Recipe Index

White Cheddar Pressure Cooker Pasta

August 21, 2018 by Tanya 10 Comments

This White Cheddar Pressure Cooker Pasta is creamy, delicious, and so easy to make in your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker. Now you can have this elegant take on macaroni and cheese can be made in less than 20 minutes in one pot.

white cheddar pressure cooker pasta on a plate

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Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

I’ve always been a huge macaroni and cheese lover. Baked macaroni, stove top macaroni, slow cooker macaroni...you name it, I’ll eat it. I raved and raved all about my favorite Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe. And although I love this baked macaroni and cheese, I also love a good creamy stovetop pasta shell recipe.

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Healthier Recipe for Cheesecake Factory's Avocado Egg Rolls (Air Fryer Method)

August 15, 2018 by Tanya 14 Comments

If you love avocado egg rolls, then you will love this healthier recipe for Cheesecake Factory's Avocado Egg Rolls. Now you can enjoy your favorite appetizer at home without all the added fat.

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

air fried egg roll being dipped in sauce

I’m a sucker for stuffing things in an egg roll and calling it an appetizer. So when I found out that Cheesecake Factory had an appetizer where they stuffed an avocado in an egg roll with a dipping sauce, I was on board.

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10 Air Fryer Tips Every Air Fryer Owner Should Know

August 11, 2018 by Tanya

The Air Fryer device can be an amazing tool if you use it right and see it's true potential. Here are 10 Air Fryer Tips that will help you get amazing results with your Air Fryer.

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Air Fryers are becoming more and more popular these days. There are plenty of brands you can choose from that vary in price range. Some can be found as low as $70 and some can be as high as $600. Whichever brand you choose to buy, there are great air fryer tips that every air fryer owner should know and become familiar with. I've made a list of the top 10 Air Fryer Tips every air fryer owner should know.

10 Air Fryer Tips

#1. Preheat your Air Fryer...well, most of the time

It's common practice that any cooking element should be preheated. Most brands of air fryers specify that the air fryer should be preheated to ensure even cooking. I do it sometimes, other times I don't and my food still turns out delicious. If your air fryer does not have a preheat setting, simply turn it to the desired temperature and allow it to run for around 3 minutes before placing your food in.

#2. Use oil on your foods for the air fryer...well, most of the time

I like to use oil on certain foods to help them crisp but certain foods don't necessarily need it. If your food already has some fat on it (dark meat chicken, ground beef, fatty cuts of meat, etc.) then you probably don't need the oil. I use oil on vegetables (like my Breakfast Air Fried Potatoes) and any battered seafood, !like my Crispy Air Fryer Fish).

#3. Grease your Air Fryer Basket

Even if your food does not require oil, always take a moment to at least grease your air fryer basket. I grease mine by rubbing, or spraying, a little bit of oil on the bottom grates. This will ensure that your food won't stick.

#4. Never use aerosol spray cans in your air fryer

Aerosol spray cans (like Pam and similar brands) are known to cause chipping in many Air Fryer baskets. The aerosol cans have harsh agents that just don't mesh with the coating on most baskets. It's best to invest in a good quality oil mister or bottle. I use the Evo Spray Bottle.

#5. Don't overcrowd the basket

If you want your fried foods to turn out crispy, you'll want to make sure you don't overcrowd the basket. Placing too much food in the basket will prevent your food from crisping and browning. To ensure this doesn't happen, cook your food in batches or invest in a bigger air fryer. My first air fryer was the Farberware brand which was big enough for four servings of wings and fries.

#6. Shake the basket during cooking for fries, wings, etc.

When air frying smaller items, like chicken wings, french fries, and similar items, you'll want to shake the basket every few minutes to ensure even cooking. Sometimes I use a pair of silicone kitchen tongs to flip larger items over rather than shaking. Once you open the basket to shake, the air fryer will temporarily pause but will resume cooking your food at the same temperature once you return the basket.

#7. Spray halfway through cooking

I found that spraying with oil halfway through cooking gets the best crisp on most foods. I tend to wait and spray halfway through cooking unless it's an item that doesn't need spraying, like fatty meats. Coated food items should be sprayed. Also, spray any dry flour spots that still appear halfway through air frying.

#8. Water/Bread in the bottom stops white smoke

If you're cooking greasy food in your air fryer, don't be surprised if you see some white smoke shooting out the unit. To solve it, just pour a little (around 2Tbsp) of water in the bottom of the basket. It will stop the smoke and your food will continue to cook.

Some people place a slice of bread in the bottom of the unit to soak up any grease when preparing items that may sputter a lot of grease, like bacon.

#9. Be careful of small light items in the air fryer

Each Air fryer unit comes with a powerful fan on top of the unit. This causes some lighter weighed items to get swept up in the fan which can be dangerous. I once tried to make fried egg roll wrappers and it almost became a disaster. I am hopeful to try it again once I figure out how to stop the flying around.

#10. Adjust the Temperature for Certain Foods

It can sometimes be tempting to crank the heat for the Air Fryer to the highest temp to let it run but be careful as some foods can dry out quickly. A good rule of thumb is to modify the temperature and time from how long you would typically make it in the oven. I like to go 30 degrees below and cut the time by about 20%. For example, if you cooked brownies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes in the oven, cut the degrees on the Air Fryer to 320 degrees and cook for about 16 minutes.

#11 Invest in a Good Quick Read Thermometer

Having a good quality quick read thermometer is of upmost importance when it comes to cooking certain meats in your Air Fryer, like steak, chicken, and pork. I recently invested in a Thermapen One and I must say it's worth every penny.

Those are my Top 11 Air fryer tips for successful cooking. If you haven't made the jump on purchasing an Air Fryer yet, check out Air Fryer Reviewed for reviews of different Air Fryer brands.

Do you have any Air Fryer tips? Leave them in the comments below. Happy Cooking 🙂

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Instant Pot Chicken and Rice (NY Street Cart)

July 31, 2018 by Tanya 62 Comments

Enjoy the flavors of the popular New York street cart chicken (Halal Guys Copycat) right in your pressure cooker with this Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Dish. This quick and easy delicious dinner can be ready in less than 30 minutes.

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

I love New York City, especially the food. In law school, I took a trip to New York for a conference. Ask me if I remember what the actual conference was about...I don't. What I do remember is traveling with some wonderful law school colleagues, seeing Swizz Beatz on the street and asking for a pic (he was so cool about it too), partying at the 40/40 club, and standing in a long line at 3am waiting for some chicken that was sold in a cart. Yes, you read that right, I like to eat chicken at 3am. That literally was the best street food I had in my life and I knew for sure it was something that I had to recreate in my own kitchen.

MAKE NY STREET CHICKEN IN YOUR INSTANT POT

I found that my Instant Pot Pressure Cooker was the perfect vessel to recreate this dish. I’m always making one-pot meals in my Instant Pot, like my ever so popular Pressure Cooker Shrimp Paella. In fact, I use my pressure cooker so often I’ve made a whole recipe category just for you all in the recipe section of the site.

completed instant pot chicken and rice in the pot

I adapted this street chicken and rice recipe from the Serious Eats website and perfected it for my Instant Pot. The recipe as written on their site is pretty delicious but I truly didn’t feel like marinating the meat when it came to this dish. Making this dish in the pressure cooker is perfect for a weeknight meal.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN AND RICE IN THE INSTANT POT

Create your white sauce

First, you'll want to make the famous white sauce for this chicken and rice dish. This sauce has a tangy yet slightly sweet taste that pairs well with the rice and chicken. Prepare this first and set it aside.

Brown your chicken for flavor

Then it's time for the pot. You’ll want to brown your chicken in the pot to build flavor, especially since we are skipping the traditional step of marinating the chicken. I like to set my sautè function on high to get a good caramelization. Just make sure you don’t overcrowd the pot when browning as you won’t get a nice sear. Cook your chicken thighs in batches for the best results.

Deglaze your pot

Next, you will have nice brown bits (they may even look a little burnt). This is fine, don’t freak out, it’s flavor! Take a bit of chicken broth and deglaze the bottom by pouring the broth into the bottom of the pot. Take a wooden spoon and scrape the bottom bits up. Make sure it’s a wooden spoon as you don’t want to scrape the bottom of your pot with metal utensils.

Add your onions and garlic

Next, add your onions and garlic and sauté them until the onions have softened. Make sure onions are softened a bit before adding the garlic. You don't want the garlic to burn or it will give your dish a horrid taste.

Add your rice...but rinse it first

Then add your rinsed rice. Rinsing your rice will allow the rice to remain fluffy and not stick to the bottom. Rinsing your rice is key for any rice dish in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.

Add the rest of your ingredients

Add your remaining seasonings, broth, and your chicken back to the pot. Push chicken into the broth to ensure it gets fully cooked.

Set the pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Once time is up, allow it to naturally release for 10 minutes, dinner is served.

Do you really have to brown the chicken in the Instant Pot first...that is the question?

Yes, yes, and yes. I get it, you may not want to but the purpose is to build flavor since you aren't marinating the meat.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do...and don't forget the sauce.

I've included step by step photos below for those who prefer those over video. Enjoy 🙂

For more photos of the operation of the Instant Pot, check out my Pressure Cooker Shrimp Paella recipe.

Other Instant Pot Recipes

Print Recipe

4.86 from 27 votes

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice (NY Street Cart Style)

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: instant pot

Servings: people

Calories: 575kcal

Author: Tanya

Ingredients

1.5 lbs chicken thighs boneless and skinless
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
4 Tablespoon light tasting olive oil separated
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1.5 cups white rice long grain or Jasmine, rinsed
2 cups chicken broth separated
Salt and pepper to taste

White Sauce

½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions

Instructions:
Make the white sauce by whisking all white sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
Combine chicken, lemon juice, 2 tablespoon olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, and ground coriander.
Set the Instant Pot to saute function. Once Instant Pot says “Hot,” add 2 tablespoon olive oil to the pot. Add 2 or 3 chicken pieces to the pot and allow to cook until browned on each side, about 3-4 minutes each side. Remove and set aside.
Add about ¼ cup chicken broth to the pot and use a wooden spoon to deglaze pot by stirring up brown bits. Then add onions and garlic and cook until onions have softened. Next, add turmeric powder, cumin, and rice and stir to coat rice. Add remaining chicken broth and place chicken thighs on top of rice, ensuring they are covered by the broth.
Turn the Instant Pot off by pressing “Cancel.” Press “Pressure cook (make sure it’s set to high pressure), set timer to 10 minutes. Place cover on Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to sealing.
Once the timer is up, allow Instant Pot to natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release. Open the cover and add the desired amount of salt and pepper.
Top chicken and rice with white sauce. Serve alongside with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes. Enjoy 🙂

Video

Notes

Suggested Tools for Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Notes on Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

This recipe was prepared in a 6qt Instant Pot. Please adjust accordingly for 3qt and 8qt models.

Nutrition

Step by Step Photos of Instant Pot Chicken and Rice NY Street Cart Style

Instant pot chicken and rice white sauce in bowl

Raw chicken for instant pot chicken and rice covered in seasoning

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Best Banana Bread Recipe in the World

July 24, 2018 by Tanya 147 Comments

This by far is the best banana bread recipe in the world. No lie, it truly is.

The best banana bread recipe in the world bread on a grate.

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the
recipe card at the bottom of the post.
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

Let me explain. For years, I had been on the search for the best banana bread recipe in the world. I'd search the internet, find a recipe, try it out, and leave with the feeling of "meh." Some were too crumbly. Others were too moist (Is that a thing?). A few had an off taste. While others had too many other ingredients other than banana. So for a while, I gave up my search for the perfect banana bread recipe and just settled on buying banana bread from Starbucks, which has some pretty good banana bread.

best banana bread recipe in the world sliced

Fact is, banana bread is just one of those recipes that should get made often, especially if you buy a bunch of bananas. In our house, we never eat all the bananas on the bunch when I buy them. On grocery day, I'll eat one, my daughter will eat one, and the rest in the bunch will sit lonely on the kitchen counter, turning brown, and sometimes even black. Oh the shame.

So one day, I decided enough is enough and I will tackle the search again for the best banana bread recipe in the world...and I found it.

I came across this recipe in Simply Recipes and decided to give it a go. It had almost 1,000 positive reviews. So although I love the recipe, I threw in a few changes.

Why this is the Best Banana Bread Recipe in the World

Not just because I say it is, but it is in fact delicious and it gets requested a ton by my family and extended family. There is enough banana taste yet the perfect amount of sweetness to this recipe.

It also has the perfect amount of moistness. Banana bread shouldn't be too moist to the point of gummyness but it also shouldn't be dry. There is a perfect balance and this recipe provides just that.

best banana bread recipe in the world sliced from above

It does create one single 4x8 inch loaf pan that is perfect for eating immediatley or giving away to a loved one. Baking banana bread in a 4x8 loaf pan is a must in my opinion. It leads to the perfect portion size. Also, banana bread already takes near an hour to bake...Baking in a larger loaf pan would just take longer and won't result in the perfect result.

In addition to having an amazing taste, it's also super easy to make. I make everything in one bowl! No seperation on ingredients necessary in this banana bread recipe.

How to Make the Best Banana Bread Recipe in the WORLD

It's simple. First you melt the butter in a large microwavable bowl. Add your other ingredients, and bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for about 1 hour.

Here's to this delicious easy banana bread recipe. Hope you Enjoy 🙂

Looking for another way to use those leftover bananas? Try these Banana Fritters or these Banana Pancakes.

I finally found The Best Banana Recipe in the World! This Banana Bread is moist, delicious, and can be made in one bowl. #easyrecipe #bananabread #baking #onebowl #onebowlrecipes #bakingbread

Print Recipe

4.62 from 95 votes

The Best Banana Bread recipe in the World

This is the Best Banana Bread Recipe in the World. No seriously, it is.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana bread

Servings:

Calories: 411kcal

Author: Tanya