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Kristen Helmstetter

(Brisa Starr)

recipe

Finally – Artichoke in the Instant Pot

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Organic artichoke – a beauty.

I’ve been wanting to try making an artichoke in the Instant Pot ever since I first got my Instant Pot (my bestie in the kitchen).

Two reasons:

  1. Artichokes are reputed as crazy nutritious, according to one of my favorite books, Eating on the Wild Side. A nutritious edible flower bud. However, in my attempts to find organic, I kept coming up empty-handed – until now.
  2. The instant pot promised, as usual, speed and ease of making artichokes.

While visiting a farmers’ market in California recently, I found organic artichokes. And… they were good ones.

Eating on the Wild Side says:

  • Buy your artichokes as fresh as possible (keeping in mind that apparently jarred artichokes are still nutritious)
  • Make sure they’re firm when squeezed
  • Rub two artichokes and they should squeak
  • Store them in the fridge drawer
  • Eat your fresh ‘chokes right away

I brought my Instant Pot with me to California, because who doesn’t travel with their Instant Pot?

Here’s what I did:

Put one cup of water in the Instant Pot along with the trivet.

Slice off a bit of the top of the artichoke as well as cutting off the stem.

Set the artichoke upright on the trivet in the Instant Pot.

Set the Instant Pot to HIGH pressure for up to 20 minutes. Quick Release. I know it’s hard not knowing the exact time, but it depends on the size of the artichoke. I started mine with 8 minutes and ended up with a total cooking time under pressure of maybe 13 to 15? I can’t remember exactly. It’ll take some experimenting, but rest assured that it’ll be easier than using any other cooking method to make them.

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Blender Banana Bread (Gluten-Free Recipe)

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Yeah, I’m blending my banana bread ingredients.

If I can do everything in one appliance, then I’m game. In fact, I often try to do just that – kind of a challenge to myself.

Enter: Blender Banana Bread 

I blend it all and bake it.

Wait… I guess that’s two appliances (blender and toaster oven – f*#k – I thought I was on to something here). Oh well, you get the drift. Minimal use of appliances, bowls, etc.

And, it’s easy.

Gluten-free banana bread.

 

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil or grass-fed ghee, melted*
  • 3 ripe bananas, peeled
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 eggs
  • 6 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or sweetener of choice
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Optional ingredients:

  • 1 to 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 2 to 3 grinds fresh black pepper (helps body assimilate turmeric better)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • cocoa powder
  • chopped nuts (for stirring in post blending)

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. (I love my toaster oven.)
  2. Lightly grease your banana bread loaf-pan (I use coconut oil).
  3. Add all of the ingredients to the blender. Blend. Pour batter into loaf pan.
  4. Bake 35 to 45 minutes – give or take 5 minutes. You know the drill, stick a knife in. Does it come out clean? Done. Not clean? Not done.
  5. Let the luscious loaf cool in the loaf pan. Eat. Eat. Eat.
Banana bread was never so easy

*  Technically, this could require yet another appliance if it’s not already soft and liquid-y. But if you’re in my hot home right now, saving money by not blasting the a/c, then it’s totally melted for you and waiting to use.

PS. Notice anything new? I’m sure you did. My blog has a facelift. It’s about time. It’s now mobile-friendly, too. In truth, it’s not completed yet as I have some very minor changes to make, like adding photos to the header and changing out some of the affiliate ads.

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Simple Baked Granola Recipe

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Simple Baked Granola

 

I make this simple baked granola recipe almost weekly. 

I love saving money by making my own recipes like this, and I prefer using healthier ingredients than I find in most granola on the shelves of stores (specifically the oil and sweeteners).

Lightly sweet and crunchy.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups oats
  • 4 tablespoons grass-fed ghee or coconut oil (melted/liquid)
  • 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup dried, unsweetened, shredded coconut
  • big handful raisins (or more)
  • big handful hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, or chopped nuts (or more)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.  

2. Combine the oats, oil, sweetener, and salt, making sure the oats are coated.

3. Place the mixture onto a baking sheet and spread evenly.

4. Bake for 30 minutes. Take it out if the oven and let it cool. 

5. Add the coconut, raisins, and seeds. Store in an airtight container.

Perfect on yogurt.

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Here’s How I Added Protein Without Meat to Dinner

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No meat, but has still protein. 
I usually like making pasta with grass-fed ground beef but there was none to be had tonight.

I wanted a protein boost in our dinner though. 

Here’s what I did.

I made pasta (gluten-free) with marinara (organic, from a jar) using my Instant Pot (as always – see how this 15-minute meal works here).

In my Instant Pot I also added spinach (some protein) plus Dr. Cowan’s Veggie Powders (1 tablespoon mixed) and butter to the noodles and sauce. (Don’t forget 1 to 1.5 cups water.)

I cooked it on LOW for five minutes. 

Once I quick released it, I added 6 to 8 tablespoons hemp seeds (protein) and raw mozzarella cheese (protein).

Pasta… come to mama.
Awesome.

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding is a winner.

Today I was inspired by my lack of coconut milk to get creative in making chia pudding.

I had some organic peanut butter on hand…. hmmm… can I make a nut milk from that? Sure, why not? Ok, so now I have a liquid base of peanut butter milk. 

I started to work on the other basics I always include: 

But… wait… what if I use a multi-berry organic juice I have in my fridge as part of the liquid? 

YES! 

That’ll make it like peanut and butter. (Or just add jelly but I wanted to use up the juice.)

This was a fun and successful kitchen experiment. You should try it. 

Here’s the general idea of the recipe to yield one quart (I don’t use specific quantities when making chia pudding because it’s so forgiving.)

Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding Recipe

  • 6 to 8 tablespoons chia seeds
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1/4 cup (or more) organic peanut butter
  • 1 cup berry juice (or 1/2 cup jelly)
  • small spoonful of raw honey (not much needed because juice is sweet)
  • 1 cup (or a bit more) warm water (this helps soften peanut butter, honey, etc)
  • 1 to 3 tablespoons of coconut oil or cacao butter or combination (melted)
  1. Put the chia seeds in a glass mason jar.
  2. In a blender, combine the remaining ingredients. Blend.
  3. Pour the mixture into the jar with chia seeds. Put a secure lid on the jar. 
  4. SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE
  5. If there’s room in the jar for more liquid, add more juice or water until it’s almost filled.
  6. SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE
  7. Wait a few minutes
  8. SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE
  9. Refrigerate for a few hours to get firmed up a bit.

 * I chose refined coconut oil so the flavor was neutral.

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Golden Chia Pudding For Breakfast or Dessert

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Golden Chia Pudding – Come to mama.

Chia pudding is a staple these days in our house. It can be both a tasty breakfast or dessert. 

Sweetened with raw honey. Satisfying chewy – almost crunchy texture from the chia seeds and big chunks of shredded coconut. Thick and creamy deliciousness from coconut cream. Yum, right?

Oh and of course turmeric for all over body benefits. (I wrote a whole ebook of turmeric recipes.)

This recipe yields 2 to 4 servings.

Golden Chia Pudding Recipe

  • 6 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup large shredded, unsweetened dried coconut
  • Pinch salt
  • Can coconut cream
  • .5 ounce melted cacao butter/oil, optional (or coconut oil)
  • Big glob of raw honey
  • 1 cup warm water (about 120 degrees F)*
  • 1-2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • Few grinds of fresh black pepper**

Put the chia seeds and shredded coconut in a quart size glass mason jar. 

In a blender put the coconut cream, cacao butter (if using), honey, warm water, turmeric, and black pepper. Blend on high until mixed well. 

Pour this mixture into the glass mason jar with the chia seeds and coconut. If the jar isn’t filled almost to the top, you can add more of anything before shaking. For example, some more water or chia seeds or both. 

Put a lid on the jar and shake shake shake. Wait a few minutes and shake shake shake again. Wait a few minutes more and shake shake shake again. Do this a few times. 

Put the mixture in the refrigerator to chill for up to four hours before eating.

* Warm water helps the honey melt a bit to blend better with the coconut cream.

** Black pepper helps you assimilate the turmeric.

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