Face it. Life gets busy. Sometimes the day job hours take over your life but the house does not care. It still wants attention. Meals still need to be prepped. Oh wait! No time to go grocery shopping. Scratch that off the MIMI DO list.
This winter I said yes to too many things. Everything I said yes to was good but the outcome was bad. Something had to give before I made a permanent face plant into my empty plate.
I shouted NO! I cleared my calendar, I cleared the crazy, and then I filled my cart with all things veggies and nutritious, and delicious. I cooked proper meals and I feel better now even in the middle of the #coronamadness that has consumed the world.
My kitchen has forgiven me for neglecting her. Delicious dishes once again grace my table. Such joy! Food! Veggies!
My new favorite bowl of deliciousness is African Peanut Soup. It pulls together in a flash once all the veggies are chopped and the spices are gathered. To make a quick midweek dinner I chop the veggies over the weekend and then line up all my ingredients before I plug in the Instant Pot for a Tuesday evening dinner in a flash. Once the Instant Pot is plugged in there is no time for even a sip of wine until you clamp down the lid and let the Instant Pot pressure build.
This recipe makes 8 servings. That is way too much for me so I freeze the leftovers in pint jars. It freezes beautifully. What a blessing it is to have delicious, nutritious, homemade meals ready to eat when life takes a crazy turn. If I am going to do a dinner time face plant then I want to be planted in African Peanut Soup. It is that yummy!
Pour another glass of wine, please! Mimi has restored balance.
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 ½ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon sea salt
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth'
4 carrots, diced
3 parsnips, peeled and diced
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
½ cup chopped roasted peanuts
Prepare all ingredients and measure into prep bowls before starting the cooking process. Once you begin adding ingredients to your Instant Pot you will not have time to chop veggies or search for spices. Prepare your ingredients and then let the cooking begin!
Select the sauté setting on the Instant Pot and heat the oil, ginger, and garlic for 2 minutes, until the garlic becomes aromatic. Be careful! Garlic scorches easily. Add the onion and sauté
until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken and sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Add the curry paste, coriander, salt and broth. Stir with a wooden spoon to take the fond (browned bits) off the bottom of the pot. Stir in the carrots, parsnips, and green beans. Pour in the tomatoes and liquid and dollop the tomato paste on top. Do not stir in the tomato products.
Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Press the Cancel button to reset the cooking program, then select the Pressure Cook or Manual program and set the cooking time for 5 minutes at low pressure. (The pot will take about 20 minutes to come up to pressure before the cooking program begins.)
When the cooking program ends, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes, then move the Pressure Release to Venting to release any remaining steam. Open the pot, add the peanut butter, and stir to combine.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped roasted peanuts.
** Note: This soup is delicious served over brown rice. The rice is not only a delicious bed for this soup but it might also stretch the meal to feed a larger family.
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