Sunday, August 31, 2025

Spanish Rice for Instapot

This is a delicious, simple Spanish rice recipe that's one-post with the Instapot.


Spanish Rice for Instapot 

adapted from the almond eater


Ingredients:

1.5 cups rice (long preferred, but short works here)

2 cup broth (chicken or veg)

1.25 cups tomato sauce (really any smooth sauce will work here)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs oil

1 tsp chili powder 

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt (more or less depending on how salty the broth you use is)

3 Tbs cilantro, chopped fine (optional)


Instructions:

1. Set Instapot to saute mode for 5 minutes (it will take a couple minutes to heat up) and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the oil, rice, and garlic. Saute until the timer clicks off, stirring frequently.

2. Add broth, tomato sauce, and dried spices to the pot. Stir together, place lid with the valve on seal, and cook on rice mode (disable keep warm).

3. Once rice mode has completed, and the seal has dropped - open lid, fluff rice, and let stand for 5 minutes.

4. Serve & enjoy!


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Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Eggplant (Aubergine) Katsu Curry


Delicious, vegan meal I found this recipe on Instagram. I have been saving vegan recipes since my SO who is considering a vegan diet for diabetes and pre-diabetes prevention.

10/10 will make again. 

This would be very easy to swap out with pork cutlets, chicken, tofu? or probably many other proteins (or vegetables!) of your choice if you don't want eggplant.


Eggplant (Aubergine) Katsu Curry

from #alfiecooks_

serves 2


Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants

2 Tbs. soy sauce

3/4 cup (100 g) flour

3/4 cup (100 g) panko bread crumbs

3/4 cup (200 mL) milk (or milk alternative)

1/2 tsp. each salt, ground pepper, garlic powder, paprika; divided between flour and bread crumbs

2 cups (500 mL) oil for frying

For serving:

cooked rice

Japanese curry*

Picked vegetables**

spring onions, green parts sliced (optional)

lime, sliced into wedges (optional)

chili oil (optional)

*Japanese curry:

I got a 3.2 oz (92 g.) box of S&G Golden Curry (Japanese curry mix) from Amazon for $2.48 and mixed the whole thing with 2.25 cups water. Only needed about half of that for the recipe

**Pickled vegetable:

I slightly modified this recipe from Love & Lemons

1. In a large lidded container, slice on a mandolin 2 medium or large red onions, 1 cucumber, and 2 to 4 medium to large carrots. Add 2 whole cloves peeled garlic and 1 Tbs. whole peppercorns (optional). 

2. In a small saucepan, boil 2 cups white vinegar, 2 cups water, 1/3 cup sugar, and 2 Tbs. salt. Just as soon as sugar and salt are dissolved, take mixture off heat and pour over vegetables. Cover with a lid and let cool to room tempture before storing (for up to 2 weeks). Vegetables will be ready to eat after ~1 hour. Note: this recipe will make way more pickled veg than you need for a single recipe.

Instructions:

1. If making homemade pickles for serving, do that first so they'll be ready by the time you sit down to eat (see suggestion above).

2. If making fresh rice, get that started so it's ready by the time you sit down to eat.

3. Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Wash eggplants, and place in baking dish. Coat with oil, salt, pepper, and bake for 30 minutes or until completely soft.

4. (optional) Place hot eggplants into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. This will help steam the eggplants and make removing the skins easier.

5. Start oil heating in a pan for frying on medium-high heat in a medium pan (ideal frying temperature is 350-375F).

6. Peel eggplants and slightly flatten with hands. Toss in soy sauce. 

*I kept the skins and then fried those too for a snack! Keep a bit of meat on the skins if you choose to do that.

7. Get 3 trays: one for flour, one for milk, one for panko bread crumbs. Divide the spices between the flour and breadcrumbs and mix each well.

8. Coat your first eggplant in flour mixture, then dip in milk, then panko bread crumbs. Fry each eggplant one at time so you don't over crowd them. Cook for ~3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Dry on rack or paper towels to take away excess oil after frying.

9. Prepare curry sauce (see suggestion above).

10. Serve and enjoy!

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Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Salmon & Crab Sushi Bake

 


Tried this viral food trend, and it's fire. All the best parts about sushi without the fuss or cost. You can do this so many different ways (just crab, just salmon, canned or fresh tuna, etc) but this is the way I tried first.

Salmon & Crab Sushi Bake

from Be Fit Snacks

Ingredients:

8 oz. fresh salmon

8 oz. crab stick

3 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup mayo (ideally Kewpie) plus more for serving

1 Tbs Sriracha plus more for serving

1 cup uncooked rice (or 2-3 cups cooked rice)

2 Tbs rice vinegar

1 package nori wraps

cucumber, sliced small (optional)

avocado, sliced small (optional)

green onion, chopped (just the green parts)

Furikake

salt

pepper

garlic powder

oil

Instructions:

1. Cook rice however you cook your rice. Add vinegar and fluff to combine.

2. Pre-heat oven to 425F. Season salmon with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a bit of oil. Rub even across top of salmon.

3. Bake salmon for 10-15 minutes depending on thickness. Optional, broil for 2-3 minutes at the end.

4. In a medium bowl, shred the crab sticks and baked salmon. Add the cream cheese, mayo, and Sriracha and stir well to combine. 

5. In an 8"x8" pan, lay down rice and pat flat until even and compressed. Season with Furikake. 

6. Add salmon mixture on top, and spread evenly. 

7. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Optional, broil for 2-3 minutes at the end.

8. Top sushi bake with additional Sriracha and mayo, if desired. Sprinkle on green onions.

9. Cut nori wraps into 4th to make squares. To serve, spoon sushi bake into bite-sized portions on a piece of nori. Top with cucumber or avocado if desired.

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