Madhu Knits and Cooks

The Instant Pot Enters Madhu's Kitchen - Initial Projects

The Instant Pot has finally arrived in my kitchen!  After eyeing this pressure cooker slash electric pot slash yogurt maker slash many-other-things for several months, my indecision about what type of Instant Pot to purchase finally lifted.  And lifted not because I did proactively did to end my indecision, but instead a friend gave me his Instant Pot that he tried but wasn't a fan of.

Well, his loss was certainly my gain as I LOVE my new Instant Pot.  I've only made a few items in it so far, but the results have been fantastic.  Dried chickpeas cooked in 10 minutes; lentil soup in 6 minutes; and my only repeat to date, steel cut oats in 4 minutes.  

The steel cut oats are definitely my favorite because I like making steel cuts oats in bulk for the work week, but it's kind of a pain to watch the pot on the stovetop for 30 - 45 minutes, ensure the oats at the bottom of the pot aren't burning, and then clean up all of the messy oat water that spills out of the pot as the oats cook.  Just that last stove top feature - the clean up - has been enough to dissuade me from making oats as much as I would otherwise like.  

When I first made oats in the Instant Pot, I followed some internet guidance to spray some oil along the bottom of the pot so that the oats wouldn't stick to the cooking bowl.  It led to a slight flavor in the oats that I didn't totally love, but was fine when honey or brown sugar were added to the oats.  The second time I made the oats, I completely forgot about this oil spray first step, and it turned out the oats were totally fine!  So no more oil in the future.

On my second oats attempt as well, I realized that I didn't quite like my standard 3 - 1 water to oats ratio I use when making oats on the stovetop.  It leads to a slightly watery outcome, so I think I am going to move to a 2.5 - 1 ratio moving forward.  I'll update if that ratio does the trick to produce the hearty, toothy cooked oat texture that I prefer.

Finally, another feature of the Instant Pot that I love is that when your item is cooked, you don't need to really do anything right away.  You can just leave the pot sitting there while you go about your other business.  So unlike stove top items that need to be cared for when done (turn off the heat, stir, etc.), you really can just forget about what's in the Instant Pot until you are ready to deal with it.  Another major bonus for my busy kitchen!

Gingerbread Layer Cake - A New Holiday Must-Bake

It continues to amaze me that for all of the cookbooks and magazines on my shelves, the recipes that continue to catch my eye are those from email or social media.  While this is probably a larger digital consumption issue that I should unpack for my mental health, my latest Instagram inspiration served me incredibly well at our almost-holiday party.

That inspiration was from, where else, but Cook's Illustrated, which posted the most wonderful photo of a Gingerbread Layer Cake.  And given my success with their Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake years ago, I thought this would be a great way to have a "showstopper" finale for our party.

While my frosting effort, as pictured above, would not have met Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood's high standards, for me, it was pretty good.  And clearly a sign that I need to bake more layer cakes to improve my decorating skills!

In any case, the resulting cake from this recipe was fantastic - really rich, deep molasses / ginger flavor, and felt like the holiday season in cake form.  I will be making this cake again and again in years ahead, especially because it was relatively simple to prepare compared to other winter dessert favorites (e.g., custard pies).  The only downside of this cake - which may be its secret power - is that it's so rich and deep in flavor that after 1 - 2 slices, you will feel completely satiated.  

The only change I made to the recipe directions was to bake the cake layers first to give me my oven back for additional party prep, but otherwise, followed the recipe to a T.

The cake itself was prepared with the standard sift dry ingredients, mix together wet ingredients, and then combine approach.  

As I was pouring out the batter for my last cake though, I realized I didn't have as much batter for the last layer as the prior three.  Racking my brain to figure out why, I realized I was using 9-inch cake pans instead of 8-inch!  Oops!  But it all turned out fine with the thinnest (and most uneven layer) working into the frosted cake just fine.

The "Ermine" frosting preparation takes a few more steps than a standard buttercream or cream cheese frosting, but also came together really well.  First you prepare a "gel" and then after it cools, add whipped butter for a delicious vanilla frosting that complements the rich cake really well.

Now to the best part - frosting the cake!  I didn't really follow the CI measurements for the amount of icing per layer, rather kind of felt my way with the amount of frosting I was putting on each layer.  Ultimately, that approach turned out well with the frosting helping cover up any imperfections from the somewhat dense, wet cake slices which weren't perfectly even post-baking.

After prepared, just chill for 30 minutes for the frosting to firm up and then serve to the amazement of your guests!

Cheesy Spinach Dip Wonton Cups - Incredibly Easy Party Appetizer

My second new recipe for our almost-annual holiday party was the incredibly simple cheesy spinach wonton cups from Fresh Fit Kitchen (via Pinterest.)  I wanted a true bite-size snack, and these baked cups were perfect for the season and party.  

(pre-baked wonton cups)

The wonton wrappers really crisped and browned up in the oven in only 10 minutes, and the filling was a great base to work from.   The entire recipe also takes all of 10 minutes to put together, which makes it a great party food as well.

My initial version of this recipe was a bit more bland than I had hoped for, likely because I skimped on the key flavoring agents - the parmesan, red pepper flakes, and salt / pepper.  I also substituted monterey jack for the mozzarella, but I think a slightly more flavorful cheese than both of those would also be a good addition as well.  I'll report back when I find a blend that I really like, but in the mean time, these will be a staple at any large gathering we host!

Tyrokafteri - A New Spicy Party Favorite!

For our almost-annual holiday party this year, I wanted to add in a few new dishes to the mix.  As I assembled my requisite Pinterest board for the occasion, I noticed that I was staying within my comfort zone though with new recipes - lots of dips and cheese-based snacks.  Oh well, go with what you know! 

Albeit not a major deviation from parties past, my favorite new selection of the year was definitely the insanely simple Tyrokafteri dip from Serious Eats.  This very spicy dip, from fresh roasted peppers and feta, kept my guests glued to our food table!

This dip can be made ahead of time, and largely requires blending ingredients in a food processor.  What gives the dip its fantastic spice are roasted hot red peppers, which are broiled at home.

I can't usually find cherry peppers at this time of year in our grocery store, so I picked up a packet of the anonymous "long hot red peppers."  While I am not sure about the variety of chiles these are (fresno, Anaheim, red serranos?), the packet I got were incredibly spicy so I ended up using approx. 1/4 pound for this dip instead of the 3/4 pound called for in the recipe.  That 1/4 pound may have even been too much for those who are not experienced spice eaters.

After broiling the peppers on each side, place them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap to steam for 10 - 15 minutes.  Then peel the skins off the peppers, and deseed them.  From my hatch chile roasting effort, I use plastic gloves for this part to make sure my hands aren't weapons of spicy destruction after!

Then simply process with your feta (I just used supermarket feta crumbles), lemon juice, olive oil, and Greek yogurt.  You are good to start serving right after the dip is blended together or from the fridge!