Valentine's Day @ The Podilas...

Roses are Red and Violets are Blue...
Another year... another Valentine's Day comes and goes...

Interestingly enough I noticed that the price of a box Strawberries didn't hit the roof a few days prior. I know, a silly tidbit but still... in years past, I have noticed that a regular box only doubled in price and quartered in quality. I wonder what happened this time around??  I'm not complaining though. ;)

And so, the day of hearts and flowers started off at our house with breakfast together, after a long time S didn't have her early AM class, so homemade pancakes were had by all...literally, I didn't get a picture. ;) And then on to the usual routine... school, work, chores and what not... I did spend more time in the kitchen though. :)  So here are my dishes... Made With Love... and a few crossed fingers.

Because my Instant Pot trials and tribulations continue... and today was a good day...  we had a Brussel Sprouts appetizer inspired by this recipe I saw on momnoms.net, Ginger Ale Bread, Pesto Pasta (made by our resident chef, the husband) ;) and my first ever IP Cheesecake!!

The Brussel Sprouts were yummy but... not exactly picture worthy... yet... will post again when I remake.  Here's my version of the recipe though... had great flavor and would make a good appetizer.  I had the oven on so just before we ate them, I put them in for a few minutes to heat them up.  Just keep an eye out that they don't burn...

Subha's IP Chili Brussel Sprouts

1 package (16oz) Trader Joe's Brussel Sprouts 

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 handful chopped pecans

1/8 cup Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Chili Sauce

1.5 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp red chili powder

pinch of salt

1. Mix the soy sauce, chili sauce, garlic powder, 
red chili powder and salt - set aside.

2. Ready the Brussel Sprouts - I cut off just a bit at the bottom
and remove any damaged leaves. If any are super large, cut in half.

3. Put the Instant Pot (IP) on Saute and add Olive Oil, 
after a few seconds, add pecans. Saute for just a minute to crisp. 

4. Add Brussel Sprouts to IP and mix... then add sauce mixture. 
Saute and add just a bit of water to rinse out sauce cup. 

5. Close lid and vent, put IP on Manual, High Pressure for 1.5 minutes. 

6. When it beeps, carefully quick release the steam.

Open and Enjoy!   

And on to my First Instant Pot Dessert...

NY Cheesecake from "This Old Gal"

I made this recipe as is, in my 8" Springform pan, I did not double the recipe.  Hence you can't see the crust that much. If you make it in smaller size pans, you will have the crust come up the edges.  My 8" pan fit perfectly into my 6qt IP with the handle trivet it came with. 

For the 8" I put it in for 37 minutes and Natural Release. There was no water on top and it set beautifully.  Be sure to add the sour cream layer while hot, it definitely added to the flavor. 

Notes for the future... take the time to line with parchment so as to not get the little rough edges you see here... 

Before serving, I added caramel topping and toasted pecans. :)  YUM!!

Oh My! Oh My! Oh How Does Time Fly?!

Getting back into the swing of things... something or the other is always happening (right?) to all of us... and somehow time escapes me.  A new year comes about and suddenly everything that got away comes back into your brain... and you think, "I will do better this year." So... here I am... hoping to get out of my old self and into a new... :)

Last year during the Thanksgiving Sales madness, I ordered myself a present.  I'd seen it at a friends' house before but... never really paid attention to it.  They usually have 5+ people at their home for each meal so, I thought my little family of 3 could never really use this "toy."  Boy! Was I wrong! I'm sure you may have an idea what new (to me) kitchen gadget I'm referring to... The Instant Pot, of course. :)

It is the latest craze in kitchen gadgets... it's an Electric Pressure Cooker and can it do more than steam veggies!  I am experimenting on my dear family... trying various "concoctions" each day. Some are tasting better than others. :P  But, nevertheless... if you are Indian and just make "Dal, Pappu, Parupu, Lentils" of any kind... this will be a great addition to your kitchen too.

The number of recipes out there are unimaginable... folks are trying all sorts of variations on all kinds of food items you can think of.  In my humble beginnings...  I am thus far happy with a Rajma, a Veggie Pasta, Toor Dal, Moong Dal and our favorite! Soft Idlis...  as I peruse recipes all day it seems, I am truly amazed at the kinds of things people are trying with this device. Cheesecake???  Can't wait to try that out!

I will start sharing my tips and recipes soon... gotta re-try out some recipes and make sure you can recreate them too. ;)

In the meantime, here's a recipe for a Semi-Homemade Coffee Cake I threw together to give to my neighbor and some friends recently.  It's easy peasy so give it a try if you're ever in need of a quick dessert. It's not overly sweet so it pairs nicely with Tea, Chai and of course, Coffee... staple in my household. :)

I serve it with some cut strawberries... your choice of course. If you warm your piece up a little, that would be nice too.  And if you don't want to use the nuts, then you don't have to. It still tastes yummy.

-  1 Box Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake Mix - follow box instructions, bake in an 8"x8" pan
-  1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans (Walnuts would be fine too)
-  Reserve 1/4 cup of the cake mix

Before you set out to follow the box instructions, reserve a 1/4 cup of the mix in a little bowl.  Pour in the Pecans and toss. Make the batter with the rest of the mix according to the box. After everything comes together, add in the coated pecans/mix.  This step is supposed to help them not all fall to bottom of the pan while baking.  Works most of the time. ;)

Good luck! Hope you enjoy!

Here are my Idlis  :)