If you look on Pinterest you’ll see that just about all Instant Pot lovers are raving about Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs. They talk about how perfect and easy to peel these eggs are and how you’ll never eat hard boiled eggs cooked any other way.
Seriously? Even I can’t work up enough excitement about hard boiled eggs regardless how they’re made. I mean I like hard boiled eggs well enough. I like them for egg salads and deviled eggs mostly. I can’t really thing how else I use them except perhaps for breakfast or snack on some days; and of course for coloring during Easter. But I felt obliged to add my two cents in to this Instant Pot Hard Boiled Egg conversation. So here goes!
Let me begin by saying that intimidating as it had first appeared to be, I love my Instant Pot! An Instant Pot is an electric pot that is like a crockpot on steroids. It does just about everything your regular crockpot can do, it just does it faster because it’s really a pressure cooker. Now this does have it’s benefits like veggies don’t get mushy like they can do in a crockpot because they’ve been cooking for 8 hours, and of course you can make your favorite crockpot recipes in less than an hour.
Now what does this have to do with hard boiled eggs? Well Instant Port Hard Boiled Eggs aren’t really boiled, they’re pressure cooked in just about 7 minutes. Wow right? Well I guess it’s pretty amazing because in 7 minutes you actually do end up with perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs that are very easy to peel. So no frustrating and wasteful egg shells with some of the whites stubbornly stuck on them; no weirdly shaped eggs with sides gouged out because the whites stuck to the shells. In short perfect eggs for coloring and making deviled eggs.
How do you make Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs? Easy peasy! Here’s how!
Arrange as many eggs as you can on the trivet, I have a model Lux80 and can fit about 16 large eggs.
Lock lid in place making sure valve is in sealing position.
Turn Instant Pot on to Manual and adjust time to 7 Minutes.
When Pot beeps let it depressurize naturally for 5 minutes – watch the timer on the pot.
When it reaches 5 minutes carefully turn valve to venting for quick pressure release.
Prepare a large bowl with ice water.
Once pot is completely depressurized open lid and using tongs or slotted spoon lift eggs out of pot and place in bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
Leave eggs in ice bath for 5 minutes then use or store as needed.
You’ll see what I mean when you peel those eggs, the shell seems to literally just fall off! And of course the egg is cooked perfectly too!
I’m so loving my new Instant Pot! It’s like a crockpot on steroids! It does everything my old crockpot does but faster! Imagine roasting potatoes in just 7 minutes. I made these delicious Instant Pot Roasted Rosemary Potatoes for our last family barbecue.
It’s super easy to make using those cute baby potatoes you can buy by the sack at Costco or Sam’s Club. It makes a great side side for barbecues, roasts, and whatever your like! They’re creamy, crunchy, and so yummy. Here’s my recipe of Instant Pot Roasted Rosemary Potatoes!
Ingredients:
2 Lbs. Baby Potato Medley or combination of baby yukon gold & red potatoes
Thanksgiving is next week. I started my annual holiday cooking routine last this week. From now until the New Year yummy aromas will be coming from my kitchen! The annual game of cat and mouse will begin; family members sneaking tastes of pies, cookies, and candies while I try to keep them hidden. Last year my son and husband went thru a couple of pecan pies a couple of days before Thanksgiving, luckily I made 6 pies!
The first thing I make every year is my homemade applesauce which we use instead of cranberry sauce. It goes great with roast turkey and the Prime Rib roast we make for Christmas. Sealed in mason jars or even just stored in the fridge and the sauce will last thru the holidays.
Over the years I’ve tried different types of apples to make my sauce. You never quite realize just how many types of apples there are until you start shopping for them. I’ve used Fuji, Mackintosh, Delicious, Gala, and Granny Smith apples just to name a few I’ve tried. I’ve discovered that the best applesauce is made by using different types of apples. Yes each apple variety has its own unique flavor and texture so mixing them up makes for a tastier and more robust sauce.
My family will only eat my homemade applesauce, no store bought sauce for them. Even my grandson, Dion, who absolutely will not touch store bought sauce, even as an infant, loves my sauce. It’s sweet and laced with lots of cinnamon. Dion says he likes it because it has a nice texture, not the strained baby food like texture the ones from the store have. It’s a bit chunky, but not too chunky, even the twins, Harper and Sadi, love it! By the way the cinnamon can be optional! My grandson Devon has recently declared that he dislikes cinnamon (this declaration boggles my mind as he still loves cinnamon rolls) so before I add the cinnamon I set aside a small portion just for him.
The applesauce is easy to make, just a bit time consuming. That’s why I make it well ahead of time.
This allows it to chill, we feel applesauce should be served cold. Here’s my recipe, it will make 2 pint size jars or 1 quart size jar.
Ingredients:
2 Red Delicious Apples
2 Golden Delicious Apples
2 Gala or Mackintosh Apples
2 Granny Smith Apples
2 cups sugar (add more if you want it sweeter or less if you don’t want it so sweet)
6+ Cups Water
1 tbls. ground cinnamon (you can adjust this to suit your taste)
Directions:
1. Fill a large pot about half way with water.
2. Wash and peel apples, then cut into bite size chunks about 1/2″ big
3. Place apple pieces in pot of water. Add more water if needed to cover the apples. The top layer will float a bit.
4. Add sugar and stir.
5. Cook on stove over medium heat until water has been absorbed. Stir occasionally to keep bottom from burning. As it cooks and softens you can mash the chunks a bit with the spoon used to stir. The sauce will start turning brownish. If it starts to bubble reduce heat. This process takes about 2-3 hours.
6. When the apples have all liquified and water evaporated remove pot from heat.
7. Stir in cinnamon.
8. Seal in mason jars according to canning instructions or allow to cool then transfer to sealed containers and store in refrigerator. Even If you seal it in jars you should store it in the fridge so it will be cool when served.
You can serve this as a snack, or with roast turkey or beef, and pork chops. It’s really yummy!
The Best Homemade Applesauce
Print Recipe
Homemade applesauce goes great with roast turkey and the Prime Rib roast we make for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sealed in mason jars or even just stored in the fridge and the sauce will last thru the holidays.
Homemade applesauce goes great with roast turkey and the Prime Rib roast we make for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sealed in mason jars or even just stored in the fridge and the sauce will last thru the holidays.
Fill a large pot about half way with water. This is why I put 6+ cups of water in the ingredients. You can adjust it to fill your pot.
Wash and peel apples, then cut into bite size chunks about 1/2" big
Place apple pieces in pot of water. Add more water if needed to cover the apples. The top layer will float a bit.
Add sugar and stir.
Cook on stove over medium heat until water has been absorbed. Stir occasionally to keep bottom from burning. As it cooks and softens you can mash the chunks a bit with the spoon used to stir. The sauce will start turning brownish. If it starts to bubble reduce heat. This process takes about 2-3 hours.
When the apples have all liquified and water evaporated remove pot from heat.
Stir in cinnamon.
Seal in mason jars according to canning instructions or allow to cool then transfer to sealed containers and store in refrigerator. Even If you seal it in jars you should store it in the fridge so it will be cool when served.
Recipe Notes
You can also make this applesauce in a crockpot. Just dump all the ingredients, except the cinnamon, into the pot. Cook for about 6 hours, add cinnamon, and place in storage containers.
If you do make it in the crockpot don't leave it much longer than 6 hours, overcooking will turn it into apple butter. That's good too!
The steamed or baked asian bun. What exactly is it. Well Filipinos call it “Siopao”, in China it’s called a “Bao”, and in Hawaii we call it “Manapua”. These names all refer to the same thing. That soft spongy ball of dough filled with a variety of fillings like sweet char siu pork, chicken curry, Chinese sausage, or sweet black bean paste; then steamed or baked to perfection.
Siopao, Bao, Manapua, or whatever you want to call it is a family favorite. It can be an appetizer, a snack, lunch, dinner, or dessert. It all depends on what it’s filled with. It’s the perfect picnic food. Easy to pack and very easy to eat. Don’t forget it’s delicious too!
In Hawaii and all over Asia these steamed or baked buns are sold out of food trucks, in restaurants, and even at neighborhood convenience stores like 7Eleven. Everyone has their own favorite place where they’ll swear make the best buns. In Hawaii my all time favorite is the Aiea Manapua & Snack Shop, this little hole in the wall joint that has been serving the most amazing char sui and shoyu chicken manapuas for years.
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But in some places siopao or baos are not so easily found and there fore you may have to make it at home whenever you’ve got a yen for some. Or sometimes you just want a unique filling that they don’t sell in the stores. That’s why we have this tried and true Siopao recipe that we use to make homemade steamed buns. In this recipe I will fill it with another Filipino favorite, chicken adobo.
You can use the my Chicken Adobo recipe just substitute boneless chicken thighs instead of bone in chicken parts. Or you can fill it with Pork Adobo, it’s the same recipe as the chicken but uses pork butt instead of chicken. Or you can fill it with your favorite meat or veggies. Really the recipe for the bun is the same regardless of the filling you choose to use. Click here for chicken adobo recipe.
So today I’m sharing the recipe for the steamed bun dough. You can fill it with anything you want.
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Ingredients:
1/4 cup warm water
1 packet active dry yeast
2 tbs. sugar
1 1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 – 5 cups flour
3 tbs. oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Directions:
Place the 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl or measuring cup
Add dry yeast packet and 2 tbs. sugar
Do not stir just swish it around so the yeast is wet and the sugar disolves
Set aside for about 10 minutes or until it is frothy
Place the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl, but do not add all the flour. Start with about 4 cups, you can add the remaining flour as you knead to get the correct dough consistency. You may not need all the flour.
Add the activated yeast mix and mix well to form a medium soft dough. Add remaining flour in small increments until you achieve the correct consistency.
Knead the dough by hand or with an electric mixer using the dough hook attachment. Knead until the dough is very smooth and elastic.
Turn into and oiled mixing bowl. Roll the dough in the bowl to cover with oil.
Cover with plastic film and leave to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size.
Punch out excess air and divide into about 24 balls.
Flatten each ball into a flat circle on a lightly floured surface. Flatten dough to about 1/4″ thick.
Place a heaping tablespoonful of filling in the center of the flat dough then draw edges towards the center and crimp or twist closed.
Place each ball on a small square of parchment paper, crimped side down and let rest until it doubles in size.
Be patient because properly risen dough will turn into light and fluffy buns!
When dough is properly risen steam each bun on high heat for 15 – 20 minutes.
Serve warm or cold. Store left over buns in the fridge in zip lock bags. To reheat either re-steam or cover with a damp paper towel and heat in the
Place the 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl or measuring cup
Add dry yeast packet and 2 tbs. sugar
Do not stir just swish it around so the yeast is wet and the sugar disolves
Set aside for about 10 minutes or until it is frothy
Dough
Place the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl, but do not add all the flour. Start with about 4 cups, you can add the remaining flour as you knead to get the correct dough consistency. You may not need all the flour.
Add the activated yeast mix and mix well to form a medium soft dough. Add remaining flour in small increments until you achieve the correct consistency.
Knead the dough by hand or with an electric mixer using the dough hook attachment. Knead until the dough is very smooth and elastic.
Turn into and oiled mixing bowl. Roll the dough in the bowl to cover with oil.
Cover with plastic film and leave to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size.
Punch out excess air and divide into about 24 balls.
Flatten each ball into a flat circle on a lightly floured surface. Flatten dough to about 1/4" thick.
Place a heaping tablespoonful of filling in the center of the flat dough then draw edges towards the center and crimp or twist closed.
Place each ball on a small square of parchment paper, crimped side down and let rest until it doubles in size.
Be patient because properly risen dough will turn into light and fluffy buns!
When dough is properly risen steam each bun on high heat for 15 - 20 minutes.
Serve warm or cold. Store left over buns in the fridge in zip lock bags. To reheat either re-steam or cover with a damp paper towel and heat in the
I concluded years ago that if you want great salsa you only have two choices. One, find a family owned Mexican restaurant preferably one south of the border or in border zones in states like Arizona, California, and Texas. Or two, make it at home. Since I live in Hawaii I generally opt for option two as I can’t jet off to Mexico or the border states each time I’ve a yen for salsa. So I came up with my Spicy Homemade Salsa Recipe.
At our house we like our salsa chunky, tasty, and very spicy. That’s why those store bought bottles of salsa just don’t make the cut. I mean the old TV commercial was right who wants to eat salsa mass produced in like Ohio or worse yet China!
My Spicy Homemade Salsa is perfect. It uses fresh ingredients and lots of it. It’s chunky and flavored with lots of fresh cilantro, limes, and of course hot peppers. The hotter the better!
Now my Spicy Homemade Salsa is just that salsa, meaning it’s saucy. We use my Spicy Homemade Salsa as a dip, topping, or filling. Yes a filling! I love it rolled up in a fresh hot tortilla!
Here’s the recipe, you might think it’s a bit fussy. But believe me it’s worth the time! I usually mix up a batch, it makes about 3 small bowls, to serve with dinner. Any left over salsa will keep in the fridge for about 2-3 days. I’m not sure because it never lasts more than 3 days at our house, heck we’re lucky to have left overs which is generally gone by the next day!,
Try this salsa on Dion’s Steak Flautas, it makes that delicious dish my grandson Dion makes for us outstanding!
Drizzle 1 Tsp olive oil over unpeeled bulb of garlic
Grill all the vegetables until cooked - Tomatoes, Onions, Peppers, and Garlic
Remove the peel from the grilled tomatoes and dice the tomato
Dice the onions and peppers and place in a bowl with the tomatoes. Be sure you add the pepper seeds in the bowl too. (for less spicy salsa remove and discard the seeds or just add the seeds of 3 peppers to the bowl and discard the rest of the seeds)
Slip garlic out of its peel and crush. Add to tomato mixture
Add cilantro and stir everything together
Squeeze lemon juice over the tomato mixture and mix well
Hear we go again! Another Star Wars movies was recently released. Yes Disney’s Han Solo movie is a Star Wars story, meaning it’s not part of any of the Star Wars trilogies. Instead it’s a stand alone movie designed to enhance or explain the major characters or story lines. In this case Han Solo’s beginings. We all wondered about his early years before he joined up with the Rebel Alliance, didn’t we? Regardless if you had the burning desire to learn more about Han or not one thing is certain the new movie has renewed interest on all that is Star Wars. This means more Star Wars themed parties and events which need of course Star Wars inspired recipes!
So I’ve rounded up some Star Wars inspired recipes for you to try at your next Star Wars movie night or Marathon. (At our house we have Star Wars Marathons on rainy weekends. )
These Star Wars inspired recipes are super cute and mostly fairly easy to make. It might just make you the super cool parent of the year when you roll them out at your kid’s Star Wars themed birthday party!
Carbonite Jello
Ok I couldn’t resist so I posted this jello picture I found on Pinterest twice. After it is the Han Solo movie and the most memorable thing that ever happened to Mr. Solo, at least in my book, was when he was entombed in carbonite by none other than Darth Vader at the end of episode V The Empire Strikes Back.
I’m sure exactly which site has the recipe for this jello, but do you really need one? All you need is a box or two of jello and a Han Solo action figure. Place him at the bottom of the pan and follow the directions on the jello package. Pour the jello over the man and let it gel!
Personally I’d use green jello simply because I like lime jello. But we all know carbonite is gray and I don’t think there’s gray jello, maybe you can use blue. Or if you’re really inspired use Knox unflavored jello, add fruit juice and a few drops of black food coloring, you could possibly end up with gray colored gelatin. It might work. But me I’d stick with green lime jello.
Star Wars Pizza
Another Star Wars inspired recipe that doesn’t really need a recipe. The picture says it all. Arrange toppings on a homemade or frozen pizza to make BB8, use a half a pizza crust topped with tomato slices and olives for his head.
Use your imagination and turn pizzas into the Death Star or planets!
If you want to get creative shape the dough into your favorite Star Wars character, Yoda, R2D2, C3pO, Darth Vader, Chewbaca, or whoever. Remember shape the dough, spread with sauce, sprinkle with cheese, add toppings, and bake.
You can even use refrigerated or frozen pizza dough!
BB8 Quesadilla
Prefer quesadillas to pizza? Never fear here’s a recipe from Totally the Bomb for this BB8 Quesadilla using cheese and colored cream cheese.
Here’s the recipe and directions from Yummy Mummy Club! They use food writer pens to make the faces on marshmallows.
If you don’t want to make the cupcakes then just make the marshmallow pops! It’s made the same way as the cupcake toppers using the food writer pens, just stick them on lollipop sticks instead![spacer height=”-20px”]
Click here for recipe and directions![spacer height=”-20px”]
Star Wars Macaroons
This one’s probably the hardest to make if you’re going to make macaroons at home. I’m not that patient! But you can use store bought macaroons. (I get a box of frozen ones from Sam’s Club or Costco, they’re pretty inexpensive).
If you use store bought macaroons then all you need is a steady hand. Just pipe the colored icings on the macaroons to make R2Dc, the Death Star, or Chewbacca.
Death Star Watermelon
Ok this one takes skill, carving skills that is!
Find yourself a round watermelon and get out the carving knives!
This would make an awesome centerpiece for your dessert table![spacer height=”-20px”]
Star Wars Popcorn
Two Sisters Crafting makes this yummy popcorn. Awesome snack for that Star Wars Movie Marathon!
Need some Star Wars inspired party stationary and decor? Contact Savvy Nana Crafts, they’ll design the perfect invitations, favor tags, banners, and signs for your Star Wars themed event!
If you look on Pinterest you’ll see that just about all Instant Pot lovers are raving about Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs. They talk about how perfect and easy to peel these eggs are and how you’ll never eat hard boiled eggs cooked any other way.
I’m so loving my new 
Thanksgiving is next week. I started my annual holiday cooking routine last this week. From now until the New Year yummy aromas will be coming from my kitchen! The annual game of cat and mouse will begin; family members sneaking tastes of pies, cookies, and candies while I try to keep them hidden. Last year my son and husband went thru a couple of pecan pies a couple of days before Thanksgiving, luckily I made 6 pies!
The steamed or baked asian bun. What exactly is it. Well Filipinos call it “Siopao”, in China it’s called a “Bao”, and in Hawaii we call it “Manapua”. These names all refer to the same thing. That soft spongy ball of dough filled with a variety of fillings like sweet char siu pork, chicken curry, Chinese sausage, or sweet black bean paste; then steamed or baked to perfection.
Place a heaping tablespoonful of filling in the center of the flat dough then draw edges towards the center and crimp or twist closed.
I concluded years ago that if you want great salsa you only have two choices. One, find a family owned Mexican restaurant preferably one south of the border or in border zones in states like Arizona, California, and Texas. Or two, make it at home. Since I live in Hawaii I generally opt for option two as I can’t jet off to Mexico or the border states each time I’ve a yen for salsa. So I came up with my Spicy Homemade Salsa Recipe.
My Spicy Homemade Salsa is perfect. It uses fresh ingredients and lots of it. It’s chunky and flavored with lots of fresh cilantro, limes, and of course hot peppers. The hotter the better!
Hear we go again! Another Star Wars movies was recently released. Yes Disney’s Han Solo movie is a Star Wars story, meaning it’s not part of any of the Star Wars trilogies. Instead it’s a stand alone movie designed to enhance or explain the major characters or story lines. In this case Han Solo’s beginings. We all wondered about his early years before he joined up with the Rebel Alliance, didn’t we? Regardless if you had the burning desire to learn more about Han or not one thing is certain the new movie has renewed interest on all that is Star Wars. This means more Star Wars themed parties and events which need of course Star Wars inspired recipes!
BB8 Quesadilla
Star Wars Rice Krispy Treats
Stormtrooper Cupcakes
Princess Leia Oreo Truffles
Princess Leia Cupcakes
Star Wars Macaroons
Death Star Watermelon
Star Wars Popcorn
Lighsaber Pretzel Rods
