Instant Pot Calico Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 15-bean soup mix (1 lb. package, throw out seasoning packet)
• large onion, diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, smashed
• 2-4 stalks celery, sliced
• 1-2 cups carrots, sliced
• 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
• Vegetable broth, or water and vegetable bouillon (see instructions below for amount)
• 2 TBSP coconut aminos (or other liquid aminos or soy sauce)
• 1.5 tsp liquid smoke
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.5 TBSP dried parsley
• 1 TBSP dried rosemary
• 1.5 tsp thyme
• 1.5 tsp marjoram (or omit and increase thyme to 1 TBSP)
• .5 tsp black pepper
• salt to taste

Pre-soak the beans according to the helpful hipcooking guide.  It is possible to cook this recipe without soaking the beans, but since I live at an elevation over 5,000', I use the quick-soaking method to reduce the cooking time.

Place the diced onions and garlic in the bottom of the pot liner, then add the beans, spices, and liquid seasonings, reserving the diced tomatoes.  Add enough vegetable broth until the liquid reaches the 10-cup line on the pot.  Make sure the silicone gasket is in place, lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, press the bean/chili button (or manual) and adjust the time to 35 minutes.  When the cooking time is finished, let the pressure go down on its own for 10-15 minutes before opening the valve and releasing the rest of the pressure.  Check the beans for preferred tenderness.  If the beans need to cook longer, then close up the cooker and set it for 5 minutes or more.  Stir in the diced tomatoes and serve.

Serving Options:

• Sometimes we like to serve the soup over some salad greens in the bottom of the bowl.  The greens add some crunch and it eliminates the need for salad dressing on the side salad.
• For lunch the next day, serve the soup over baked or mashed potatoes, or...
• Saute greens and mix in some of the soup for a meal of beans 'n greens

Borscht 2 Ways

My mother often makes Borscht, or Russian beet soup, as taught to her by my Russian grandmother. The recipe is very flexible based on available ingredients.  For instance, my grandmother could not afford to use much meat.  My mom does not have a set recipe and bases amounts on the size of the pot that she is using, but I have written down an approximation.

Ingredients:

1 lb.  or more beef stew meat

8-12 cups homemade beef broth or water with 4 tsp. of beef bouillon

celery

garlic

1 medium to large onion, chopped

5 potatoes, cubed (in my recipe below, I use rutabaga instead; I also sometimes increase the other vegetables and omit potato or rutabaga)

at least 2 carrots shredded

1/2 green cabbage, shredded

4 med. or 3 lg. beets, peeled and shredded in food processor

2 T. lemon juice + more to taste

salt and pepper to taste

In a Dutch oven or stock pot, cover the beef cubes, celery, and garlic with water and simmer on low for two hours.  Discard celery and garlic.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 30 more minutes.  Season with beef bouillon and salt & pepper as needed to enhance the broth.  Add a dollop of sour cream to individual bowls.  

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I adapted my mother's recipe, using my Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) to speed up the process.  I pressure cook the beets and the beef while cooking the rest of the soup ingredients on the stove top.  Total cooking time = 1 hour 

4 medium beets, stems trimmed, reserving leaves
2 T. fresh lemon juice

Pre-cook beets in pressure cooker (1 c. water in bottom of pot, beets on rack or steamer basket, 25 mins. high pressure, quick release); reserve liquid, slip skins when cool, grate, and mix in lemon juice.  Set aside.

1 T.  oil

1 onion, chopped

2 large cloves of garlic, smashed

2 - 2.5 # beef for stew, 1 inch cubes

2 tsp. salt

stalk of celery

1 cup water or broth

reserved beet juice

Salt the beef cubes. Sautee onions and garlic in oil in electric pressure cooker (optional).  Add beef cubes and water/broth to reserved liquid from cooking beets.  Cook for 35 mins. on high in pressure cooker and natural release steam for 10-15 mins.  Remove celery.  

While the beets and beef are cooking in the pressure cooker, prep and cook the following on the stove top (add the vegetables to the boiling broth in the stock pot as soon as the meat reaches high pressure in the Instant Pot).

10 cups homemade stock or beef broth made with bouillon 

2 large carrots, grated

2  rutabagas, peeled and cut in 1/4 in. thick rounds, then each round cut into 6-9 pieces.

1/2 green cabbage, shredded

beet greens, large stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces (optional)

1 T. more fresh lemon juice to taste
1 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

salt & pepper

In a large pot, bring stock to a boil and add rutabagas and carrots.  Cover and turn heat down to medium.  After 15 minutes, add shredded cabbage, cover, and cook for another 15 minutes.  Add beet greens and cook for a few more minutes.  Add grated cooked beets and heat only at a gentle simmer, adding lemon juice, dill, and salt & pepper to taste.  When the meat is done in the pressure cooker, stir it into the soup pot.  The soup can be served immediately in individual bowls with dollops of sour cream.

Dairy-free sour cream: http://www.paleocupboard.com/sour-cream.html

Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients:

• medium onion, diced
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 12 cups beef broth, homemade and/or from bouillon
• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can green beans
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 T. lemon juice
• salt & pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and onion, adding garlic when nearly done.  Set aside to drain.  In a stockpot bring the broth to a boil.  Add carrots, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and spices. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until vegetables are soft.  Stir in green beans, ground beef, and lemon juice at the end and heat through.  Adjust seasonings if needed. Serves 6-8.

Variations: 

• use fresh or frozen green beans
• replace garbanzo with diced potatoes or rutabaga sliced thin
• add thinly sliced cabbage at the 15 minute mark when cooking vegetables

Greek Pottery Project

Logan and I first attempted to make a Greek-style pot by covering a glass vase with air-dry clay, which worked years ago for his older brothers, but this time the clay cracked as soon as it dried. 

His brothers were younger when they made their Greek pots out of root beer bottles covered in clay.

We went back to the drawing board and decided to make a paper mache Greek-style pot, using instructions in the Story of the World Volume One Activity Book, and gleaning various ideas online. Mixing together one part Elmer's school glue and one part water, we found that smaller pieces of newspaper worked better than longer strips.  Logan got a bit tired of paper mache after one layer on the balloon, and I mostly did the second layer.  However, four to six layers would have been more adequate, because our pot dented in at the top a bit when I cut a hole and inserted a plastic cup, and it dented in at a spot when painted.

Logan painted the pot with terra cotta and black acrylic paint.  We looked up pictures of Greek pottery online for design inspiration, but for the main pictures, he re-drew a picture of the Trojan horse.  

The handles are made out of Model Magic and hot glued to the pot.

With such a detailed project, Logan did the work off and on over a period of many weeks.  It helped that he is a very detail-oriented kid.  

Apple Cranberry Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 package ground turkey (I use Jennie-O 1.25 pound package.)
• 1/2 cup grated apple
• 1/4 heaping cup finely-chopped cranberries
• 1/4 scant cup finely-chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely-chopped celery
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground sage
• 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried, crushed rosemary

Mix all ingredient together thoroughly.  Form 8 or 9 patties and cook on the grill.

Paleo Zuppa Toscana

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 lbs. ground Italian sausage *
• red pepper flakes to taste
• 16 cups chicken stock (homemade or from bouillon)
• 1 large head cauliflower broken into bite-sized florets and pieces
• 8 cups baby kale, or baby spinach, or chopped kale, stems removed
• 1 cup coconut milk
• salt and pepper to taste

* I like to use Sprouts Italian sausage links, removing the skins, and breaking up the meat.

In a large stockpot, brown the sausage with the chopped onion and garlic.  Set aside the meat and onions to drain.  Bring the chicken stock to boil in the pot, then add the cauliflower and pepper flakes and simmer for 15 minutes* or until tender.  Return the meat mixture to the pot along with the greens.  Cook until the greens are tender: only a few minutes if using baby greens, around 5 minutes if using chopped kale.  Stir in the coconut milk, add salt & pepper to taste, and serve.

*Reduce the amount of time the cauliflower is cooked if using chopped kale which takes longer to soften.