Thai Instant Pot Chicken Curry

Warm Winter Recipes

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste • 14 oz. can coconut milk • 1 lb boneless chicken breasts or thighs sliced into thin bite sized pieces • 1/4 cup chicken broth • 2 Tbsp fish sauce more to taste • 2 tsp brown sugar or to taste • 1 Tbsp lime juice • 1 cup red and/or green bell pepper cubed • 1 cup carrots sliced • 1/2 cup onion cubed • 1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots • 2-4 TBSP lime juice

Preparation:

1. Select ‘Saute’ and stir in red curry paste and 1/2 can of coconut milk until mixture is bubbly, about a minute or two. 2. Press 'Cancel'. 3. Stir in chicken, remaining coconut milk, and chicken broth. 4. Close Instant Pot and make sure steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position. 5. Cook on 'Manual' (or 'Pressure Cook') mode for 4 minutes. 6. Do a Quick Release of pressure and open the Instant Pot. 7. Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, bell pepper, carrots, onions, bamboo shoots 8. Press 'Saute' and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. (Be sure not to overcook. Vegetables will continue to cook in the residual heat. 9. Taste and adjust with more fish sauce, brown sugar or lime juice. 10. Stir in lime juice to taste 11. 11. Serve with Instant Pot Jasmine Rice.

Makes 4 servings

NOTE: You can also make this right on the stovetop in a large skillet or pot!

Quick and Easy Mole-Style Sauce This traditional sauce from the central and southern regions of Mexico comes in all different varieties, but most all combine chile peppers, chocolate and nuts. This certainly bears only a passing resemblance to traditional mole, but it has distinctive flavors that transform ordinary weeknight chicken into something unique and delicious. Unique health benefits of the ingredients:

• Cocoa power: Contains lots of antioxidants and can act as a mood elevator and increase the good bacteria in the gut.

• Garlic: Reduces inflammation and heart protective

• Tomato Sauce: Lycopene, an antioxidant, is better absorbed from cooked tomatoes as in this recipe

• Almond Butter and Olive Oil: Heart healthy fats This recipe isn’t nearly as spicy as a traditional mole. You can add more spice to suit your taste. Some chipotle chili powder would be fantastic in this for a smoky flavor. By sauteeing the spices in oil, it brings out and deepens the flavors. Makes 8 servings Ingredients: • 1 tsp ground cumin • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon • 1/2 tsp dried oregano • 1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste • 1 tsp sweet paprika • 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder (the kind you use for baking) • 1/4 tsp salt • 1 clove fresh garlic, crushed • 2 TBSP olive oil • 1-15 oz. can tomato sauce • 2 TBSP almond butter • 1 tsp brown sugar

Directions: • In a small bowl, combine the cumin through garlic. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan on stove over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the spice mixture. Stir and cook over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. • Add tomato sauce to spice mixture in saucepan. Stir well, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. • Remove from heat and stir in almond butter and brown sugar.

This makes enough sauce for 6-8 chicken breasts.

For a super-simple and healthy dinner, place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in an 8″x8″ square pan. Pour sauce over top and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 160.

The sauce also freezes very well, so make a double or triple recipe and freeze the extra to use later.

This also makes a fabulous sauce for enchiladas – just shred up some rotisserie chicken, roll it up in corn tortillas and put each one in a baking dish. Pour some sauce over the top and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Slow Cooker Meal Guide

Tips for Freezer to Slow Cooker Meals:

• Plan ahead! If you are going to prep all the recipes provided in one day then shop one day, prepare the second. • On prep day, wear tennis shoes and comfortable clothes. Your body will thank you that night. • Print out the recipes so that you have them right in front of you without worry about spilling anything on them. Make notes on any changes or adaptations you made as you go. If you make them a second time you’ll know what you did and what you like. • Write the name of the dish, date, and anything extra you need to add the day of cooking on the bag before filling it. It’s much easier to write on a clean flat bag then a full one. • All recipes were tested with all ingredients going into the bag uncooked. You can sauté onions and sear the meat for additional depth of flavor though it adds to the overall prep time significantly. • I don’t like fresh potatoes, cauliflower, or broccoli frozen and then cooked in the slow cooker (sweet potatoes are fine though). If you are going to use these ingredients in a freezer to slow cooker type meal, I suggest buying them already frozen (instead of fresh), it works a little better. • I prefer to use “baby bella” mushrooms in the slow cooker. They have great flavor and texture when cooked. • I like to fold the top of the gallon bags over (so that the bag is about half as tall as it is wide) and then lay them flat to freeze. I have found that if I lay them out completely flat then they don’t fit in my slow cooker once they are frozen. • In my research I noticed that some people suggested thawing the freezer meal in the fridge overnight the night before they plan on cooking it. They then cooked a thawed from the freezer, freezer meal. I put my meals straight from the freezer into the crock pot during recipe testing. I assume that both methods work fine, but I haven’t tested the thaw-first approach. • Running the outside of the plastic bag under warm water for a minute or so made it easier to get the frozen contents out of the bag and into the slow cooker. • In general cook frozen meals on high for 5 to 6 hours or on low for 7 to 8. I generally prefer the low and slow method, but a few times if I had forgotten to get the meal in the slow cooker until lunch then I would cook it on high for an hour or two and then drop it down to low heat for the last few hours. • Most recipes call for one onion; in general, one onion is equivalent to 1 cup chopped onion. I don’t often buy the pre-chopped garlic in a jar, but I did for these. I made all 10 recipes in one day and having the garlic already chopped was a great time saver.

instructions:

• Decide how many and which meals you plan to make. • Make a shopping list. The shopping list provided is to make all 10 recipes but does not include any of the serving suggestions. • Shop • Day of freezer meal prep- collect all needed supplies, wear comfortable clothes and shoes, fun music and snacks are always smart too. • Print out recipes to have handy without having to worry about spills getting on an electronic device. • Label gallon zipper-top freezer bags with recipe name, date, ingredients that will need to be added to the slow cooker (such as water or broth and how much) on cooking day, and cook time. • To make the freezer meals: Place all of the ingredients that are listed under the recipe title into the corresponding labeled gallon zipper-top freezer bag. Fold the top of the bag over and freeze lying flat. • On cooking day, take the meal bag from the freezer, run it under warm water to loosen the contents from the bag, add the contents of the bag to the slow cooker, add additional ingredients as needed (broth or water), and cook according to directions. • Salt and pepper have been added sparingly, so taste and adjust seasonings before serving.

shopping list:

Produce herbs and Spices 9 onions Salt 2 heads garlic (or 1 jar chopped garlic) Pepper 2 limes Curry Powder 4 assorted bell peppers Garam Marsala 2 cups butternut squash (1 large) Cumin 1 large sweet potato Oregano 1 head celery Basil 4 carrots Cinnamon 2 pounds Baby Bella mushrooms 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 2 cups green beans (about 1 pound) Canned/Dry Goods 2, 15-ounce cans coconut milk, 3, 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, Meat/Dairy/Refrigerated 1, 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes 6 pounds boneless skinless chicken, thighs or breast 1, 20-ounce can pineapple chunks meat 4, 15-ounce cans black beans 2-3 pounds pork roast (lion, butt, or shoulder) Red lentils (3 cups) 3 pounds stew meat Quinoa (½ cup) Orange Juice Concentrate Pumpkin puree (1 cup) Apple Juice Pearl barley (1 cup) Frozen corn (2 cups) 18 cups (4.5 quarts) of stock (I used vegetable) needed for cooking days, but not for freezer prep day

Pantry Staples Maple syrup Rice wine vinegar Soy sauce Brown of Dijon mustard Worcestershire sauce Beef stock base (I like Organic Better than Bullion), or equivalent 10 zipper topped freezer bags, gallon-size

vegetable beef stew: cranberry-mustard pork roast: • 2 pounds stew meat • 1 onion, diced • 2-3 pounds pork roast (lion, butt, or • 2 carrots, sliced shoulder) • 2 cups green beans, broke into bite-sized • 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries pieces • ½ cup orange juice concentrate • 1 cup sweet corn • 1 tablespoon brown or Dijon mustard • 2 tablespoons beef stock base (I like Organic • 1 onion, diced Better than Bullion) • 1 tablespoon salt • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon black pepper • 2 cloves garlic, minced • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional • ½ cup apple juice • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Day of: • Cook Time: 8 to 10 hours on low Day of: Add 1 1/2 cups of water to slow • Serve with: mashed potatoes and steamed cooker before cooking green vegetables or side salad • Cook Time: 8 to 10 hours on low • Serves 6 to 8 • Serve with: fresh bread or biscuits • Serves 6 to 8 mushroom barley stew: beef stroganoff: • 1 pound Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced • 2 carrots, sliced • 1 pounds stew meat • 1 rib celery, diced • 1 pound sliced baby bella mushrooms • 1 onion, diced • 1 onion, diced • 1, 15-ounce can diced tomatoes • ½ cup apple juice • 1 cup uncooked pearl barley • 1 tablespoon beef stock base (I like Organic • 2 cloves garlic, minced Better than Bullion) • 1 tablespoon salt • 2 teaspoons salt • 1 teaspoon dried basil • 1 teaspoon black pepper • 1 teaspoon black pepper • 2 cloves garlic, minced Day of: Add 8 cups of vegetable stock to the Day of: Add 1 cup water to the slow cooker slow cooker before cooking. before cooking. Stir in 1 cup of sour cream just • Cook Time: 8 hours on low before serving. • Serve with: hot crusty bread or rolls • Cook Time: 8 hours on low • Serves 6 to 8 • Serve with: egg noodles or rice • Serves 6 to 8

black bean chili: lentil butternut squash curry: • 3, 15-ounce cans black beans • 1, 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes • 1 onion, diced • 1 ½ cups chopped onion • 2 cups red lentils • 1 cup pumpkin • 2 cups diced butternut squash • 1 cup assorted chopped bell pepper • 1, 14-ounce can coconut milk (I used full fat) • 2 tablespoons chili powder • 1, 15-ounce can diced tomatoes • 1 tablespoon ground cumin • 1 tablespoon curry powder • 1 teaspoon salt • 2 teaspoons salt • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 teaspoon Garam Marsala • 1 teaspoon cumin Day of: Add 4 cups stock (I used vegetable stock) to the slow cooker before cooking. Day of: Add 8 cups of water to the slow • Cook Time: 6- 8 hours Low or 5-6 hours High cooker before cooking. Just before serving add • Serve with: Tortilla chips and top with sour an additional teaspoon of both curry powder cream, cheese, and/or hot sauce and graham Marsala if desired, stirring to • Serves 6 to 8 combine. • Cook Time: 6-8 hours Low or 5-6 hours High • Serve with: rice, flatbread or naan and hearty lentil stew: roasted vegetables • Serves 6 to 8 • 1 onion, diced • 2 ribs celery, diced teryaki chicken: • 1 red bell pepper, diced • 2 cups peeled and diced (1/4 inch cubes) • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, sweet potatoes thighs or breast, cut into bite-size pieces (I • 1 cup red lentils recommend thighs, they don’t dry out as • ½ cup washed quinoa much in the slow cooker) • 3 cloves garlic, minced • ½ cup soy sauce • 1 tablespoon cumin • ¼ cup rice wine vinegar • 1 tablespoon salt • ¼ cup maple syrup • 1 tablespoon black pepper • 1, 20-ounce can pineapple chunks • 1 teaspoon oregano • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Day of: Add 6 cups stock (I used vegetable Day of: stock) to the slow cooker before cooking. • Cook Time:8 hours on low • Cook Time: 6-8 hours Low or 5-6 hours High • Serve with:cooked brown rice and green • Serve with: fresh breadsticks veggies • Serves 6 to 8 • Serves 6 to 8

cilantro lime chicken with butter chicken: corn and black beans: • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, thighs thighs or breast, cut into bite-size pieces (I or breast (I recommend thighs, they don’t dry recommend thighs, they don’t dry out as out as much in the slow cooker) much in the slow cooker) • 1 cup corn • 1, 15-ounce can diced tomatoes • 1, 15-ounce can black beans • 1, 15-ounce can coconut milk (I used full fat) • 1 orange bell pepper, diced • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced • 1 onion, diced • 1 onion, diced • 2 teaspoons Garam Marsala • Juice from 2 limes • 1 teaspoon curry powder • 2 tablespoons chili powder • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon pepper • 1 teaspoon cumin • ½ teaspoon black pepper Day of: • Cook Time: 8 hours on low Day of: • Serve with: cooked brown rice and green • Cook Time: 6- 8 hours Low or 5-6 hours High veggies • Serve with: treat this like you would taco • Serves 6 to 8 filling – add to tacos, burritos, taco salad, nachos, or make burrito bowls with it. It’s very flexible. • Serves 6 to 8