Instant Pot “Sake” Special Ramen

Last Wednesday was an unusual day for me. I guess I was feeling adventurous? First I did something different with my hair when I went to the salon. Then I went to our sushi restaurant (Sake Sushi) and did not order sushi. I always get sushi? But this time, I got ramen off of the daily specials. It was a first for me. I have never had real proper ramen, just the cheap packaged ramen. I was really impressed. The broth was creamy looking not clear. And the first bite well it was almost smoky and definitely savory. So good! The bowl was beautiful too, loaded with lots of flavorful toppings; like nori, green onion, fish cake (another first), perfect grilled chicken and a ramen egg. The RAMEN EGG! Oh my gosh! I was so surprised with that savory, salty little egg. It was so good! I can’t wait to go to a ramen house one day. I really loved it! So when I got home I started to do some research.

I started by searching for instant pot recipes. Wait! Did I tell you dear sister bought an instant pot during the Amazon Prime Day sale. She is keeping it at my house. [Smile] So that means I got a new toy. I have been using it more than I thought I would. So look forward to more instant pot recipes in the future. This being the very first. Anyway... I knew I wanted to make the eggs and the broth in the instant pot. I found a few recipes but the broth did not look the same. So I kept searching. In the end, I used a little bit of every ramen recipe I read or watched to make this ramen. I made sure to roast the bones like one recipe said to do. I added chicken bones to mellow the flavor like another recipe suggested. I made sure to brown the onions like another recipe insisted. I added dried mushrooms for umami as one recipe recommended. I made sure to stir the broth breaking up the bones to get that creamy broth rather than a clear liquid. I seasoned the broth with the flavors of Japanese soup base as another blog suggest. I used mirin, tamari, and instant dashi for the kombu and bonito flavors. It turned out so good! Very close to the inspiration ramen I had at Sake Sushi. I even made the ramen egg too. I need to work on my technique with this one. The flavor is spot on but as you will see in the photos the shape and color was uneven. I made the mistake of putting something on top to weight it down in the marinade. So one side was squished and had less color and therefore flavor. Don't weight it down! I have four in the frig right now secured with a rubber band and hanging from a chopstick across a plastic container. I feel this is going to turn out much better. My favorite parts of this ramen is the broth, ramen egg and chicken; in that order. I think you should definitely make sure to put those ingredients in your bowl. Maybe add some green onion, not too much just a little sprinkle. The chicken was a surprise to me too. The mirin really added to the color and grill marks. I have never had grilled chicken turn out that attractive. I may start adding mirin to more marinades.

This whole experience was a lot of fun. I made six - two cup containers of ramen broth. I put three in the freezer right away. So now I have it just waiting on me to have a craving. This was time consuming not instant as the title might suggest. But the instant pot was an invaluable tool to the process. It let me develop great flavor in less time and really made the broth spectacular. I see myself doing this again real soon. I hope you give it a try. If you have instant pot or ramen tips for me please comment. I would love to hear about your successes too.

Instant Pot “Sake” Special Ramen

Makes 12 cups of broth; 6 servings

Ingredients

For ramen eggs:

3 eggs

3 Tbsp. reduced sodium tamari (or soy sauce)

3 Tbsp. mirin

9 Tbsp. water

For broth:

2 to 3 lbs. pork neck bones

1 to 2 frozen rotisserie chicken carcasses

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 large yellow onion, sliced

3” piece of ginger, peeled and sliced

2 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

4 green onions, whole

3 dried black mushrooms

5 Tbsp. reduced sodium tamari (or soy sauce)

2 Tbsp. mirin

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. miso paste

1 tsp. instant dashi granules

For grilled chicken:

2 boneless skinless chicken breast

Reduced sodium tamari (or soy sauce)

Mirin

Sesame oil

Black pepper

For ramen bowl:

6 servings Ramen noodles, boiled to package directions

Ramen broth

For toppings:

Ramen eggs, halved

Fish cake or imitation crab, sliced

Toasted nori

Grilled chicken, sliced

3 green onions, sliced

Mushrooms, reserved from broth and sliced

Directions

Ramen eggs:

Combine tamari, mirin and water in a plastic bag. Set aside.

Place steam rack inside the pressure cooker. Add exactly 1 cup of cool tap water into the pot. Place eggs straight from the refrigerator in the center of the pot. Cook at Low Pressure for 5 minutes*, then quick release (QR).

After quick release, immediately take out the eggs and soak in ice bath to stop them from cooking. Let them cool for 5 minutes or longer.

Gently peel the eggs. Put the eggs in the sauce bag and close tightly. The eggs should be submerged in the marinade. Marinate for at least 3-4 hours in the refrigerator. I recommend overnight.

Take the eggs out of the marinade and discard the marinade. Cut each egg in half to serve. Enjoy the eggs as is or place them in your ramen bowl as a topping.

*Note: Want to know how to cook the eggs just like you like them. [Click Here] to learn how to cook soft, medium or hard boiled eggs in your pressure cooker.

Ramen broth:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place pork neck bones in a roasting pan, season with sea salt and black pepper. Roast for 45 minutes, flip bones over and roast 30 minutes.

In the last few minutes of cooking time, place instant pot on saute. Add canola oil and sliced onion. Cook the onions until brown on one side then flip to brown on the other side. Stir to separate into rings and brown evenly. Turn off and add a little water if necessary to prevent burning.

When pork has finished roasting, transfer the bones to instant pot with the onions.  Immediately pour off fat and discard. Add 1-1/2 cups of the water to the pan, and use a spoon to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.

Transfer the pan drippings to instant pot with the onions. Add chicken bones, ginger, garlic, green onions, and mushrooms. Add cool water to the max fill line. Set the instant pot to cook under high pressure for 30 minutes. When cycle is complete let rest 5 minutes and perform a quick release. Stir the pot really well. Scraping the bottom of the pot and breaking up bones. Set the instant pot to cook under high pressure for another 30 minutes. When cycle is complete let rest 5 minutes and perform a quick release. Stir the pot really well again, breaking up bones some more. Place the instant pot to saute and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes or longer. Turn off if broth begin to splash over the edge of the pot liner.

Let the liquid cool for a little while. Reserve the mushrooms and set aside. Remove the other solids and discard, then strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer, and transferring the liquid to another container. Clean the liner of the instant pot and pour broth back into pot. Season broth with tamari, mirin, sesame oil, miso and dashi. Keep warm and allow flavors to blend.

Serve the broth, refrigerate overnight and remove the fat cap (if you prefer) before re-heating or freeze for your future bowls of ramen.

Grilled chicken:

Place chicken breast in a freezer bag pound to even out thickness. Season chicken with black pepper, a drizzle of sesame oil and equal parts tamari and mirin to cover chicken. Marinate 20 minutes at room temperature, flipping and moving around in the marinade at least once half way through marinating time.

Preheat grill for 10 minutes, lower heat to medium high. Remove chicken from marinade and grill chicken for 6 minutes, flip chicken and grill for 6 more minutes or until internal temperature of 160 degrees is reached. Remove from grill and rest at least 10 minutes before slicing. Slice chicken for use as a topping.

Ramen bowl:

To assemble the ramen, cook the noodles (discarding any flavor packets), according to package instructions.

Divide the noodles between bowls. Pour the hot broth directly over the noodles, then add whatever toppings you desire. Serve immediately.

Linking to:
Kahakai Kitchen: Souper Sundays

Baked Eggs with Avocado

I am still in love with Baked Eggs. I made two new styles with avocado this weekend. I have been seeing all the pins on Pinterest about baking eggs in avocado halves. So why wouldn't avocados make a great baked eggs ingredients? Both styles were delicious! Very fresh tasting. The California style is veggie packed with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and creamy avocado. This one needs a bit more salt for some reason. So sprinkle to taste. It just helps to highlight all the fresh veggie flavor. The Bacon, Avocado & Tomato style was my favorite. It taste like a BLAT without the lettuce. It is so tasty! It has everything something fresh, crispy and creamy. Love it! The only con is the Avocado does brown little so the color is not as pretty as when it is first sliced. But I really like the warm creamy avocado. So you be the judge. Bake the avocado or add it as a garnish, just be sure to enjoy more avocado!

Cooking Method

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly spray ramekin with cooking spray. Place veggies, bacon if using and avocado around the edges of the ramekin. Creating a small well in the center of the ingredients. Crack 1 egg into the well. Season eggs with Krazy salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes for a running yolk; 12 minutes to set the yolk. Ovens vary so adjust time to cook eggs to your liking. Garnish and serve immediately.

Bacon, Avocado & Tomato Baked Eggs

8 or 10 grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped

1 slice pre-cooked bacon, chopped

1 large egg

Jane's Krazy Salt and black pepper, to taste

California Baked Eggs

Handful of baby spinach leaves

6 grape tomatoes, halved

1 mushroom, sliced

1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped

1 large egg

Jane's Krazy Salt and black pepper, to taste

For more Baked Eggs check out this older post

Baked Eggs 8 Ways

Linking to:

Dizzy, Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday

Thai Coconut Vegetable Soup

The other day I was at the store picking up the ingredients to make a pot of Hot and Sour Vegetable Soup. I was reaching for bamboo shoots when I saw the coconut milk. That is when the wheels started turning, what if I added coconut milk to the soup? I got both and I just kept thinking. By the time I got home I had decided that adding coconut milk would make the soup more Thai style. So I did some research. Most of the soup recipes I saw included ginger, lemon grass, fish sauce, herbs (basil or cilantro), chili paste, and coconut milk. Well I did not have lemon grass but I had everything else. So I went for it. I think it turned out amazing. I used a combination of lemon and lime juice to compensate for the lemon grass. I would not call the soup authentic at all but it was surely delicious. I did keep the simple cooking method or the Hot and Sour Soup. It is pretty much a dump and stir recipe. Ready in 10 minutes. I loved all the Thai flavors of curry, fish sauce and ginger. I think next time I may peel and slice the ginger in thin threads. I think I would enjoy leaving it in the finished soup. I loved the creaminess of the coconut milk too. It really balanced all the red curry heat. This is another great soup option. I see making it again soon.

Thai Coconut Vegetable Soup

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Coconut oil spray

1/4 cup onions, diced

4 slices fresh ginger

1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped plus more for garnish

4 cups unsalted chicken stock

16 oz. package frozen stir fry vegetables (I used a sugar snap blend with carrots and mushrooms)

1 cup sliced mushrooms(I used reconstituted Shiitake, stem removed)

2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

2 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 – 2 tsp. brown sugar

1 tomato, seeded and cut into strips

13.66 oz. can lite coconut milk

1 green onion, sliced

1 jalapeno, sliced

Lime, cut into wedges

Directions

Spray a soup pot with coconut oil, sauté onions, ginger and 1 Tbsp. cilantro over medium high heat. When onions begin to soften add chicken stock. Bring chicken broth to a boil, add frozen veggies, mushrooms and turn off heat. Add remaining ingredients except jalapeno, remaining cilantro and lime wedges; stir to blend. Remove ginger slices. Serve garnished with jalapeno slices, additional cilantro and a lime wedge.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms

At Thanksgiving a family friend asked if I had a wild rice soup recipe. I didn't but it has been on my to do list for a while. So after the holiday I started experimenting. I wanted to use leeks instead of onions, but the first time I tried to make it I could not find them. I used onion instead. I also wanted to use a box wild rice blend. The first pot was delicious but the wild rice blend was not "wild" enough. The first attempt was so good. Dear sister loved it. But I really wanted to try it with leeks and more wild rice. The second time I was able to find leeks and a "wilder" rice blend. I really couldn't tell much difference. So if you can't find leeks don't worry about it. I suggest finding a rice blend with as much wild rice as possible. It will just have more texture and chew the more wild rice there is in the blend. This may not be the healthiest of soup recipes but it is really, really, creamy and tasty. So worth the calories! I think the decadence of butter and half & half makes it very filling. I love the mushrooms, leeks and the wild chewy rice too. A great twist on chicken soup. I am so glad I finally tried making this soup. I will definitely make it over and over again. I can't wait to try it with leftover turkey one day.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms

Serves 6

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 leeks, chopped and rinsed thoroughly (or 2 small onions)       

2 carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/8 teaspoon pepper, or to taste

1 dash red pepper flakes

1-1/2 tsp. Italian Herb Rub

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

6 cups unsalted chicken stock

1 cooked chicken breast, diced

1 (4.3 oz.) box long grain and wild rice mix (save seasoning for another use)

1 cup half and half

Directions

In a Dutch oven, saute the carrot, celery and leeks(white and pale green parts) in butter for 5 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and peppers. Add garlic, mushrooms and Italian herb rub continue to cook until mushrooms begin to brown and soften. Stir in the flour until blended. Continue to stir constantly until no longer smells like flour. Gradually add broth, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the chicken, return to a boil. Add the rice; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until rice is cooked. Add half and half and continue to cook until warm through. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary and serve.

Notes: Try to find a rice mix with more wild rice or use 1/2 cup of royal blend wild rice blend.

Wild Rice Blend and "Wilder" Rice Blend

Linking to:

Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky

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

Chicken Stroganoff Spaghetti Squash

This Chicken Stroganoff is a recipe I have been making for years. It originated as a Weight Watchers recipe. Over the years I have made it with more or less of the ingredients. I have used chicken broth and chicken bouillon. It always turns out great. I think it has a lot going for it. It is the flavor combination. I love the creamy tangy sauce with the chicken, onions and mushrooms. The sour cream, mustard and red wine vinegar is what makes the dish special. Those ingredients are what transforms plain old chicken, onions and mushrooms into stroganoff. This sauce is so delicious just on it's own. I usually serve it over no yolks egg noodles. SO GOOD! But I thought it would be great on spaghetti squash. Well, it was FINE. Spaghetti squash did not add anything or take anything away from this sauce. It was a nice low carb meal but the star is still the Chicken Stroganoff. So try it over egg noodles, rice, veggie noodles, spaghetti squash or even in a baked potato. Just give it a try.

You know what is NOT FINE? These pictures! I am having trouble with my camera at the moment. I think the battery is going bad. It doesn't seem to hold a charge for very long. Every time I turn it on I have to reset the date stamp, flash, etc. I think it changed some other settings too. All these pictures are really sad, but I have been wanting to share this recipe with you for a long time. So I went for it. I am not hung up on perfect at the moment. HA HA! It's still about cooking and sharing food.

Chicken Stroganoff Spaghetti Squash

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable oil, divided

16 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced

12 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 medium onion, quartered and sliced

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

4 Tbsp. light sour cream, plus more for garnish

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard

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

Parsley, chopped for garnish(optional)

Directions

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 half separately, I do). When squash is cool enough to handle, pull the squash into spaghetti like threads.

To prepare stroganoff: Slice chicken breast against the grain into 1/4” thick slices. Season with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. In large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil; add chicken.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown.  Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.

In same skillet, heat remaining teaspoon olive oil; add mushrooms and onions.  Cook stirring frequently, until all liquid has evaporated and onions are golden brown. Sprinkle with flour and continue to stir until flour is incorporated and no longer smells like flour.

Slowly add chicken broth to skillet, stirring constantly to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Bring liquid to a boil over high heat and reduce heat to a simmer.  Continue to simmer about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until desired thickness (like a gravy).

Add reserved chicken stirring into broth mixture; simmer until heated through about 5 minutes.  Remove skillet from heat; stir in sour cream, vinegar, mustard, and pepper. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Serve chicken and sauce over spaghetti squash. Garnish with additional sour cream and chopped parsley(optional). Also delicious over egg noodles or as a stuffing for baked potatoes.

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Linking to:
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends

Alambre Chicken Tacos

Mom and I  usually schedule our hair appointments together and go out for a late lunch. A tradition that started when she had foot surgery and needed someone to drive her there. The other day we went to El Mariachi a Mexican restaurant in Bossier City, LA. I have told you about the Mushroom Enchiladas there, but this time I wanted to try something new. They had a plate on the menu called Alambre. It was so good! It was served fajita style with the tortillas on the side. I chose chicken but you can get beef too. I loved how smokey they were. The bacon must be responsible for that. I also loved all the veggies. It was so good I had to try making them at home.

It seems from searching around that Alambre translate to "wire". Many say it refers to shishkabobs. Although they have never been served the dish on a wire or shishkabob. It may or may not be cooked that way but it is usually plated off the skewer. Alambre is almost always composed of meat, onions, peppers, bacon, all grilled, on a tortilla, optionally with hot layer of cheese on top.

I have made my version of these tacos three times now. I have served them to Mom, Dad and dear sister. Everyone said they are really good! Believe it or not they are great as a make ahead meal too. The bacon and grilling add great smoke flavor. My guess that is why they reheat well. They are bulked up with onions, peppers and mushrooms; so it really stretches out the protein. It easily makes eight tacos and serves four. I highly recommend trying this for your Cinco de Mayo celebration. They are easy to make and you will crave more when they are gone.

Alambre Chicken Tacos
Serves 4; Makes 8 tacos

Ingredients

1 large (12 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breast
1 tsp. olive oil
Sazon Seasoning, to taste
4 strips center cut bacon, cut into 1-1/2” pieces
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2” pieces
1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1/2” pieces
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
8 small flour tortillas
3/4 cup Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat grill on high for ten minutes. Meanwhile drizzle chicken breast with olive oil and season with Sazon. Lower grill to medium high and grill chicken 6 to 7 minutes each side. Remove from grill and cover with foil to rest. Place bacon in a skillet over medium high heat, when bacon begins to brown push to one side and add onions and peppers. Saute until they begin to soften and onion starts to get translucent, add mushrooms. Season with a little sazon, salt and pepper; cook until mushrooms begin to brown. Meanwhile slice or dice chicken, add to the pan and stir in bacon. Top with cheese and cover to melt the cheese. To serve place a spoon of filling on each tortilla.

Or as a make ahead meal leave cheese off. Store chicken filling when ready to eat warm a serving of filling for 30 seconds in the microwave on High. Then place filling on two tortilla, top with cheese and place back into the microwave for 30 seconds.

Nutritional Information per serving*: Calories 366, Total Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Monounsaturated Fat 2 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 56 mg, Sodium 1300 mg**, Potassium 312 mg, Total Carbohydrate 36 g, Dietary Fiber 1 g, Sugars 2 g, Protein 21 g.

*Information from the My Fitness Pal calculator. NI may vary depending on the brand or size of the ingredients used to prepare it.

**Sodium should be less if you make your own Sazon.

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I used homemade Sazon Seasoning. 
Because I can control the sodium that way.

This is the color you are looking for on the bacon. 

When you see the bacon is not quite brown 

push it aside and add the onion and peppers.

See the bacon continues to brown.

I served a little light sour cream and store bought guacamole 

to garnish the tacos. I also served a side salad with 

Creamy Mexican Dressing. The restaurant serves rice and beans.

Linking to:
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Bacon
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Life Is Fantasmic: Saturday Dishes - Cinco de Mayo
Reasons to Skip The Housework: Skip The Housework Link Party
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday