Pressure Cooking

Instant Pot Peach Butter

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Summer is finally here and I plan on taking full advantage of my time off. This will be my first summer off in 10 years!

Sidenote:  My sister, Dr. Robin, who is a strong advocate for teachers, will want me to remind you that a teacher’s summer off is NOT paid time off.  We are only paid for contract hours worked, though most schools will distribute your pay over 12 months, to make budgeting easier.

Anywho, my first year back was great and I’m looking forward to spending the summer with my family.  What’s on the agenda, you ask? Lake time, a cross-country road trip (more on that later), pool time, lazy mornings sleeping in, baseball games, lots of cooking, and frequent trips to the farmers market for fresh produce and eggs.  

I love the farmer’s market.  The produce is so much more fresh than you’d find at the grocery store and, to me, it tastes better.   I love to see what I can find there each week, and I can’t wait for peaches to come in season! Peaches are one of my favorite fruits.  I always pick up plenty because they freeze well and they are so versatile. I use them in pies, of course, but I also love to make peach butter!  This Instant Pot Peach Butter is the perfect combination of sweet peaches and warm spices… it’s my favorite summer toast topper. So quick and easy to make in your electric pressure cooker, you’ll never buy the prefab stuff again.  ~Erin

Ingredients

  • 2 lb. peaches, peeled and pitted
  • ¾ c. water
  • 2 T. lemon juice
  • 1 T. cornstarch
  • ¼ to 1/3 c. packed brown sugar
  • ½ to 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, optional
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves, optional
  • 1/8 tsp. ground allspice, optional

Cook peaches and water at high pressure for 20 minutes; natural release.

After all pressure has been released, turn off the pressure cooker, open the lid, remove the pot, and carefully pour off ¾ c. water.  Return the pot back to the cooker.

Puree with an immersion blender until smooth.

Add cornstarch, lemon juice, brown sugar (I used 1/3 c. but start with ¼ and add more if too tart.), and spices to taste, if desired; continue to blend well with immersion blender.

Turn the pressure cooker to simmer mode and simmer for 3-5 minutes, with the lid off, to thicken.  It splatters a lot so cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, if needed, and monitor closely.

Turn off cooker and allow the mixture to cool.  Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 10 days.  This can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

WW Freestyle Info.:  This recipe makes 18 servings (about 2 ¼ cups).  Each 2 Tablespoons serving is 1 SmartPoint.

Creamy Chicken Taco Chili

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Every New Year’s Eve on Facebook (for the past several years), I have posted, “Tell me something good that happened this year.”  If you listen to The Bobby Bones radio show, the phrase “tell me something good” may ring a bell.  It’s a segment on his show every morning where the cast reads positive news headlines.  It’s my favorite part of his show.  I mean, who doesn’t love to hear about the GOOD things people are doing in this world?!  There is enough negativity and bad news out there.  It’s nice to focus on the good for a change.  My yearly Facebook post is a knockoff from Bobby’s Tell Me Something Good segment… a chance for me to hear some positive news from my friends and share some positive news of my own.  A perfect way to end one year and move into the next.  If more people focused on the positive things in their lives instead of harping on the bad stuff, this world would be a much more pleasant place, don’t you agree?

This year, I was able to share several good things that happened for me in 2018 (I could have named a bunch but I focused on the highlights):  1.  I became a WW (formerly Weight Watchers) Wellness Guide (a.k.a. meeting receptionist – I’m still not used to the new titles).  I’ve been a lifetime member for YEARS and decided it was time to take a more active roll.  2.  I went back to teaching!  I was a kindergarten teacher for 6 years but I quit teaching and went into a different field when my daughter was a year old (long story) so I’ve been out of public ed for over 10 years.  I’m back and glad to be working with kids again, plus it’s awesome to be back on the same schedule as my own kids.  3.  We more than doubled our blog traffic on Four Sisters Dish in 2018 as compared to our first year, 2017.  That’s amazing!  We have YOU to thank for it.  We want to thank you all for reading, subscribing, commenting, sharing, and most importantly COOKING our recipes!  We love when people make our food and tell us how they like them.  Please continue to do so… we love hearing from our readers and we hope to have more interaction with you 2019!

Tell us something good in the comments!  What was something good that happened for you in 2018?  We hope your 2018 was as great as ours and we at Four Sisters Dish wish you a happy, healthy and delicious 2019!

Speaking of delicious, let’s start the year off with this Creamy Chicken Taco Chili.  This can be made in your crockpot or your electric pressure cooker.  I’ve included instructions for both.  This chili is creamy and rich but it’s guaranteed not to sabotage your healthy diet resolutions.  Enjoy it without guilt!  ~Erin

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Ingredients: 

  • 2 ½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken individually frozen chicken breasts*
  • 2 cans (10 ¾ oz. each) Campbell’s Healthy Request cheddar cheese soup
  • 1 (16 oz.) can fat-free refried beans
  • 1 (16 oz.) jar mild taco sauce (I used Taco Bell brand.)
  • 1 (16 oz.) can fat-free chicken broth
  • 1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 (10 oz.) can mild Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chilis, undrained
  • 1 T. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • ½ tsp. oregano
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (8 oz.) package fat-free cream cheese

Slow Cooker Instructions:

In the pot of a slow-cooker, whisk together cheddar cheese soup, refried beans, taco sauce, chicken broth, corn, Ro-Tel, and spices.  Nestle the frozen chicken breasts into the mixture.  *You can use thawed chicken breast, just be aware that it will cook much faster.

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  In the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove the chicken from the pot and shred it; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together some of the hot liquid from the crock pot with the cream cheese, until smooth.  Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pot, stir in the black beans, and return the shredded chicken to the pot. Continue cooking for 20-30 minutes of cook time.

Serve with shredded cheese, avocado, jalapenos, and corn chips, if desired.

Electric Pressure Cooker Instructions:

In the pot of an electric pressure cooker, whisk together cheddar cheese soup, refried beans, taco sauce, chicken broth, corn, Ro-Tel, and spices.  Nestle the frozen chicken breasts into the mixture.

*You can use thawed chicken breast, just be aware that it will cook much faster.  See your pressure cooker owner’s manual for time adjustments for thawed chicken breasts.

Set the electric pressure cooker for 45 minutes.  Quick release pressure and open the pot when all pressure is released.  Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together some of the hot liquid from the pressure cooker with the cream cheese, until smooth.  Pour the cream cheese mixture into the pot, stir in the black beans, and return the shredded chicken to the pot.  Using the saute setting, simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until beans are warmed through.  Watch it closely so the cream cheese doesn’t scorch.

Serve with shredded cheese, avocado, jalapenos, and corn chips, if desired.

WW Freestyle Info: This soup makes approximately 16 cups.  Each cup is 2 points, not counting optional garnishes.