Honey Sesame Chicken {Instant Pot Recipe!}

I got an Instant Pot for my birthday! If you are not yet on the Instant Pot bandwagon, it is an electric pressure cooker. My knowledge of pressure cookers was pretty limited. I only knew of the stove top version and the propensity to "blow up." I didn't want to be part of that. But when I started reading about this new-fangled pressure cooker that was electric and could do multiple types of cooking (rice!, yogurt!, steam!, saute!, stew!) and could make meals in mere minutes, I knew I wanted to learn more.

I've now become a believer. Not only is the pressure cooker fast, it makes delicious food! (Of course, it matters what you put in it, but we'll get to that.) So far, I've tried beef ribs, chuck roast, steel cut oats (3 minutes, people!) and this delicious chicken dish.

Unlike a crock pot, you can do multiple-step dishes in the Instant Pot. For this recipe, you saute the chicken briefly with the aromatics, before bringing the pot to pressure and fully cooking the meat. Then at the end, you return to the saute setting to thicken the sauce. And you wash one pot!

A note of caution: although this chicken only "cooks" for 4 minutes in the pressure cooker, it does take a bit of time for the pot to come to pressure before the 4 minute count down begins. So plan your rice and side vegetables accordingly! (This is the one thing I still need to get used to - the "advertised" time doesn't include the warm up time, which can be significant, especially if there's a lot of liquid in the pot.)

In any case, this is an absolutely delicious meal, devoured by everyone in my family and making enough for leftovers for lunch the next day. I served it on rice with a side of sauteed green beans and snap peas, and it was a wonderful combination. Here's to more pressure cooking in the future!

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Honey Sesame Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced (about 2 1/2 lbs.)
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tsp. sesame oil
2/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. water
2 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Set the pressure cooker to saute and let it heat up. Add oil, onion, garlic, and chicken to the pot and saute stirring occasionally until onion is softened, about 3 minutes.

Add soy sauce, ketchup, and red pepper flakes to the pressure cooking pot and stir to combine. Set the cooker to manual (high pressure) for 4 minutes. At the end of four minutes, turn pressure cooker off and do a quick pressure release.

Add sesame oil and honey to the pot and stir to combine. Turn pressure cooker to saute mode, then dissolve cornstarch in water and add to pot. Simmer until sauce thickens. Serve over rice sprinkled with sesame seeds and green onions. Serves 6-8.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Pressure Cooking Today

Mango Coconut Muffins

I love muffins. They are a staple at my house, appearing weekly to help aid in the "gotta get out the door but need to eat breakfast" situation. I especially like it when I can make muffins that have some nutritional value and aren't just an excuse to eat cake for breakfast. So I was excited that this month for Secret Recipe Club I was assigned to Sarah's blog, The Pajama Chef where I found an amazing recipe: Mango Coconut Muffins.

These muffins use coconut oil and are studded with delicious and vitamin A- and C-packed mangoes. To amp up the "tropical" quotient, they also have coconut and almond extract. You can just imagine that you're on a sandy beach soaking up the sun when you eat one of these muffins!

I used frozen mango for this, and just let them thaw slightly before chopping. If you have fresh, that's great, but frozen works well, too. You can also use a combo of regular and whole wheat flour, and experiment with different extracts. I used almond, cause it's my favorite, but vanilla or coconut would be delicious, too.

Thanks, Sarah, for a great recipe and for making my mornings brighter!

Get more great recipes at Inspiration Monday, Mix it Up.

Mango Coconut Muffins

2 cups flour (or use 1 c. all purpose and 1 c. white whole wheat)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup diced mango, fresh or frozen
1 cup shredded coconut, divided

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl stir together buttermilk, milk, coconut oil, egg, and almond extract. Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then gently fold in mango and 1/2 cup of the coconut.

Divide batter evenly between 12 paper-lined muffin cups and then top with remaining coconut.

Bake at 400 for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days and then freeze leftovers.

An InLinkz Link-up

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Stack

I love Mexican food. Luckily, so does my family. Tacos, taco salads and enchiladas are common in the rotation. I really love enchiladas, but sometimes I just don't want to roll up all those tortillas. Luckily, there's another option. This enchilada stack has all the tasty goodness of green chile chicken enchiladas, layered up in a springform pan. Just cut into pie-shaped wedges and voila! Great taste, easy peasy.

My family is a also a huge fan of guacamole, so I served these up with heaping spoonfuls of guac, salsa, and additional sour cream. You could also serve chopped tomatoes, cilantro, onions, or whatever else you like to dress up Mexican food with!

(And for those of you who love leftovers, we especially liked the two remaining pieces as leftovers a couple nights later - it seemed like flavor intensified.)

Ole!

Find more great stuff at Inspiration Monday, Mix it Up, Create Link Inspire, Clever Chicks, Try a New Recipe, Tasty Tuesday, Fabulous, Show and Share, Hearth and Soul, What's Cooking, Wow Us, Wow Me, Full Plate, Foodie Friday, Friday Frenzy.

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Stack

Sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp. flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (7-8 ounces) green chile enchilada sauce
1/2 cup sour cream, light or regular

For Stacking:
4 white or whole wheat 9- or 10-inch tortillas
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
4 ounces medium or sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

For Serving:
Additional sour cream
Guacamole
Salsa
Or any of your favorite Mexican fixings!

For the sauce, in a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce, sour cream, salt, and pepper.

To assemble, lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch springform pan (depending on the size of the tortillas you are using). You may need to trim your tortillas to fit in the pan. Assemble by layering one tortilla, topping with sauce, chicken and cheese; then adding one tortilla, sauce, chicken, cheese; one tortilla, sauce, chicken, cheese; one tortilla, remaining sauce and cheese. (Basically it's four layers of nearly the same thing except the final layer doesn't get any chicken.)

Bake at 400, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes.

Let the enchilada stack rest for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into pie-shaped wedges to serve and garnish with your desired toppings.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe