Is your Air Fryer/Instant Pot helping you??

 These two kitchen appliances can do SO much!                                                                    

AIR FRYER - *see 1/19/20 for recipes                                                   

*biscuits/rolls                                                      

burgers - on foil to contain mess
360 8 minutes/flip & cook for for 5-8 more minutes as needed                                                                      

*chicken & broccoli - orange & general Tso sauce

cottage cheese wrap - cook on parchment/scrape off parchment & flip/finish cooking 
use for a sandwich or pizza                             

croutons - toss in a bowl w/olive oil & spices                         
cook on foil to contain mess

donuts/use flaky biscuits                                                                                         
360 5min/flip & cook for 2-3 more minutes as needed
dip in glaze (powdered sugar/milk/vanilla) or cinnamon sugar       

drumsticks (start in IP to shorten cook time) instead of wings-10HI                                                               

egg rolls - 360 8 minutes flip 7-8more minutes                                                                                               

fresh veggies - brussels sprouts are done in 15min                                                                                          

fried foods - anything frozen that is meant to be fried                                                                                      

grilled cheese - can use mayo or butter (use toothpicks to hold bread)                                   

homemade pizza - see 'pizza 101' 9/19/12
https://www.plainchicken.com/st-louis-style-pizza/         

hot dogs/brats/sausage                                                                                                  

jalapeno poppers - wrap in bacon?                                                                                                 

meatballs - buffalo chicken 1lb. ground chicken, 1/4ea. oats & bread crumbs, 1 egg, hot sauce as needed    use cookie scoop to make balls, no need to roll, use foil
360 8 min/flip & cook 8 min more as needed                                                                      

potato skins -cook potatoes in IP 15HI     
let cool, cut in half, scoop out centers (make mashed potatoes)
spray top and bottoms with olive oil spray-cook both sides for 8 minutes
save for later or fill w/cheddar and bacon and cook                                                                                         

puff pastry                                                                                                  

reheat pizza - an air fryer is SO perfect for this                                                                                               

revive stale bread/chips                                                                                                  

roast vegis                                                                                                  

*salmon/fresh fish/shrimp/tuna steak                                                                                                  

scones - cook from fresh or frozen

single scone - easily double, triple (freeze extras)

1/3 c. flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt (I skip this bc I use salted butter)

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp cold butter

2 1/2 Tbsp milk (I used vanilla almond milk)

2 Tbsp mix-in of choice (blueberries/bacon cheddar/cinnamon chips)

add whatever spices you want

Form into whatever shape you like.

If you like a soft center, make 1 big one.

If you like crispy edges, cut into two smaller.

Air Fryer - 340 8 min. / turn over / 3 more min.

small batch baking                                                                                                  

sweet potato fries - cut a bit larger as they shrink
toss in brown sugar & cinnamon                                                                                                  

toast nuts - couple minutes at a time, toss frequently                                                                                       

AIR FRYER DESSERTS                                                                                      

*cheesecake                             

*ONE cookie - or keep premade portioned dough in the freezer for 'emergencies'!                                        

*shortbread                                                                                                  

*lava cake

puff pastry anything                                                                                                  

INSTANT POT - *see 1/19/20 for recipes                                                                                           

applesauce - apples, water(not much), cinnamon, sugar 5HI 10NPR
throw some crumble on top and air fry for a quick apple crisp                                                              

artichokes - 14HI for average size QPR drizzle w/melted butter and parmesan                                              

baked potatoes - 15HI then spray w/oil, add spices and cook in AF to crisp up
could turn into hasselback potatoes too
use foil to contain mess                                                                                           

batch cooking - chicken, rice, whatever will help you through the week                                     

*beef broccoli - make rice first, set aside                    

bone broth - boil a whole chicken from Sam's or CostCo                                                                                

*bread pudding - use the French Toast Casserole recipe
put in AF to crisp up top                                                                                           

brew tea                                                                                           

*cajun chicken pasta - great to prep ahead
make extra chicken & vegis and freeze
the sauce froze well also!

chicken wings - 12HI frozen 10HI defrosted (pat dry & add spice)

corn on the cob - 2HI leave it til you're ready for it                                                                                          

defrost frozen meat/other - 10HI QPR                                                                                     

double boiler                                                                                                 

dried beans                                                                                           

dulce de leche - cover can of condensed milk with water to MAX fill
20-30HI NPR for dark 10-15HI NPR for light  

*egg casserole

garlic - wrap in foil and add to something else for 5HI

hard boiled eggs - 6HI experiment to get the 'doneness' you prefer                                                      

*hawaiian chicken

*homemade bread - see recipe
air fry to toast the top                                                                                       

lentils - 1:3 8HI 15NPR QPR                                                                                    

make cottage cheese - 1 gallon milk makes 2 cups?!                                                                                       

make yogurt - much higher yield!                                                                                           

pot in pot cooking                                                                                           

prep ahead cooking - cook from fresh (defrosted) or from frozen                                                                   

proof/raise dough - get a 2 hour rise in 30 minutes
(no water) grease pot, turn off 'keep warm', press 'yogurt" setting, (goes for 30 minutes)                              

*meatloaf - sounds weird 
the recipe fits perfectly in a 6" square cake pan                                                                                          

*ribs - time depends on style of rib                                                                         
see recipe for baby back ribs
center cut ribs are less expensive                 

rice - white 1:1 4HI 10NPR/brown 1:1 22HI 10NPR (don't use minute rice)                                                  
make extra ahead of time so you can have fried rice later in the week                    

rice pudding                                                                                           

ripen a banana - 1c. water, skin on 5HI QPR, let cool                                                                                      

*risotto  - see shrimp risotto recipe                                                                                          

*roast 
recipe includes how to add potatoes & carrots                                                                                          

simmer pot                                                                                           

*soups - see chicken noodle & minestrone recipes                                                             
also red beans & rice soup                             

*spaghetti sauce

spaghetti squash - cut in half across (not longways)/remove seeds                                                                  1c water, trivet, 8HI for al dente (10HI for softer) QPR
to cook whole-pierce skin to allow venting, 25HI QPR                       

*spinach artichoke dip - make ahead & put in containers for last minute guests
put in AF to crisp up the top

steam vegis - **can do two together

*steel cut oats - 1:3 3HI NPR                                                                                           

sterilize bottles                                                                                           

make vanilla?                                                                                           

INSTANT POT DESSERTS                                                                         

*cheesecake                                                                                           

*lava cake                                                                                           

creme brulee - per serving (1egg yolk, 1Tsp sugar, 1/4c heavy cream or milk, dash vanilla)
wrap ramekins in foil, 1c. water, place on trivet, 
experiment with time 10-13HI 15NPR, depends on container size, refrigerate to chill
add sugar & torch just before serving                                                                                          

DON'T add cottage cheese to IP!    

turn off sound - press the - button until you see SOFF press + for SON

Find some great ideas here:

https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g5040/best-instant-pot-recipes/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=mgu_ga_clv_d_bm_prog_org_us_g5040&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=11669601809&gbraid=0AAAAACq-Irtn29FvFV67dKfqQBn7OBP1g&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsY3LBhCwARIsAF6O6Xg27k3Th6nXFJATzBb1mk52U5uzwmxTyViIw7rTlXBQsqnmN2260S0aAiinEALw_wcB

check out TRIED TESTED AND TRUE - on youtube
Six Sisters' Stuff - 20 of the best things to make in an Instant Pot

on my list:

https://damndelicious.net/2018/06/05/instant-pot-shrimp-boil/

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/20-minute-thai-peanut-chicken-ramen/

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/instant-pot-barbacoa-beef/#tasty-recipes-60562-jump-target

https://www.number-2-pencil.com/instant-pot-pressure-cooker-chicken-enchiladas-6/

https://sweetandsavorymeals.com/instant-pot-orange-chicken/#recipe

https://pinchofyum.com/instant-pot-mac-and-cheese

https://www.number-2-pencil.com/instant-pot-pressure-cooker-french-dip-sandwiches-17/#recipe

https://leelalicious.com/instant-pot-cajun-chicken-rice/#recipe

https://cookiesandcups.com/instant-pot-salted-caramel-cheesecake-2/

Tote Bags

 

A couple cake designs...

 

Soup 101 - October 5, 2025 Class

 To begin, visit Soup 101 - 10/18/20 post

8-can Chicken Taco Soup
1 can ea. pinto, black, sweet corn (drain & rinse)
1 can diced tomatoes (or fire-roasted)
1 can Rotel - w/green chilies
1 can chicken (or 1 1/2c. cooked chicken)
1 can chicken broh
1 packet taco seasoning
Dump in pot, simmer 15-20 min. stirring occasionally
Serve w/sour cream, shredded cheese, lime, tortilla chips, cilantro

5 minute soup - under 'soups'

Chicken Enchilada Quinoa Soup
from letsmealtalk.com -Healthy Meal Planning & Prepping Made Easy
cook til softened:

1/2 yellow onion
yellow pepper
2 cloves garlic
add seasoning blend:
1 tsp. ea. salt, oregano, chili powder, cumin
add:
1 1/2c. chicken broth
16oz. green enchilada sauce
16oz. diced tomatoes
2 c. cooked chicken
1/2c. quinoa
1 can black beans (drain & rinse)
Stir well, bring to low simmer, cook covered for 10 min. til quinoa is soft.
Add more spice if needed.

New Cookie Design - without the actual cookie cutter

Coming soon - graduation gown

DIY Soft Scrub

Mix even amounts-Dawn, baking soda, epsom salts
Works great on glass shower doors, shower walls, etc.
Make a small amount to use because it hardens if trying to save it for later.

Tamalada Time

Tamalada - Tamale making party. 

Hosting one is probably the best (&most fun) way to make a bunch of tamales.

To make tamales you'll need masa, filling, corn husks to hold/form, and various toppings to add when serving them. (3.5-4cups of filling and 4c. masa. will make 40 tamales)

You can use squares of parchment paper if you don't have corn husks.

Masa - can be savory or sweet (for dessert tamales). It can also be colored with some of the ingredients that go into the filling so you can differentiate between filling flavors.

Filling - Beef, pork, chicken, beans, cheese, peppers....do yourself a favor and make these ahead of time.

In class - we will make Red Chili Pork tamales, and bean and cheese
(15oz. refried beans w/1.5c. shredded mozzarella) tamales.

I made the chocolate tamales ahead of time.

I found https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/ very helpful. She also has a Salsa Verde Chicken tamale recipe you might try.

Steps to make tamales-
(break it down into parts, trying to do it in one day is too much)

Cook meat ahead of time. Crock Pot or Instant Pot. Let sit in fridge overnight so the fat can easily be skimmed off. It's also easier to shred and defat the meat when it's cold. The Birria Roast from Aldi is a super quick way to  do meat as it's already nicely seasoned.
Save the liquid to flavor your masa.

PORK - for 20 (Idid x4) - 60HI NPR in IP
or crock pot 8 hours on low (or overnight)
1 1/2lbs. pork loin shoulder or butt
1 large onion chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic
1/2tsp. oregano
1tsp. cumin
1tsp. chili powder
1tsp. salt
1/2tsp. black pepper
Shred the cooled meat (remove fat-most of it will have cooked away).
Save the liquid to flavor your masa mix.

Red Chili Sauce
4 dried california chile pods-anaheim chilies
2 c. reserved pork broth (fat removed)
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. oil
1Tbsp. flour

Remove seeds from the chiles, cook in two cups reserved broth for 20 minutes. Blend til smooth, use immersion blender (or regular blender). Cook 1 Tbsp. oil and flour, add blended chilies, spices, cook for 10 minutes. Add to shredded meat. Don't make it too wet.

Make Masa-
    mix 1 1/3c. shortening (traditionally lard is used) w/2Tbsp. broth for 3-5min til light & fluffy.
    1cup of shortening weighs 6.7oz. - using a scale is easier than using a measuring cup

 if you use a Kitchen Aid, you may not have enough to mix, so you may need to start with a hand mixer
 Separately, mix 4c. masa harina, 2tsp. baking powder, 1tsp. salt, 1tsp. cumin
 add gradually to shortening, alternating with broth
 Start w/3c. broth - mix til light and fluffy
 To see if it is ready, drop a small ball into a glass of water - if it sinks, you need more liquid.

Regular masa can be made 24 hours in advance. Chocolate masa can be made up to 3 days ahead.
Both can be frozen if necessary.

Soak husks in very hot water for 30-60 minutes. Any longer may lead to bacterial growth.

Assemble tamales.
Keep masa covered so it doesn't dry out.
Remove corn husk from water and dry off.
Spread masa (1/4c) on the smooth side, from the middle up to the wide end. Leave edges clean.
Place 1-2 Tbsp. filling down the center. Don't overfill.
After class, I tried a variation of the 'tortilla press' method. I smushed the dough with my hand using the plastic bag and to my surprise, it worked great. Then I tried my little fondant rolling pin, and that worked even better!

Fold in sides like a brochure, then fold up bottom. Can tie a string around to differentiate flavors.
  Could also tie a strip of corn husk, but it's not necessary. It only took 3 minutes to fold up the 11 tamales shown above. (I spread all the masa first)
(Refrigerate overnite if no time to steam-standing up and well covered)
Steam tamales standing upright (pack tightly enough to keep them standing), open end up -
 stove-top - don't let the water touch the bottom of the tamales - lay a few husks over the top, or a towel
 once boiling, reduce to a simmer and steam for 90 minutes, til tamale separates from husk
  DON"T LET THE WATER DRY UP 
Apparently if you put a penny in the bottom of your pan, it will make noise when the water runs out.
 
To use an Instant Pot - 1c. water on bottom - Manual/High Pressure 25 minutes. NPR10, QPR
In class, I got the 'burn notice' - to avoid this, raise your rack a bit with a couple balls of aluminum foil so you can put more water in the bottom. (you don't want the bottoms of your tamales 'in' the water. I noticed a couple of mine slumped down because they weren't packed tightly. A couple others weren't wrapped tightly and leaked a bit of masa, which soaks up the water and could lead to a burn notice.

If you need to fill up some space, empty tuna cans come in handy. You could even use a regular can and fill it with water, which may help to avoid a possible burn notice.

Once cooked, tamales should not be left out too long.

Leftover tamales can be kept in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

To freeze - allow cooked tamales to cool. Place in bag, freeze up to 3 months.
  Tamales can also be frozen prior to steaming. Don't keep them too long before cooking.
  Use same Instant Pot cooking times to cook them from frozen.

To rewarm - wrap tamale in dampened paper towels (to steam them) and microwave until warmed through. Letting them defrost first will allow them to reheat evenly.

Lots of options here:
https://deliastamales.com/order-online/best-ways-to-reheat-tamales/

Other ideas - mini tamale cupcakes - see Pinterest

Tamale Pie - press just over half of masa into bottom and up sides of a pan. Fill with meat, beans, corn, cheese, onion, salsa...press rest of masa onto waxed paper in the shape of the container you're using.
Use waxed paper or saran wrap to spread out the masa, and then place it over the filling. 

A tamale pie cooks for the same amount of time as the tamales.
I made two of these 6" square pans (cover with foil) stacked up in the Instant Pot (on the rack)
for 25HI, 10NPR, QPR

In the oven - Place pan into a larger pan, pour water onto the larger pan. Cover the two pans together with foil to make a 'steamer.' Bake at 375 for at least 1 hour.

http://www.austinfoodlovers.com/2007/12/31/chocolate-yep-thats-right-chocolate-tamales/
you'll find great instruction here on how to mix masa
1-mix masa and liquid in a separate large bowl and let sit to hydrate for 30 minutes.
2-in stand mixer, beat shortening (or butter) til light and fluffy
    add in baking powder
3-gradually add in masa mix - will be dry and crumbly
4-add in rest of water - mix on med high for 8 minutes (I alternated masa/liquid)
5-add in sugar and cocoa (if using) - mix for 2 minutes
6-keep mixing and adding small amounts of liquid til it passes the 'float' test

10Tbsp. butter - mix til light and fluffy
1 3/4c. masa (can mix in a separate bowl w/1c. of the water to start to rehydrate, let sit 30 min)
1 3/4c. water 
1tsp. baking powder
1/4c. cocoa powder
1/4c. sugar
This makes approx. 16 tamales (or 12-20 depending on size)

Fill with 1Tbsp. chips, caramel, nuts....I did add some marshmallows to the above chocolate tamale pie - they disappeared ;)