Food: Instant Pot – Beef and Broccoli

Ok, let’s be real.  We all love take-out.  It’s easy, it’s fast, no cleanup, and no cooking.  But- over time, it can ding your bank account.  Not to mention, ding your health.

All the preservatives that they use as well as the quality of food cannot be good for your body.  Let me be clear, I am no health nut, though I should be.  I’m not on a diet- which I probably should be too.  I certainly am not rolling in money, but I certainly wish I was.

I absolutely have and probably will indulge in the occasional take-out.  But ever since I received my Instant Pot, I’ve really wanted to cook more!  It’s just fun.  I think having this blog helps too.  The more recipes I make, the more I like it!  I know exactly what I’m eating.  You see, I used to buy preseasoned food- or the premade stuff so it was quick and ready.  Time is just so precious lately.  Sometimes take-out was the best way to go.

Now, however, I can make things from scratch and it will not take me 3-4 hours to cook.  It’s at most 30-45 minutes of my time.  It takes a bit longer when I blog the recipe- but it’s so worth it.  😉

 

So when I found this recipe on Pressure Cooking Today.  I was sold.  I must try it.  Plus- I rarely get to use my super adorable bowls, chopsticks and rests!  Perfect!

Funny that I am posting this on National Chopsticks Day!
Here are some fun facts about chopsticks, thanks to Everything Chopsticks, I bet you didn’t know:

• About 1/3 of the world uses chopsticks every day!
• Chopsticks were developed 5,000 years ago in China
• Each year about 60-80 billion disposable chopsticks are used every year consuming the equivalent of 20 million trees.  EEEK!
• In early Chinese dynasties, emperors used silver chopsticks thinking they would turn dark if they came into contact with poison. Silver chopsticks were highly prized and if a commoner was caught using them they would be imprisoned or sometimes executed.
• Never stick your chopsticks vertically in your rice.  This is a big no-no in Japan.  It can mean bad luck or remind one of a funeral.  Chopsticks hold an important place in Japanese Buddhist funerals. A pair of chopsticks stuck upright in a bowl of rice and placed on the altar is an offering to the spirit of a deceased relative.  Just use your chopstick rest.
• Each country or region has their own style of chopsticks. Chinese chopsticks are very long and typically square in the handle and round in the tip. Japanese chopsticks are shorter and taper gracefully from handle to tip. Korean chopsticks are stainless steel and flat like the handle of a spoon.
• Wanna know more?  Check out this website: Everything Chopsticks University

Back to the recipe!

I used my recipe for Cilantro Lime Rice for the rice- I just didn’t add the cilantro and the lime.  I doubled the recipe for the rice and it was the perfect amount.

I know I’ve said it before, but this recipe is very yummy and super easy to make.

Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast, well trimmed and sliced into thin strips
• Fresh ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (use low sodium soy sauce for less salty)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 lb. broccoli florets
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• Toasted sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Turn on your Instant Pot to sauté.  Add in your oil.

 

 

 

If you make this recipe, be sure to take a photo and hashtag it
#MADMADAMMOM