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Thursday, September 2

Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken...Comfort Food for the Restless Soul


So. I think I've got my mojo back. What is mojo exactly? I've always wondered that. Not sure, other than I've re-discovered my love of cooking and writing....and reading and fibre arts. Too bad I haven't rediscovered my love of exercise and limiting my self-indulgent bad habits. Priorities. I have a bit more time on my hands since I quit my job and moved to quieter pastures.  I'm one of those involved in The Great Resignation...I'm a sheep. Let me clarify that I haven't been put out to pasture....yet... that's totally different. So many sheep and pasture references. Oh my. What I'm trying to say is....to steal a phrase that my sister said when she moved here, "I've found the salve for my soul." Quiet solitude. Living in a very very small Cape Breton community can have its drawbacks for sure ($6 for one leek! And everyone knows everything about everybody) but it can also have its perks. Time and space to reflect. Time to be creative. Lots of amazing artists here. I don't think that's a fluke. Wood carvers. Glass artists. Rug hookers. Painters. Photographers. Musicians. A haven for the restless creative souls looking for inspiration and a piece of peace. Inspired by the beauty of nature and solitude. Natural Anti-Anxiety medication. You can find it here amongst the winds, waves and wildlife. 

And those restless souls sometimes need some comfort food. A lot of the time actually. Especially during one of the famous les suetes. So here is one I cooked up. I'm pretty sure that there will be plenty more comfort meals posted here in the near future. Just can't go wrong with Tuscan Chicken. Creamy, Rich, Food for the Soul. Life is good. Eat it up.

Cheers from Bistro 164!



Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken

From Amy + Jacky Pressure Cook Recipes.Com


Ingredients

4-6 skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
2 tbsps olive oil or unsalted butter
2 tsps Italian Seasonings
83 g of cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
3/4 cup unsalted chicken stock
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
60-80 grams sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Thickener

3.5 tbsps cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Instructions

Pat dry the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Turn on the Sauté function on your Instant Pot.  Add the oil/butter. When it says HOT add in the chicken. Brown each side for 3 minutes.  Set the chicken aside on  a plate.

Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds then add in the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for another minute. Add in the 2 tsps of Italian seasoning, sauté for another minute.

Mix 1 tbsp of soy sauce and 3/4 cup unsalted chicken broth together. Pour into your Instant Pot and deglaze.

Add the chicken back in plus the juices. If you are using chicken thighs like we did, then cook everything at High Pressure for 5 minutes with 10 minutes of Natural Release.

To create the sauce, set aside the chicken. Bring the liquid back to a boil using the sauté function. Add in 1 cup of spinach, 60-80 grams of sun-dried tomatoes, and cook for 30 seconds. Stir, then add in the heavy cream plus the freshly grated parmesan cheese.

If you need to thicken the sauce then mix 3 1/2 tbsps of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water in a small bowl. Add it gradually in to the Tuscan Chicken Sauce until you reach the desired thickness. Taste and add in whatever you need more of, salt, cheese, soy sauce,

Add the chicken back in. Stir. Then serve. Yum!











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