Instant Pot Piri Piri Chicken and Rice

I am so excited! I made Piri Piri Chicken in the Instant Pot!!!! The rice too! All at once, under pressure for just 4 minutes. If you are new to my blog I am a little Piri Piri obsessed. This is maybe the eleventh post I have written? Piri Piri is Portuguese in origin and popular in South Africa. It is used as a sauce, marinade or seasoning. Recipes vary but the common ingredients are bird's eye chilies, lemon, oil, red bell peppers and garlic. It is so delicious! You have to try something made with Piri Piri. 

Well let's back up a bit. After my post for Instant Pot Pork Chops and Celery Rice someone asked, "Can you use chicken?" I had to respond I don't know? So immediately I tried the technique with chicken cutlets and mushrooms. The chicken was perfectly tender but maybe a little drier than I liked. It was not moist but not dry either. So I thought a marinade would fix that. That is where Piri Piri came to mind. I really like the flavor of Piri Piri and most restaurants that serve it always offer rice as a side. It would be perfect for this technique. It worked so great! The rice was fluffy and the chicken flavorful and moist. I made my own Piri Piri sauce but you can buy bottled sauce at some grocery stores. I have seen the Nando's brand at my store. I like making my own because I can control the heat. You can use whatever hot peppers you like. Can't find bird's eye chilies? Use jalapenos or serranos. I find that as a raw sauce it is spicy but when cooked it is not that hot. The sweetness of the peppers come out when cooked. In fact, I think kids would probably enjoy the chicken and the adults can add the raw sauce for heat. It was so good! I only did two cutlets this time but I have cooked up to six without a problem. I wish I had some thin cut boneless pork chops because I am dying to try that too. I think it would be so tasty! I hope you will give Piri Piri and this #InstantPot recipe a try. Thanks for visiting today. I really appreciate it.

Instant Pot Piri Piri Chicken and Rice
Serves 4

Ingredients

4 chicken cutlets or 2 chicken breast, butterflied
Piri Piri Sauce <<Click here for recipe
Olive oil cooking spray
1-3/4 cups water
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1-1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp. Piri Piri Seasoning <<Click here for recipe
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
Kosher salt, to taste

Directions

Marinate chicken in Piri Piri Sauce for 30 minutes. Keep refrigerated until ready to cook.

Place Instant Pot on Saute. When hot spray or drizzle with olive oil, brown chicken on one side only. Remove chicken and turn off heat. Add water, stir well scrapping up any brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Add rice, seasonings and garlic stir to combine. Arrange peas, onion and bell pepper on top of rice, then chicken. Cook at high pressure for 4 minutes. Turn off and let rest 5 minutes before performing a quick release. Remove Chicken and fluff rice with a fork. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary and serve. If you enjoy spicy foods serve with a little extra Piri Piri Sauce.

Don't have an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker? 

Try these recipes for the grill and microwave:

Piri Piri Chicken

Microwave Spiced Rice

Want a side or topping to accompany this dish. 

Check out these older posts:

Broccoli with Sweet Soy Glaze

Piri Piri Mushrooms

Piri Piri Squash

Piri Piri Grilled Asparagus

Spicy Cilantro Coleslaw

Instant Pot Creole Pasta

Back in the 90's when I worked in downtown Shreveport, we would often go to Pete Harris Cafe for their weekly lunch specials. Their specials were some of the best soul food around. Specials like chicken fried steak, smothered pork chops, fried fish and potato salad every Friday. All served with sides like greens, black eye peas, corn bread and peach cobbler for dessert. One of their more unique specials was creole spaghetti. It was a plate full of spaghetti with a rusty red sauce, smoked sausage, peppers and onions. It was so different, I had never seen anything quite like it. The cafe is long gone and I have tried replicating the recipe many times. I have made it stove-top with different shaped pastas, in one pot or multiple pots. I have used different brands of pasta sauce and sausage, it always turns out delicious. I have tried low sodium versions with canned Italian tomatoes and even substituting frozen onion and pepper blend, still so very good. Recently I tried adapting the recipe to the Instant Pot. I used the one pot pasta technique and it worked perfectly. Such a savory, smoky and delicious pasta dish with tons of creole flair! I like using the Instant Pot. It was a set it and forget method, no stirring. A few pieces of pasta that came in contact with the bottom of the pot got a little brown so I suggest patting the pasta into the liquid or stirring it into the top only just to be safe. This is a fast weeknight meal I will keep making in the Instant Pot. I hope you will too.

Instant Pot Creole Pasta
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced (I used Richard's Turkey Sausage)
2 medium onions, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 tsp. Cajun Seasoning, or to taste (I used Extra Spicy Mrs. Dash)
1 jar (28 oz.) Pasta Sauce, traditional flavor (I used low sodium Organic)
1 box (16 oz.) of spaghetti or pasta (I used penne)*

Directions

Place instant pot on saute. When hot drizzle with a little olive oil and add sausage. Brown sausage on each side. Add onions and peppers, sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Stir to separate onions slices and combine ingredients. Turn off instant pot and add pasta sauce, one jar full of water and pasta. Stir to combine, scrapping the bottom of the pot. Pat down ingredients so that pasta is submerged in liquid. Cover pot and set to sealing, cook at high pressure for half of the time recommended on the pasta packaging (6 minutes for penne). When done turn off pot and let rest 1 minute before performing a quick release. Stir and serve.

*Note: If you prefer saucy pasta use less pasta, about 12 oz.

Stove Top Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the spaghetti or pasta of your choice. In another large pot, saute onions, peppers and turkey sausage. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Add pasta sauce, bring to a boil and lower heat to just simmering. Cover pot and stir occasionally. Simmer for 15 minutes to let flavors blend and until pasta is done. Drop spaghetti and cook according to package. Drain pasta and toss with some of the sauce. Top with remaining sauce to serve.

One Pot Stove Top Directions:
In a large pot, saute onions, peppers and turkey sausage. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Add pasta, pasta sauce and one jar full of water. Bring to a boil and lower heat to just simmering. Cover pot and stir occasionally. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until pasta is cooked to your taste and flavors have blended.

Low Sodium Version:
Substitute low sodium pasta sauce or 2 - 15 oz. cans of no salt added Italian tomatoes pulsed in a blender. Use Extra Spicy Mrs. Dash instead of Cajun Seasoning.

Potato Breakfast Casserole

This breakfast casserole is something I have been making and taking to work for years. I usually double the recipe and make it in a 9 x 13 baking dish. It serves an army of hungry co-workers. Not this time, this time it was for my sister. My dear sister had a birthday a few weeks ago. She had to work a late shift, so we had a delicious brunch together before she left for work. I made a single recipe for Mom, dear sister and I. It was so delicious and very easy. You just throw all the ingredients together the night before and bake the next morning. It is cheesy and substantial. The potatoes make this casserole a nice and hearty breakfast. I also love that the onions and peppers come in the O'brien potatoes. There is so much flavor in that blend. The bacon doesn't hurt either. A casserole is such a great way to serve your eggs. We made a fruit salad of strawberries, cucumbers, orange juice/zest and mint as a side. Perfect brunch food for any celebration, including birthdays. I hope it will become a new favorite in your home.

Potato Breakfast Casserole
From Pots, Pans and Pioneers III
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

6 oz. frozen hash brown potatoes(O'brien), with onion and peppers
1 qt hot water
5 eggs
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 green onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper  
4 drops of hot sauce
6 slices bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
Paprika

Directions

Cover hash browns with hot water; let stand 10 minutes. Drain well. Beat eggs; add potatoes and remaining ingredients, except bacon and paprika. Pour mixture into buttered 10 inch pie pan (I used a 8 x 8 pyrex dish); sprinkle with bacon and paprika. Cover dish and refrigerate overnight. Place cold pie pan, uncovered, in cold oven. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender and eggs done (I had to cook another 20 minutes). 

Click here for the Strawberry Cucumber Salad recipe.

Sheet Pan Jalapeno Shrimp Tacos

Sometimes I think I must live under a rock. I recently discovered Sheet Pan Suppers for the first time; only a year behind the rest of the world. I saw the Domestic Geek make 3 meals in one of her YouTube videos. I was very excited and immediately made the Chicken Fajitas. I loved it! I started telling friends like James at Aim'em and Claim'em Smokers. He made his twist and posted a video for Sheet Pan Tacos (Pork). I continued to talk about it with my Mom and jot down recipe ideas. Well last night I made my own twist. I have been wanting to try shrimp tacos made like the Mexicana Beef Tacos I already posted. So I adapted the idea to the sheet pan technique. It turned out so good! Sheet Pan Suppers are so easy! I covered the sheet pan with foil for easy clean up. I bought the peppers and onions already sliced. The only thing I had to do was slice the jalapeno and peel the shrimp. The vegetables cook perfectly, tender but still very fresh tasting. The tomatoes slump and release some of their juice so the tacos are messy in a good way. Now these are spicy, that is why I called them Sheet Pan Jalapeno Shrimp Tacos. I left the seeds in the jalapeno and they do pack some heat. But you could remove the seeds or leave out all together if you do not like spicy food. I really enjoyed the jalapenos with the tomatoes, lime and cilantro. Such a great flavor combo for the shrimp. The shrimp cooked perfectly on the sheet pan too. They have that snap or pop you look for in properly cooked shrimp. It was so good! But you know what? There was something familiar about this dish or pan. They reminded me of a dish I made years ago from Real Simple called Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp Feta. It was made in a baking dish but very similar to the sheet pan suppers. So maybe I don't live under a rock after all? I hope you will give this sheet pan supper a try. I hope you love the flavors and easy clean up as much as I did.

Sheet Pan Jalapeno Shrimp Tacos

Serves 4; Makes approx. 8 Tacos

Ingredients

3/4 lb. of sliced bell peppers (red, green and orange) and onions (red and yellow) blend

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste

1/4 tsp. cumin, or to taste

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp. black pepper, or to taste

1 lb. 26/30 shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp. lime juice

8 small flour tortillas

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange bell pepper, onions, grape tomatoes and sliced jalapenos on a sheet pan. Season with olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss everything together so it is evenly coated. Place on middle rack of oven and roast for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl season shrimp with more olive oil, cumin, garlic powder and pepper. After the 20 minutes is up; remove sheet pan from oven and arrange the shrimp, cilantro, and lime juice on top. Place back in oven for another 10 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked. Serve with warm flour tortillas. 

Linking to:
The Lazy Gastronome: Taco Tuesday

Spaghetti Squash with Sofrito and Beans

I have heard sofrito is to Latin and Puerto Rican cuisines as the trinity is to Cajun cuisine. So many recipes I have collected from recipe boards and Pinterest start with sofrito. As I understand it each Puerto Rican family has their own sofrito recipe. Sofrito is usually a saute of onions, garlic, peppers, cilantro and tomatoes. It is added to everything from stew to beans. I have always wanted to try it for myself. This week I decided to finally give it a try. A long time ago during an online search, I saw a menu item called Spaghetti Squash with Sofrito and Beans. There was just a description no recipe or photo. For some reason it has been in the back of my mind as something I wanted to try one day. Well now I have gone and done it. And it is really good too. I love sofrito! It adds a sweet and tangy flavor to the beans. Dear sister remarked that it was similar to caponata. The onions, peppers, garlic and tomatoes really sweeten the sauce. The olives and capers add zippy acidity. This sofrito and beans is delicious on the spaghetti squash but I think it would be great in so many other ways. I think it would be great over rice, it would make a great side, a dip with corn chips or a filling for tacos or empanadas. I look forward to more experimenting with sofrito.

Spaghetti Squash with Sofrito and Beans

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish)

8 oz. can no salt added tomato sauce

1-1/2 tsp. Sazon seasoning

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp. black pepper, or to taste

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can low sodium red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup pimiento stuffed olives, sliced

1 Tbsp. capers

2 small spaghetti squash

Directions

Heat a 3-1/2 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Add olive oil, onion, green and red peppers; sauté until onion is translucent. Add garlic, continue to sauté until fragrant. Add tomatoes, cilantro, tomato sauce and seasonings, stir to combine and bring back to a simmer. Add beans, olives and capers, cover and simmer on low while preparing the squash. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

To prepare spaghetti squash: Cut squash in half. Scoop out seeds and discard. Place cut side down in a microwave safe dish, add 1/4 cup of water and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 8 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes (You may have to do each squash or half separately). When squash is cool enough to handle, pull the squash into spaghetti like threads. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve: Top each spaghetti squash half with a serving of sofrito and beans. Garnish with additional cilantro if desired.

Linking to:
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Reasons To Skip The Housework: STH Link Party
God's Growing Garden: Tuesday with a Twist
Spatulas On Parade: Wonderful Wednesday
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Ramblings of a (Bad) Domestic Goddess: Healthy Living Link Party

Chicken Cacciatore Soup

I told you in the previous post I baked two chickens and made several new soups this week. After making many many soups with rotisserie and baked chicken I have decided it really makes the best chicken soup. There is something about using the pre-cooked chicken that keeps it moist and tender. In my experience when you start with raw it has to cook forever to get tender. Then the veggies are over cooked. In a quick 30 minute soup like this the veggies are perfect but the chicken is usually tough and dry. So using pre-cooked chicken you get the best of both. You can cook the veggies to just the right consistency then add the perfectly cooked chicken. The results are amazing! For my second soup this week I looked to Chicken Cacciatore. I was really craving spicy tomato flavors and mushrooms. This soup really hit the spot. It is loaded with veggies like peppers, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. The broth is rich with Italian tomato flavor and has a nice spoonable texture. It was really deliciously savory. I look forward to making it again in the future. What's funny is the photos turned out a little "Halloweenie". Don't you think? I wanted to use dear sister's slate board and the napkins she gave me. And when I looked at the photos they looked a little different or unusual. The black and white background with the green bowl full of soup looks a little spooky, almost Photoshop-ed. I didn't like it at first, but now I think I do. They seem totally appropriate for fall and Halloween. Maybe you should give this soup a try before a cool night of spooky Halloween activities?

Chicken Cacciatore Soup

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. Chicken fat (butter or olive oil)

1 onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped                                            

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp. dry sherry or wine

15 oz. can no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained

27 oz. traditional pasta sauce

4 cups fat free unsalted chicken stock

2-1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1/2 tsp, rosemary, crushed

Kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes; to taste

Directions

In a Dutch oven, sauté the onion, and bell pepper in chicken fat over medium high heat. Season with salt, black and red pepper; sauté until veggies begin to soften. When onion is translucent, add mushrooms continue to sauté until mushrooms soften and begin to brown. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. De-glaze pan with sherry.

Add tomatoes, pasta sauce, and chicken stock; bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken and rosemary to pot and bring back to a simmer. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Linking to:

Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
God's Growing Garden: Tuesdays with a Twist
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Reasons To Skip The Housework: STH Link Party
Spatulas On Parade: Wonderful Wednesday
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Kahakai Kitchen: Souper Sundays

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Lately I have been all about chicken soup. I have made four old recipes over the past few weeks. I have also had all sorts of ideas for new recipes. So this week I baked two chickens, made stock from the bones and saved the chicken fat. Then I set out to try three new chicken soup ideas. The first recipe is sort of a copycat recipe. I was inspired by can of Progresso Light Chicken and Cheese Enchilada Soup. It is delicious! A creamy and cheesy can of comfort. What I was missing was tortillas. So I thought adding tortillas would be either noodle or dumpling like. I was right. My version is very close to the can in flavor. I started the pot with chicken fat. Why you ask? Well because I had it and two because it boosts the chicken flavor. The green and red peppers add color and Mexican flavor. The tomatoes with chipotle add a smoky chili flavor as if you used enchilada sauce. And the cheddar cheese soup is nice and cheesy without the risk of separating. Is it weird that I used another companies soup to re-create a different companies soup? Maybe? If you leave the tortillas out you have a light creamy and cheesy chicken soup like the Progresso soup. But if you add the tortillas they soften and plump up a bit in the soup. They are delicious and silky like soft noodles or dumplings. I suspect if you double the amount of tortillas you will have a really great southwest chicken and dumplings. Hey! That sounds like three recipes in one. I hope you enjoy it as much as dear sister and I did.

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. chicken fat (butter or olive oil)

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4 cups fat-free unsalted chicken stock

10 oz. can of tomatoes with chipotle peppers

2 cans healthy request cheddar cheese soup

4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

4 small flour tortillas

Kosher salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste                    

Directions

In a Dutch oven, sauté the onion, celery and bell pepper in chicken fat over medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper; sauté until veggies begin to soften. When onion is translucent and starts to get golden, add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, cheddar cheese soup and cream cheese to broth, stir until soup and cream cheese is well incorporated. Add chicken to pot and bring back to a simmer. Cut tortillas into 1" strips about 3” long, slowly add to simmering soup. Pat down into soup, resist stirring. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Linking to:

Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
God's Growing Garden: Tuesdays with a Twist
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Reasons To Skip The Housework: STH Link Party
Spatulas On Parade: Wonderful Wednesday
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday

Cauliflower and Artichoke Salad

You know how everyone is using cauliflower as a substitute for everything? Well I don't know if I could ever give up rice, potatoes and grains for just cauliflower but sometimes it just works. This is definitely one of those times. I got the bright idea to take a family favorite Artichoke and Rice Salad and make it over with cauliflower. My family has been making this rice salad since dear sister and I were in 4-H. We didn't raise farm animals in 4-H. We cooked, made napkin rings and neat nighties(pajamas). We also competed in 4-H cooking contests. In fact, dear sister won a rice cookery contest with this inspiration recipe for Artichoke and Rice Salad. Now our memories are not what they use to be; so there is some debate as to where this recipe came from. I say it came from a cookbook called Pirate's Pantry that fell apart and was tossed. Dear sister said it came from one called Pots, Pans and Pioneers. I included that recipe below. One thing we agree on is we added some green olives to the recipe. The original recipe gets most of it's flavor from a box rice mix, curry powder, artichokes, green onions and olives. Since I substituted cauliflower for the rice mix; I added chicken bouillon, carrot, garlic and parsley to my salad. It works really well. I really enjoyed it. It has the same mild curry flavor but it is nice and crunchy. It has a similar texture to coleslaw. I loved the texture and flavor. This salad would be a great pot luck salad. Delicious with grilled foods or just a light lunch all by its self. Mom was really impressed and wanted the recipe. Dad tried it and said it was good. Dear sister said it was very good but her favorite is still the original rice salad. So there you go! I am giving you two salads in one post. You can choose your favorite.

Cauliflower and Artichoke Salad

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

5 cups cauliflower, florets

1 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1 tsp. low sodium chicken bouillon

1/2 tsp. curry powder

1/8 tsp. turmeric

1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained liquid reserved

2 green onions, sliced

1/4 cup sliced green olives with pimentos

Kosher salt, to taste (optional)

Dash white pepper, to taste

Direction

Place cauliflower and carrot in a blender. Fill blender container with water and pulse until cauliflower resembles grains of rice. Drain in a colander, pat dry and set aside.

In a serving bowl add garlic, mayonnaise, reserved artichoke liquid, chicken bouillon, curry powder, turmeric and parsley; stir to combine. Add cauliflower mixture, bell pepper, artichokes, green onions and olives; stir until mixed well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Linking to:
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday