Instant Pot Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

I am newly obsessed with this curry. I see piles of squash as I walk through the grocery store; I begin wondering how many bowls of curry I could make, and how many cans of coconut milk I should buy. 

What's better is that my grocery list is short: I add cauliflower, carrots, and check my cupboard to ensure I have all of my typical spices on hand. Onions, garlic, and ginger are already sitting in the vegetable basket, as if they knew this was coming. 

When it comes time to put everything together, I pull out the Instant Pot-- this stew is no waiting game, you just throw it in the Instant Pot and hit go. I chop everything up, pour in the coconut milk and spices, and lock the lid. I take a shower, and next thing you know this curry is piping hot and ready to go. Does it get any better?

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Naturally sweet and nutty butternut squash meets bold and spicy curry to create this new-comfort dish.

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 20 active minutes

---

Ingredients:

• 1 inch ginger
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 white onion
• 1 serrano chile
• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 butternut squash
• 2-3 large carrots
• 3 sprigs cilantro OR Thai basil, plus more for serving
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
• 2-3 cups vegetable broth
• 1- 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• A few cracks each of salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Dice the onion, ginger, garlic, and serrano chile. Then, roughly chop the carrots, and cut the cauliflower into small bite-sized florets. Peel and seed the squash, and chop that into bite-sized pieces as well. Add all of the vegetables to the pot.
2. Add cilantro, coconut milk, vegetable broth, and spices to the pot. Secure pressure cooker lid, and set Instant Pot to Stew setting with the timer at 4 minutes.
3. Once Instant Pot is done, release the pressure. Remove lid, and store curry. Serve in bowls and top with cilantro sprigs.

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

When there is Tortilla Soup on the menu, I'm the first person to notice and there's a pretty high chance I will order it, no matter the weather. I've been in love with Tortilla Soup for as long as I can remember. 

Despite my appreciation for what is a really simple soup, I've never mastered making it at home — I always over think it, adding something extra or missing some key ingredient.

But I’ve done lots to try to learn the magic sauce, and each experiment gets closer and closer. What I’ve learned: simple poblano chilis, sautéed with the onions and garlic, and freshly made chicken broth. Oh, and not over thinking it. Tortilla Soup should be simple, like a tortilla.

It’s comfort in a bowl for me — this cozy bowl of broth-y goodness and full of Mexican flavor.

And the best part of any tortilla soup? The toppings! Cheese, avocado, crispy tortilla strips (or tortilla chips, which is much faster and less labor intensive), cilantro, and on and on.

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Published September 24, 2016 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 45 minutes

---

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 poblano chili pepper, diced and seeds removed

1 yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound boneless chicken breasts

1 28-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes

2 tablespoons minced cilantro, plus more for garnish

6 cups bone broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Optional: 1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

Optional, for serving: avocado, cheddar cheese, corn toasted tortilla strips or chips, lime wedges

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in the bottom of an Instant Pot on Sauté setting. Add diced onion, minced garlic, and poblano pepper.
2. Add chicken, tomatoes, broth, cumin, lime juice, cilantro and optional black beans to pot and stir. Place lid on Instant Pot and turn to slow cooker setting (to use soup setting instead, see step 4). Set timer for 10 hours with vent turned to the sealed position.
3. When soup is done, open Instant Pot. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove chicken from soup and place in a bowl. Use a fork to shred chicken, and then return to soup and stir. Season with additionl salt to taste, and serve hot with toppings of choice.
4. To make this soup more quickly, use the soup setting instead of the slow cooker setting: In step 2, set Instant Pot to “soup” setting and set timer to 10 minutes with the vent in the sealed position. When timer goes off, release pressure, and the move on to step 3.

Healthy Golden Vegetable Curry

There's an album in my iTunes called Under the Shiva Moon. I don't expect anyone to know the album, by name or otherwise -- it's over ten years old at this point and besides, it was first published by a little local group that called themselves "Yogi Renegades". Their official band name was Shiva's Garden. 

The first time I heard those yogi renegades I was probably ten (how old I actually was is now lost in time). It was a Monday evening. I know that, because we went to the same place every Monday throughout my tween years: a mountain yoga center. Monday night was community night, and we were regulars, at least at that point. There would be music, and candles, and a family-style meal. After Shiva's Garden played live one night, my dad bought their album and for at least a week we listened to it in the car on repeat. I fell for their music then: the meditative rhythms, the slightly exotic sounds of the instruments, the folky feel. It didn't take long before I could sing along with every word. 

It was on one of those nights at the ashram that I was gifted a small statue of Ganesha. The ritual, the gift, the giving of the gift... it was all a little over my head. I still don't think I totally know why this gift ended up with me, but I remember the generosity of the girl who gave it to me, and I remember thinking I would never let it go. On the drive home my dad explained that Ganesha was the Remover of Obstacles. I made a spot for him on my bookshelf and on the roughest of days, the days with the most obstacles, I would stare at his golden face and try to come to peace with everything. That was hard, because I was a teenager, and there were hardly ever answers to my questions. 

Golden and still, he now stands amongst my plants. Surrounding him are a few tributes: a bundle of unopened incense, an Indian friendship bracelet, a blue topaz stone, and a small copper capsule of water from the Ganges River.

On the roughest of days and the calmest of days alike, I still play Under the Shiva Moon. I still sing along. When I'm home alone I turn the volume up so I can barely hear my soft voice over the chords. Some days I even wonder if my old, golden friend on the shelf remembers the lyrics too. I find sanctuary in making a curry while it plays--warm and spicy like they used to make on community night- and humming as it simmers on the stove. 

Golden Vegetable Curry

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free,    |   Caitlin Sherwood    

Cream balances out the curry powder in this recipe, making it both cool and hot all at once. In this particular recipe I use dairy instead of coconut cream, as it has a milder flavor, however coconut cream (the canned type) can be used in place of heavy cream to make this recipe vegan or dairy-free.

Serves: 2-3   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

---

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1-inch piece of ginger, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk of broccoli, cut into florets
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 summer squash, diced
• 1 sweet potato, diced
• 1 cup green beens, chopped
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream (optional: use canned coconut cream for vegan or DF)
• Optional: If you’re looking to make this meal a little more hearty, add 1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced

Directions:

1. Place a medium soup on the stove over medium heat. Add the coconut oil to the pot and heat until it glistens. Then, add the diced onion and cook until translucent.
2. Next, add the garlic and ginger. Stir, and cook for several minutes, until fragrant.
3. Add the remaining vegetables and stir. Pour broth, curry powder, turmeric, red chili flakes, salt and pepper to the pot. (Add the cooked chicken at this point if you plan on using it). Stir again, and then place lid on pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, until sweet potatoes and tender and the other vegetables are cooked through.
4. Reduce heat and remove lid from pot. Slowly pour cream into soup, stirring as you do. Once cream is added, taste the soup. Adjust seasonings to your liking. Serve hot.