2021 update to Alton Brown's Texas Chili - Instant Pot Chapter · Sunday November 28, 2021 by colin newell
Here is a another subtle variation on Alton Brown’s classic – it is not vegetarian but you can easily take out the sirloin and pitch in some firm tofu (grilled in advance of course…) or beans.
Use a 6-quart stock Instant Pot minimum
2 pounds Sirloin tip or lesser grade of beef (any grade of ground beef or pork… or Tofu)
4 tablespoons Canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 bottle of beer, medium pale ale (you can sub in 2 cups of beef or vegetable broth)
1-2 (16-ounce) container medium or hot salsa
60 tortilla chips (really! 60… not 59 or 61!)
(option) 1/2 cup chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, chopped
2 medium onions – chopped
1 Yellow pepper chopped
1 Red pepper chopped
1 small Zucchini chopped
1 large Pablano pepper chopped
2 Anaheim peppers chopped
1 chopped Habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers (be VERY, VERY careful with these peppers! There is a real risk of burning or blistering if your skin comes in direct contact with the seeds or chopped pepper flesh.)
2 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the chipotle peppers in adobo)
2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoon ground cumin
Heat your Instant pot on saute high and toss/brown meat with the Canola oil and salt/pepper in smallish batches. Add the meat in 6 to 8 batches and brown on all sides, approximately 2-3 minutes per batch. Once each batch is browned, place the meat in a clean large bowl or plate.
Once all of the meat is browned and set aside, add several tablespoons of beer or broth to deglaze the pot.
Depending on how dry your Instant pot is, add a tablespoon or two of your preferred canola oil.
Put in onions, yellow and red peppers, zucchini and carrots to brown for around 5 to 7 minutes.
Add Pablano and Anaheim chopped peppers – cooking an additional 5 minutes
Add Chipotle peppers and adobo sauce – stir in well.
Add bottled salsa (1 bottle at a time) and beer/broth gradually.
Add tomato paste and ground spices
Return meat to the mix.
Set Instant Pot to high pressure 20 minutes.
Depending upon how hot your Habanero, salsa and chilpotle chilis are will dictate how much of a sweat you will work up – add sour cream to serving for the more delicate among you! Be warned: Habanero chili’s are among the hottest chili peppers on the planet – they are easily hundreds if not thousands of times hotter than the lowly jalapeno pepper. Use extreme caution with these orange peppers. If you are not prepared to assume the risk, leave this pepper out.
Pressure cooked chili gets tamed quite substantially.
Serve with ice cold beer, corn chips and a cotton napkin for wiping your brow.
This batch would easily serve 12 to 16 hungry folks – I freeze the chili in plastic containers for frugal hot lunches!
Saanich Spinach Artichoke Cheesy Dip - Fall Fun and Food Series · Sunday November 21, 2021 by colin newell
On a dreary Saturday night, in the midst of fuel shortages, a stubborn pandemic, civic unrest and rivers of atmosphere… or is it the other way around? It is nice to quaff a glass of red wine with a simple hot dip made with basic and nourishing ingredients. Enter the Spinach and Artichoke Cheese dip. It’s hot. It’s cheesy. It comes out of the oven bubbling like the Big Island volcano we miss so much! – You can serve it on (or with) bread, a baguette, pita, corn chips or you can spoon it right out of the glowing casserole dish into your asbestos lined mouth.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch fresh spinach
8 ounces (or 250G) softened (room temperature) cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
14 oz (about 2 cups) drained artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
1 package pita bread
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large saute pan over medium low heat, add oil, garlic and pepper flakes and slowly saute for about five minutes or just until the garlic starts to brown.
Add dry fresh spinach, toss around and cook for another 7 to 8 minutes over medium heat until wilted and cooked. Remove to your cutting board, dab dry with paper towel and coarsely chop.
In a large bowl place cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 cup Parm-Reg, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Depending on how soft the cream cheese is, there will be a bit of muscle involved here. Spend 3 minutes or so – but don’t overly mix or blend as you will lose some of the texture of this dip.
Fold in the cooked spinach, artichokes and 1 and 1/2 cups of the Mozzarella cheese and scrape into a flame-proof / high temperature baking dish that is 8 × 8 × 2 inches.
Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan and 1/2 cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese and bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until hot, bubbling and slightly browned on top.
While the mixture is baking, heat a grill pan on high and once hot, place one whole pita round on at a time. Cook for a minute or two on one side, flip and cook again on the other side. Remove to a cutting board and cut into wedges and serve on the side of the dip.
If you are hungry or in a hurry, crack open a bag of low salt corn (nacho) chips and toss them in a bowl. The upside is, the cooler chips will absorb some of the Earth mantle heat of the molten cheese dip reducing the risk of scalding or life altering burns. The dip pairs well with wine or beer.Colin Newell is a Victoria area resident who loves his food and his coffee and is constantly on the prowl for tasty recipes ready for home preparation…
Movember in the fast lane - year 12 Movember Captain · Tuesday November 16, 2021 by colin newell
12 years. It is easy to dedicate yourself to a cause that you believe in. A cause that has touched you and your friends and your family in so many ways.
Movember has been here for a while. What is it? It is the month of November dedicated to not shaving and thinking about and talking about the perils of silence and isolation.
Wellness. It comes in many forms. Physical and mental well being. I have not met a single person who has not struggled with one of these. And the difference between not coping and thriving can often come down to a conversation.
I have been having those conversations for over a decade.
And what is fascinating for me is that it was almost 10 years ago that my doctor tapped me on the shoulder to say, “Hey, Colin, maybe we need to have a closer look at this…” I was lucky. Numerous tests, blood work, MRI and an immensely uncomfortable biopsy later… and I was cleared for take off – to return to my normally scheduled life.
In that time, 10 years, several friends have battled cancer all the way to the win column – with bravery and sacrifice. Others, like me, have suffered their share of mental turmoil as crises have come and gone. But what set these experiences apart was having extra arrows in our toolkit – conversation, dialog, resources, support, solidarity. The one thing I preach over and over again is; Do not face any crises alone if you can at all avoid it. Sadness, anxiety, depression and strife love the cold darkness of isolation. Do not try and go it alone. I tell everyone. I am here, 24/7, if you need to talk. If you need a shoulder – even a social distanced shoulder, or a virtual hug.
In most cases, with professional help and guidance and the loyalty and listening skills of friends, most dark periods in our life can be overcome. I always say, the sun will come out again. It is a bit of a platitude, but it is true. For most of us, we have known good times. The good times do come again. It takes work.
Please support the cause. Movember in Canada raises millions of dollars and supports upwards of 1000 different programs.
Sean McCool and Colin perform Hallelujah
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Instant Pot Pasta Sausage Tuscan Pasta · Sunday October 24, 2021 by colin newell
Since I was introduced to the Instant Pot around 4 years ago, I have never tired of the ease of use, the time saving attributes and the sheer tastiness of many of the recipes.
This pasta dish is among my favourites.
It is quick, fast and easy – and oh so delicious with a big glass of red wine and some of the chewy focaccia bread that I make regularly.
At the heart of this dish are pork sausages, but you can source any kind of sausage including plant based. You can sub in chicken. Add a few sliced artichoke hearts. Whatever you have on hand. This is, after all, the building blocks of quick pasta recipes. Don’t have penne pasta? Consider Fusilli, Rotini and many others. Explore. Have fun!
Ingredients
Two cooked and sliced caramelized Leek and Onion sausages
1/2 Jar of sun-dried tomatoes – 1/2 cup or 75G
Heaping tablespoon of mince garlic
Tablespoon of Italian seasoning
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
16 ounces of Pasta (Penne)
1 container of low sodium chicken broth – (4 cups)
1 bunch of spinach
1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1.5 cup of cream cheese (Chive infused)
Instructions
In the Instant Pot stir together chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper.
Stir in sausage and pasta – and try to submerge pasta down into the broth (do not stir!)
Set to 5 minutes quick release.
After quick release, add Parmigiano-Reggiano, cream cheese and spinach. Mix.
Put lid on and let steam for 10 minute – with warm setting on.
After 10 minutes, stir and serve. Bon appetit
Colin Newell is a Victoria resident and food-beverage writer/influencer – active in the city, Province and country since the late 1980’s
