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Quick Instant Pot Family Meals

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Are you currently working from home with small children and losing your mind over family mealtime?

Have you resorted to quick options like taking out fast food or low nutritional value foods?

Are you coming up short when it comes to organizing, preparing, and serving your family healthy and nourishing dinners?

If you are dealing with the stress of producing high quality, well-prepared, and delicious meals, then the following suggestions are here to bring you much relief.

TOOLS:  The Instant Pot

The single most versatile piece of kitchen equipment a busy family can own is the Instant Pot. No other piece of equipment can compare to the dynamic rotation of foods made with unmatched precision. Say goodbye to overcooked or undercooked dishes. The Instant Pot calibrates everything to the minute. This tool is the fastest way to save money and produce quality meals in a fraction of time.

The Instant Pot is a one-stop device to make ultra-fast and perfectly cooked:

  • Bone Broths
  • Beans (avoid the use of cans with questionable contaminants + cook it with kelp for extra iodine)
  • Meat/Seafood
  • Soups
  • Stews
  • Curries
  • Rice/Grains/Porridge
  • Yogurt/Fermented foods
  • Pulled meats
  • Steamed vegetables
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Hard-Boiled Eggs
  • Healthy Desserts

Instant Pot Short Cuts for Rapid Fire Cooking

By using an instant pot to create family dinners, you can expect to slash cooking times by up to 75%. The Instant Pot makes wickedly fast meals taste like they took hours to prepare.

Over and above these fantastic benefits, here are a few additional tricks I recommend stressed out parents use to maximize kitchen efficiency with the following recipes:

    1. Skip the pre-sauté for meat and vegetables that most recipes suggest before when making soups or stews. Skipping this step saves about 10-20 minutes. Simply add the ingredients, set the Instant Pot, and walk away!
    2. Add the liquid fat or oil that you would have used to pre-sauté as a way to make the recipe taste creamy and smooth.
    3. Instead of a 10-minute slow-release, throw a dish towel over the release valve and open. Any sputtering hits the towel and not you. A quick-release saves you about 9 minutes.
    4. If you do not have onion or garlic on hand, simply used powdered onion or garlic. Easy peasy. Using powders when you are in a pinch will save you an unnecessary trip to the store to pick up one or two items.
    5. The beans in the following recipe are non-descript for a reason. Use what you have on hand.
    6. The chart below helps you to scan your pantry and fridge. No more double glancing. Check and done.
    7. Feel free to mix up the vegetables, herbs, and meats to suit your liking.

Watch me make the beef bourguignon here! As I don’t eat pork, I made it without bacon. Please follow the above instructions for the version with pork.

Contributed by Naomi Sachs, B.Sc., A.C.H.N., PFT
www.naomisachs.com

Fully-certified since 2015, Naomi has been successfully coaching clients throughout North America and facilitating their self-growth in the nutrition and fitness realm. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the myriad of health strategies available, her services aim to introduce clarity and self-motivation.