Salsa

Rachel has made up and shared this salsa with us several times.  Scott loves it and I finally made a batch myself.  So easy and so good.  This is what Rachel said when she sent me the recipe:  "1 tsp salt. 3 cloves garlic. I just do 1 jalapeno and don’t roast".

Instant Pot Refried Beans

 Ingredients

• 3 cups dry pinto beans
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, or lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

Instructions

How to cook pinto beans in a pressure cooker

1. Put dry beans in the reservoir of your Instant Pot and add enough water to cover the beans by 4-5″ or so. Soak eight hours or overnight. Drain beans then add onions, garlic, and 4-1/2 cups water to the pot. (If you just need cooked pinto beans, leave out the onions and garlic.) Be sure that the ingredients don't exceed the halfway mark in the cooker as mentioned in the Instant Pot manual.
2. Close and lock the lid, turning the steam valve to "sealed." Using the manual setting, enter 28 minutes (or 8 minutes if your beans are pre-soaked) and walk away. When the cycle completes, use the natural release method. Simply let the pressure come down on its own until the lid unlocks. (About 20 minutes.)

Instant Pot refried beans

1. use a slotted spoon to remove beans from cooking liquid, retaining the cooking liquid. Transfer to a bowl to use an immersion blender or the bowl of a food processor. Process until beans are a creamy consistency, adding cooking liquid as necessary to reach desired consistency. 
2. If you don’t have either of these tools, get out your potato masher – that’ll work, too.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients.
4. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to a week.

Notes

Makes approximately the equivalent of 5 – 16oz cans of refried beans.

With the Instant Pot, you can easily go from hard, dry pinto beans to fully cooked beans in an hour. But soaking beans before cooking them can make them more digestible. And for many people that means fewer...side effects.

If you opt not to soak your beans you'll need to use more water. In that case, I'd cover the beans by 3" of water. Just be sure that you don't exceed the halfway mark in the cooker.

You can get more details and tips about the recipe by clicking onto the website here.  (attainable-sustainable.net)

For my birthday this year, Rachel had me over for dinner and taught me how to make these as we prepared them together.  It was super easy.  We used an immersion blender to "mash up" the beans.  I've never used an immersion blender before.  I don't know how I've lived without one.  Rachel also taught me everything I need to know about an Instant Pot.   

Slow Cooker of Insta-pot Mexican Beef for Enchilada

INGREDIENTS

Shredded Beef:

• 2-3 pound boneless chuck or sirloin beef roast
• 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup salsa (green or red salsa)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour

Enchiladas:

• 10 6 or 7-inch flour or corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Fresh cilantro, optional

INSTRUCTIONS 

• For the slow cooker: in a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker, add the beef roast. Whisk together the broth, vinegar, salsa, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over the roast, cover the slow cooker, and cook on low for 8-10 hours until the beef is tender and shreds easily.
• For the Instant Pot/Electric Pressure Cooker: in a 6-quart electric pressure cooker, add the beef roast. Whisk together the broth, vinegar, salsa, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over the roast, secure the lid on the pressure cooker and close the valve. Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes (or all the way). Release the remaining pressure.
• Remove the roast and place in a large bowl or shallow pan (like a 9X13-inch pan). Shred into bite-size pieces with two forks.
• Turn the Instant Pot to sauté and bring the liquid to a simmer (for a slow cooker, pour the liquid into a saucepan and bring to a simmer).
• In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch (or flour) with about 2-3 tablespoons water (use a bit more water if using flour). Add the slurry to the simmering liquid, whisking constantly, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened slightly, 4-5 minutes. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
• Pour about 1/2 cup sauce in with the beef and toss. Use as desired (instructions for enchiladas below).
• To make enchiladas: Spread about 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9X13-inch pan.
• Toss the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses together.
• Spread shredded beef in the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and place in the pan, seam-side down.
• Spread 1-2 cups of sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and hot. Let the enchiladas rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
• Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, if desired, and serve.

NOTES

Serving Size: it kind of depends on how full you stuff each enchilada (and the size of tortillas you use) to determine how many total you'll get from this recipe. I've detailed the recipe for a 9X13-inch pan of enchiladas (about 10). If you used a slightly larger roast or used less meat mixture for each enchilada and have more enchiladas, simply fill up another pan and freeze before baking.

Freezable: the cooked, shredded beef freezes really well. Toss the beef with 1-2 cups sauce and freeze (in bags or covered containers). Assembled enchiladas freeze very well, too. To bake from frozen, keep the pan covered and bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes; uncover and bake until heated through and bubbly, another 20-30 minutes.

©Mel's Kitchen Cafe — https://www.melskitchencafe.com/slow-cooker-mexican-shredded-beef-for-enchiladas/

I got this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe found on the link by clicking here.