A couple of favorite (and healthy!) pressure cooker recipes!

I am a HUGE fan of my pressure cooker!  

I’ll admit I was a little slow to come around to this trend and couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about, or why I would need yet another kitchen gadget. That is, until my mom got me one as a gift.  It sat in the box for at least a month or two before I even opened it.  But, I found some pressure cooker recipes online that looked good, and eventually I gave it a try--I was hooked!
 
I love that everything I make in the pressure cooker tastes like it's been cooking all day.  It's great for those days that you want a nice meal, but don't have hours to stand over the stove.  

One of my favorite pressure cooker recipes is this Chicken Marsala recipe from confessionsofafitfoodie.com.  The whole family loves it, and, again, it's one of those dishes that tastes like it's taken hours to prepare, but is so quick and easy.  I love it served with mashed potatoes, but it would be great with a side of rice, or some green beans if you are watching your carbs.  I've tried it with chiken breasts, but it's really best with chicken thighs--so much more flavor, in my opinion.

Link to the original recipe:
https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/21-day-fix-instant-pot-chicken-marsala/#tasty-recipes-6237
 
21 DAY FIX INSTANT POT CHICKEN MARSALA 
Author: Nancylynn Sicilia
 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
 
Yield: 4 servings
 
INGREDIENTS
1–2 pounds of chicken thighs (or boneless tenderloins if you prefer)
4 tsp butter or ghee
olive oil spray
2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 T diced shallots
3 cloves of garlic minced
salt
pepper
garlic powder
3/4 cup of Marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 T of tapioca starch, corn starch or rice flour (can sub whatever flour/thickener you have on hand)
 
INSTRUCTIONS
Season both sides of chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
 
Turn Instant Pot to saute and wait for it to heat. Then spray inside of pot with olive oil spray. Melt 1 tsp of butter and brown chicken in batches. If you are short on time, you can skip this step.
 
Remove chicken and melt another tsp of butter in pot. Saute mushrooms, shallots, and garlic for a few minutes before adding chicken back in, along with Marsala wine, stock, and another sprinkle of salt and pepper.
 
Lock IP cover and switch to manual. Set for ten minutes (or 8 minutes if using tenderloins).
 
After cook time is finished, switch to quick release and allow all the steam to escape. Remove chicken and mushrooms, but leave juice in the pot, and turn on saute function again.
 
Take 1/2 cup of the juice out and mix with 1 T of tapioca or corn starch and 2 tsp of butter. Whisk together well, then pour back into the pot with the rest of the liquid. Stir and heat until a thick gravy forms, about 5 minutes, gradually adding in more starch as needed. Adjust seasoning as desired.
 
Mix chicken, mushrooms, and gravy together and serve with noodles, rice, potatoes and/or a side of green beans for a deliciously filling meal! Don’t forget the wine!
 
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Another favorite recipe:

One of my favorite meal prep solutions is taco salad.  I'll make a batch of taco meat in the pressure cooker, freeze the recipe in small snack bags, and thaw and serve with a Southwest bag salad.  I almost always use ground turkey, although this recipe is good with ground beef, also.  If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll make my own salad dressing, or else I'll use a small amount of what comes with my salad.
 
Pressure Cooker Taco Meat:
 
2 pounds lean ground turkey
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/3 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup water
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce (if I have a fresh tomato on hand, I'll throw in about 1/4 cup chopped tomato)
1 bay leaf
 
Spray pressure cooker with cooking spray (I use olive oil) and brown the ground turkey until it is cooked through.  Add the dry seasonings and remainng ingredients.  Stir and cook for one minute.  Set to high pressure (manual) and cook for 20 minutes.  Let the pressure cooker release naturally.  Enjoy!
 
Here's a link to the pressure cooker I use: