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Chicken ratatouille {Instant Pot recipe}

On a visit to Deb and Ray's huge vegetable garden, Ted harvested a couple of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and peppers -- and a handful of cherry tomatoes that I couldn't resist eating in the car on the way home. A package of defrosted chicken breasts sat in the fridge, waiting for me to remember why I'd defrosted them in the first place. I added an onion, some spices, a bit of POMI chopped tomato that's always in my pantry, a few leftover baby red potatoes, some black olives, and voila! Chicken ratatouille, ready to serve hot over rice or pasta or couscous, or cold in a sandwich or wrap with a slice of cheese. This is a dump-and-go recipe, almost too easy, perfect for this busy time of year.

CHICKEN RATATOUILLE

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

1-1/2 lbs chicken breast, cubed
1 small or medium eggplant, cubed (do not peel)
1 medium zucchini, cubed
1 medium yellow squash, cubed
1 small onion, peeled and cubed
2 plum tomatoes, cubed
10 baby potatoes, cubed (use red or yellow)
2 cups chopped POMI tomatoes (or canned chopped tomatoes), with the liquid
1 Tbsp dried oregano (or 2 Tbsp fresh)
1 Tbsp dried thyme (or 2 Tbsp fresh)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil (optional)

Directions

Add everything except the basil to the Instant Pot. Pressure cook on HIGH for 18 minutes. Turn the pot off and release the pressure. If there is more liquid than you'd like, set the pot to Sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil, and serve hot, room temperature, or cold.

Dim sum pocket guide

When I walk out the front door of my apartment building, the first thing I see is the red-and-gold marquee of Empire Garden, a dim sum palace on the second floor of a former kung-fu movie theater. (Actually, one side reads Empire Garden, and the other side Emperor's Garden; I'll bet there's a good story in that.) Dim sum is a traditional Chinese meal made up of small plates of sweet and savory dumplings, sticky rice, chicken feet, buns, vegetables, pastries and other snack dishes, often served from carts that come around to each table. For tens of years, I would point to food on the carts that I thought I might like because I didn't know how to ask for them. Then, on a Boston Chinatown tour, our guide Jackie showed us a tiny pocket book that had pictures of the most popular items, along with how to pronounce the names in English. I bought a copy of Dim Sum right away. Now, although I've learned the names of some of my favorite dim sum treats, I always stash the little book in my bag, in case I need an assist.

Countertop dill pickles

'Tis the season to get to a farmstand, farmers market, or your own garden: the cucumbers have arrived! With them, there will be fresh dill weed. And that means pickles, the crunchy half-sours that go with everything you cook on the grill. These pickles could not be easier to make, and once packed into jars, they will keep in the fridge for several weeks. That, of course, is only a theory, as in my kitchen they never seem to last that long.

COUNTERTOP DILL PICKLES

If your cucumbers are large or you have more than 18 small ones -- the best for this recipe are 6-8 inches, often called Kirby or pickling cucumbers -- double this recipe. You need to have enough brine to cover the cucumbers completely. Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook, and from The Perfect Pantry.

Ingredients

12-18 pickling cukes 
1 large clove garlic
big hunk of fresh dill
1/4 tsp dill seed (optional)
1 heaping tsp pickling spice (the blend -- has allspice, bay, etc.)
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup white vinegar
2-1/2 quarts water

Directions

Clean the cukes. Smash the unpeeled garlic (no need to peel it). Place cukes, garlic, dill, dill seed and pickling spice in a large bowl.

In a pot, place kosher salt, white vinegar and water. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Pour this hot brine over the cukes, and weight down with a plate and something to keep the cukes submerged. Leave on the counter for at least one day, and up to two days, then refrigerate in the brine.

Pie-ella {Instant Pot recipe}

True story: one of my college professors, in a sophomore year class, arranged all of the students' seats in alphabetical order, front of the room to back, left side to right. It was lunacy, of course, but that's how I met Joyce, whose last name came after mine, and who would become my best friend for the next 40 years. We shared almost everything -- secrets, dreams, a love of Fresca and tuna sandwiches and Broadway theater and the color orange -- everything except my addiction to spicy food. I created this nonspicy recipe for her one summer when she stayed with us while teaching at Northeastern University. Pie-ella is easy to make, and beautiful for entertaining or everyday; just imagine the golden yellow rice, pink shrimp, bright red and green peppers. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator, or can be frozen and reheated in the microwave. (Note: for stovetop instructions, see here.)

PIE-ELLA

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

1 large pinch saffron threads
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 hot smoked sausages (I use chicken andouille or beef hot links), cut into large chunks
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into large chunks
1 small red onion, peeled, cut in quarters
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into large chunks
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock (low sodium storebought, or homemade -- you might need to add salt)
1 cup arborio rice
18 pitted black large olives (use canned olives, because you don’t want a strong flavor)
18 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (21-25 size or 26-30 size. A few more or less won’t matter.)
1/2 tsp black pepper, or more to taste

Directions

Soak the saffron in 1 cup hot water for 15 minutes. In a 6-quart Instant Pot or pressure cooker, heat the olive oil on Sauté. Add sausage chunks and chicken; stirring frequently, lightly brown all over. Add onion, green and red peppers, and sauté quickly until the onion is just translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the saffron water with saffron, wine, and 1-3/4 cups of the stock. When the liquid boils, turn off the heat. Stir in the rice, cover, and pressure cook on high for 6 minutes. Quick release the pressure and remove the lid.

Stir in the olives. Set the pot to Sauté and add the shrimp, making sure to stuff them down into the rice. Season with lots of black pepper. From this point, you may have to stir every now and then to keep the rice from sticking, and if it is cooking too fast, add the remaining chicken stock. Continue cooking until the shrimp are done, approximately 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let sit for 10-15 minutes so the rice will absorb most of the liquid. Serve hot. 

(Chowder mug by Robert Fishman Pottery.)

The easiest cocktail sauce

My favorite dinner, which I probably could eat at least 350 days a year, is a pile of giant shrimp dipped in a lively cocktail sauce (thank you, Costco, for stocking the 11-15 per pound size in the freezer aisle). Steam or grill or cook in the Instant Pot, like my friend Liz cooks her shrimp. Make your own dipping sauce: just stir together 1/4 cup of good ketchup and one (or two!) tablespoons of Sriracha, to your taste and heat tolerance, for cocktail sauce par excellence.