Category: Tips & Tricks

Treat Week is Here!

dippedmacaroons2

Christmas is two weeks from tomorrow.  Those words just struck fear into most of the people who read them, me included.  I haven’t gotten my tree yet, very few decorations are out, but all is not complete chaos, I have gotten my baking organized.  Organized, not done. 😉

We’ve all got to get our acts in gear though, it’s time to take treats into the office, get them sent to the kids’ schools, and have them ready for coaches, babysitters, postal carriers, UPS drivers, dry cleaners, house keepers, gardeners, pool cleaners, and the rest of the village we need to show our appreciation to for helping make our lives a little bit easier.

One of my favorite cookies to make is the macaroon.  While many people proclaim themselves #CoconutHaters, I push them out of the way and take the stand that it just leaves #MoreForMe!  I love the big glob of sweet, juicy coconut with the browned bottom and edges, and I don’t skimp when I dip my macaroons in the chocolate either, they get a solid coat!

I’ve tried all the fancy recipes and frankly none are better than the one found on the  #BackOfThePackage of Baker’s Angel Flake Coconut!

CoconutMacaroons

Baker’s Coconut Macaroons

  • 1 – 14 oz pkg Baker’s Sweetened Angel Flake Coconut (5 Cups)
  • 2/3 Cup Sugar
  • 6 TBLS Flour
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 4 Egg Whites
  • 1 tsp Almond Extract

Heat the oven to 325°F then, using butter, lightly grease and flour two cookie sheets.

Put the coconut into a medium mixing bowl and run a large fork through it to separate any clumps.  Sprinkle the sugar over the coconut and mix it in thoroughly, then do the same with the flour and salt.  Using a rubber spatula, mix in the egg whites and almond extract until all is well combined.

Using a tablespoon as a scoop, place 18 loosely packed mounds of the coconut mixture onto each of the cookie sheets.  Do not overload the spoon, roll into balls or pack too tightly.  You want the heat to circulate and get inside so the cookies bake completely without burning underneath.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown and you start to see edges crispy brown on some of the pieces on top of the cookies.  Remove from oven and take immediately from the pan to a wire rack to finish cooling.

If you are going to dip in chocolate, it’s easy:  I use milk chocolate chips, but you can use any kind you like, you can even get the dipping chocolate they sell in the fruit department by the bananas and strawberries.  I melt about 1/2 cup at a time in 30 second increments and then dip half the cookie in until it has as much chocolate as I like.  I move the cookies to wax paper to harden.

Store the cookies in a sealed container with wax paper between the layers.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Peanut Buttery Fudge

PBFudgeChunkStackI love Sees® Butterscotch suckers but they do a number on my teeth.  I had an extra bag of butterscotch chips and knew that I couldn’t make straight fudge.  It would be far too sweet.  I played around melting a few chips, threw in some spices & natural peanut butter….and came up with something that almost satisfied my desire for the teeth cracking hard sucker.

A few important things:

  1. Cooking with natural peanut butter (no sugar added) is tricky when you’re making candy.  I didn’t take into consideration the additional oil, and had problems with getting it to set up properly.  After waiting 4 hours for the fudge to set between, I had to re-melt it 3 times before I got the consistency right so it would set up hard enough to not be sticky and cut into squares that would hold their shape.  The peanut butter you use really matters.  Do NOT use a natural peanut butter that has to be stirred!
  2. If your marshmallows are not real fresh, add a tablespoon or two of butter to the bottom of your pan to help get the melting process started so they don’t scorch.  Although, I did scorch some of mine and it didn’t hurt the final product.  Just added a little extra nuttiness to the end result.
  3. If you want to save some time, you can substitute a jar of marshmallow cream.  I prefer to use marshmallows when I make fudge, but it’s entirely up to the individual cook.

Peanut Buttery Fudge

  • 2 – 5oz cans evaporated milk
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 6 TBLS no sugar added natural peanut butter (I used Skippy Natural Creamy)
  • 1- 11 oz bag butterscotch chips
  • 1 Bag Jet Puffed large marshmallows or 1 jar marshmallow cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Line an 8 x 8 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, warm the evaporated milk but do not boil.  Add the peanut butter and continue stirring until peanut butter is melted and completely incorporated.  Stir in the pumpkin pie spice.

Add the butterscotch chips and stir until melted.  Don’t worry if you end up with a few unmelted chunks. You have 3 options at this point.  You can either:

  1. In a separate pan, melt your marshmallows with a tablespoon or two of butter (if desired) until almost all the way melted, then add the marshmallows to the peanut butter mixture and stir in the vanilla; or
  2. Turn the heat down to low and stir the marshmallows and vanilla into the peanut butter mixture.  Be patient while incorporating the marshmallows.  You want to make sure you stir continuously so you don’t scorch your fudge.  I use both a silicone whisk and the back of a heat proof rubber spatula to press them against the sides and bottom of the pan as they melt down; or, finally (and quickest)
  3. Turn the heat down to low and stir a jar of marshmallow cream into the peanut butter mixture, until fully incorporated, then add the vanilla.

ButteryFudgeinPan

Pour mixture into the prepared pan and put into the refrigerator for about 2 hours, or until fudge is completely set up.  Cut into 1″ chunks.

It’s really rich, so one piece satisfies this girl’s sweet tooth.  The pieces look pretty in a WesterlyChardpaper candy cup and go nicely in hostess gifts, or those you make for friends during the holiday season too!  Make sure that you keep the fudge in a sealed container in the refrigerator.  Unlike chocolate “fantasy fudge” that can be kept in a cool place, the oily content of the peanut butter requires that it be refrigerated.  Not that it’s likely to last very long. 😉

I love to have a piece with a nice cold glass of #WesterlyWines Bentrock Chardonnay.  The fudge brings out the butterscotch notes in the wine beautifully and makes for a really nice pre or post dinner treat.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Do You Have an Echo or Echo Show?

I have an Echo Show that I bought on #PrimeDay with the intention of watching cooking videos, but the truth is I rarely use it for anything more than when I need some music to sing along to in the kitchen.  Then it’s, “Alexa play Guns N Roses,” “Alexa play me 80’s (or 70’s) music,” or “Alexa play me 80’s hair metal.”  😉

My dad lives in assisted living and I just bought him an Amazon Echo Show for Christmas. Because this is an interactive device that has educational, entertainment, books, music, TED talks, motivational speakers, video and so many other skills that can fill a lot of empty hours, think about what a wonderful #VoiceActivated gift this would be for an elderly or house bound friend or relative.  The Echo Show even allows you to talk via video messaging using your smartphone & the Alexa app!

AmazonEchoShowHP

I don’t do many product endorsements that fall outside of tools I use everyday when I am cooking, but this is one time I’m going to.  But, since it IS the main #GiftGivingSeason of the year, I recommend you watch for the discounts & bundled deals on the Echo Show, and the rest of this device series, in Amazon deals of the day.  #ThisGirlLovesToShop

Now, back to the post…..

I was replacing the silicone inner seal for my pressure cooker on Amazon this morning, **TIP – keep an extra one on hand so you don’t carry heavy smells (like garlic) between dishes, when I saw the tab for Alexa Skills.  That reminded me I hadn’t used my Echo Show lately.  I started looking around and found that there are actually some useful things my Echo Show can do to help do things other than just cook in the kitchen, like stick to my diet.  Maybe they can help you too.

If you are following any particular diet plan, there are many great tools that you can access with just your voice when you need some help or reassurance, like:

  • Primal Potential Daily Bites:  A daily, non-preachy, bit of coaching on mindset, attitude, fat loss strategy and everything you need to win the day & reach your goals.
  • Healthy KETO:  Dr. Eric Berg’s Healthy KETO & Intermittent Fasting Daily Podcast
  • The KETO Police:  Ask the KETO Police to tell you if a specific food is KETO or not
  • vegi.style Vegan Guide:  Vegan Search Engine.  Examples – Ask for all vegan restaurants in a particular city or for vegan foods containing certain nutrients
  • Vegan Chef:  Thousands of vegan recipes
  • Is it Paleo?  Ask Is it Paleo? to tell you if a specific food is paleo
  • Mediterranean Diet Daily:  Everyday you will hear ideas for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner to help provide inspiration and motivation for your Mediterranean inspired lifestyle
  • Food Expert by Selectivor:  Always know what everyone can eat and their favorite foods – without the hassle of remembering complex food lists for allergies, most diet plans, etc.

Overall this tool is one that I need to remember I have and put into use more often.  I am loading new skills in as I am typing and will start tomorrow…#ThisGirlLovesToEat

Peppermint Mocha Latte – Keto Friendly

starbuckPMLatteI love my Starbucks® and my normal latte is #KetoFriendly, but once the holiday peppermint drinks come out it’s really hard to stay away.  Instead I experimented in my kitchen until I got close enough to not feel completely deprived.

Keto Peppermint Mocha Latte

  • 2 – Medium to Bold K-Cup Coffee Pods (Brewed so you have 20 oz of coffee) OR 2+1/2 Cups Bold Brewed Coffee
  • 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 Cup Whole Milk
  • 2 tsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Stevia® Liquid Sweetener
  • 1/4 tsp Pure Peppermint Extract OR 1-2 drops #SafeToIngest Peppermint Essential Oil
  • 1 Square (about 1/2 oz) Bittersweet 70% Dark Chocolate
  • Canned Whipped Cream (If Drinking as a Mocha)

peppermintmochalatte

To drink as a Mocha:  In a small saucepan, combine the brewed coffee, the whipping cream, the milk, and the cocoa powder.  Stir until the powder is incorporated.  Add the square of chocolate and stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat and stir in the Stevia® and peppermint.   Divide evenly between 2 oversized coffee mugs that hold at least 16 ounces and top with whipped cream.

To drink as a Latte:  In a small saucepan, combine the brewed coffee, the whipping cream, and the cocoa powder.  Stir until the powder is incorporated.  Add the square of chocolate and stir until completely melted.  Remove from heat and stir in the Stevia® and peppermint.  Divide evenly between 2 oversized coffee mugs that hold at least 16 ounces.

I have an easy to clean milk steamer that foams as well, but if you don’t there is a very easy solution that I found online:  Place the cup of milk in a microwave-safe 2 1/2 cup container with a lid. Shake vigorously for 1 minute or until milk is frothy and doubled in volume. Remove lid; microwave milk at HIGH for 30 seconds. Top each coffee cup with a dollop of milk froth. Divide any remaining hot milk evenly between the cups.


**TIP  You can make this recipe as fat or thin as you want it based on the milk you choose.  If you don’t need as much fat for your day you can eliminate the whipping cream and use Whole or 2% milk instead.

#ThisGirlLovesToEat

Mexican Meatloaf – Keto Friendly

slicedmexicanmeatloaf

Another day – another discovery of a #KetoFriendly main dish that your family won’t miss the carbs in!  You can satisfy them by throwing potatoes into the oven while this is baking and throw some cauliflower into a pan to steam for yourself to mash up for a simple meal.  The best part is that this one is SO low carb that you can easily have your wine PLUS it makes enough for leftovers.  #EverybodyWins #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Keto Mexican Meatloaf

  • 3 pounds ground sirloin (90/10) – if you need more fat you should use 80/20 ground beef
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup medium chunky salsa – or whatever heat level you desire
  • 1-2.25 oz can sliced olives
  • 2/3 cup crumbs from saltine crackers (I processed the crackers in my Vitamix)
  • 1 to 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1+1/2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2+1/2 tsp salt
  • 1-10 oz can enchilada sauce – I used Las Palmas (<1g carbs per serving)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 Roma tomatoes diced
  • 1 ripe medium avocado diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • sour cream

Heat your oven to 350° and line the inner grease catch tray of your broiler pan with foil.  Place the top portion of the broiler pan back on top after spraying it with olive oil spray.

In a small bowl, combine all of the dry spices with your cracker crumbs.

In a large mixing bowl combine your ground beef/sirloin, eggs, salsa, 1/2 the can of olives, and cracker crumb/spice mixture using your hands.  Form the meat into one long loaf or two smaller loaves.  Cover with 1/3 of the can of the enchilada sauce and put into the oven.

After 30 minutes pull far enough out of the oven to pour another 1/3 of the can of the sauce over the meatloaf and put back into the oven for another 30 minutes then put the rest of the enchilada sauce over the meatloaf.  Cook for another 15 – 20 minutes and take out of the oven.

Let the meat loaf sit for 5 minutes before slicing.  Serve by adding the as little (or as much) of the cheese, avocado, tomatoes, olives, cilantro as you want to the sliced meatloaf.  Drizzle sour cream and additional hot sauce or salsa on top as desired.

platedmexicanmeatloaf

It tastes just like a taco!  Now I’m really looking forward to the leftovers.

 

Turkey Day Prep: Chunky Bacon Creamed Spinach

SpinachThis is the recipe made famous by the Southern California prime rib institution, Gulliver’s, with the barest of modifications to take away the baby food consistency and make it meatier.  There is also a seamless modification to make this a perfect Keto side dish.

Chunky Bacon Creamed Spinach

  • 2 – 16 oz packages frozen chopped spinach
  • 12 pieces thick cut bacon (Usually a 12 oz pkg) I buy from the butcher so it may be more than 12 oz
  • 3 cups milk (I recommend whole milk)
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped (1 1/2 tsp if jarred minced garlic)
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 2/3 cup all purpose flour  (for Keto use 1/3 cup almond flour)

Thaw spinach and squeeze as much liquid out as possible.

Cut bacon into about 1″ pieces and cook in a large saucepan or medium dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat until it’s brown but not yet crispy.  You want as much fat to render as possible so it’s not too chewy. Using tongs, remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towel.

Add onion and garlic to the pan and cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.  While onions are cooking, microwave your milk on high for 4 minutes.  Stir in pepper and flour, stirring continuously for about 2 minutes.

TIP: Pre-packaged bacon tends to be fattier, so you’ll have more grease and a better roux.  You may need to add a little butter (olive oil if you used almond flour) to the pan to give your mixture a better consistency if it’s too dry, if you used bacon with less visible fat.  If your bacon gave off more grease than whichever flour you used could absorb, add more a teaspoon at a time, thoroughly stirring in between additions until your roux is holding together and not too wet or dry.

Add milk and whip until smooth. TIP: If you don’t like the consistency of your almond flour, at this point you can use your immersion blender to smooth everything out, including the onions and garlic.

Stir and cook another 2 minutes, or until a slow boil starts.  Add bacon back in, then add spinach  Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.  TIP: I like the creaminess of adding an additional 1/4 cup of heavy cream when it’s done cooking, but before the next. step, especially if you are doing the Keto version.  Cover top with 1/2 cup melted butter and lid until ready to serve.  If you can make this the day before, it is one of those dishes that gets better the longer it sits in the refrigerator.  Just warm it up slowly in the oven.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Turkey Day Prep: Zinful Cranberries

cb3

This is a recipe I shared yesterday to my wine lifestyle blog #GirlsGoneWine that I love pulling out for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s one that I have been making for a few years. It’s fast, easy, and tastes so good!  If you’re serving a #KetoCrowd, there’s an adaptation at the bottom of the recipe.

Growing up, my family never ate any cranberry sauce that was homemade.  In the preparations for cannedcranberriesThanksgiving, someone was always assigned the task of bringing two cans of jellied and one of whole berry cranberry sauce.  You couldn’t try and pull a fast one by buying store brand.  It had to be Ocean Spray on Grandma’s Thanksgiving table!

When I began cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my own family I automatically followed the same routine until I became obsessed with the Food Network a few years back and made my first foray into making cranberry sauce from scratch.

For the first few years, I stuck with the basic “back of the package” recipe:

  • 1 Cup Water
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1 – 12 oz bag of whole fresh cranberries

Boil sugar and water, add cranberries and cook 10 minutes over a slow boil until berries have popped, refrigerate until time to serve.  *If you wanted it jellied you strained out the berry solids and skins using a mesh strainer before refrigerating.  BORING!

This year I put some time and creativity into the preparation and came up with a winner:

Zinful Cran-Blueberry Sauce

  • 1 & 1/4 Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Cup Zinfandel Wine (Best Quality you can afford – if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it)
  • 1 – 12 oz Package Ocean Spray Fresh Whole Cranberries
  • 1 Cup Frozen Blueberries
  • 1 Whole Cinnamon Stick
  • 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
  • Orange or Tangerine Zest

Bring sugar, wine and cinnamon stick to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add remaining ingredients and return to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes.  You may want to use a splatter shield to avoid splashing when cranberries pop. Remove and discard cinnamon stick.  Cool slightly then move sauce to serving dish.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours and serve cold.  Sauce will thicken up as it cools.  Garnish with a few cranberries, blueberries and curls of zest.

Keto Conversion:  Substitute 1/2 Cup+1 TBLS Granulated Swerve (Stevia) for the Sugar

Don’t worry, for the holdouts who just can’t stand not seeing the canned Ocean Spray jellied cranberry sauce, I still have the obligatory dish with the slices in the shape of the can. 😉  #CAGirlsGoneWine

Turkey Day Prep: Buttermilk Brined Turkey Breast

bmilkbrinedtbreast

The biggest gripe I have about roasting a turkey is that, when roasting the whole bird, to get the thigh to come up to the optimal temperature of 170° you often will end up with a dry, overcooked breast that only needs to reach about 150° to be perfectly done.

This afternoon I came across an article on lifehacker.com that solves the problem!  Cook the breasts separately and brine them first in a buttermilk based brine that infuses the meat with an incredible amount of moisture and flavor while also adding some very needed fat to help retain both.

Word to the wise: buttermilk promotes browning so watch your breast carefully as you start to get into the latter stages of roasting.  The breast in the picture had foil on it for the last 15 minutes of roasting.

Buttermilk Brined Turkey Breast

  • 4-5 pound bone-in turkey breast
  • 1 quart of buttermilk
  • 1 quart of water
  • 1/2 cup of salt
  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 5 smashed garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon peppercorns (white are ideal)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Citrus fruit slices (A couple of lemons and oranges is plenty.)

Pour the water into a sauce pan, along with the salt, sugar, garlic, pepper and bay leaf. Bring everything to a boil, then remove from the heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Let the brine cool to room temperature. Once it’s cool, combine it with the buttermilk, then pour the mixture over the turkey breast in a brining bag or small bucket. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375℉, remove the turkey from the brine, and let drain on paper towels, blotting to remove excess moisture from the skin. Scatter your fruit in the bottom of a roasting pan or large skillet, place a trivet or rack on top of that, then set the turkey on top. Roast uncovered until the skin is well-browned, covering with foil towards the end if it starts to look dicey. Continue to roast until the thickest part of the breast reads 150℉, about 90 minutes to two hours. If your breasts are Dolly Parton sized 😉 cook them a little longer. Remove from the oven, and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Sprinkle with some sea salt and citrus zest before serving.  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Turkey Day Prep: Pumpkin Pie for the Keto Crowd

easy-keto-low-carb-pumpkin-pie-recipe

This week is all about making Thanksgiving desserts that those in your family who live the Paleo or Keto lifestyle can enjoy with you.  Yesterday was Pumpkin Mousse, and today we’re taking on traditional pumpkin pie in a keto crust.

The great things about this crust is that it can be used for either sweet or savory pies and that, even if you have the most vocal of coconut haters, they shouldn’t be able to smell or taste that coconut is your secret ingredient.

Keto Low Carb Crust

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract- eliminate for savory
  • 1/4 cup Swerve sweetener -eliminate for savory
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup butter cold cut into cubes
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Whisk the eggs, oil and vanilla extract in a food processor or stand mixer.
  3. In another bowl whisk the remaining ingredients together until combined.
  4. Pour the dry and wet mixture into a food processor.
  5. Add the cubed butter. Process by pulsing until it looks like crumbles.
  6. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray and pour crumbles into pie plate.
  7. Press with hands to form dough right in the pie plate. Alternately you can also roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper and flip over into a 9 inch pie plate.
  8. Using a fork randomly make holes into the bottom of the crust.
  9. Bake the crust 10 minutes or until golden.
  10. Cover the crust edges with aluminum foil if using this for a savory or sweet pie that needs to be baked again, otherwise it will burn.
  11. Take crust out of the oven, cool completely, and add your filling.

Easy Low Carb Keto Pumpkin Pie

  • 1 15-oz can Pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup Heavy cream (or coconut cream for dairy-free/paleo)
  • 2 large Eggs (at room temperature)
  • 2/3 cup Powdered erythritol (Truvia)
  • 2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp Sea salt
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract (optional)
  • 1 tsp Blackstrap molasses (optional)
  1. Beat together all ingredients at medium-low speed, until smooth. (Don’t over mix.)

  2. When the pie crust is done baking, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Cool the crust on the counter for at least 10 minutes, longer if you have time.

  3. Pour the filling into the crust. Gently tap on the counter to release air bubbles.

  4. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the pie is almost set but still slightly jiggly in the center. (Check on it occasionally, and if you see the crust starts to brown too much, cover the crust edge with foil and return to the oven until the filling is done. It should still jiggle a bit in the center, like a custard before it sets.)

Cool completely on the counter, then refrigerate at least an hour before slicing. Pie can be refrigerated overnight.

Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/12 of entire pie

Nutrition Information Per Serving

Calories: 244 | Fat: 21g | Total Carbs: 8g | Net Carbs: 4g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Protein: 7g

Big thanks to Maya Krampf at Wholesome Yum for creating the pie filling & getting the recipe just right!  #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Turkey Day Prep: Stock

TurkeyStockI have been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my own family for the past 25 years, or so, and have never attempted to make home made stock.  I never saw my Grandpa (THE Thanksgiving GURU in our family) make his own stock, as far as I knew, canned stock was the only stock there was. #1970sCannedFoodKid 

This year, since I’m trying to keep the meal as clean (read: uncanned) as I can this year to try and keep close to my Keto goals, I thought I’d try to make my own stock ahead of time and put it in the freezer to have for basting the bird and making the (Not Keto) stuffing and gravy.

The biggest hassle with making turkey stock is the fact that you have to make a whole turkey first to have a turkey carcass on hand.  I did find a way around this: I use turkey thighs, because I like the moister dark thigh meat, which I buy at my local grocery store, in this case, the Gelson’s a couple of miles from my house.  I like the upscale Gelson’s Market because it offers antibiotic-free, fresh, organic, and kosher (if that is important to you) turkeys and turkey pieces.

While not an all day process, it is a two part process.  First you have to cook the turkey parts and then you can make the stock.  Luckily the pressure cooker makes both parts easy.

Pressure Cooker Turkey ThighsEasy-Roasted-Turkey-Thighs-3-688x1032

  • 4 turkey thighs
  • 4 TBLS olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled, and chopped into large chunks
  • 4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning
  • salt and pepper (if not using the Creole seasoning)
  • 24 oz low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  1. Set your pressure cooker to the “Brown” setting
  2. Add 1-2 TBLS olive oil to the pressure cooker.
  3. Season your thighs liberally.  I prefer to use Creole seasoning but you can use salt and pepper.
  4. Brown your thighs, two at a time, on all sides.  Make sure that the skin side is a deep, golden brown to ensure that the fat is rendered and the flavor is sealed into the meat.  Remove the browned thighs and set aside.
  5. Slip the skin off of the thighs and return to the pressure cooker to render as much of the fat into the pot as possible.
  6. Add the rest of the olive oil and the chopped onion. Saute the onion for about 5 minutes and then add the garlic.  Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
  7. Add the thighs back to the pot. Stir the onion and garlic up onto the chicken then season with salt & pepper, add the red wine vinegar and the stock.
  8. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for one hour.  When cooking is finished, allow to return back to pressure naturally (about 30 minutes).
  9. Remove thighs from pressure cooker and put on plate for removal of meat from the bones.  Leave everything else in the pot.

**To Use Thighs For Stock:  The meat will easily shred right off the bone, but don’t worry, plenty remains to flavor the broth.  Store the shredded thigh meat in a covered container or zip bag to use in sandwiches, add to soup or eat in other meals.

Continue Preparing the Stock

  • bones from cooked turkey thighs (retained from recipe above)
  • 1/2 cup chopped turkey thigh (from recipe above)
  • 2 stalks celery, roughly cut into about 1″ pieces
  • 2 carrots, scrubbed and roughly cut into about 1″ pieces
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 5 sprigs fresh parsley
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
  • 2 tsp pink Himalayan Sea Salt (you can use any sea salt – I like this one)
  • 3 cups water
  1. Add the skin, bones, chopped meat, celery, carrot, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, peppercorns, and salt to the vegetables and cooking liquid already in the pressure cooker pot, then add water.
  2. Pressure cook on high for 60 minutes.
  3. Let the pressure come down naturally – about 30 minutes.
  4. Scoop the bones and vegetables out of the pot with a slotted spoon and discard.
  5. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids.
  6. After the stock is completely cooled, I portioned it into quart-sized zip lock freezer bags.  It can be frozen for up to 3 months.

**Tip – If you use glass jars make sure to leave about an inch of head room or your jar could break when it freezes. #ThisGirlLovesToEat