Instant Pot Chicken Soup

 I have an amazing chicken soup recipe from the Temple Emanuel Sisterhood Cookbook. However it takes at least three hours just to cook. This recipe doesn't make the volume of soup, but it is good for just a family of four for a winter day.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken cut into quarters (I used the 8 piece Empire chicken)

1 large onion, quartered

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into quarters

2 stalks of celery, cut into quarters

4 cloves of garlic, left whole

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

2 parsnips, peeled and cut into thirds

1 cup dill, chopped coarsely

2 bay leaves

1 T kosher salt

1 T black peppercorns

7 cups of water

Directions:

I have a six cup instant pot. Place the chicken pieces into the pot. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, sweet potato, parsnips, dill, bay leaves, salt and peppercorns. Then add 7 cups of water. Secure lid. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.

When the soup beeps, let the pot sit for at least 30-45 minutes and then vent out the steam. Press cancel. Open the lid and let it cool. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed.

Strain. Put the stock back in the pot. Smoosh a piece of the sweet potato through the strainer into the soup. This adds color.

Take the two breasts of chicken and slice into chunks. Slice a few of the carrot pieces into slices and put into the soup. Keep soup warm.

The matza balls in the instant pot were not as yummy as my traditional ones, which can be made while the soup is cooking. I don't keep the matza balls in the stock because they absorb the soup broth!

Matzo Balls

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 c water

1/3 oil

1 t salt

pepper

1 cup matzo meal

Combine the eggs with the water, oil, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Add matzo meal and stir, but do not not overmix.  Cover mixture and place in refrigerator for 20 minutes.  Bring five quarts of salted (1 T kosher salt) water to a boil.

Remove mixture from fridge, and stir once to ensure all liquid has been absorbed.  Form into free form balls.

Drop balls gently into the boiling water.  Once water has come to a boil again, reduce heat to avoid boiling over.  Cover pot and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove cooked balls with a slotted spoon and store in container until ready to use.  Then slip into warm soup.  

Maple Pound Cake

 If you follow me on FaceBook, you often see Bundt cakes, but in various shapes. I have to tell you that using the Nordic Ware pans are great. It makes an average cake look amazing. BUT, you have to spray the pan with BAKERS JOY. If you don't think you have sprayed enough, spray more. You want the cake to slide out of the pan.

Ingredients for Cake

2 cups of cake flour

1 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1 t salt

12 T unsalted butter, at room temperature. Sliced into 12 pieces.

2/3 c light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 c maple syrup

1 cup sour cream

1 t vanilla extract

1/4 t maple flavor

Ingredients for Glaze

2 T butter

1/4 c maple syrup

1/4 c dark rum

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 or 10 cup Bundt pan. Spray pan with Baker's Joy.

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping the sides. Pour in the maple syrup.

Add half the flour, and sour cream, vanilla and maple flavor. Mix. Then add the remainder of the flour. Mix.

Pour batter into pan and bake for 45-50 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan for ten minutes on wire rack. I like to make sure the cake side is on the rack so it slides out.

While cake is cooking, put the glaze ingredients into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce for simmer for 8 minutes until it is a thick syrup. Brush glaze over warm cake and cool completely.

Ultra Butterscotch Brownies

 Super Easy.

No mixer needed

Ingredients

1 stick of unsalted butter 

2 cups brown sugar

1 t baking powder

2 t vanilla extract

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

9 oz butterscotch chips

1 1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch metal pan with PAM.

Melt butter in pot.

Pour into large bowl. Add brown sugar, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Stir. Add flour. Then eggs. Stir. Stir in 1 cup of chips and 1 cup of nuts. Put batter in pan. Sprinkle with remaining chips and nuts.

Bake 30-35 minutes just until top is shiny and set. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Cool on wire rack before slicing.