Vegetarian Red Posole with Jackfruit (Instant Pot)

 Jackfruit does a great job subbing for pork here.  This is a riff on this posole.

Ingredients: 

Group One:

3 guajillo chilis

4 cloves minced garlic

1 small white onion, diced

1 TB ground cumin

2 TB red chili powder

1 can tomato paste (I had to get creative and use 4 TB of harissa paste once instead, and it was great)

Group Two:

3 cans hominy

2 cans jackfruit (make sure you get young jackfruit canned in water, not ripe or canned in syrup)

2 bay leaves

3 cups broth, 4 cups water

To serve: 

Quartered limes, cilantro, sliced avocado, plain yogurt, greens dressed with lime and olive oil, etc. as you prefer

First, halve and de-seed the chilis, and toast them for a few minutes per side in a dry skillet, until they char a bit.  (You may need to open a window).  Put them aside.

Add olive oil to the skillet, and cook the onion and garlic until onion softens, then add the rest of Group One (cumin, chili powder, tomato paste) and cook together.  

Drain the hominy and jackfruit, then add all Group Two ingredients to the instant pot along with the contents of the skillet AND the charred peppers you set aside.  Cook on high pressure for 17 minutes, use quick release, remove the guajillos and bay leaves, and eat.

Hearty Fava and Kale Soup with Polenta Croutons (Instant Pot)

Ingredients

For Soup:

Group One:

1 small white onion, diced

4 cloves minced garlic

2 TB herbs de provence 

Pinch kosher salt 

Pinch crushed red pepper 

Group Two:

1 lb dried fava beans 

4 cups broth, 4 cups water

Group Three: 

1 bunch of kale, washed and torn

For Croutons:

1 polenta log (the firm kind)

Olive oil, salt

More garlic if you like 

To top:  

Hard white cheese and good olive oil

Arugula dressed with olive oil, salt and lemon juice

Cook the onion and garlic in olive oil in a skillet.  (You can do this in the bottom of the instant pot on "saute," but I've had that cause a "burn" error often enough that I prefer to use a separate pan.)  After about 5 mins when the onion softens, add the herbs de provence, salt, and red pepper flakes.  

Put the Group Two ingredients in the instant pot, then add the contents of the skillet (Group One).  Set to cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.  

Meanwhile, make the croutons:  cut the polenta into cubes, coat skillet in olive oil, heat to medium, throw the cubes in, add salt and garlic or whatever other herbs you like, cook (tossing periodically) until browned.  

When the instant pot is done cooking, use the quick release method and stir in the kale immediately, then use an immersion blender or potato masher to get the consistency you prefer.  Top with the polenta croutons, dressed arugula, a swirl of olive oil, and grated hard white cheese.

Instant Pot Dal Makhani

Here is another delicious instant pot find.  I'm writing the recipe up here so I remember to make it again, but it's straight from The Instant Pot Indian Cookbook by Urvashi Pitre.  The dal here retains its shape and the sauce is wonderfully creamy (probably because it includes, um, cream).

With a salad and Heidi's Instant Pot Chickpea Cauliflower Korma (except I was with non chickpea eaters so we did potato cauliflower):  

Group One: 

1/2 cup whole black urad dal, rinsed

2 bay leaves

1 TB chopped garlic

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 1/2 cups water

Group Two: 

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup cream

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp each turmeric, coriander, garam masala

1/4 tsp each cayenne, cumin

Group Three: 

2 tsp ghee

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1 TB tomato paste 

Put Group One in the instant pot and pressure cook on high for 30 minutes, then release naturally (I lost patience and eventually did quick release and it was fine).

While that is cooking, whisk together Group Two in a bowl and set aside.  For Group Three, heat the ghee in a small pan, add the cumin seeds, and when they sputter, stir in the tomato paste until it absorbs the ghee. 

Mix Group Three into Group One, then mix in Group Two as well.  Serve with chopped cilantro and fried garlic.  Yum.  

Instant Pot Split Pea with Spinach, Lemon, and Ethiopian Spices

Tonight I made this soup in the Instant Pot (which, when you're a vegetarian trying to get protein, is a pretty lifesaving legume-cooker).

I subbed split peas for lentils because that's what I had, and served over rice with yogurt on the side. Pressure cooked a little extra (13 mins instead of 10) because of using split peas, although I bet they would have been fine after 10 - they were pretty liquified.  I did find it needed more lemon juice and salt than called for.  It was delicious!