk away (like a crock pot on steroids).

My first meal was homemade chicken soup.  It took a couple of hours from start to finish, but still saved a couple of hours (and a lot of babysitting) compared to making it on the stove.

I used this five-star rated recipe from mommypotamus.  I can't even tell you how delicious those carrots tasted!

To turn it into chicken noodle soup, I cooked pasta on the stove and added it to the finished chicken soup.

Update:  I made this recipe a second time.  To save time, I used a bag of baby carrots and 3 pounds of chicken drumsticks.  Prep took about 20 minutes and deboning the chicken at the end took about 10 minutes.  This soup tastes even better the second day!