A Life, Lived

Truth . . .

Travel Tuesdays - Christmas in Florence

Over the weekend Florence, Italy had their tree lighting ceremony. It seems fitting that this week's edition of travel Tuesday features pics from when we were there in December.

Christmas Tree for Cats

We still haven't gotten around to putting the Christmas tree up. with two rambunctious young cats it is a challenge.

This tree would be perfect for them . . .

The other upside is there is lots of room underneath the tree for gifts!

Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Instant Pot Chicken Broccoli and Rice is the perfect solution for a busy week night dinner! In a short period of time you can have a delicious home cooked meal on your table!

A couple of Friday nights ago I was exhausted when I came home from work. We were planning on a chicken and broccoli stir fry but I just didn't have the energy to chop up everything - stir fries may cook quickly but the prep . . . not so much.

This is a classic dump and cook recipe (well, except for browning the chicken first).

Broccoli can be tricky in the Instant Pot. For that reason I nuke it in a bowl with some water for about 3 minutes and added it in to the finished dish. this saves you from broccoli soup.

Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

2 Tbls Butter
1½ - 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast cut into cubes
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Small Onion
1 Tsp Salt
3/4 Tsp Pepper
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1⅓ Cups Long Grain Rice
1⅓ Cups Chicken Broth
½ Cup Milk
1½ Tbls Flour<
1-2 Cups Fresh Broccoli cooked
1½ - 2 Cups Mild Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Turn Instant Pot onto saute. Add butter and heat until hot. When hot, add chicken, onion, and garlic.

Cook chicken mixture until onion starts to get translucent. Add rice, broth and seasonings. Stir well.

Whisk together milk an flour and set aside.

Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. When the timer is up perform a quick release.

Immediately add milk and flour mixture and mix until it is well combined.

Add broccoli and cheese and stir until well combined. Serve immediately.

Christmas in New York

The count down to Christmas is on!

Today, for Travel Tuesday, I am traveling back to the Christmas Paul and I spent in New York City.

Coffee

It seems like coffee shops are getting too complicated . . .

Which Machine Are You Confortable With

My idea of exercise . . .

Parmesan Roasted Cabbage Wedges

Our CSA has been bringing us lots of cabbage lately.

I was getting a bit bored of the same old ways of using it up.

I decided I'd try roasted some to see if cabbages developed the same mellow sweetness that s many other veggies develop when roasted. I googled and discovered this recipe.

Parmesan Roasted Cabbage Wedges elevates humble cabbage to rock star status! It’s is a dish suited for your finest dinner party and it’s so easy to make!

Parmesan Roasted Cabbage Wedges

Non-stick cooking spray
1/2 medium head of green cabbage, cut into 4 wedges
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more shaved into "shards" for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray.

Season melted butter with salt and black pepper to taste.

Brush butter over the cut side of cabbage wedges.

Coat both of the cut sides of each cabbage wedge with the Parmesan cheese and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully flip and bake 10-15 minutes more. Drizzle any browned butter back over the cabbage. Top with additional shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Turkey Soup

Our American friends will be recognizing Thanksgiving shortly.

That means plenty of turkey leftovers to deal with.

This recipe for leftover turkey soup is perfect for the day after Thanksgiving, and it’s made entirely in the Instant Pot! If you’re looking for easy Instant Pot recipes to make with your Thanksgiving leftovers, you’ll love this easy pressure cooker turkey soup recipe.

If you want to make turkey noodle soup as we did, throw in some uncooked egg noodles after pressure cooking, and boil on the saute setting until they’re done.

Turkey Soup

1 cup baby carrots, sliced thin
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups cooked turkey, diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence seasoning
additional salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups turkey stock (bone broth)
1/4 cup water

Hit SAUTE on Instant Pot, and when it reads, Hot, add the olive oil, carrots, celery and onion, and cook until slightly soft.

Hit CANCEL to turn pot off, then add cooked turkey, turkey stock, water, salt, pepper and herbes de Provence.

Place lid on Instant Pot, turn vent to Sealing position, and hit PRESSURE COOK for 5 minutes.

Pot will take several minutes to reach pressure, then begin counting down and cook for 5 minutes and beep when done. Allow a 5 minute natural release (or longer) and do quick release for remaining pressure.

When pin drops, remove lid, and stir. If you want to add noodles, add 2 cups uncooked egg noodles, hit CANCEL, then hit SAUTE, and cook until noodles are done.  You can also cook noodles separately and serve with soup.

Travel Tuesday - Venice

The shots of the flooding in Venice have been heartbreaking.

For travel Tuesday this week I'm heading to Venice. When we were first in the city we experience a bit of Aqua Alta but nothing like the city has been experiencing this week.