Recipes / Recettes

Spaghetti With Bolognese Sauce Instant Pot Recipe

I have to admit, I love my instant pot. I’ve had it for almost a month now and have been playing with it all this time. My stove top stays clean and no more washing of pots and pans. On top of it, there are so many recipes out there to try out! As I’m new to the IP world, I have been reading and testing the IP community recipes to become familiar with my new friend and see what it’s capable of doing. When I read that people are actually cooking their spaghetti at the same time with their bolognese sauce in the IP, I was very sceptical. Couldn’t help imagining the spaghetti turning out all gloobly woobly. So I decided to give it a try, and actually had a plan B set aside in case of no success!

My son said I looked like a 10 years old kid when I opened the instant pot. I was so impressed and satisfied with the result! The pasta was al denté exactly the way I liked it, the sauce was very smooth and sticked perfectly to the pasta.

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Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce

Original recipe credit: healthyinstantpotrecipes.com

I adjusted this recipe to my own like, but did follow the procedures and cooking time of the original recipe.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 4 pieces Medium size tomatoes chopped
  • 5 pieces Small size shallots or 1 onion chopped
  • 1 tsp garlic chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 250 g minced beef
  • 1/2 pot basilic tomato sauce (340ml)
  • 1/2 package spaghetti broken in half
  • Salt and pepper
  • 500 ml water

Instructions

  1. Turn IP to “sauté more”

  2. Add the olive oil while the pot is till cold then add the chopped shallots (or onion) and chopped garlic.

  3. Stir well and add the beef before the shallots and garlic turn brown

  4. Once the beef is cooked, turn off the IP.

  5. Add the halved pasta and lay them criss-crossed to avoid sticking on top of the beef 

  6. Add the chopped tomatoes

  7. Add the tomato sauce

  8. Add salt and pepper to taste

  9. Close the lid, set to sealing and manuel pressure (high) for 9 minutes.  It takes about 10 minutes to reach pressure.

  10. Quick release once cooked

  11. Mix the pasta and the sauce using a tong, separate stuck pasta using 2 forks if necessary.

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How I make my ice creams with only 3 ingredients and no machine

Matcha and Passion Fruit Ice Creams

I love matcha ice cream, so does my daughter. My husband loves passion fruit ice cream and so does my son. Fortunately I worked out this recipe which allows me to split the two main ingredients and make both at the same time. These ice creams are so delicious, easy to make, requires only 3 ingredients and most of all, no ice cream machine needed!

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Matcha and Passion Fruit Ice Creams

By splitting up two ingredients, I am able to make both at the same time.

Course Dessert
Prep Time 45 minutes
Freeze time 4 hours
Servings 4

Ingredients

Matcha ice cream

  • 2 tbsp matcha
  • 4 tbsp hot water

Passion fruit ice cream

  • 12 pieces passion fruit

For both ice creams

  • 400 g sweetened condensed milk
  • 33 cl whole whipping cream

Instructions

Matcha ice cream

  1. In a big bowl, mix the matcha with hot water, mix well and leave aside to cool.

Passion fruit ice cream

  1. Put all the passion fruit pulps in a blender and mix for about 30 seconds.

  2. Strain the juice into a big bowl.

For both ice creams

  1. Mix half a can of the condensed milk with the matcha and mix well using a spatula.

  2. Mix the other half of the condensed milk with the passion fruit juice and mix well using a spatula.

  3. Whip up the whole cream at high speed (I use #5 on my Kenwood) for 10 minutes or until peaks are formed.

  4. Fold half of the whipped cream in the matcha mixture and the other half into the passion fruit mixture.  Mix well.

  5. Pour each mixture in separate containers and freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.

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How to make almond spread at home

It’s been a while since I’ve last made Amandalice…that’s what my dear ones call my homemade almond spread (almond in french is amande + Alice = Amandalice). My daughter came in the door after school today and ran into the kitchen all excited, yelling “I smell Amandalice!!!!” and started digging into the jar.

Amandalice is a delicious homemade spread suitable for breakfast or snacks. I love to spread it on toasted french baguettes but it’s basically good with any kind of bread or crackers.

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Amandalice (homemade almond spread)

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American, Chinese, French
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 2 jars

Ingredients

  • 600 g almonds
  • 2 tbsp blond sugar
  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 25 g honey
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Grill the almonds in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes. 

  2. Leave almonds to cool down a bit.

  3. Put almonds in a food processor and mix until it reaches a purée texture.  This procedure takes time and patience.  Stop once in a while to scrape down the almonds with a spatule as they tend to pile up on the side of the bowl.  You might need to do this up to 7 times, depending on each food processor.  

  4. DO NOT ADD ANY OTHER INGREDIENTS UNTIL YOU’VE REACHED THE PURÉE TEXTURE !

  5. Add both sugars, honey, salt, and vanilla extract and mix again.

  6. Put the spread into a covered jar and can be kept for at least a month in the refrigerator, but at my home, it never lasts that long.

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Salad inspiration

My favorite ingredient in this salad is the lentil sprouts. As usual, I bought them at my favorite local organic store called Naturenville in Levallois Perret. This is the only place so far where I can find all different kinds of sprouts. I simply love the texture they add to my salads, a bit of crunchiness and chewiness.

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Salad inspiration

Course Salad
Cuisine French
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 3 stems of Kale
  • 1 egg boiled
  • 1 avocado
  • 2 tbsp salmon eggs
  • 1 cup lentil sprouts
  • 2 tbsp goat cheese
  • 1 tbsp mint leaves chopped
  • 1 tbsp coriander chopped

For the sauce

  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin

Instructions

Preparation of the salad

  1. Rinse and tear the kale leaves into pieces. Discard the stems.

  2. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boil.  Turn off the fire and add the kale leaves.  Leave for 1 minute and take them out to drain (without throwing away the water).  In the same pot of water, then add the lentil sprouts and leave for 1 minute and take them out to drain (don’t throw the water yet).  Leave both to cool

  3. In the same pot of water, put the egg and bring to boil for about 7 minutes.

  4. While the egg is boiling, cut the avocado and chop the fresh mint and coriander leaves.  

  5. Peel and dice the boiled egg.

  6. Top your salad with the goat cheese, salmon eggs and chopped leaves.

Preparation for the sauce

  1. Add all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. 

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Tarte au citron meringuée

This is one of my husband’s favorite dessert.  Once he tasted my friend Cath’s homemade tarte au citron meringuée, he immediately asked her to teach me and Cath generously organised an “atelier de cuisine” and showed me how to make it.  When I made this for one of my dinners at home, my son tasted it and asked where I bought it…ha ha ha…I certainly take it as a compliment.

So with Cath’s thumbs up, I am sharing this delicious recipe with you.

 

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Tarte au citron meringuée


Course Dessert
Cuisine Française
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Temps de repos 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

Pour la pâte

  • 220 g farine
  • 135 g beurre temperature ambiante
  • 10 g beurre pour le moule
  • 50 g poudre amande
  • 50 g sucre glacé
  • 1 cc arome vanille

Pour la crème

  • 3 citrons bio zestés et jus
  • 110 g sucre
  • 1 cs maïzena
  • 3 oeufs

Pour la meringue

  • 2 blancs d'oeufs
  • 100 g sucre glacé

Instructions

Préparation de la pâte sablée

  1. Mettre la farine et le beurre (135g) dans le bol de robot et mélanger (avec le batteur plat)

  2. Une fois que la pâte devient sablée, ajouter le sucre, le poudre d'amande et l'arôme vanille. Mélanger à nouveau.

  3. Ajouter l'oeuf et mélanger encore une minute

  4. Mettre la pâte sur du film étirable et travailler un peu mais pas trop.  Couper la pâte en deux, les aplatir un peu puis fermer les pâtes et laisser reposer au frigo pendant 1/2 heure.

Préparation de la crème :

  1. Battre 3 oeufs dans un bol à part

  2. Dans une casserole, mettre le jus des citrons, zestes, le sucre et le maïzena et faire chauffer à feu doux pendant 2 minutes

  3. Augmenter au feu fort et ajouter les oeufs battus en fouettant sans arrêt jusqu'à cela s'épaissit et devient crémeux. Réserver

Cuisson de la pâte sablée

  1. Préchauffer le four à 180° en chaleur tournante.

  2. Mettre les pâtes entre deux feuilles de papiers sulfurisés et les aplatir avec un rouleau

  3. Beurrer un moule à tarte carré avec fond amovible (24x24cm) et poser une des pâtes.

  4. Remonter le bord avec le reste des pâtes

  5. Laisser un peu au frais avant la cuisson (5-10 minutes)

  6. Egaliser le bord et piquer le fond, le bord et l'angle avec une fourchette

  7. Baisser le four à 160°, faire cuire la pâte pendant 20 minutes

Pour la meringue

  1. Battre les deux blancs d'oeufs (vitesse lente au début puis rapide) pendant 3 minutes.  Quand la neige est montée et devenue ferme, ajouter progressivement le sucre.

L'assemblage

  1. Mettre la crème sur la pâte sablée puis étaler le meringue avec une spatule.  Faites des pointes de meringue avec une fourchette ou le dos d'une cuillère (facultatif).

  2. Préchauffer le four au grill à 180°, mettre la tarte et laisser dorer le meringue pendant 1 minute.  Surveiller bien car cela peut cramer très vite.

  3. Conserver au frais jusqu'au moment de servir

Please leave a comment if you would like to have the english version.

 

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Chinese fried noodle with green string beans and minced beef

Fried Noodles w/Green beans and minced chicken

I don’t spend much time cooking, but when I do, the recipe must be easy and quick. I can be VERY patient creating an object, but not for cooking.  Especially on weekends, when we are at our country house, my children love to invite friends over for lunch.  We share the house with my sister-in-law who has 2 boys, so for each meal, we’re always at least 6 or 7.  What best than making a huge plate of fried rice or fried noodles?  Everyone seems to enjoy coming lunch at home.

So here goes my first attempt of posting a recipe: (more…)

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