Creamy garlic parmesan chicken orzo with peas "dump meal"

 Another meal where I just dumped stuff (even frozen) into the pressure cooker and it came out so good!  And it was fast and easy.  

Hit Saute button, allow to heat fully. Then add:

1/4 c butter
1 box whole wheat orzo

Toast the orzo for about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off pot. 
Add:

1 onion, chopped
6-8 cloves garlic (2 tablespoons minced, can use frozen or adjust for taste) 
1 bag (16 oz) frozen peas
4 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 tablespoon Bouquet Garni (Penzey's) or Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic and herb seasoning
1 tsp salt
5 cups water

Stir. Close lid and lock seal.  Cook on high for 4 minutes.  After cooking time is over, slowly release the pressure. 

Add:
4 oz shredded or chopped parmesan cheese
4 oz of cream cheese, cut into little cubes.  

Stir well.  If it seems too thick, thin down with a bit of milk.  

Makes 8 servings.  

Pressure Cooker Greek Harvest Grain Bowls

This is a super easy and fairly healthy meal, ready in less than 30 minutes! If you use steam in the bag spinach, it's even one pot.

1 lb ground lamb
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic (adjust to your tastes)
16 oz chopped frozen spinach
16 oz bag of Harvest Grain blend from Trader Joe's
Lamb stock if you can find it, beef stock or water.
Salt, Greek seasoning

1. Turn on pot, hit saute and start.
2. Add chopped onion, garlic and ground lamb to pot once hot.  Break up lamb and stir well.  Cook until lamb is brown and onion is translucent. Turn off pot.
3. Add grain blend to pot. Add stock or water.  Add 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp Greek seasoning.  Add additional tsp salt if you are using water or unsalted stock.  Stir well.
4. Put on lid, lock and seal.
5. Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.*
6. While pot is going, cook the spinach.  Drain and squeeze water out.
7. Let pot sit 5 minutes before releasing the pressure.  Then open pot, add cooked spinach and stir well.

*When I made this I cooked it for 5 minutes and waited 5 minutes more before release. It was cooked well except the garbanzo beans which were a bit hard for my tastes but edible.  So I increased the time a bit.  There are a few recipes online using the product in a pressure cooker.  Time varies from 3 minutes with a 10 minute NPR time, to 10 minutes.  You may want to adjust accordingly. 

Recipe - PC Cheeseburger Macaroni

This is sort of a knock-off of the cheeseburger hamburger helper I used to love as a kid!

1 large onion, chopped
1-1.5 lbs lean ground beef
1 qt beef or chicken broth, low sodium preferably.
1 lb pasta (rotini, elbows, or small shells I would recommend, but you can use others)
Small amounts of:  Ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce
8 oz block of cheese of your choice OR 2 cups shredded cheese (I used the Kraft extra creamy blend with cream cheese in it for this but I usually shred my own. I like a nice smoked cheddar.)
Splash of milk
2 tbps butter

Brown onion and ground beef on Saute mode.  Turn off pot.
Add broth, pasta and squirt a little ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce in. Stir well.
**If the broth does not completely cover the pasta, add water until it does! **
Look at the back of the box of pasta.  Whatever it says for how long to cook it, set the pot for half that time.  High pressure.  (For example if it says to boil it for 10 minutes, set timer for 5 minutes.)
Lock the lid, set valve to closed and press start.
While it's cooking, if you are using block cheese, shred the cheese.
When done, wait 5 minutes and then open valve to release the rest of the pressure.
Open and splash in a bit of milk (maybe 1/4 cup?) and a couple TBSP butter and stir.
Add cheese and stir well until melted.

Quick and Dirty Rice (Instant Pot/Crock Pot Express)

So I wanted to make some dirty rice to go with some Cajun fish.  However I did not want to use any liver, nor did I want to go to the store.  So I improvised.  The result was quick and tasty, and just a little bit like dirty rice.  Hence Quick and Dirty Rice.  Is it authentic?  Hell no, I'm from New England.  But it's good and a lot lower in sodium. And it's made in your electric pressure cooker for convenient, hands off cooking!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped bacon (I used the Bacon Crumbles from Costco, something my husband always keeps around!)
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 red pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dry parboiled rice (like Carolina Gold)
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp Badia Creole seafood blend seasoning
1 tsp Badia Cajun seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Tabasco or New Orleans style hot sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1.  Saute bacon & veggies on saute mode.  Bacon should crisp up and veggies soften.
2.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.  Turn off saute mode.
3.  Add rice, broth, and seasonings, stir well.
4.  Add lid, lock, seal and hit "Rice".  Cook 12 minutes.  Let pressure release naturally 10 minutes.
5.  Release rest of pressure and open.  Remove bay leaf, stir well.  Enjoy!

Note:  You may need to adjust the amount of broth/time for cooking if you are using a different kind of rice.  This is for parboiled rice, which is 1.5 c water for each cup of rice, and 12 minutes on low pressure.

Nutritional Information:  8 servings.  225 cal, 295 mg sodium, 1 gram sat fat, 1 g fiber, 7 g protein.