Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

We have Taco Tuesday every week at my house, our family is big on day specific menu's.  It's a bit of challenge to come up with a different taco filling each week so I don't feel like were having the same food every Tuesday.  I do have three children who never eat Taco's and will only eat quesadilla's made with the same orange sharp cheddar cheese and a specific flour tortilla.  Back to tacos, my Instant Pot hasn't been used to much, I did make homemade chicken noodle soup on Monday with homemade broth and noodles which was awesome since I only used the Instant Pot for the whole process.   I'm not a big fan of wet, mushy meat so Crock-Pots are my least favorite way to cook any sort of meat.  After some searching I determined a two fold approach would yield the best results int his recipe.  The pork is cooked in the Instant Pot but crisped up under the oven broiler.  

A combination of flavorful crispy edged pork and homemade guacamole and salsa are the highlights of this perfect taco.

Ingredients:

2 lbs Pork Shoulder
1 Yellow Onion
1 Lime
1 tablespoon Bacon Grease (or other oil)
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Chili Lime Seasoning
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Whole Cumin or 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder

 Peel and cut onion into big chunks.  Cut lime in half.

Turn on Instant Pot or comparable electric pressure cooker to sauté.  Melt bacon grease in pan then add 2 inch cubed pork and onion to pan and brown.

Add all the other ingredients to the pot including squeezing the limes over the pot.  Close lid according to directions, it chimes to help you know it is closed.  Set to high pressure for 30 minutes.

After pork is finished, allow pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes.  The Instant Pot has a timer telling you how long it has rested, very nice feature.  When it reaches the the de-pressuring stage I turn my oven on to the broil setting.

Remove pork from Instant Pot and place on a cookie sheet.  Using two forks shred the pork a little.  Don't completely shred it, just a little so more surface area will be broiled.   Place in a oven under the broiler for 15 minutes. 

 Look at that close up of the nice crispy pork, and then a pan out shot.  

Leave the juices in the Instant Pot and set to sauté, reduce the juices while the pork is under the broiler.

Pour the reduced juices on the pork and serve in your favorite taco.  I put corn tortillas on a griddle and slightly toast them then add the pork, homemade salsa, guacamole, lettuce, and cheese. 

Enjoy!

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

Ingredients:

2 lbs Pork Shoulder
1 Yellow Onion
1 Lime
1 tablespoon Bacon Grease (or other oil)
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Chili Lime Seasoning
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Whole Cumin or 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder

Process:

Peel and cut onion into big chunks.  Cut lime in half.

Turn on Instant Pot or comparable electric pressure cooker to sauté.  Melt bacon grease in pan then add 2 inch cubed pork and onion to pan and brown.

Add all the other ingredients to the pot including squeezing the limes over the pot.  Close lid according to directions, it chimes to help you know it is closed.  Set to high pressure for 30 minutes.

After pork is finished, allow pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes.  The Instant Pot has a timer telling you how long it has rested, very nice feature.  When it reaches the the de-pressuring stage I turn oven on to the broil setting.

Remove pork from Instant Pot and place on a cookie sheet.  Using two forks shred the pork a little.  Don't completely shred it, just a little so more surface area will be broiled.   Place in a oven under the broiler for 15 minutes. 

Leave the juices in the Instant Pot and set to sauté, reduce the juices while the pork is under the broiler.

Pour the reduced juices on the pork and serve in your favorite taco. 

Enjoy!

7 Layer Mexican Dip

This recipe was made before the Instant Chicken Ramen Noodles that I shared previously.  I made this recipe for a Mix n Mingle at church in New York.  My friend Whitney shared this recipe with me.  Sadly, this recipe got lost in the shuffle until now.  Thank you everyone who continues to follow my food hijinks and kitchen adventures.   

Who doesn't love a dip with 7 layers? 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. shredded Sharp Cheddar
1 1/2 cups  Sour Cream (I used homemade, my recipe is here)
1 Packet Taco Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
3 ripe Hass Avocados
2 tablespoons Fresh Cilantro
1/2 Lime, juiced
6 Campari Tomatoes (You may substitute with 3 Roma Tomatoes,  or 2 Beefsteak Tomatoes)
4 Green Onions
1 can Black Olives
1/2 lb. cooked Black Bean mashed (You may substitute with 3 cans pinto or black beans)

Mix sour cream and taco seasoning.

Spread the beans on the bottom of a 8x12 inch glass/ceramic dish.

Sprinkle garlic, 1 sliced green onion, and cilantro in a molcajete if you have one.
Grind together.  Otherwise cut green onions and cilantro finely in a bowl.

Add chopped up avocado to ground mixture and grind until the texture you like.
Add lime juice and mix.

Spread guacamole on the beans.

Spread the sour cream mixture on the guacamole.

Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

Cut up tomatoes into 1 inch pieces and sprinkle on the cheese.

Cut remaining 3 green onions and black olives and sprinkle on top.

Grab and bag of tortilla chips and begin dipping.

Enjoy!

7 Layer Mexican Dip

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. shredded Sharp Cheddar
1 1/2 cups  Sour Cream (I used homemade, my recipe is here)
1 Packet Taco Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
3 ripe Hass Avocados
2 tablespoons Fresh Cilantro
1/2 Lime, juiced
6 Campari Tomatoes (You may substitute with 3 Roma Tomatoes,  or 2 Beefsteak Tomatoes)
4 Green Onions
1 can Black Olives
1/2 lb. cooked Black Bean mashed (You may substitute with 3 cans pinto or black beans)

Process:

Mix sour cream and taco seasoning.

Spread the beans on the bottom of a 8x12 inch glass/ceramic dish.

Sprinkle garlic, 1 sliced green onion, and cilantro in a molcajete if you have one.  Grind together.  

Otherwise cut green onions and cilantro finely in a bowl.

Add chopped up avocado to ground mixture and grind until the texture you like.  Add lime juice and mix.

Spread guacamole on the beans.

Spread the sour cream mixture on the guacamole.

Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

Cut remaining 3 green onions and black olives and sprinkle on top.

Grab and bag of tortilla chips and begin dipping.

Enjoy!

Instant Chicken Ramen Noodles

This post has been a long time coming.  My family has had a lot of changes these past few months, really the past year has been crazy.  Our youngest daughter turned one in December and my dear little one has been kind enough to teach me a new level of exhaustion this past year.  The exhaustion was a big part of my absence, but the other part was my daughter really really doesn't like me to share attention for her with a computer, and her naps were few and far between.  She likes to have her nap when I drive my other children to school, and wake up when we get home.  If that wasn't enough, we decided it was time to leave Queens, leave New York completely actually.  That was a huge and hard decision.  Our children were very distraught about the move.  On November 2, we moved into our very own house in Garner, North Carolina.  For now I've decided to remain the Queens Foodie Mama, maybe I'll rename my blog/website, but for now it will remain the same.  I promise to do better about posting.

My children love ramen noodles, so we have had a variety of instant ramen noodles in our home. One of my friends, Sarah and her son, are unable to eat Soy.  Every instant ramen seasoning packet, in every package of Ramen Noodles, has soy.  Since a food challenge is one of my favorite motivations for cooking, I decided to take on the ramen challenge.  A few months ago I created this recipe for my friend Sarah.  She also helped taste test our instant ramen.  She offered some advice, so hopefully when you try it, you will enjoy this new take on a college dorm favorite.

Soup, food for the body and soul.

Ingredients:

1 Packet Per Jar Chicken Flavor Broth (Trader Joe's sells one without soy)
1 teaspoon whole Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon ground Turmeric
1 teaspoon ground Ginger
1 teaspoon dried Onion Flakes
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds
Dried Udon Noodles

4 Pint Jars

Grind the whole spices and herbs in a spice grinder or a blender until a powder is formed.

Break noodles to desired length and place in pint jar.  Fill half way up.  Add 1/2 teaspoon

seasoning to jar.  Place lid and ring on jar and screw on lid with chicken broth packet in lid.

Add hot water to 300 ml line and instant chicken broth.  Microwave for 1 minute, close jar with lid and allow to sit for 1 minute.

Allow to cool and enjoy and jar of instant ramen noodles.

Enjoy!

Instant Chicken Ramen Noodles

Ingredients:

1 Packet Per Jar Chicken Flavor Broth (Trader Joe's sells one without soy)
1 teaspoon whole Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon ground Turmeric
1 teaspoon ground Ginger
1 teaspoon dried Onion Flakes
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds
Dried Udon Noodles

4 Pint Jars

Process:

Grind the whole spices and herbs in a spice grinder or a blender until a powder is formed.

Break noodles to desired length and place in pint jar.  Fill half way up.  Add 1/2 teaspoon

seasoning to jar.  Place lid and ring on jar and screw on lid with chicken broth packet in lid.

Add hot water to 300 ml line and instant chicken broth.  Microwave for 1 minute, close jar with lid and allow to sit for 1 minute.

Allow to cool and enjoy and jar of instant ramen noodles.

Enjoy!

Feijoada (Brazillian Black Bean Stew, or Chili)

Recently a friend from church had a baby.  I wanted to make a dinner for her and her husband that would be comforting and remind her of her home country of Brazil.  When I was looking up recipes from Brazil, I learned about a Brazilian Black Bean Stew, Feijoada.  Since I had all the ingredients to make the stew, it was a win win.  We had leftovers, so on another night the stew got an upgrade and the recipe below is the upgrade.  This stew was very delicious, so much so, that my husband requested I make it again for a church social.  I made it this afternoon, third times the charm for our church Halloween Party Chili Cook-off.  I added some pepper flakes to the recipe to make it more like chili.  I brought this "chili" and blew away the judges and won first prize.  I think they liked the three kinds of pork, not a traditional chili with beef.  This recipe can be made very easily, and cheaply, depending on your preferences.  At a nearby grocery store, we have blemished discount produce that isn't perfect enough to be sold with the other pretty produce.  On a wonderful whim, I looked at the discounted produce at my local grocery store and struck cheap produce heaven and found bell peppers to use for this recipe.

Look at all that pork, so very yummy.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Black Beans
Kosher Salt
Garlic Powder
3 Green Bell Peppers
2 Red Bell Peppers
2 Yellow Onions
1 lb. Chorizo
4 lb. Pork Shoulder
Left Over Ham Bone (with left over ham and fat)
3 Pints Canned Whole Tomatoes
5 slices Bacon
2 teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Water

Soak black beans over night in water, 3 inches above beans and 2 tablespoons kosher salt.

Cut up the bacon into 1 inch pieces, add bacon, ham bone (remove meat and fat), soaked beans
to a pressure cooker pot or a stock pot on a stove.  If you do not have a ham bone, add more bacon.   Pour enough water to cover beans by 3 inches.  Cook beans in pressure cooker on high for
30 minutes or on the stove simmer covered for 1 hour or until beans are tender. 

Rub kosher salt and garlic powder all over the pork shoulder.  Place on spit of rotisserie or put

 on a rack set into a roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. Continue to cook for 3 hours. 

My ham bone is leftover so it still has meat and fat on it.  I freeze leftover bones and use them
for other recipes.  Remove meat and fat from ham bone and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. If you do
not have a ham bone with leftover meat on it substitute a ham steak.

Place ham and fat in a stock pot over low heat. We are rendering the fat (melting the fat),
although fat is yummy, it is better melted than having to chew it.  Remove meat when slightly
fried, remove cooked fat when fried.  Leave the melted fat in the stock pot.

Dice the onions, and bell peppers.  Saute the onions and bell peppers in the melted pork fat left
in the large stock pot over medium low heat.

Remove chorizo from the skin.  Break apart with a wooden spoon and cook over medium
 heat in a large 12 inch skillet.

Cut roasted pork into 1/2 inch cubes.  Place ham, fried fat, and pork in the same pan as the chorizo. 

Add the pork to the stock pot with the sauteed vegetables, add drained beans, add whole tomatoes
and cut with a spoon.  Stir and add red pepper flakes.  Cook over medium heat until bubbling.

This is a Brazillian Black Bean Stew, if you omit the pepper flakes, and with the pepper flakes
 it is great as a chili.

Enjoy!

Feijoada (Brazillian Black Bean Stew, or Chili)

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 lb. Black Beans

Kosher Salt

Garlic Powder

3 Green Bell Peppers

2 Red Bell Peppers

2 Yellow Onions

1 lb. Chorizo

4 lb. Pork Shoulder

Left Over Ham Bone (with left over ham and fat)

3 Pints Canned Whole Tomatoes

5 slices Bacon

2 teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Water

Process:

Soak black beans over night in water, 3 inches above beans and 2 tablespoons kosher salt.

Cut up the bacon into 1 inch pieces, add bacon, ham bone (remove meat and fat), soaked beans to a pressure cooker pot or a stock pot on a stove.  If you do not have a ham bone, add more bacon.  Pour enough water to cover beans by 3 inches.  Cook beans in pressure cooker on high for 30 minutes or on the stove simmer covered for 1 hour or until beans are tender.

Rub kosher salt and garlic powder all over the pork shoulder.  Place on spit of rotisserie or put

on a rack set into a roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. Continue to cook for 3 hours. 

Remove meat and fat from ham bone and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. If you do not have a ham bone with leftover meat on it, substitute a ham steak.

Place ham and fat in a stock pot over low heat. We are rendering the fat (melting the fat), although fat is yummy, it is better melted than having to chew it.  Remove meat when slightly fried, remove cooked fat when fried.  Leave the melted fat in the stock pot.

Dice the onions, and bell peppers.  Saute the onions and bell peppers in the melted pork fat left in the large stock pot over medium low heat.

Remove chorizo from the skin, break apart with a wooden spoon and cook over medium heat in a large 12 inch skillet.

Cut roasted pork into 1/2 inch cubes. Place ham, fried fat, and pork in the same pan as the chorizo. 

Add the pork to the stock pot with the sauteed vegetables, add drained beans, add whole tomatoes and cut with a spoon.  Stir and add red pepper flakes.  Cook over medium heat until bubbling.

Enjoy!

French Fry Sauce

I wanted to use my homemade sour cream for the french fries we were having.  Well, that is when I scoured the internet for a fry sauce.  My fry sauce is similar to what I found, but different.  I don't use recipes as they are written by someone else.  I put what I thought would taste good in the sauce and thankfully it worked.  All those years of tinkering in the kitchen have helped me understand flavors and what goes well together.  It helps if you understand what flavor different ingredients will impart in a recipe.  This sauce was so good that I wanted to keep eating french fries, even though I was full. When I put this sauce on our dining room table, my husband was first upset that I didn't put ketchup. When he tried the sauce, he changed his mind.  This recipe wasn't on my mind to be posted here. After I made it, and loved it, I went back and took a photo of the ingredients.  You don't get to see the middle of the process before the ingredients were mixed.  

This is the best sauce  for dipping french fries.   It puts ketchup to shame.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Sour Cream (I used homemade, recipe found here)
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
4 tablespoons Cholula Lime Hot Sauce (Yes it must be this hot sauce)
2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

Mix the ingredients together.  Place in a lidded container.  Refrigerate for an hour before
serving, so the flavors can come together.

Put some of this sauce next to your french fries and allow them to meet.  You will
 not be disappointed at how they taste together.

Enjoy!

French Fry Sauce
Printable Recipe found Here

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Sour Cream (I used homemade, recipe found here)
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
4 tablespoons Cholula Lime Hot Sauce (Yes it must be this hot sauce)
2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

Process:

Mix the ingredients together.  Place in a lidded container.  Refrigerate for an hour before serving so the flavors can come together.

Enjoy!

Yakitory Roll

You know I don't think I posted my news on here, because I didn't think about sharing it with you.  I am pregnant, or as my friend Rebecca pointed out, Queens Foodie Mama has a bun in the oven.  We are having a baby girl, due January 6. My children are super excited. Remember when I made California Rolls?  Well I wanted to make sushi rolls again but not with shrimp and of course not with raw salmon.  I'm sure my OB-GYN would gladly remind me to avoid raw meat/poultry/fish of any kind, so raw salmon was out.  While researching recipes for sushi rolls, I came upon Unagi Rolls. Unagi is grilled/barbequed fresh water eel.  Eel didn't really appeal to me, so I looked up what people said eel tasted like and some people mentioned it tasted like chicken.  My brain immediately decided why not do a sushi roll with chicken instead.  Next I looked up what Japanese barbecued chicken was called and also a recipe for the barbeque sauce and that is when I chose the name, Yakitory, meaning grilled chicken.  I tend to volunteer to take dinner to every woman who has just had a baby and her family in our church so the Yakitory Rolls were going to be for both my family and the Havig's who I was told by my friend Whitney loved sushi.  This recipe is dedicated to Kara and baby Heidi.

The rice was really sticky, that is why the rolls look a little sad.  Of course I'm not a
Japanese chef either.  These are still really tasty.

Ingredients for Yakitory (Grilled Chicken):

4 Chicken Thighs (with skin and bone)
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons Brown Rice Vinegar
3 tablespoons Cane Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger

Pour soy sauce, and brown rice vinegar into a small sauce pan.  Add sugar, garlic, and ginger
to sauce.  Cook over medium heat until it boils and reduce heat to low.  Cook on
low for 5 minutes.

Brush sauce onto thighs, on the skin and under the skin.  Brush all over.  Allow to marinate
for 20 minutes on the counter.

I cooked the chicken in my rotisserie for 20 minutes, you could also grill the chicken.

Ingredients for Brown Sushi Rice:

4 cup uncooked Medium Grain Brown rice
Water (add as much as the directions on the bag of rice recommends)
1/2 cup Brown Rice Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
3 tablespoons Cane Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)

Cook the rice on the stove according to directions on bag or do what I do and use a rice
cooker which is so much easier to use.

Mix vinegar, sugar, and salt together.

 Add vinegar mixture to still warm rice, stir until combined.

Ingredients for Yakitory Roll:

4 barbecue/grilled Chicken Thighs
1 English Cucumber
1 ripe Avocado
Nori Paper
Brown Sushi Rice

Remove bones from chicken thighs, trying to keep the thigh intact.  Thinly slice chicken with
skin on across the grain.

 Sauté sliced chicken over medium heat until slightly crispy on edges.

Julienne cucumber into small matchsticks.  Slice half the avocado lengthwise in skin and
scoop out with a large spoon.

Cover bamboo sushi mat in plastic wrap.

Place nori sheet in the middle of the mat.

Scoop out a baseball size mound of brown sushi rice onto the nori sheet.

 With wet fingers spread out the rice, cover all but the top small edge of the sheet. 

Flip nori sheet so rice is on the backside.

Place nine cucumber sticks, three in a row and three deep on the middle of the sheet.  Add 3
slices of avocado to the cucumber.  Finally add strips of chicken.

 Using the mat roll the rice covered nori sheet, carefully keep the other ingredients inside the nori sheet.

Repeat with all the rice and other ingredients.  Cut the rolls using a serrated knife in the
slow sawing motion.  Dip the knife in water between each cut to prevent sticking.  Slice rolls
into 1 1/2 inch thick slices.   

Enjoy!

Yakitory Rolls

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients for Yakitory (Grilled Chicken):

4 Chicken Thighs (with skin and bone)
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons Brown Rice Vinegar
3 tablespoons Cane Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger

Process:

Pour soy sauce, and brown rice vinegar into a small sauce pan.  Add sugar, garlic, and ginger to sauce. Cook over medium heat until it boils and reduce heat to low.  Cook on low for 5 minutes.

Brush sauce onto thighs, on the skin and under the skin.  Brush all over.  Allow to marinate for 20 minutes on the counter.

Cook the chicken in a rotisserie for 20 minutes, or you could also grill the chicken.

Ingredients for Brown Sushi Rice:

4 cup uncooked Medium Grain Brown rice
Water (add as much as the directions on the bag of rice recommends)
1/2 cup Brown Rice Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
3 tablespoons Cane Sugar (white sugar can be substituted)

Cook the rice on the stove according to directions on bag or do what I do and use a rice cooker which is so much easier to use.

Mix vinegar, sugar, and salt together.

Add vinegar mixture to still warm rice, stir until combined.

Ingredients for Yakitory Roll:

4 barbecue/grilled Chicken Thighs
1 English Cucumber
1 ripe Avocado
Nori Paper
Brown Sushi Rice

Remove bones from chicken thighs, trying to keep the thigh intact.  Thinly slice chicken with skin on across the grain.

Sauté sliced chicken over medium heat until slightly crispy on edges.

Julienne cucumber into small matchsticks.  Slice half the avocado lengthwise in skin and scoop out with a large spoon.

Cover bamboo sushi mat in plastic wrap.

Place nori sheet in the middle of the mat.

Scoop out a baseball size mound of brown sushi rice onto the nori sheet.

With wet fingers spread out the rice, cover all but the top small edge of the sheet. 

Flip nori sheet so rice is on the backside.

Place nine cucumber sticks, three in a row and three deep on the middle of the sheet.  Add 3 slices of avocado to cucumber.  Finally add strips of chicken.

Using the mat roll the rice covered nori sheet, carefully keep the other ingredients inside the nori sheet.

Repeat with all the rice and other ingredients.  Cut the rolls using a serrated knife in the slow sawing motion.  Dip the knife in water between each cut to prevent sticking.  Slice rolls into 1 1/2 inch thick slices.   

Enjoy!