I first tasted Indian Butter Chicken when visiting dear friends in California a couple of weeks ago. I could not believe the deliciousness I was tasting!
It was the first meal I made for my family once I got back home to the midwest and boy, it was a hit! The leftovers, which although hard to imagine, are even better than freshly made and my family fought over them the next day. This recipe will be going into our rotation for us to enjoy on a regular basis.
When I first bought my Instant Pot, I had visions of Instant Pot Homemade Yogurt jars lined up and pretty in my refrigerator, ready to grab and go. I was tired of paying too much money to buy organic yogurt or yogurt that was full of sugar. I wanted to be in control of what was in our yogurt, and have enough of it that my family could eat it every day and get a nice dose of probiotics.
I googled ‘how to make homemade yogurt in the instant pot’, and was overwhelmed and intimidated by all the ways to make homemade yogurt, even in the instant pot, which promised to make the process easier! I took some time reading through articles and watching videos on YouTube when I finally stumbled upon one video that made me think, “Ok, I could totally do that!”
What I loved about this particular video was that it was just another mom, in her kitchen, taking me through the steps. The lighting was not great, there was clutter on her counters, and the video was not polished, but boy was it practical and useful! It was the only video I watched that empowered me to try homemade yogurt myself, and I no longer felt intimidated by the process.
I will share the video at the end of this article, and walk you through the same steps she walked me through and will keep it simple as possible.
Milk
Buy 1/2 gallon of organic milk. If you want a thick, greek-type yogurt, the best results come from a full-fat milk.
Single Container of Yogurt
Buy one small container of organic plain greek yogurt of choice. This will be your starter used introduce probiotics into your new batch of yogurt. It needs to say ‘live and active cultures’ on the packaging. Very important! The cultures are what will grow as your yogurt incubates overnight at the perfect temperature thanks to the instant pot. This will be the only time you need to buy yogurt because you can use a bit of homemade yogurt as starter for the new batch.
Thermometer
The instant pot simplifies the yogurt making process so much, that you only have to use a thermometer once. Thank goodness!
Instant Pot
This is a given. It is my new best friend. It would be worth having just for yogurt, but I use it several times a week for other things, too. I love my Instant Pot!
Strainer & Paper Coffee Filters
You only need to strain if you want thick greek yogurt. I like mine nice and thick so that I can use it as a substitute for sour cream and mayonnaise in certain recipes. I’m always looking for ways to save money and get more probiotics in! In the video, she uses a nut bag. I use a normal strainer lined with coffee filters, but just ordered a fancy yogurt strainer, which is linked below.
Jars
Small jars are not necessary, but boy are they cute and convenient! The jars pictured can be purchased by clicking on this link. You could store the yogurt into one or two big jars if you prefer.
I like to start my yogurt in the evening after all the dinner dishes are done. I love being in a clean kitchen and starting in the evening gives the instant pot time to scald the milk, then cool down enough to add the starter and incubate overnight.
Scald Milk
Pour 1/2 gallon of milk into your instant pot. Close the lid. Turn knob to vent.
Set instant pot by pushing the ‘YOGURT’ button. Push the ‘ADJUST’ button until it says ‘BOIL’ and wait a few seconds and it will beep and start on its own. It should take about an hour for the milk to boil. This is when I walk away and go read a book! No need to babysit the instant pot, it brings the milk to boiling temperature automatically, then beep at you a few times and the display will say “YOGT.” When you hear this, put down your book and go unplug the instant pot. Remove lid, being careful not to let condensation drip into the milk.
Add Culture
This is the only time you need your thermometer. In the video, she checks the temperature after it boils to make sure it came up to temperature. I don’t do this because I trust the instant pot sensors to bring it to a boil then shut off. This is the beauty of using the instant pot. It has built in sensors for keeping the milk at the right temperature at the right time for yogurt making.
Remove the pot from the cooker and put on the counter to cool down to 115 degrees. This will take 30 minutes to an hour for 1/2 gallon. You can stir it to help cool it down, or just continue relaxing with a book like I do!
Once the milk reaches at least 115 degrees, it is safe to add your culture. Any warmer than this will cook your culture and the probiotics will die and the yogurt will not set. This is why you need a thermometer.
Take a cup of the milk and stir in 1/4 cup of your yogurt starter/culture, then add mixture back into the instant pot and mix well. I like to use a whisk.
Incubate the Yogurt
Put the pot back into the cooker, seal the lid, turn the knob to sealing, plug it back in, and press ‘YOGURT’. It will display “8:00” which means 8 hours. It will beep to let you know it has started the incubation process. The display will show “0:00” and start counting UP until it reaches the total 8 hours.
I love knowing the pot is keeping it at the exact temperature it needs to be for the culture to incubate and produce all those amazing little guys that will help make our guts healthy! All this while I am sleeping! Such a cool process.
Don’t be too concerned about getting to your yogurt right at the 8-hour spot. I usually get my strainer and filters ready the night before, and when I wake up I dump my yogurt right into the strainer. It usually is more like 9 hours by the time I get to it. No big deal.
Strain the Yogurt
You can pour the yogurt as it is into jars, or strain it to make thick, greek-like yogurt. I line my strainer with overlapping paper coffee filters, place it in a bowl that is the right size to hold the strained whey, pour the yogurt right in, then put it into the refrigerator for a bit.
Some people use cheesecloth, some use nut milk bags. I just ordered this amazing Euro Cuisine strainer from Amazon which has rave reviews and will make this process even easier! Coffee filters work well, but they are a bit messy after straining and I’m all about ease and efficiency.
After sitting for an hour or so in the refrigerator, I put the yogurt back into the instant pot and stir again. I then spoon it into my jars. You can dump the leftover whey, use it in your favorite biscuit recipe in place of buttermilk or google search different ways to use whey.
I sometimes use this Blueberry Compote recipe in the bottom of the jar for fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt. It is delicious! Use a cookie scoop easily get the blueberry compote into the jars.
More often than not, I just fill my little jars with plain yogurt so my family can just grab them and top them with whatever they would like. Sometimes I add vanilla for vanilla flavored yogurt. Sometimes I sweeten it with maple syrup or honey, but my yogurt turns out so nice and mild that I don’t have to use much sweetener. (NOTE: If you like a tangier yogurt, you can incubate for 12 hours instead of 8 hours. Just push the button one extra time until you see the number 12 on the display.)
Our favorite toppings are fresh berries and granola. I love topping mine with chia or the Ancient Grain and Seed Mix from Trader Joes. I have often used half a package of dry Berry and Flax Instant Oatmeal from Trader Joes. It adds just the right amount of sweet and crunch when I am in a hurry!
Sliced bananas, crumbled up granola bars, Homemade Quinoa Crunch — really the topping possibilities are endless!
A 1/2 gallon of milk makes about a quart of yogurt. It will keep about 2 weeks in the refrigerator and grows more tart over time. It really a delicious and smooth tasting yogurt, and goes down so easy! I enjoy the taste of homemade yogurt so much more than store bought yogurt. I’m amazed how filling just one little jar is when mixed with seeds and berries. It is a great way to get protein and probiotics into the body!
{the video that made me brave enough to try yogurt in my Instant Pot}
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I hope this helps take the intimidation out of making homemade yogurt for you. The instant pot and knowing the right steps makes the process very easy. Make sure you watch the video. It will help to have a visual of the process. I used this video, heavy on the pause button, the first couple times I made yogurt. It was super helpful.
What about you? Do you own an Instant Pot? Is homemade yogurt something you would want to try making in it?
This blueberry compote recipe can be made using frozen or fresh blueberries. It is sweetened with honey and has a touch of cinnamon and lemon juice to bring out the flavor of the blueberries. It is simple to make, lasts a week in the refrigerator, and can be used in so many ways! I love having a jar of it in on hand.
I’ve been all about super simple recipes, and these 3 ingredient protein pancakes could not be easier! They are my new food crush and are great for breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack or “brinner” (breakfast for dinner).
These are not fluffy, carb loaded, make-pancakes-for-your-out-of-town company type pancakes. No, these are pancakes you make when you are craving carbs or a sweet but want to eat healthy and stay away from empty calories.
After eating these pancakes, you will not have the typical sugar crash that comes 30 minutes after eating simple carbs. These kill the cravings, are low calorie, and fill you up. I make little dollar size pancakes, eat all 10 of them, and know when I’m done that I just ate 2 protein-filled eggs, a fiber-rich banana, and omega’s from the chia. If you choose to top it off like I do, with smushed berries and cinnamon, you will also have a nice dose of antioxidants! All of this with just minutes of simple prep.
236 calories, and pack a whipping 12.6 grams of protein and 540 mg of potassium!
Not a bad return for such an easy-to-make recipe. I love making recipes are simple but give a great headway into the daily nutrients our bodies need.
3 Ingredient Protein Pancakes are a great way to utilize my favorite little seed…CHIA! I’ve bragged about the punch this little seeds pack when talking about another breakfast favorite —No Cook Overnight Breakfast Chia Oat Pudding. How fun to have 2 breakfast options that include chia.
Why eat chia?
2 eggs
1 banana
1 or 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
Directions:
Blend above ingredients together. Warm non stick pan to medium heat and add a little coconut oil to the pan. Cook silver dollar size pancakes about 30 seconds on each side. Stack on a plate. Serves 1.
I smash up berries with just a touch of organic real maple syrup to sweeten, and a sprinkle of cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon juice. This is so delicious and much healthier than dousing the pancakes with syrup. If I am out of fresh berries, I will just thaw some frozen berries while I’m cooking my pancakes — they work just as well and naturally make more syrup.
{PIN IT}
*Thanks to The Skinny Confidential for both recipe ideas. Click here to see a video of this recipe.
There is nothing like a thick, rich smoothie that is healthy but tastes like dessert. These 3 smoothies are my go-to smoothies when I want a sweet, creamy treat that is filling and nutritious. The Coffee Cashew Smoothie combines chocolate and coffee, the Velvet Elvis smoothie combines banana and peanut butter, and the Chocolate Covered Cashew Smoothie is well…self-explanatory & delicious! Enjoy!
This coffee cashew smoothie is a creamy and decadant snack. I love coffee and chocolate together, and the soaked cashews give this smoothie an amazing creamy texture. It is dessert-like, but so filling, and packs a great protein punch with 5 grams!
Coffee Cashew Smoothie
1/4 cup cashews (soaked for awhile in milk to soften if you don’t have a high-speed blender)
1/2 banana, peeled (frozen optional)
1 tablespoon cacao nibs
1/2 cup ice
1/4 cup cooled coffee
1 cup milk of your choice (I use almond)
1/2 tablespoon coconut sugar (optional, or sweetener of choice)
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. I added a bit of almond butter & cocoa nibs on top for pretty.
One of my favorite smoothies comes from a local place called NuVibe Juice and Java. They have an delicious smoothie called The Velvet Elvis smoothie. It is unique, filling, creamy & tastes like a decadent peanut butter banana smoothie treat. It has Grape Nuts cereal in it which makes it extra filling. I replicated the smoothie and it is just as delicious as Nu Vibe’s!
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 banana
1/2 cup Post Grape Nuts Cereal
1 cup oats
1 1/2 cups almond milk (or milk of your choice)
2 Tbsp honey
1 cup ice
Add all ingredients to the blender. Use a high speed blender for best results. If you don’t have a high speed blender, let the oats and Grape Nuts Cereal sit in the milk for a few minutes to soften. Blend until smooth. Add more milk if needed. Consistency is right when a vortex forms in the blender and contents move freely.
{10 grams protein}
This Creamy Chocolate Covered Cashew Smoothie tastes decadent and you would never guess how nutritious it is. It has protein from the cashew butter and nuts, fiber from oats and banana, potassium, and antioxidants from the cocoa and honey.
Creamy Chocolate Covered Cashew Smoothie
{makes 2 – 15 oz smoothies}
1/4 cup cashew butter (or almond butter or peanut butter)
1 banana
1 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup cashews
1 cup oats
1 1/2 cup milk (your choice – I love almond or cashew)
2 Tbsp honey
1 cup ice
Optional: cocoa nibs
Add all ingredients to the blender. Use a high-speed blender for best results. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, let the oats and cashews sit in the milk for a few minutes to soften. Blend until smooth. Add more milk if needed. Consistency is right when a vortex forms in the blender and contents move freely.
Adding nuts or nut butters in smoothies are a great way to add protein naturally, without resorting to protein powders, and will fill you up!
Have you used nuts in smoothies? What is you favorite way to make dessert healthy?
I (like many of YOU!) took the plunge on Black Friday and purchased the Instant Pot. I just couldn’t pass it up after hearing so many rave about it! I was curious and intrigued by the fact that it wasn’t just a safe and easy-to-use electric pressure cooker, but actually several appliances in one. It seemed to be a whole new way of getting a healthy homemade dinner on the table in record time. I’m all about simple and efficient cooking, and the Instant Pot is both of those things, so I was giddy about adding it to our kitchen.
I have had the Instant Pot a little over a week, and I’ve used it to make 7 things so far. I AM HOOKED. I cannot believe the versatility of the Instant Pot, and I can’t wait to make more with it. I could use it almost daily because it has so many different uses!
You can saute in it, use it as a slow cooker, a steamer, a yogurt maker, a rice maker, or simply as a safe and easy-to-use pressure cooker. You can make homemade beans, all types of meats, stews, and soups. You can make hard-boiled eggs or steel-cut oats in just minutes. I even saw a recipe for cheesecake made in it!
I am new to pressure cooking, but there is a surge in popularity thanks to electric pressure cookers like the Instant Pot, which means there is an abundance of resources.
I was not intimidated like I had been in the past with using a stove-top pressure cooker. Thanks to the manual, Pinterest and YouTube, any questions I’ve had have been answered.
The Instant Pot comes with a stainless steel insert that is easy to clean and dishwasher safe. It also comes with a steamer basket, which I’ve already used to hold hard- boiled eggs, a sweet potato, and carrots.
For perfectly cooked ‘baked’ potatoes, you simply put a cup of water in the instant pot, insert the steamer basket, pile on the potatoes, and cook for 12 minutes. Just push a button and walk away! No heating up the oven. No more hockey puck potatoes that over-cooked in the microwave. No more waiting over an hour for them to bake. There is a new instant potato in town and it is a whole potato in an Instant Pot, not those dried up potato flakes!
Unlike the Crockpot, you can saute your aromatics (garlic, onions and herbs) and brown your meat right in the pot with the touch of a button, then add your liquid, and with the push of another button start pressure cooking or slow cooking. Dinner is served in minutes. Sure beats hours that the oven can take to roast meat!
Pressure cooking is done all in one pot, and the flavors are pressed right into the food which makes it extra flavorful. I made beef stew and could not believe how great the flavor was. It tasted like it had slow simmered all day, but only took 45 minutes. The recipe I used had red wine in it, and after pushing the pressure button I walked away with a glass of the leftover wine in hand and sipped while reading a book while dinner cooked! It was the most delicious and easiest beef stew I have ever made!
How? Place 1 cup of water in the bottom of the cooker. Place steam basket in pot. Add however many eggs you want to cook. Place the lid on and hit the ‘Manual’ button, set it for 8 minutes. Right after the 8 minutes of cooking time, depressurize the cooker and add the eggs to a bowl of cold water. YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE how easy your eggs are to peel. The pressure cooking causes the shell to slide right off!
This was so delicious and made the perfect after school snack for my girls. It was so much better than store-bought applesauce!
Delicious and creamy Mac n Cheese made in minutes. Made my teenagers happy! *Update: I like this Mac n Cheese recipe the MOST. It has great flavor!
I am a newbie when it comes to liking beets. I can’t get over how good they are for the body, especially for cancer survivors, so I have worked hard at liking them. This recipe was easy to make and quite delicious! The skin rubs right off after steaming and running the beets under cold water. Beets are such a beautiful color, and the balsamic dressing gives them such great flavor and shine!
1 T oil
2 lbs round beef cubes
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 T butter
1 can tomato paste
4 carrots, chopped
2 Yukon potatoes, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 T ground mustard
3 cups beef broth
3 cups red wine
salt
pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
Put flour on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Toss beef cubes in the flour. Set Instant Pot to Saute. Add oil. When hot add seasoned meat and brown. Once browned, add a bit of beef broth to deglaze the pan. Add all the rest of the ingredients except for the peas. Make sure to include the excess seasoned flour left on the plate. Pressure Cook High for 45 minutes. Manual release. When finished stir in the peas while on the keep warm setting, they will cook in just a couple of minutes in the hot stew. Serve with crusty bread to dip and enjoy!
Peel and cut up your carrots. Add 1 T. butter to pot, 1 T honey, S & P, 1/4 t. baking soda. Pressure cook for 4 minutes. Manual Release. Stir and enjoy.
Add a cup of water to the bottom of Instant Pot. Add the steamer rack. Add whole sweet potatoes. Set using Manual for 13 minutes. Pressure cook on high.
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Above is a great video introduction to the Instant Pot and how to do the initial water test.
I will continue sharing my Instant Pot recipes, and have also started an Instant Pot Pinterest Board!
Do you want to purchase an Instant Pot of your own? Use this link and I will receive a small percentage with no extra cost to you!
These little Fudgy Buttons make an easy and thoughtful homemade gift that can be put together in minutes.
Fudgy Buttons are delicious little morsels of peanut butter and chocolate, and are perfect as a gift because—who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate? They use just 5 ingredients most people will have on hand. Although far from healthy, they are so much better for you than buying the typical peanut butter and chocolate candy.
Case in point? Let’s compare ingredients:
Peanut Butter, Cocoa, Powdered Sugar, Milk, Vanilla
Peanuts, Milk Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, (Chocolate, Nonfat Milk, Milk Fat, Lactose, and Soy Lecithin, and PGPR, Emulsifiers)Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Cottonseed, Soybean, Palm Kernel, and Palm Oil)Sorbitol, Dextrose, Chocolate, Nonfat Milk, High Maltose Corn Syrup, Refined Palm Kernel Oil, Cocoa Butter, Salt, Corn Syrup, Whey, Whey Protein Concentrate, Caseinate, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Flavor, Glycerin, Lactose, Mono and Diglycerides, and TBHQ.
See what I mean? Simple recipes like these Fudgy Buttons are a great way to have sweets without ingesting a bunch of preservatives and ingredients, some that are impossible to pronounce!
My Colsie is a big fan of these Fudgy Buttons and of her Grandpa, so making them for him as a homemade birthday gift was the perfect idea. This recipe is one of the few recipes that will get her in the kitchen, especially when she has a sweet craving. My youngest, Avery, makes them, too, especially when there are no sweets to be found in our kitchen cupboards. The recipe has been a family favorite for a while, and was even part of our “Head Shaving Party” food back in 2010 when I was going through chemo. Chocolate and peanut butter truly DO make everything a bit better!
Colsie is very close to her Grandpa and loves him so much. He is an amazingly generous man, but is not a big fan of receiving gifts. He always loved homemade cards from the kids when they were younger, but now Colsie is 15 she wanted to do something a bit more.
I had supplies on hand to package them cute, which is key to making homemade goodies into a meaningful gift.
You can purchase the tins here on Amazon, and can buy these fun little mini baking cups, or just separate layers of fudgy buttons with parchment paper. I love raiding the dollar bins at Michael’s craft stores for different ribbon and tags to have on hand for homemade gifts.
This is the perfect gift not just for Grandpas, but for teachers or friends, young or old. You may want to do what Colsie did —double the recipe and keep some for yourself!
4 Tablespoons butter
3 teaspoons baking cocoa
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoons milk
4 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
