Cooking Method: Sautéing

Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff

This Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff is effortless to make in an Instant Pot. Beef Stroganoff is a mid-19th-century Russian dish of sautéed pieces of beef served in a sauce with sour cream and egg noodles. The beef is tender and falls into the category of serious comfort food.

By Leslie Blythe

Asparagus with Sesame-Vinegar Dressing

I bought a new Japanese cookbook (I have quite a few!) called Japan from Japan: The Cookbook, by Nancy Singelton Hachisu. It has lots of wonderful looking recipes. I happen to love asparagus so I made this Asparagus with Sesame-Vinegar Dressing. I love anything that can be made ahead.

By Leslie Blythe

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

A cordon bleu is a dish of meat, usually chicken that is wrapped around cheese (or with cheese filling), then breaded and deep-fried. This Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole is an easier version, that has bite-size pieces of chicken, ham, in a cheesy cream sauce and top with buttery panko breadcrumbs. You can make all in a pressure cooker / Instant Pot or on the stovetop. I have included both methods.

By Leslie Blythe

Tortilla Soup

WARNING: This is gonna be hot!

There are hundreds of recipes for tortilla soup. I found on in the Los Angeles Times years ago and have been making ever since. The first time I made this soup, I made a very big mistake. Instead of putting one chipotle chile packed in adobo sauce, I put the whole 4 ounce can of chiles in! This is REALLY not a good idea. We manage to eat it anyway…. I won’t go into details!

The reason that I like this recipe is that it is not roux* based, which makes it lower in fat. When I open a can of chipotle chiles packed in adobo sauce, I put one in the recipe. The rest I wrap individually in plastic wrap and put them in a zip-lock bag and freeze them for the next time I make soup.

*Roux is a cooked mixture of flour and a cooking fat, like butter, that is used to thicken sauces and gravies.

By Leslie Blythe

Creamy Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach

Here is a recipe done 2 ways for Creamy Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach one is in an Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker and the other is on the stove. It's really delicious. Serve it with some crusty French bread to soak up the cream sauce.

By Leslie Blythe

Moroccan Chicken with Dates & Olives

This Moroccan Chicken with Dates & Olives is absolutely delicious and very easy to make. Here are two ways to make it, one in a pressure cooker and the other on the stove top. The chicken is melt in your mouth good!

By Leslie Blythe

Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Walnuts

We've been experimenting with different pizzas and dough lately. This Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Walnuts will definitely be kept in our repertoire. The combination of the sweetness of the caramelized onions, the creaminess of the gorgonzola and the crunch of the walnuts work really well together.

By Leslie Blythe

Crispy Salt-and-Vinegar Potatoes

My family loves anything salt & vinegar flavored. These Crispy Salt-and-Vinegar Potatoes are first boiled in vinegar to infuse the flavor into the potato. Then they are drained, dried and sautéed in a pan to achieve crispiness and doused with more vinegar. What's wrong with that? Nothing.

By Leslie Blythe

Basmati & Wild Rice with Chickpeas, Currants & Herbs

Another recipe from the Jerusalem cookbook - Basmati & Wild Rice with Chickpeas, Currants & Herbs. It's absolutely delicious and can be served warm or at room temperature. It can be difficult to find dried currants in the US, so I used dried cranberries, which worked well. Oh, and did I mention the crispy fried onions on top?

By Leslie Blythe

Hamburger Potato Casserole

I suppose this Hamburger Potato Casserole is like Hamburger Helper without the box. This is a truly kid-friendly meal that satisfies your comfort food cravings in one easy casserole.

By Leslie Blythe