Nom Nom Paleo

Hands-on Time: 30 minutes

Total time: 90 minutes

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

For the broth:

1 tablespoon coriander seeds 

3 whole cloves 

Chubby 2-inch (5 cm) section ginger, peeled, thickly sliced, and bruised 

1 large (10 oz | 300 g) yellow onion, halved and thickly sliced 

7 cups (1.66 l) water 

1 (4 lb | 1.8 kg) whole chicken (no bigger!)

1 small (4 oz | 115 g) Fuji apple, peeled, cored, and cut into thumbnail-size chunks 

¾ cup (0.7 oz | 20 g) coarsely chopped cilantro sprigs 

1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1½ TEASPOONS fine sea salt or Morton’s kosher salt) 

About 1½ tablespoons fish sauce 

1- 2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)

For the bowls:

4 medium zucchini, spiralized and blotted dry with paper towels 

About half the cooked chicken from the broth 

½ small (2 oz | 60 g) yellow or red onion, thinly sliced against the grain and soaked in water for 10 minutes 

2 thinly sliced green onions, green parts only 

¼ cup (0.2 oz | 5 g ) chopped fresh cilantro, leafy tops only  

Thai basil leaves (optional)

Pepper (optional) 

Paleo sriracha (optional)

Lime wedges (optional)

EQUIPMENT:

6-quart Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker 

Cutting board 

Chef’s knife 

Measuring cups 

Measuring spoons 

Ladle 

Silicone spatula

Tongs 

Large bowl 

Fine mesh strainer (this one is more budget-friendly than mine)

Stock pot

Spiralizer (I like the Inspiralizer and Oxo Spiralizer) 

METHOD:

Let’s tackle the fragrant broth. Toss the coriander seeds and cloves in a 6-quart pressure cooker. Press the sauté button on your Instant Pot (or place a stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat) and toast the spices for several minutes, shaking or stirring, until fragrant. Throw in the ginger and onion and stir everything until aromatic, 45 to 60 seconds.

Pour in 4 cups (1 l) of the water to stop the cooking process.

Carefully place the chicken in the cooker, breast side up.

Add the apple, cilantro, salt…

…and remaining 3 cups (0.71 l) water.

Press the Cancel/Keep Warm button, lock the lid in place, and make sure the valve on top is in the sealed position.

Press the Manual button and set the Instant Pot to cook under high pressure (~12 psi) for 14 minutes. (If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, bring to low pressure, 8 psi, over high heat on a gas or induction stove, or medium heat on an electric stove. Lower the heat to maintain pressure, signaled by a gentle, steady flow of steam coming out of the cooker’s valve. Cook for 15 minutes, or a few minutes longer if your cooker’s low setting is less than 8 psi. If your cooker only has a high-pressure,15 psi, setting, cook for 12 minutes.) Your aim to gently poach the chicken and not overcook it!

When done, turn off the Instant Pot and let the pressure decrease naturally for 20 minutes. Set a timer and if the pressure hasn’t completely released when it dings, turn the valve at the top to quickly vent the remaining pressure.  (If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, slide it to a cool burner and let the pressure decrease naturally, about 20 minutes.) Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the hot steam. 

Wait another 5 minutes before using tongs to transfer the chicken to a large bowl; if parts fall off in transit, don’t stress. 

Add cold water to cover the chicken and soak for 10 minutes to cool and prevent drying.

Pour off the water, partially cover, and set the chicken aside to cool.

Skim some fat from the broth…

…before straining it through a Chinois or muslin-lined mesh strainer positioned over a large pot. Discard the solids. You should end up with about 7 cups broth.

If using right away, season the broth with the fish sauce, extra salt, and maybe a smidge of  the maple syrup. Trust your taste buds! Or, partially cover the unseasoned broth and let cool, then refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months; reheat and season before using.

Use a knife or your hands to separate the breast meat and legs from the chicken. Set aside half of the chicken for another use, like Madras Chicken Salad. Reserve the remaining chicken for pho bowl assembly. The chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months; bring to room temperature to use.

Ready to serve the pho? Here’s how to prep and assemble the bowls:

While the broth cooks, or about 30 minutes before serving, prep all the ingredients for your pho feast. Cut or shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.

Discard the skin or save it for cracklings. Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat as you are assembling the bowls.

Divide the zucchini noodles among four soup bowls. (If you like softer zoodles, use a mesh strainer to dunk them in boiling water until the desired softness before placing the drained zoodles into the soup bowls.) Top the zoodles with shredded chicken.

Check the broth flavor once more, raise the heat, and bring it to a boil. Ladle about 2 cups (480 ml) broth into each bowl.

Then garnish with onion, green onion, cilantro, basil, pepper, and sriracha if desired.  You can squeeze on fresh lime juice, too. Enjoy immediately!

Andrea’s Notes On How Cook Chicken Pho On The Stovetop: 

To make this recipe in a 6- to 8-quart (6 to 8 l) stockpot, toast the coriander seeds and cloves over medium heat, then lightly cook the onion and ginger in the pot. Add 10 cups (2.5 l) water along with the chicken (breast up), cilantro, and salt. Partially cover, then bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, skim the scum, then lower the heat to gently simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours. At the 45-minute mark, if the chicken is not cooking through, use tongs to rotate it. The chicken should be cooked after simmering for 1 to 1¼ hours. Transfer it to a large bowl, flush it with cold water, drain well, then set aside for 15 to 20 minutes to cool. When the broth is done, let rest for 15 minutes, then defat, strain, and season. The rest of the recipe is the same.

Adapted slightly with permission from The Pho Cookbook: Easy to Adventurous Recipes for Vietnam’s Favorite Soup and Noodles by Andrea Nguyen, copyright © 2017. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 (4-pound) organic chicken (a bigger chicken won’t fit in a 6-quart Instant Pot)

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional if needed

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons of ghee, divided

2 large onions, chopped medium

6 garlic cloves, peeled

2 teaspoons tomato paste

½ cup bone broth or chicken stock

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (optional)

Equipment

Instant Pot (6-quart or larger)

Cutting board

Chef’s knife

Tongs

Plate

Measuring spoons

Measuring cups

Silicone spatula

Aluminum foil

Small bowl

Immersion blender

Silicone ice mold

Method

Grab your chicken and sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper all over it, inside and out.

Tuck the wings behind the back.

Add 1 tablespoon of ghee to the pressure cooker, and hit the “Sauté” function on your electric pressure cooker. (If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, cook over medium-high heat.) Swirl the melted ghee to the middle of the pot if it looks like the fat is pooling on the sides.

When the fat is shimmering, sear the chicken breast-side down in the center of the pot for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Flip the bird (ha ha!) breast-side up. Cook for another 5 minutes or until browned on the back.

Don’t worry if the skin sticks and tears—the skin won’t be crispy when you’re done cooking anyway. You’re just browning the skin to deepen the flavor of the gravy.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and add the remaining tablespoon of ghee to the pot. Once the ghee melts, toss in the chopped onions, 6 garlic cloves, and a sprinkle of salt. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until softened.

Stir in 2 teaspoons tomato paste and cook for about 30 seconds.

Turn off the sauté function (or turn off the stove if you’re using a stovetop cooker). Pour in ½ cup broth, scraping up any browned bits.

Add a steamer insert to the bottom of the pressure cooker…

…and lay the bird on top of it, breast-side up.

Cover and pressure-cook on high for 20 minutes (or 17 minutes on a stovetop pressure cooker).

Then, turn off the electric pressure cooker (or remove the stovetop cooker from the heat), and immediately release the pressure manually.

Open the lid and transfer the chicken to a plate or carving board. Tent the cooked bird with foil, and rest it for 10 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to purée the contents of the insert to make a smooth gravy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

If you want to thicken the gravy, mix 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder with 2 tablespoons water.

Then, turn on the sauté function and bring the contents to a simmer. Stir in the arrowroot powder slurry and cook until thickened.

Carve up the chicken and pour on copious amounts of gravy. Freeze the leftover gravy in a silicone ice cube mold so you can pop out a cube whenever your gravy cravings hit!

Makes 2½ cups

Ingredients

1 large orange-flesh sweet potato (e.g., garnet or jewel)

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 cup (150 g) diced yellow onion

2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste

¼ cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup (140 g) raw unsalted cashews, soaked and drained (see note above)

1 teaspoon mild yellow curry powder, plus more to taste

1½ teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¾ teaspoon sweet paprika

⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)

Equipment

Paring knife

Chef’s knife

Cutting board

Rimmed baking sheet

Bowl

Fork

10-inch skillet

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

High speed blender (I own a Vitamix and KitchenAid and both are amazing. The Sweethome rates this Oster model very highly, and it’s reasonably priced. )

Silicone spatula

Method

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Prick the sweet potato all over with a paring knife or fork and lightly brush with olive or avocado oil. Place it on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until soft. (If you need more deets on how to roast a sweet potato, you can click here. You might as well throw on a few extra sweet potatoes so you can have leftovers!) Allow the tater to cool, peel off the skin, and mash the flesh with a fork. Set aside 1 cup (250 g) of the mashed sweet potato.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onions with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.

Add the minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Allow the alliums to cool slightly.

Grab your high speed blender or food processor and pour the remaining ¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil with the ¼ cup lemon juice and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Add the onion mixture…

…cup of mashed sweet potato, cup of soaked and drained cashews…

…spices (1 teaspoon curry powder, 1½ teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika, and ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric), and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

Blast on high for a minute until the resulting dip is smooth and creamy.

If you don’t have a powerful blender, you may need to periodically stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the container.

Serve with your favorite raw and blanched veggies.

The dip will keep in the fridge for about 5 days, but I bet it will be gone sooner than that. Good thing you baked extra sweet potatoes so you can make more dip!

Slightly adapted, with permission, from The Perfect Blend, copyright 2016 Tess Masters. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Lazy Devils: If you use an Instant Pot to pressure steam the eggs, the peels will come right off. Lazy Devils are so much easier to make than deviled eggs, and you can top them with whatever you want!

Curry Turkey Bites + Apricot-Ginger Sauce: My boys can’t get enough of these veggie and turkey packed morsels. Know why? ’Cause I pack them with a tangy Apricot-Ginger Sauce. And all kids know that food always tastes better with a dipping sauce.

Egg Foo Young-ish: They’re delicious, portable, and flexible enough to accommodate whatever you’ve got in your fridge or freezer! I’ve used leftover roasted chicken, cooked shrimp, ground beef, and Kalua Pig in place of the chopped ham, and all variations taste amazing.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Frittata Muffins: Longtime readers know that this is one of my all-time favorite portable bites. Make a double batch and freeze the extras.

Asian Meatballs: Just add a toothpick and enjoy! (Disclaimer: there are actually a few more steps before you add the toothpick. But they’re really easy.)

Chile Lime Chicken Wings and Magic Wings: Face it: eating chicken wings straight out of the fridge is one of the best things in the world. These two are among my favorite variations. By the way, do you know the trick to eating wings properly?

Paleo Shrimp-Stuffed Mushrooms: These Chinese dim sum inspired bites taste especially delicious with a squirt of Whole30 sriracha on ’em.

Spicy Tuna Cakes: These kicky little bites are loaded with flavor, and can be made ahead and frozen. Thaw them by popping them in your fridge overnight, and then pack them in your lunchbox.

Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites: Don’t mistake this for just another fancy-looking appetizer—it makes a killer lunch, too. Besides, just imagine your coworkers’ faces when you break out a whole tray of these cucumber bites while they gnaw on their boring sandwiches.

Here’s my slow cooker bone broth recipe and my pressure cooker/Instant Pot recipe, but use them as general templates. These days, I only make broth in my Instant Pot because it can be done in a jiffy, with no babysitting required. Whenever my kids wake up and tell me that they have a sore throat, I dump frozen bones, water, and aromatics in the Instant Pot, and the broth is done in a couple of hours or faster.

During cold and flu season, I try to keep plenty of broth on hand, so I usually throw the ingredients in the Instant Pot before I go to bed. The broth is magically ready (and kept warm in the Instant Pot) when I wake up. In the morning, I strain the soup and follow these steps to store my extra bone broth in the fridge and freezer.

(If you’re too busy to make broth, no worries! You can purchase high quality broth at the store or online these days. Remember: We’re aiming for progress, not perfection!)

Once you’ve got some broth on hand, here are some wonderful Whole30-friendly soups you can make at home:

Simple Egg Drop Soup: Let’s start with the easiest soup first. Add more veggies and cooked protein to bulk it up!

Pork and Napa Cabbage Soup: My family slurps up this hearty soup without any complaints and yours will, too!

Instant Pot Curried Cream of Broccoli Soup (and here’s the original stovetop method): An oldie but goodie that you can make in a pressure cooker or the old fashioned way. Add crispy Kalua Pig to make it a complete meal!

Watercress & Chicken Soup: Another comforting soup that reminds me off my mom.

Chinese Chicken and Bok Choy Soup: If you’ve got a copy of The Whole30 Cookbook, you can find my umami-packed recipe on pg. 122!

Carrot + Cardamom Soup: This popular soup recipe is from our first cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food For Humans, but you can also find it here. It’s like a bowl of sunshine on a dreary day!

Go get your soup on, people!

The best part? It’s just 30 days. You’ll be done by the end of the month.

Frankly, if you’re doing the Whole30 in January, the biggest challenge you’ll face this month will be boring food. But I’m here to keep that from happening! In conjunction with the January 2nd start of a worldwide Whole30 challenge, I’m going to exclusively post Whole30-compliant recipes on my blog, Facebook page, and Instagram feed this month. Who knows? By the time February comes around, you might feel so great that you’ll adopt this as your new lifestyle!

Ready?

Just the Facts, Ma’am

If you’re unsure of how to approach the Whole30 or want to understand the whys behind the protocol, go straight to the source: get yourself a copy of The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom. This is the definitive guide to the Whole30—and it’s packed with recipes, too.

In a rush? Review this post, which is chock-full of links to everything to help you dive right into a Whole30. You can also sign up for my free email newsletter and I’ll send you a weekly roundup of my latest posts, recipes, and alerts about my weekly Wednesday Facebook Live cooking demos. Plus, every new recipe I post in January will be Whole30-friendly, similar to the bulk of the ones in my free Recipe Index.

In other words, keep your eyes peeled!

Channel Your Inner Ina Garten!

The best way to successfully navigate a Whole30 is to get in the kitchen and cook your way to success. Even if you’re a kitchen newbie, my step-by-step Whole30 recipes will ensure a delicious and easy meal in no time at all. As much as cooking may seem like a chore, it really needs to be a non-negotiable habit, like flossing your teeth. Only by cooking your own meals can you insure that you’re fueling your body the right way. Cooking can’t just be a once-in-a-while hobby, my friend. You gotta get in the habit of doing it regularly.

Prefer to get a feel for how a Whole30 looks over a month’s time? You can read up on my previous Whole30 experiences here. Plus, I’ve also compiled a list of TWO MONTHS’ WORTH of daily Whole30-friendly recipes for you. Check ’em out here!

Looking for even more nomtastic Whole30 eats? Go pick up a copy of Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans, my James Beard Award-nominated, New York Times-bestselling cookbook.

It’s stuffed to the gills with Whole30 goodness—in fact, just about all of the recipes in the book are Whole30-compliant. Here’s a downloadable and printable list of the 100+ Whole30 recipes in my book! (Unfortunately, our upcoming cookbook, Ready or Not, won’t be out until this summer, but if you like what you’ve cooked so far, you can pre-order the new book now. Ready or Not will be packed with over 150 recipes, and more than 130 of them are Whole30-friendly!)

And if you have an iPhone or iPad, download my Webby Award-winning cookbook app, which contains over 150 (and counting!) step-by-step recipes, a 30-day meal plan that takes you through breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and an entire category of recipes devoted to Whole30 dishes. Plus, all new recipes on the blog are automatically added to the app for free without you having to install a new update.

Searching for even more Whole30 recipes? Get the brand-spanking new The Whole30 Cookbook which is chock full of simple and 100% compliant recipes, with contributions from your favorite bloggers and cookbook authors. You’ll even find some from me!

And of course, my buddy Melissa Joulwan is the queen of creating effortless, flavor-packed Whole30 recipes. For those of you who already own her first two cookbooks, Well Fed and Well Fed 2, you need to add her latest, Well Fed Weeknights, to the mix.

Plan for Success

When it comes to figuring out what to cook each day, some folks prefer to improvise, but others crave more structure and direction. If that’s you, and you want help with meal planning and shopping, I recommend subscribing to the Real Plans meal planning tool. It is truly the most amazing, interactive, customizable meal planning program I’ve ever encountered. Plus, you can get my recipes and a ton of Whole30-compliant ones in Real Plans as well. Learn more about it here!

Stock Your Kitchen Like A Paleo Boss

Step one is easy: start by tossing the crap from your kitchen. Next, go grocery shopping. If you need advice about what to buy, download these free PDFs and read my post about how to stock your fridge, freezer, and pantry. (But don’t stock any treats during your Whole30!)

What? You need guidance on buying kitchen tools, too? Check out Episode 10 of the Nom Nom Paleo podcast, Essential Cooking Tools. (Psst! If you’ve got room in your budget for one more tool, I’d invest in an Instant Pot. An electric pressure cooker is life-changing and joy-sparking.)

That’s it for now, but stay tuned this month. I’ll do my best to keep you on the right track throughout January with posts that’ll get you through your Whole30 in style. Remember: keep your kitchen adventures fun and your taste buds excited, and you’ll cruise through the Whole30. Make this journey a delicious one, and it’ll become a lifestyle.

Here’s to a tasty, healthy, and successful January Whole30!

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 pounds beef chuck roast, boneless short ribs, or beef brisket cut into 1½- to 2-inch cubes

Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand)

1 tablespoon ghee, avocado oil, or fat of choice

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and quartered

2 tablespoons tomato paste

6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

2 tablespoons coconut aminos (or gluten-free tamari if you tolerate fermented soy)

1 teaspoon Red Boat Fish Sauce

2 fresh thyme sprigs (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

1 dried bay leaf

freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped

Optional add-ins:

3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

Equipment

Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker

Large mixing bowl

Cutting board

Chef’s knife

Measuring spoons

Measuring cups

Silicone spatula

Method

In a large bowl, toss the cubed beef with 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt.

Press the “Sauté” button on your Instant Pot and when the metal insert is hot, add your preferred cooking fat. Once the fat’s melted, add the onions and mushrooms and a ½ teaspoon kosher salt.

Sauté until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.

(If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, melt the fat over medium heat and sauté the onions and mushrooms.)

Stir in the tomato paste and garlic, and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Toss in the salted beef, coconut aminos…

…fish sauce…

…thyme, and bay leaf.

Give everything a good stir to combine all the ingredients. (No, you don’t need to add any extra liquid to the Instant Pot ’cause the onions and beef will release plenty of liquid! However, if you’re using an older stovetop pressure cooker, you may need to add ½ cup of broth or water.)

Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button on the Instant Pot and cover and lock the lid. Next, press the “Meat/Stew” button to switch to the pressure cooking mode. If your beef cubes are smaller than mine, you can press the “minus” button to decrease the cooking time from the preset 35 minutes (high pressure). Once the pot is programmed, walk away.

(If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker, you won’t have all those buttons to press. Just cook on high heat until high pressure is reached. Then, reduce the heat to low to maintain high pressure for about 30 minutes.)

When the stew is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to a “Keep Warm” mode. If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker instead, remove the pot from the heat. In either case, let the pressure release naturally (about 15 minutes). If the pressure hasn’t released completely after 15 minutes and you’re impatient, you can manually release the pressure by turning the valve at the top to venting.

Fish out the thyme and bay leaf…

..and check that the meat is fork tender. If not, cook for another 10 minutes under high pressure.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

If you’re eating the stew right away, you can skim the fat off the top of the stew. Braising cuts like chuck roast and short ribs are fattier, but that’s why they taste so good!

Ladle out the stew…

…and adorn with some chopped Italian parsley. 

I love to make this stew ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer to reheat later. The stew will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months. It’s like a gift to your future, busy self!

Wish there were some root veggies in your beef stew? You can certainly plop them in at the start of this recipe, but they’ll melt into the stew. If that floats your boat, go ahead and do it. Personally, I like to add root vegetables after the stew is cooked or when I reheat the stew in the pressure cooker. 

Here’s how I do it:

Before I reheat the stew, I scoop off the hardened fat layer on top…

…and dump the stew in my Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker.

I like to toss in diced carrots and cubed potatoes…

…and stir ’em in.

Then, I pressure-cook everything for 5 minutes under high pressure. (Press the Manual button and the “-” button to decrease 30 to 5 minutes.)

I manually release the pressure right away, stir, and adjust for seasoning.

Shazam! Dinner’s ready in a flash.

Break out your pressure cooker, folks. You’ll be happy you did!

(Psst! Bookmark this post because it’s my ever-growing list of Instant Pot/pressure cooker recipes!)

Serves 4

Ingredients

½ pound bacon, cut crosswise into ¼-inch pieces

2 pounds white-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled

2 large carrots, peeled (the fatter, the better for spiralizing)

1 small yellow onion, peeled

Kosher salt

1 medium lime

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons minced chives

Equipment

Chef’s knife

Cutting board

Cast iron skillet

Slotted spoon

Oxo Spiralizer or The Inspiralizer (You can’t go wrong with either one!)

Rimmed baking sheet

Kitchen shears

Measuring spoons

Tongs

Ove glove

Method

Preheat your oven to 400°F on convection mode (or, if you don’t have a convection function on your oven, set it to 425°F on regular mode), with the rack in the middle position.

While the oven is heating up, toss the bacon bits into a large skillet and crank the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally until all the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 15 minutes.

While the bacon is turning into crunchy porky bits, spiralize the sweet potatoes, carrots, and onion. Yep, you can spiralize all of them. To ensure success, make sure you’ve got thick ’n girthy veggies (at least 1½ inches in diameter) and make sure the ends are sliced smoothly and evenly. For more on how to spiralize like a boss, check out these tips.

Grab a rimmed baking sheet and place the veggie noodles on top. If the strands are crazy-long, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the swoodles into more manageable lengths.

When the bacon bits are crunchy…

…use a slotted spoon to transfer them onto a paper towel-lined plate.

Toss the vegetable noodles with 1½ teaspoons kosher salt…

…and the reserved bacon drippings.

(If you want to make this dish vegetarian-friendly, substitute ⅓ cup olive oil or avocado oil in place of the bacon grease.)

Place the tray of veggies into the oven and roast for a total of 35 to 45 minutes, stirring the veggies every 10-15 minutes to make sure they cook evenly.

The swoodles are done when the veggies are tender and have crispy bits all over. Watch your veggies like a hawk in the last 10 minutes to ensure that the onions and sweet potatoes don’t burn!

Squirt on the juice from one lime and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pro tip: the best way to extract as much juice as possible from a lime is to cut slices parallel to the central core. This method ensures that a lot of surface area is exposed and the seeds are left in the center.

Top the roasted swoodles with a shower of chopped parsley, chives, and crispy bacon bits.

Serve immediately with your favorite roasted meats or seafood.

If you’ve got any leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for a few months.

Psst! Here’s a great breakfast idea: in the morning, make a yummy fried egg in a swoodle nest!

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) skinless and boneless cod fillets (I buy frozen cod fillets with the Marine Stewardship Council label)

Kosher salt

2 cups Paleo-friendly marinara sauce or salsa

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (e.g. chives, Italian parsley, basil, or cilantro)

Equipment

10-inch skillet with lid

Fish spatula

Cutting board

Chef’s knife

Meat thermometer

Method

If you’re using frozen fillets, thaw the fish overnight in the refrigerator. Don’t be frustrated if the fillets aren’t completely thawed by dinnertime; simply place the cod packets in a bowl and run cool water on them. Let the fillets sit in the water for 10-15 minutes, and they should be ready to go.

(Obviously, you can skip the step above if you’re using fresh cod.) 

Blot the fish with paper towels…

…and sprinkle both sides with salt.

Grab a skillet with a lid, and pour in about two cups of marinara sauce or salsa. The skillet should be large enough to fit the fillets snugly in a single layer. If you’re poaching four fillets, a 10-inch skillet works great. 

Crank the heat up to high to bring the sauce to a boil.

When the sauce is bubbling…

…carefully slip in the seasoned fillets.

Lower the heat to about medium-low—enough to maintain a simmer.

Then, cover the pan and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until the fish is opaque and cooked to your preferred doneness. Once the thickest part of the fish reaches 130°-140°F on an instant-read thermometer, I take the pan off the heat. (I know the FDA says 145°F is the safe temperature for cooked fish, but for my tastes, that’s overdone. Instead, I refer to this chart for fish cooking times.)

Top the fish with freshly cracked black pepper and a shower of fresh herbs.

I like to garnish the cod with Italian parsley, basil, and chives when I poach in marinara sauce, and cilantro and green onions when I poach in salsa. I’m flexible like that.

Serve the saucy fish with a giant green salad, a big platter of roasted vegetables, or cauliflower rice. How easy was that?

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ghee or fat of choice

1 small onion, diced

Kosher salt

1 pound ground pork (ground chicken thighs, beef, and turkey also work)

6 large fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced (dried and reconstituted ’shrooms work, too)

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups bone broth or stock

1 head Napa cabbage (2 pounds), cut crosswise into 1-inch segments (bok choy or Savoy cabbage are good alternatives)

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into coins

1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Freshly ground black pepper

3 scallions, thinly sliced

Equipment

Large pot or Instant Pot pressure cooker

Chef’s knife

Cutting board

Silicone spatula

Method

Heat the ghee in a large pot over medium heat. When the fat is shimmering, toss in the diced onion with a sprinkle of salt.

Sauté the onions, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 3 minutes).

Add the ground pork and break it up with a spatula.

Stir in the sliced mushrooms and another sprinkle of salt.

Cook the pork and mushrooms until the meat is no longer pink and the shiitakes are tender (about 5 to 7 minutes).

Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Pour in the broth and crank up the heat to high. Bring everything to a boil.

Then, stir in the cabbage, carrots and potato, and bring the soup back to a boil. Don’t worry about cramming too many veggies into the pot—the cabbage will cook down! 

Lower the heat to medium or medium low to maintain a simmer, and partially cover the soup with a lid, leaving a crack so it doesn’t boil over.

Simmer the soup, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are easily pierced with a fork (about 15 minutes). Peek under the lid to make sure that the soup isn’t boiling over or barely percolating, and adjust the heat up or down as needed.

If you want to make this soup in a pressure cooker, sauté the ingredients in the pressure cooker as directed above. When you’re ready to simmer the soup, close and lock the lid; then, cook it under high pressure for 3-5 minutes. Release the pressure manually when the soup is finished cooking.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh scallions.

If you’ve got leftovers, you can store ’em in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for several months. Try this soup for breakfast on a chilly morning, and you’ll never crave a soggy bowl of cereal again!

Equipment

Chef’s knife

Cutting board

Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (or stovetop pressure cooker)

Dry measuring cups

Liquid measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Silicone spatula

Immersion blender

Method

Start by prepping your ingredients! A note about choppin’ broccoli: don’t waste the stems. Go ahead and trim off the hard, woody exterior of the stems, but cut up and use the soft flesh underneath.

As for the leeks, they make look pristine, but there’s still plenty of dirt hidden in the folds. Keeping the root end intact, cut the rest of the leek in half lengthwise. Give the leek a quarter-turn, and then slice it lengthwise again (at a right angle from the initial cut)—again, keeping the root end intact. Then, fan the leaves under running water to release the sand and mud. Finally, flick off the excess water and slice away.

No leeks? Dice up two large onions (approximately 1½ pounds total), and you’re good to go.

Turn on the sauté function on the Instant Pot, and add your fat of choice once the stainless steel insert is hot. Add the chopped leeks, shallots…

…curry powder, and a sprinkle of salt.

Cook, stirring often, until the alliums are softened (about 5 minutes) and the curry is fragrant.

Throw in the chopped broccoli…

…and apple. (A long time ago, my chef sister Fiona shared with me that diced apple is her secret ingredient in puréed soups!)

Stir to mix well.

Add the broth. If the vegetables aren’t mostly submerged, add more water, but make sure that the pressure cooker isn’t more than about ⅔ full.

Press the “Cancel/Keep Warm” button on the Instant Pot, and position the electric pressure cooker under the stovetop vent. You don’t have to move the pressure cooker under the vent, but you’ll protect your fancy kitchen cabinets from the steam when you release the pressure manually. (It goes without saying that you shouldn’t turn on the burner if your Instant Pot is on the stove. C’mon, people.)

Program the cooker for 5 minutes under high pressure. (You can hit the “Manual” button and press the “—” button until the 30 decreases to 5.) Place the lid on the pressure cooker and go goof off (or, if you’re a more responsible parent than I am, go help your kids with their homework).

When the soup is finished cooking, turn off the pressure cooker and release the pressure manually under the stovetop vent. If you overfill the Instant Pot, some liquid might spurt out the top, so be careful!

Then, use an immersion blender to blitz the soup. The result should be a smooth, aromatic green purée.

Add the coconut milk…

…season to taste with salt and pepper…

…and blend to incorporate it into the soup. Taste the soup for seasoning (again) and add salt and pepper if necessary.

Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.

To make this a one pot meal, mix in some leftover meat. I like to add crisped-up leftover Kalua Pork—and if I’m feeling fancy, I add a pretty herb garnish at the end (e.g. some chives). No one will be the wiser that you’re serving them the dregs from your fridge.

You can save the leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for several months!

Become a Veg-o-Matic.

Leafy greens pack a nutritious punch and add color to your meals, but kale, chard, and collard greens are practically useless to you if you’re staring down dinner and they’re unwashed and uncut. Ditto for salad greens, carrots, cucumbers, celery, and dozens of other veggies. My advice: Wash them, cut them, and store them as soon as you get home from the grocery store. It might add about 20 minutes to your grocery-shopping adventures, but it will ultimately save you time—and make it easier to eat more veggies. Wash hearty greens, remove the ribs, spin them dry, then store them in a ziplock bag so they’re ready to go when you are. Wash and trim carrots and celery, then store in an airtight container with a little water so they stay crisp. Wash and spin salad greens and fresh herbs, then store in a ziplock bag with a damp paper towel to keep them from wilting. If you can become your own veggie-processing engine, meal time will be faster and easier.

Opt for fast-cooking proteins.

First, a disclaimer: There is no sexier hunk on the planet than Michelle’s Kalua Pig—and thanks to her Instant Pot recipes, you can make a lot of delicious meals more quickly. But if you’re like me, and you’re just working with a stove and a skillet, fast proteins like chicken breasts and thighs, pork loin, thin steaks, shrimp, and ground meats are the answer. They’re loaded with flavor, very versatile, and transform from raw to done in a flash. The recipes in Well Fed Weeknights are built around these fast-cooking proteins.

Arm yourself with the right tools in the right place.

Unless you have the knife skills of Gordon Ramsey or can channel the ghost of Julia Child with a wire whisk, it’s unlikely that you can julienne, mince, or purée as quickly as a gadget can. I resisted the lure of a stick blender for years, and now I wonder how I got by without it. My go-to gadgets for fast cooking are a stick blender and pint-size Mason jar for making sauces and salad dressings, and a mandoline or a food processor with a slicing blade to julienne and to make cuts thinner than I ever could with a knife. I also rely on my spiralizer for making zucchini noodles, although if you don’t want another appliance, a julienne peeler works great, too. And I’m madly in love with my meat hamer! I use it to pound protein into thin cutlets that cook evenly and to smash plantains before frying.

Once you have the tools you need, put them in the right place! They’re no good to you inside a cabinet or trapped in the back of a drawer. If you can spare a corner of counter space for your equipment, you’ll be able to move faster and with less frustration. You’re essentially the head chef of your kitchen, so make your space work for you.

Don’t wait until you’re hungry.

You already know that it’s a pretty terrible idea to go grocery shopping without a list or when you’re hungry—and it’s not a great idea to wait to cook until you’re stomach is rumbling. Kitchen tasks are so much more daunting when you need to eat right now. So I recommend a mini-cookup once a week to stock your fridge with the raw materials for fast, satisfying meals. Just set aside about an hour to prep a few paleo building blocks, then you can use those food Legos to construct awesome meals all week long.

Roast or grill chicken thighs or breasts

Brown ground meat

Hard cook a dozen eggs

Blend a jar of salad dressing

Whip up a batch of homemade mayo

Turn 2-3 pounds of zucchini into noodles with a spiralizer

Grate 1-2 heads of cauliflower into “rice”

Boil 2-3 pounds of potatoes or roast sweet potatoes

With these meal basics stored in the fridge, you’re only about 15 minutes away from a delicious, nutritious meal. You can use the chicken and cauliflower rice to make fried rice—or toss the zucchini noodles with chicken or cooked ground meat and your favorite tomato sauce for a quick Italian dinner. Assemble a big, ol’ salad with raw veggies, cooked chicken, hard-boiled eggs, and homemade salad dressing. Make hash with the ground meat and potatoes—or mix both with beaten eggs for a fast frittata. Combine hard-boiled eggs and mayo for egg salad, or turn them into Michelle’s Lazy Devils. There are dozens of ways to mix and match these ingredients to create tasty meals quickly.

Clean up last.

I have a hard time concentrating when my kitchen is messy, but I’ve learned that if I want to cook with speed, I have to let some of my perfectionism slide. I’m not suggesting that you should cook in the middle of chaos, but you can just set aside used equipment to be washed up later, or—even better!—recruit an assistant to wash while you cook. Once you’ve got your meal simmering on the stove or roasting in the oven, you can restore order to the kitchen. But you can also let the dishes languish until after dinner so you can focus on your food. Kitchen clean-up is so much easier with a full belly!

And my final tip: Build a collection of recipes you can rely on when you need to make dinner fast. I asked Michelle to choose a recipe from Well Fed Weeknights that you can add it to your “fast recipe” collection, and she picked Dan Dan Noodles, a.k.a “noodles on a pole.” I think she chose wisely.

Dan Dan Noodles from Well Fed Weeknights

Dan Dan Noodles are one of the most popular street foods in Sichuan (a.k.a. Szechuan) province of southwestern China. The cuisine of the region is known for its bold flavors, with lots of garlic, chiles, and Sichuan pepper. The name “dan dan” refers to the pole that noodle vendors used to sell their wares. It was carried across their shoulders, a basket of noodles on one end and the spicy sauce on the other. Traditionally, the noodles swim in a face-tingling broth and are topped with minced pork and preserved vegetables. This fast, paleo version uses zucchini noodles for slurping, cornichons for an acidic tang, and a separate chili oil so you can customize the heat.

Total time: 40–45 minutes

Tools: peeler, microplane grater, spiralizer, colander

Ingredients: (Serves 2-4 people)

For the noodles:

2 pounds zucchini

2 teaspoons salt

For the chili oil:

½ cup light-tasting olive or avocado oil

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

½-inch piece of cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes

For the pork:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2-inch piece fresh ginger

1 jalapeño

3 cloves garlic

1½ pounds ground pork

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons tahini or almond butter

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ cup coconut aminos

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

pinch coconut sugar

⅓ cup cornichons

garnish: a handful cashews, 2–3 scallions

Directions:

Make the noodles. Julienne the zucchini with the spiralizer. Place the noodles in a colander and toss them with the salt until the strands are lightly coated. Set the colander in the sink to drain while you prep the other ingredients.

Make the chili oil. In a small saucepan, combine the oil, peppercorns, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes. Warm the oil over medium-low heat while you cook.

Cook the pork. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 2 minutes. While the oil heats, peel and grate the ginger, mince the jalapeño, and peel and crush the garlic. Add the aromatics to the oil and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Crumble the pork into the pan, season with the salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it’s browned, 7–10 minutes.

Make the sauce. While the pork cooks, place the tahini, sesame oil, Chinese five-spice, and black pepper in a small bowl and mix with a fork. Add the coconut aminos, vinegar, and sugar; stir until combined. Chop the cornichons and set them aside.

Put it together. Add the sauce to the meat in the skillet and stir to coat the meat. Add the cornichons to the skillet, toss to combine, and transfer the meat mixture to a large bowl. Reheat the skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse the zucchini noodles under running water, drain well, and squeeze them dry in a clean dish towel. Add the noodles to the heated pan and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until hot. Return the meat to the pan and toss with two wooden spoons to combine; allow it to heat through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cinnamon stick from the chili oil and discard it. Set the oil aside to cool. Chop the cashews and scallions.

To serve, divide the noodles among individual bowls and top with a drizzle of chili oil, then sprinkle with cashews and scallions.

Cookup Tips

Spiralize the zucchini, make the chili oil, and prep the sauce in advance; store everything in separate airtight containers in the fridge. When it’s time to eat, cook the pork and put it all together according to the directions.

For 127 more delicious recipes like this one, please check out my new cookbook Well Fed Weeknights. When you pre-order through my online store, you’ll also receive awesome free bonuses, including an exclusive 1-month Epic Well Fed Dinner Plan, plus goodies from ButcherBox, Thrive Market, and Paleo Magazine. You can also pre-order from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

If you need more convincing—or want to start cooking some of the Well Fed Weeknights recipes before the book is officially launched on November 1—you can download a free 70-page sampler that features 18 recipes.

Makes 8 eggs

Ingredients

8 large eggs (or the maximum that will fit in a single layer in the steamer insert)

1 cup water

Optional toppings for Lazy Devils

Guacamole + Sliced Radishes

Mayonnaise + Furikake + Sliced Persian Cucumbers

Chipotle Lime Mayonnaise + Furikake + Sliced Scallions

Chipotle Lime Mayonnaise + Prosciutto + Sliced Cucumbers + Scallions

Any spread + your favorite topping! (Check out our first cookbook for more ideas!

Equipment

Instant Pot

Silicone steamer insert

Measuring cup

Large bowl

Method

Pour 1 cup of water in the stainless steel insert of your Instant Pot.

Place the silicone steamer insert inside…

…and carefully arrange your eggs straight from the fridge in a single layer on top. 

Interlock the handles of the silicone steamer before securing the lid on top.

Lock the lid, and make sure the dial on top is pointed towards the sealed position.

Position your pressure cooker in a place where it won’t ruin the cabinets when you release the pressure manually. I like to put it under my stovetop hood because it sucks up all the steam. (Of course, if you’re the type of absentminded professor who’ll turn on the stove because you forgot that you have an electrical appliance sitting on the stovetop, don’t do this. Instead, place the electric pressure on a surface that isn’t directly underneath anything that can be ruined by escaping steam.)

Set the pressure cooker to cook under high pressure for 6 minutes.

In my experience, it takes about 10 minutes to reach high pressure with cold water from the tap, and an additional 6 minutes to finish cooking. In the meantime, you can fill a big mixing bowl with water and ice cubes.

As soon as the eggs are finished cooking, manually release the pressure by turning the vent on top to “Venting.”

Carefully grab the handles of the silicone steamer and deposit the eggs into the ice bath.

I chill them in the bath for about 5 minutes, but it’s okay to soak ’em for longer.

The shells should come off pretty easily, even with farm-fresh pasture-raised eggs. You can store the cooked eggs in the shell for about a week.

See? Pretty yellow yolks, with no sulfurous stink or gray-green rings around the edges!

Once you have these eggs in the fridge, you can do all sorts of cool stuff with them. I like to make what I coined “Lazy Devils” in our first cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food For Humans. They’re kinda like deviled eggs, but you don’t need any skills or time to make them. Simply cut the hard cooked eggs in half, slather on your favorite spread (e.g., mayo, guacamole, tonnato sauce, etc.) and adorn with your favorite toppings.

Here are some of my faves:

Guacamole + Sliced Radishes

Mayonnaise + Furikake + Sliced Persian Cucumbers

Chipotle Lime Mayonnaise + Furikake + Sliced Scallions

Chipotle Lime Mayonnaise + Prosciutto + Sliced Cucumbers + Scallions

Now go make yourself some eggstraordinary nibbles!

Serves 4

Ingredients

6 dried shiitake mushrooms

1 tablespoon ghee

1 cup thinly-sliced shallots (about 3 large)

Kosher salt

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into thin coins

6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup bone broth

1 teaspoon fish sauce`

¼ cup sliced green onions/scallions

¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Equipment

Bowl

Oven-safe 12-inch stainless steel pan or cast iron skillet

Cutting board

Chef’s knife

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Meat thermometer

Oven gloves (super important!)

Method

Dried shiitake mushrooms are one of the key components to this dish. They pack a giant wallop of flavor ’cause they have more than 15 times the amount of umami as fresh shiitake mushrooms. Plus, you can keep them in your pantry for months and pull them out whenever you need an extra burst of flavor. I’m convinced that my mom’s cooking tastes so good because she adds reconstituted dried shiitake to EVERYTHING.

Of course, you do need to reconstitute these dried mushrooms in water before using them (unless you’re throwing them in a soup), and they need time to rehydrate. The package normally says to soak them for 30 minutes, but I’ve found that it always takes longer. If you’re planning to make this chicken dish, take a few minutes earlier in the day to rinse the dried mushrooms to remove dirt. Then, put the mushrooms in a large bowl and cover with water.

When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle position.

Heat a 12-inch oven-safe heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Melt one tablespoon of ghee in the hot pan, add the sliced shallots, and a sprinkle of salt.

Cook until the shallots are softened, stirring occasionally. This should take 5-10 minutes.

While the shallots are cooking, sprinkle kosher salt liberally (about 2 teaspoons) on both sides of the chicken pieces.

Squeeze out the excess liquid from the reconstituted mushrooms, slice off the woody stems (which can be reserved for bone broth)…

…and thinly slice the caps.

Once the shallots have wilted, add the sliced mushrooms, ginger, and garlic.

Stir-fry for about a minute or until aromatic. Transfer the vegetables to a plate.

Return the pan to the stovetop, wipe out any remnants with a paper towel, and increase the heat to medium-high. Then, sear the chicken pieces skin-side down in the hot pan until nicely browned and crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes.

While the skin is crisping, add freshly ground black pepper to the meaty side.

When the skin is golden brown…

…flip the pieces over and cook for 2 minutes more.

Stir the fish sauce into the broth and pour it in the pan, making sure to avoid pouring the liquid on the crispy skin.

Add the reserved shallots, mushrooms, and garlic back to the pan, tucking them in between the chicken pieces. Again, make sure not to cover the skin!

Transfer the pan to the hot oven and roast the chicken for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. (You have a meat thermometer, right? Use it!)

Put on your heat-proof oven gloves, before you grab the pan.

Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust as needed. Garnish the chicken with a shower of sliced scallions and cilantro, and dig in!

By the way, this dish tastes fantastic with my Asian Cauliflower Fried Rice. Just sayin’.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 (13.5 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

2.5 ounces cold water

1 tablespoon honey (amount is up to your taste!)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup chia seeds (grab your free chia while supplies last!)

Optional garnishes:

Diced fresh fruit

Toasted coconut flakes

Toasted nuts

Equipment

Large liquid measuring cup or beaker

Measuring spoons

Measuring cups

Immersion blender

Spoon

Storage container (I like using a Weck jar)

Serving cups (I like 250 mL beakers)

Method

In a large measuring cup, bowl, or beaker, combine the coconut milk, water, honey…

…vanilla, and cinnamon. (If you want to use another alternative milk, be my guest! Just substitute 2 cups for the coconut milk + water.)

Blend until smooth.

Pour in the chia seeds and stir well to combine. (Psst! You can get a free bag of chia seeds from Thrive Market while supplies last by clicking here.)

Leave the mixture on the counter for at least 30 minutes so the chia can absorb the liquid and plump up.

Stir one last time. You’ll notice that the mixture has started to thicken.

Cover and place in the fridge overnight or until it firms up (about 4 hours). You can keep your chia pudding in a sealed container in the fridge for about a week or so.

When you’re ready to eat, take the pudding out of the fridge. The chia pudding should be nice and thick when you scoop into it.

Grab your favorite fruit and toast some coconut flakes.

In a cup or jar (or in my case, more chemistry lab beakers), alternate layers of chia pudding and fruit. Top it all off with crunchy coconut flakes.

Last but not least, dig in!

Serves 6

Ingredients

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (~2.5 pounds)

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon ghee, avocado oil, or olive oil

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped

½ pound (227 grams)  cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered

3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups (400 g) cherry tomatoes

½ cup (60 g) pitted green olives (I love Castelvetrano olives)

¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

½ cup (14 g) loosely packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

¼ cup  (7 g) loosely packed fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped

Equipment

Instant Pot electric pressure cooker or stovetop pressure cooker

Measuring spoons

Measuring cups

Cutting board

Chef’s knife

Silicone spatula

Stainless steel scraper

Ladle

Immersion blender (optional)

Method

Grab your chicken thighs and sprinkle ¾ teaspoons kosher salt all over them. You can do this part up to two days in advance, and keep the chicken covered in the fridge.

Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot or heat a stovetop pressure cooker over medium heat. Add your fat of choice.  

When the fat is shimmering, add the onions, carrots, and mushrooms, and a ½ teaspoon salt.

Sauté the vegetables until the softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and tomato paste, and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add the salted chicken, cherry tomatoes and green olives to the pot.

Give it all a good stir.

Turn off the sauté function, and lock the lid on the pressure cooker. 

I position my Instant Pot under my stovetop exhaust vent before I program the pressure cooking so that when the chicken’s done and I immediately release the pressure, the vent will suck up all the steam. Your kitchen cabinets will thank you. (Stick a cutting board underneath your cooker if your stovetop grates aren’t even—and remember not to turn on your stove!)

If you’re using an Instant Pot, press the “Manual” button and set the cooking time to 7 minutes for chicken breasts (if your chicken boobs are bigger than 8 ounces each, you can cut them in half or increase the cooking time to 9 minutes) and 10 minutes for thighs. Bone-in thighs will take 15 minutes to cook under high pressure. (For those of you using a stovetop pressure cooker, crank the heat to high to bring the contents to high pressure. Once high pressure is reached, reduce the heat to low, or just enough to maintain high pressure. Set a timer for 6 minutes for breasts and 9 minutes for thighs.)

When the chicken is finished cooking, turn on the stovetop exhaust fan before turning the pressure cooker valve to release the steam. 

Remove the lid right away to prevent overcooking. Add the freshly cracked black pepper and adjust the seasoning with additional salt as needed.

If you want a thicker gravy, remove the chicken and blend up the vegetables and cooking liquid with an immersion blender. Personally, I don’t have time for this step. BECAUSE I’M HOT AND TIRED, REMEMBER?

Stir in the fresh herbs, and serve immediately.

Wondering what to serve with this? This stew tastes great ladled over cauliflower rice or garlic cauliflower mashed “potatoes.”

Or just eat it as-is if you don’t want to dirty any other pots or pans.

Toss any leftovers (covered, of course) in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

Want more pressure cooker recipes? I’ve got ’em all right here!