Instant Pot Tom Yum Soup

Bring the taste of take-out back to your kitchen with this Instant Pot soup recipe

What do you do when you can’t travel much due to COVID-19 restrictions? Bring the cuisine back to your kitchen of course! I’m making the best of the situation by cooking all my favorite foods at home. One of my favorite Thai restaurants was right next to the aerial studio I go to. My friends and I would go to this corner restaurant called Thai House. Every time I eat at the restaurant, I order their Tom Yum soup (with Pad Thai of course). Their soup was amazingly delicious because it was made fresh to order every time. It came to the table served piping hot with the aroma of lemongrass taking over my senses. I enjoy ordering the Tom Yum soup with shrimp because the shrimp are large and I love the flavor it adds to the soup. It didn’t matter what season it was because I order their soup all year round. The warm, grounded feeling I experience after eating this soup hits the spot after a tough workout. Although I’ve never been to Thailand, I felt inspired to recreate this masterpiece.

As always, I took the dish and added more veggies to pack more of a nutritional punch. I used my Homemade Vegetable Stock to add a level of freshness that I can’t get by using a canned broth. While this soup may run you $11-13 for a large portion, you can spend that and get 4-5x the number of meals. Saving money and being able to eat quality food during a pandemic is one of the best ways to keep healthy. Creating this recipe in the instant pot is a quick and convenient way to lock in a bunch of flavors. Save time and feed your entire family with my recreation of Tom Yum Soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp (larger 16/20 shrimp preferred)

• 6-8 cups homemade vegetable stock

• 2 cups zucchini squash or yellow squash, chopped

• 1 cup carrots, julienned

• 1 cup green cabbage, chopped thin

• 1 15 oz can of baby corn

• 1 cup spinach

• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms or oyster mushrooms (optional)

• 4-5 stalks lemongrass

• 2 kaffir lime leaves (or bay leaves if you can’t find any)

• ⅓ cup liquid aminos or soy sauce

• ¼ cup fish sauce (omit if vegetarian)

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled

• 2 inch knob ginger, peeled

• Handful of cilantro

• Fresh squeezed lime, for serving

Directions:

1)      Chop fresh vegetables. Place all of them except mushrooms and spinach into the instant pot.

2)      Add the stock, garlic, ginger, kaffir leaves, sauces, and lemon grass into the instant pot.

3)      Turn setting to pressure and set the temperature to high heat. Lock the lid in place (you’ll hear a short melody to let you know it’s locked) and set timer for 15 minutes.

4)      Open the lid, add mushrooms, spinach, shrimp, and cilantro. Adjust seasonings to taste. Close the lid again and cook for 5 more minutes until the shrimp is cooked.

5)      Remove garlic ginger, kaffir leaves, and lemongrass. Serve with freshly squeezed lime and enjoy!

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Instant Pot Steamed Artichokes with Italian Dressing

I give tribute to my Aunt Lois for this recipe. Food was one of the only things that kept me happy when I was around family. She would always make this on the high holidays after Yom Kippur (Breaking the fast). I remembered her as one of the only family members who wore a smile. It was rare that I ever saw her mad or upset. At her eulogy, she was known as the woman with a green thumb. She loved being outside in the garden. She would make us fresh vegetables to have for appetizers. Out of many delicious foods she brought out, the one that stood out to me the most (besides deviled eggs) was artichokes with Italian dressing. She marinated it overnight in the dressing and topped it with more Parmesan cheese. I wouldn’t leave much for the rest of the guests because it was that good.

I never tried to recreate it on my own until I was given fresh artichokes in my GFP Produce Box. Cooking artichokes wasn’t my priority. I knew instantly that once I saw the fresh artichokes, I was sold on recreating one of my childhood favorite dishes. I decided to go the extra mile and make my own dressing from scratch. I’ve been obsessed with my instant pot, which was the full inspiration for this recipe. I found that I enjoy the artichoke served hot. Find the directions below and take this into your own kitchen.

Ingredients:

For the Artichokes:

• 1-4 medium artichokes

• ½ lemon, cut into slices

• 2 cups water or vegetable broth

• 1 bay leaf

• Dried herbs to taste (I used oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, and parsley

• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Italian Dressing:

Credits to: https://www.fivehearthome.com/homemade-italian-salad-dressing-better-than-olive-garden-copycat-recipe/

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons water

• 2 teaspoons honey

• ¼ cup red onion, chopped small

• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

• 2 cloves fresh garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1)      In your instant pot, pour all the ingredients for the artichokes except the artichokes in the pot.

2)      To prepare the artichoke, do the following. First, cut off the bottom stalks. Next, cut approximately ½ inch off the top. Then, cut off all the brown tops of the leaves with scissors. These are inedible. Last, open the artichoke by rinsing it with water and pulling each layer apart with your thumb. Use some pressure, but not full force.

3)      Repeat for all artichokes. Set them in the instant pot and close the lid. Steam for 40 minutes or until you can pull the artichoke leaves apart easily. I turned the artichokes every 10 minutes.

4)      To make the dressing, blend all of the ingredients together in a high-powered blender or food processor. Process until everything is incorporated.

5)      To eat the artichoke, pull apart all the leaves and eat them with your teeth at the bottom. To eat the heart, remove the fuzzy outer layer and presto! Drizzle Italian dressing on top and serve with more dressing. Enjoy!

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Air Fried Broccoli

Would your kid eat broccoli if it didn’t taste so bitter? Yuck! I get it. I couldn’t stand to eat a vegetable for the first 21 years of my life. It took me until then to understand the value of what I’m putting into my body. It became more of a priority to start eating vegetables when my other favorite foods started having repercussions. Bloating and gassy and pooping. Oh TMI. But for real though, my body couldn’t digest the foods I was eating anymore. I had no other option but to change my diet unless I wanted to face adverse health issues, such as obesity.

Even with where I’m at, I still don’t like to eat plain vegetables straight raw. If I can find ways for these to taste good, I’ll eat it all day long. Air fried broccoli is my new favorite way to eat broccoli. It reminds me of eating potato chips because they are crunchy. The Flavor God brand of seasoning helps add a new element of flavor I can’t get from salt and pepper alone. I like to mix and match different ones to create the ultimate concoction.

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets

• 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 3 Tbsp. Flavor God Seasoning (I used nacho cheese and garlic)

Directions:

1. Wash the broccoli and cut it into florets.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients until evenly coated.

3. Set the temperature to 390 Degrees, F. Cook, for 8-10 minutes stirring halfway.

4. Serve with more seasoning and enjoy!

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Air Fried Chickpeas

Quarantine has got me like a mad science experiment. I try new recipes on a daily basis like it’s my full-time job. Finding different ways to expand my palate is fun for me. It brings me joy when I create a masterpiece.

One of my favorite meals is snack time. I can eat a meal full of calories with snack food. It’s easy to eat a ton of them, which could wreak havoc to your body if you’re eating junk food.

I found a healthy way in order to combat this habit. Instead of shaming myself for my love of snacks, I felt a sense of peace knowing what I’m putting into my body. When I prepare my food at home, I feel powerful having self-control over eating an entire bag of potato chips. If I end up eating a lot of my own food, I don’t end up eating as many calories. That alone has helped me be able to sustain weight loss for over 8 years. I still allow myself room to eat treat food, but I don’t feel guilty when it’s done in moderation.

Roasted chickpeas are my new #1 favorite salty snack swap. I could eat an entire can of them (although it is not a good idea because it’s a LOT of fiber).

I’ll leave the recipe here so you can have some of these ASAP.

Ingredients:

• 2 (15 oz) cans Garbanzo beans - drained, rinsed, and patted dry

• 3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 4 Tbsp. Flavor God Seasoning (I used Nacho Cheese and Taco Tuesday Seasonings)

Directions:

1. Preheat air fryer to 390 Degrees F.

2. Clean garbanzo beans by getting the clear skin off as many as you can.

3. Mix garbanzo beans, spices, and oil in a mixing bowl.

4. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Stir after 15 minutes. After 30 minutes, cook and stir in 5 minutes intervals. Cook until they become brown and crunchy, but not burnt.

5. Serve with more seasoning and enjoy!

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Air Fried Zucchini Chips

I have become obsessed with my air fryer. I recently received an instapot as a quarantine gift, which has an air fryer component. I’ve been using it almost every day to add a whole new level to my taste buds. I love how crispy everything gets without the sogginess I sometimes get from oven roasting the same exact food. When it comes to making zucchini chips in the oven, one side of the zucchini cooks properly while half of it burns. The first time I tried zucchini chips in the air fryer, they turned out perfectly. Needless to say, I will never be putting my zucchini chips in the oven ever again. They didn’t even last for an hour before my family ate it all. Now, I get to share the recipe behind the deliciousness so you can get your hands on some straight away.

Ingredients:

• 4 small or 3 medium zucchini, sliced

• 3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 4 Tbsp. Flavor God Seasoning (I used everything, garlic, and taco seasoning)

Directions:

1. Wash your zucchini and pat it dry with a paper towel. Cut the zucchini into thin slices either by hand or with a mandolin.

2. Mix the zucchini, oil, and seasonings in a bowl.

3. Set the instapot to air fry at 350 degrees F. Cook for 40 minutes. Stir at 15 minutes and at 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir at 5-minute intervals until the zucchini are at your desired crispiness. When they are done, they will be brown and crunchy, but not burnt.

4. Top with more seasoning and serve while they’re hot!

Is your mouth watering yet? I have more recipes for you like this one to help curb your salty snack craving.