Instant Pot, Tired, Spanish, Alarm, New Recipe

Having been patting myself on the back for my recipe conversion, I emptied the pot this morning and put it in storage boxes only to discover a slight amount of scorching on the bottom. I think that means I will have to add more liquid if and when I make this dish again. We had some for supper and it heated up very well. We have another meal to come, but probably not til Sunday.

Had a really bad night Wednesday, somehow the bedroom became hot as Hades at around 2:30 a.m. - not I wasn't hot flashing (flushing in England) but just got overheated. Not really sure why. So I got up and went into the living room where the air conditioner was going full blast and picked up my Susan Kelley book, mistake, however, when I got back to bed I was quite chilly and slept happily for the rest of the night. Only trouble was, I was too tired to go bowling this afternoon.

Not only that I haven't done my Spanish lessons today either and as it is already gone 11 I think I will be saving them for tomorrow.

I realised I hadn't done the monthly alarm test lately, so did it this afternoon. I don't think Matt has grasped what it is for, but after ending up in hospital last October I was bullied persuaded to get one. You know "I've fallen and I can't get up". Seems like a lot of money per month, but I guess if there was an emergency, I would be grateful to have it although last October I couldn't have used it anyway as one hand was supporting me and the other was useless, totally limp.

Just found another chicken recipe which I thought might also work in the Instant Pot. Only thing is, I have more or less decided that sautéing a lot of meat, chicken, whatever in my pot is not very easy as it is rather a small unit, so I think I will do it in a frying pan first. Does mean two things to wash etc. but I find it rather awkward anyway as the pot is fairly high up, sitting on the counter and it takes a long time with such a small pot. We shall see how I get on with that.

Chicken and Mushroom Fricassée

This lightened up classic is fast to pull together—especially if you buy presliced mushrooms. It has a rich, slow-cooked flavor. A splash of cream makes it extra-decadent but still light

1 Tbs grapeseed oil
4 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tsp unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, minced
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 lbs cremini or white mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 Tbs flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs minced tarragon leaves
1 1/2 Tbs heavy cream

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

2. Add the butter, shallot, salt and mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms begin to brown, about 12 minutes. Add the flour and cook until it smells lightly toasty, about 1 minute.

3. Add the wine, broth and reserved chicken and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over moderate heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish.

4. Increase the heat to moderately high and simmer the sauce, uncovered, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the minced tarragon and heavy cream. Spoon the sauce and mushrooms over the chicken and serve immediately.

Servings: 4

Tips
Swap out the mushrooms for leeks for a lighter flavored dish. Tip: Chop any leftover chicken and mushrooms and serve as a sauce over pasta or polenta.

Author: JOY MANNING
Source: Food & Wine

Have a great day