Recipe ~ Instant Pot Borscht ~ Comfort, Colour, and a Bowlful of History

As always, if you just want the recipe without the story behind it, click here,.

There’s a reason borscht has survived centuries and borders: it’s not just a soup — it’s a ritual in red. Earthy beets lend their jewel-toned magic, beef bones infuse the broth with richness, and the tang of lemon ties it all together in a single, steaming spoonful that feels like home, no matter where you’re from.

The rest of the bone broth waiting to go in the pot

This version honours that old-world heart while embracing the speed of modern life. The Instant Pot turns what once demanded an entire afternoon of simmering into a meal that comes together in just about an hour and forty minutes, start to finish - tender beef, sweet-savoury vegetables, and that unmistakable crimson glow that makes the kitchen smell like nostalgia itself.

I first tasted borscht at a large camping event back in the early 2000s, and it was so delicious that I just had to have the recipe. So I did what any food-obsessed camper would do — I begged very prettily, full on, shameless, big, brown puppy eyes engaged, until the chef caved.

What I got was a 300-serving recipe, complete with measurements in grams and litres, written in that mysterious shorthand of professional cooks who assume everyone owns a compact car sized cauldron and a crew. From there, the challenge was scaling it down to a non-insane, household version and translating everything into regular, USA-style kitchen logic.

This involved more math than any meal deserves, but I wanted that, exact borscht - not a simplified version, not a “close enough.” So I sat down and did the math (with lots of help from Google and conversion calculators!), scaling everything down precisely before buying a single ingredient. The first time I made it, it was exactly as I remembered it from the event.

For years after, I made it the traditional way: slow, aromatic, and all-consuming — the kind of recipe that fogs up all the windows, and makes the house smell like comfort itself. I made a few tweaks to the recipe over the years, to make it more to my exact tastes, budget, and to make it a little healthier (and even more delicious, IMO!) too. It was worth it every time, but let’s be honest - a meal that takes all day to coax into perfection isn’t exactly weeknight-friendly.

Enter the Instant Pot. With a few order of operations and timing adjustments, I finally managed to capture that same deep, ruby richness without sacrificing an entire afternoon to the stove gods. It’s the same flavour I fell in love with, just with modern magic doing the heavy lifting, and allowing just enough time to shape, rise, bake, and cool a nice loaf of crusty, slow fermented, no knead bread to serve alongside every bowl. (That recipe will be coming soon!)

So here it is: the evolution of my borscht. Same flavour, less waiting — because life’s too short to stand watch over a pot all day… unless you want to.

Serve it the traditional way, with a dollop of sour cream or thick Greek yogurt and a scatter of fresh dill, and you’ll swear it’s been cooking since sunrise.
(But your Instant Pot and I will know the truth.)

Instant Pot Borscht

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour, 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour, 40 minutes
(Cook time includes IP coming to pressure and release time)
Yield: 6-10servings
Method: Instant Pot

Equipment

• Instant Pot or other pressure cooker.

Ingredients

• ~3 lbs Bone in beef shank (can sub bone in beef chuck, beef short ribs, or oxtail)
• 2-3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 Med-Lg onions, chopped or sliced
• salt & pepper for meat 
• 1 tsp paprika
• 5 Cups beef stock or bone broth
• 0.5 lb carrots, chopped or sliced
• 3-4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 Med head red cabbage, chopped or shredded
• 1 lb beets (about 4 cups), chopped or sliced
• 2 15oz cans diced tomatoes
• 3 tsp lemon juice
• 3 tsp white sugar
• 2-4 large potatoes, sliced or large diced (optional)
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt for garnish/to mix in
• fresh dill for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Salt and pepper both sides of meat well.
2. Brown meat & onion with paprika in oil on sauté. 
3. Remove meat from pot.
4. Add broth & deglaze pot w/wooden spoon.
5. Return meat + remaining beef stock to pot.
6. Set for 30 minutes on high pressure, and allow 15 mins natural release. 
7. Remove meat again, add remaining ingredients except lemon juice to broth & set for 5 minutes w/quick release.
8. While veg is cooking, cut/shred beef into bite sized chunks.
9. Return beef to pot along with lemon juice and stir well.
10. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt in each bowl.
11. Yum yum!!

Notes

• Using homemade bone broth instead of instant significantly improves the depth and richness of flavour!!
• This goes very well with slabs of rustic, crusty, buttered bread!

• This can be made vegan or vegetarian by omitting the meat and sour cream, and just using vegetable broth. 

Click here for more great recipes!

Recipe ~ Ram Copycat Beer Cheese Soup (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or Stovetop)

As always, if you just want the recipe, without the story behind it, click here.

 

October "officially" kicks off soup season, especially thick and hearty soups to ward off the fall chills, and since I've already posted my Oktoberfest Ale Potato Cheese Soup, which I've already made twice in the last couple weeks, I figured I'd post the one that was actually the impetuous for that one - My Ram Copycat Beer Cheese Soup. 

 

 This is a seasonal soup they serve, and it has changed somewhat over the years, from what I can glean on archived versions of their website, but this is the one that was my personal favourite, from sometime in the 2010s, that used their Buttface Amber Ale, and was chock full of rich, creamy cheeses, bacon, ham, celery, and carrots. 

I am sure that my version is not exactly the same as theirs. Their recipe is proprietary, and, unlike many restaurant recipes, theirs seem to remain pretty solidly locked down. That doesn't stop dedicated cooks who super-tasters/smellers from coming up with the closest thing possible, though, and what I came up with, after lots of research on the ingredients that I COULD confirm being in their recipe (one ingredient search at a time, and a very tedious process, but worth it!), was pretty damn close! Definitely close enough to skip the trip to the restaurant and have it at home most of the time. 

 

Whether you've had the pleasure of enjoying the Ram's beer cheese soup or not, I guarantee this is a delight for the taste-buds! The only problem is being too full when you still want to eat more of it. 

Ram Copycat Beer Cheese Soup

 

(Times based on Instant Pot Method. Other methods take longer)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings

 

Ingredients: 

•     1/2 lb bacon, diced (ends and pieces or thick sliced is best)
•     1/2 lb ham, cubed, bite sized (can sub additional 1/2 lb bacon)
•     2 large white or yellow onions, chopped or sliced
•     2 Tbs minced garlic
•     1 Cup carrots, finely chopped
•     1 Cup celery, finely chopped
•     8 Tbs butter (1 stick)
•     1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
•     1/4 tsp cayenne
•     1/2 tsp+ fresh ground pepper medley, (or black pepper) - to taste
•     1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
•     1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
•     1 tsp dry mustard powder
•     12-24 oz Ram's Buttface Amber Ale, or another, similar amber ale (Like Alaskan)
•     2 Cups half-and-half
•     2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
•     ~4-6 Cups chicken broth (bone broth is best, and you can make it for almost free!)
•     1 Tbs Dijon mustard
•     16 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
•     8 oz Colby & Monterey jack cheese, shredded (can sub jack, mozzarella, Havarti, muenster, or white American)
•     4 oz cream cheese, cubed or sliced for even incorporation
•     8 oz sour cream or plain, Greek yogurt

Directions: 

• Heat a large pot or Dutch oven (Or skillet, for Slow Cooker) over med-high heat, or set the Instant Pot to "Sauté", add bacon, and cook until almost crisp. 
•     Add the butter to the pot.
•     When butter has mostly melted, add the ham, onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 5–7 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened.
•     Add the minced garlic, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant. 
•     Sprinkle the flour over the cooked vegetables, and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes to create a light roux. 
•     Slowly whisk in the ale, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• If USING SLOW COOKER: Transfer contents of skillet to slow cooker, stir in all remaining ingredients except cheeses and sour cream/yogurt, and cook on high 4 hours or low 8 hours, stirring in cheeses and sour cream/yogurt in the last 20 minutes of cooking, and serve when it's all mixed in smoothly. Otherwise...
•  Stir in broth and Worcestershire sauce.   
• IF USING INSTANT POT: lock & seal lid, and cook on "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" for 4–5 minutes, with a natural release, and skip to the last step. Otherwise...
• Reduce heat to med-low and gradually stir in half & half, then simmer 10–15 minutes, until thickened slightly.
• Reduce the heat to low, add Dijon, and gradually stir in cheeses, stirring continuously until the cheese is completely melted and the soup is smooth.         
•  IF USING INSTANT POT: After quick release, open lid, add half & half, Dijon, and gradually stir in cheeses and sour cream/yogurt, stirring continuously until the cheese is completely melted and the soup is smooth.

• Garnish With:
  

  •     Crispy bacon bits
  •     Shredded cheese(s)
  •     Chopped green onions (scallions) 
  •     Parsley
  •     Popped popcorn (apparently, that is a thing)
  •     Whatever else sounds good! 

Notes: 

• Do not let the soup boil after adding the cheese! It will separate and the texture will be grainy/curdled.

Recipe ~ Cheater Instant Pot Spaghetti

As always, if you just want the recipe, without the story behind it, click here.

My regular, Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe is definitely WAY better than this, but we all know that sometimes, we just need something really fast and easy, and this spaghetti hits all the comfort food buttons in short order along with the quick and easy ones. 

 I, again, borrowed from the bare bones IP spaghetti recipe I found online elsewhere for this, but it is still more involved than that one. 

You can just omit the  majority of the ingredients, other than the pasta, sauce, and water, and it will basically be that other recipe, and will be a passable quick meal, but so would just having a pack of ramen with a few spare condiment packs stirred in. 

 

The added ingredients only add an extra 5-10 minutes, and make SUCH a difference in the final product, that I feel like it's worth it every time. 

 

Also, like most on this site, this recipe is for a BIG batch, that either feeds a lot of people with 6-8 LARGE servings (as in, there aren't side dishes in the meal - it IS the meal), or has leftovers to eat later, whether that means you're having it for every meal until it's gone, or portioning, packaging, and freezing for next time you need something even MORE quick and easy, like a freezer meal. 

 

Cheater Instant Pot Spaghetti

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15-25 minutes (including time to come to pressure & natural release time)
Yield: 6-8 servings

Equipment:

•  Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker

Ingredients: 

    • 2 lbs Ground Beef, Meatballs, Italian sausage, or other meat (can reduce for cost or health)
    • 1-2 Tbs minced garlic (OR 2 tsp garlic powder for faster & easier)
    • 2 med onions, chopped, diced, or sliced, as preferred (OR 2 tsp onion powder for faster & easier) 
    • 1 Tbs Italian Seasoning (to taste)
    • 2 Pound Spaghetti Noodles
    • 2 (48 Ounce) Jars Spaghetti Sauce
    • 1.5 Jars Water 
    • 2 (29 Ounce) Cans Diced Tomatoes or tomato sauce

Directions: 

    • Set IP to sauté and add ground beef.   
    • Add garlic, onion and Italian seasoning.   
    • Cook, breaking meat up until browned & onions (if using) are tender.  
    • Break spaghetti in half and place on top of meat.   
    • Pour in spaghetti sauce, tomato, and water, ensuring pasta is completely covered in liquid. 
    • Seal and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes w/natural release 
    • Stir well & serve

Notes:

Recipe ~ Instant Pot Spaghetti

As always, if you just want the recipe, without the story behind it, click here.

This is basically just my regular spaghetti sauce recipe, but with instructions for including the pasta right in the pot instead of cooking it separately in a different pot. The only differences are the pasta in the pot and the addition of extra water.

 I had previously found a recipe elsewhere for Instant Pot spaghetti, but I only really was going for the information I needed for time and additional liquid, cause the recipe itself was just straight up jarred sauce and pasta, which, IMO, doesn't really qualify as a recipe at all, but rather, a method. Anyway, I took into account the fact that the sauce would already be hot, and adjusted the cook time and liquid addition accordingly, and that's it. But I figured I'd post it anyway, since it's Spaghetti September and all. (Yes, I'm still going with that. I won't stop. I will make it a thing.)

 

So, without further ado, I present to you... 

Instant Pot Spaghetti

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Total Time: 30-40 minutes (including time to come to pressure & natural release time)

Equipment:

•  Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker

 Ingredients: 

• 2 lbs Ground Beef, Meatballs, Italian sausage, or other meat (can reduce for cost or health)
• 1-3 Tbs Olive Oil
• 2 Lg Yellow Onions, Diced
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded & diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 lb or so carrots, chopped (or minced, it you want to hide them)
• 3-4 Lg stalks celery, roughly chopped
• about 8oz sliced mushrooms of desired type (fresh or canned-drained) 
• 1 Cup white wine (can sub red/merlot) 
• 2 cans (28oz) diced or stewed tomatoes (or 4 14oz)
• 1 can (14oz) crushed/pureed tomatoes
• 1 can (4oz) tomato paste
• 16-24oz good store-bought or homemade marinara sauce
• 1 Tbs Italian seasoning
• 2-4 plums, figs, or dates (fresh or dried), chopped, diced, or pureed (Or sub 2 Tbs sugar)
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1/4 Cup finely minced fresh parsley (or 3 Tbs parsley flakes), more to taste
• 1 whole rind from one wedge parmesan (optional)
• 1/2 Cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)    
• 4 Cups water or broth
• 1 lb spaghetti pasta, broken in half 

 

Directions: 

• Set to sauté, add meat to pot and start to brown, breaking up into smaller pieces if ground.
• Add garlic onion, peppers, and seasonings, and continue sautéing, stirring regularly, until onion starts to turn translucent, adding olive oil if needed to prevent sticking (not usually needed with leaner meats).
• Add additional veggies and cook for another 3-5 minutes.     
• Deglaze pot with wine allowing it to boil and reduce for about 1 minute.
• Add tomatoes, paste, sauce, plums/figs/dates/sugar, parsley, Parmesan grated + rind and crushed red pepper (if using), and stir well.
• Seal and cook on high pressure for 20-30 minutes w/natural release, or 30-35 minutes w/quick release.
• Remove lid, add broth/water, stirring down to bottom of pot as well as able.
• Add pasta to pot in a criss-cross pattern, ensuring it is completely covered in liquid by pushing down with spoon or ladle. 
• Seal and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes w/natural release 
• Stir well & serve

Recipe ~ Majorly Mouthwatering Marinara (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or Stovetop)

As always, if you just want the recipe, without the story behind it, click here.

This big batch marinara can be made in the Instant Pot (or similar), slow cooker, or the stove top, and there are specific instructions for each. A food processor will come in very handy, but isn't absolutely necessary. It's such a big batch because it is a bit time consuming, and, trust me - you're going to want to have more on hand that just one meal's worth! So, have airtight, freezer safe containers on hand to store for later, and/or gift to others. Or, if you're really not into the make ahead thing at all or have zero freezer space, you can scale the recipe down. 

  

I resisted the urge to label this, "The BEST Marinara", because that's already been done multiple times, and that is subjective anyway. 

 

 That said, this recipe was created by testing many of "the best" recipes out there, from handed down family recipes, to restaurants, famous cooking shows, food networks, and food websites, to find the best of the best, then combining elements, methods, and ingredients to come up with a marinara that isn't missing anything, is well balanced, aromatic, the perfect texture, and truly embodies the classic, Italian, family recipes, melded with modern, fine dining experiences. My taste buds and test kitchen tasters say I nailed it, but don't take our word for it! Give it a shot and decide for yourself!

 The amount of olive oil may seem excessive, but it's really not. The additional olive oil - and be sure to use good quality, extra virgin olive oil -  improves the texture and gives it that "secret ingredient" level taste punch than may lesser recipes lack. 

 

If you're looking for a much quicker and easier, but still delicious marinara, check out my recipe for quick and easy marinara (releasing 2025.09.29, so the link won't work 'til then). If you're ready to put in the effort for the explosion of flavours, texture, and nuance of the genuine article, follow the instructions below, and prepare your palate for a delectable delight!  

 

Khaos' Marinara

Equipment:

• large Dutch oven (for stove top), heavy bottom skillet (for slow cooker), or an Instant Pot (or other electric pressure cooker).
• Food processor, blender, or potato masher type tool and large mixing bowl.

Ingredients: 

    • 1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil 
    • 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 (28oz) cans crushed/pureed tomatoes
    • 1(6 oz) can tomato paste
    • 1/2 Cup or a little more Merlot (or other dry, red wine)
    • 1/4 Cup fresh basil, finely chopped
    • 2 Tbs fresh oregano, finely chopped
    • 2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
    • 2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp fresh marjoram, finely chopped
    • 1-2 Tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped
        (You can sub the fresh herbs for 2 Tbs Italian seasoning, or individual dried herbs - just use 1/3 the amount of dried, and make sure there is parsley in the seasoning mix, or add your own)

    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2-2 tsp fresh ground black pepper or medley (optional)
    • 1 tsp sugar

Directions: 

•  Pour tomatoes into bowl of food processor or blender, and puree until smooth, OR place in a large bowl and use hands and/or a masher to crush tomatoes until no large chunks remain and are as smooth as possible.
• Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven (for stove top), heavy bottom skillet (for slow cooker) over medium-low heat - or the inner liner of the Instant Pot on sauté until shimmering. 
• Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add red pepper flakes (if using) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden-brown and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, and cook stirring often, until the paste is darker in color and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add wine and deglaze pan, making sure nothing is left sticking to the pan, and allow to reduce for a minute or so.
• IF USING SLOW COOKER: Dump contents of skillet and all remaining ingredients into slow cooker, cook on high 4-6 hours, or low 6-12 hours, and skip to last step. Otherwise...
• Add remaining ingredients and bring to simmer.
• IF USING INSTANT POT: Seal lid and cook at high pressure for 30 minutes with a natural release, and skip to last step. Otherwise...
• Reduce heat to continue a gentle simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for an hour or two, until no longer acidic tasting and flavours are fully melded. 
• Serve over whatever sounds good, and portion the rest into 8-16 oz airtight containers for later. 

 Notes: 

• Can be stored in the fridge for a week or two, regular freezer up to 6 months, if airtight, and deep freezer indefinitely. (will still be safe to eat indefinitely in regular freezer, but taste and texture may change slightly) Vacuum seal containers before freezing for maximum freshness.    

Recipe ~ Easy Tomato Basil Bisque (from canned soup!)

As always, if you just want the recipe, without the story behind it, click here.

This is a way to super elevate canned soup into something that looks, smells, and tastes like gourmet fare, but takes almost the same amount of time as just heating it up without the additions. Why would you ever want to settle for less again!?

You probably have most of the  ingredients on hand already, especially considering there are plenty of substitutions, and most of it can come from cans, the freezer, your garden, or...

The real deal is usually made with stock, milk, and heavy cream, but half and half is more commonly on hand, is half milk and half cream, and there is already stock in the canned soup. You can also mess around with whatever you have on hand. If you have cream, great! Use half of that and half milk.. or more cream if you have skim milk. Just remember that the more fat in the milk parts, the more rich and creamy it will be.

Before pureed butternut squash in a can was more common, I just used the baby food version if I didn't have frozen cubes of home made on hand. Canned pumpkin (pure pumpkin, NOT the pie mix!) or, as a last resort, canned carrots, smushed up or whirled in the blender/food processor work too. 

I use fresh basil from my garden now, but I used to use dried from the store, and it was still great! You just add it in a little earlier to give it time to soften up and meld well with everything. 

One thing you do NOT want to substitute is the butter! Use REAL butter! If you don't want to or can't use real butter, it's better to simply omit it all together, rather than ruin it with margarine or spread. It will still taste good, just not quite as decadent. If you substitute some kind of vegetable oil spread or margarine, it won't mix in properly, and will leave an unpleasant film on the roof of your mouth.

This goes great with grilled cheese sandwiches, especially extra sharp cheddar on fresh, home baked sourdough pugliese (recipe forthcoming soonish), but any good grilled cheese complements it well!

Easy Tomato Basil Bisque

Equipment: 

• Medium large saucepan
• Whisk
• Measuring stuff 
• Large spoon for stirring
  

Ingredients: 

•  2 cans (10.75oz) condensed tomato soup
•  2 soup cans half & half*
• 1 can (14.5oz) diced, sliced, or stewed tomatoes*
•  1/2 Cup pureed, cooked butternut squash*
  
•  About 1/4 Cup fresh basil, roughly chopped, not packed (or 2 Tbs dried)
•  1+ tsp freshly ground black pepper/pepper medley (to taste)
•  1/2 stick real butter, cold*

Directions:

•  Empty cans of soup into pan and whisk until smooth.
• Slowly whisk in half and half until it is all fully incorporated.*
• Place pan on medium low heat.
  
• Stir in tomatoes and squash.
• If using dried basil, add it in now.
  
• Continue to heat on medium low, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid sticking. 
• DO NOT allow soup to come to a simmer or boil! This will separate the dairy.
• Once soup is just below simmering, add fresh basil and keep on heat for another 2-3 minutes
• Remove from heat and add butter, stirring until fully melted and incorporated. 
• Serve hot and enjoy!

*Notes:

• Half and half can be substituted with  a 12 oz. can of evaporated milk + the rest of the second soup can water, or one can fresh milk and  one can heavy cream. You can just use milk, but it won't be as rich and creamy.
  
•  Adding the dairy slowly, whilst constantly whisking helps keep lumps from forming.
• Italian Style tomatoes are ideal, but any canned tomatoes will be good.
  
• Butternut squash can be substituted with pumpkin, other similar squash, or carrots. Butternut is best, but any of these will provide a version of the warm, almost toasted nutty depth of flavour the butternut brings.
  
•  DO NOT use butter substitute. If you don't have/can't use real butter, just omit it.  

Recipe ~ Phukifino Soup

As always, if you just want the recipe, without the story behind it, click here, or check out the AllRecipes Link. And if you make it (or someone else makes it and you eat it), PLEASE leave a review there too!

This is a surprisingly inexpensive, quick, and super simple recipe for something so hearty and satisfying! 
It's got a bit of a kick, but that can be easily toned town or (if you must) eliminated.

 This was invented by my former owner, Owl, sometime in the mid 2000s. It is another of those things that was the result of some imagination, combined with being poor and needing to feed everyone with what was on hand. So, as usual, he started pulling out things we had on hand, and went from there. 
When my youngest child asked what he was making for supper, he laughed and said, "Fuck if I know!", and then, immediately followed it up with, "Soup!" So, from then on, it became known as, "Fuck if I Know Soup". Because it was SO good that it needed to be made again and again.

I have since tweaked the recipe a bit, to my own tastes, and renamed it slightly, partly so it is AllRecipes safe, and, of course, because I love plays on words and the way it kinda looks like maybe some non-English word, if you're not paying attention. 
It's perfect as a side dish or as a meal on its own.

Phukifino Soup

Equipment: Large pot, Dutch oven, or Instant Pot


Ingredients: 

• 2 Tbs butter/olive oil/some kind of fat
• 2-4 med onions onion, chopped or sliced
• 1/2 - 1 lb smoked sausages cut into disks about 1/4 inch thick
• 1-5 drops Dave's Insanity Sauce (or private reserve, or other preferred hot sauce, but I really like the smoky taste of Dave's) to taste
• 2 Tbs Rum extract
• 1 Cup dry orzo
• 2 Tbs each chicken and beef bouillon/base OR substitute meat/veg/bone broth for water
• About 8-12 cups water (Or fill IP to max line)
• 1/2 lb sour cream (more or less to taste)
• 12 oz or so shredded cheese (I prefer sharp cheddar, but any kind/s should be good)

Directions: 

1. Sauté onions in butter until they start to turn transparent.
2. Add sausage and continue sautéing a few minutes longer, until the sausages are just heated up.
3. Stir in orzo, bouillon, rum extract, and Dave's, and keep stirring mixture until sausages are nicely browned.
4. Add water (or broth), bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer until pasta is almost done. (OR set Instant Pot to high pressure for 1 minute with natural release, or 3 minutes with quick release)
5. Add sour cream and sprinkle in cheese, stirring soup constantly until smoothly and evenly distributed.
6. Remove pot from heat and serve

Recipe ~ Khaos' Whisky Cream Sauce (Non Alcoholic!)

As always, if you just want the recipe, without the story behind it, click here.

Last week, I posted my recipe for Haggis, which was the result of over two months of intense research into the dish and its history and origins.

As I discovered, just as one does not simply walk into Mordor, one does not simply make a haggis - without neeps & tatties, and whisky sauce!

Haggis, neeps, and tatties with whiskey sauce

(Photo by Bagpiper, Baker, Author, and Official Taste Tester, Don Scobie)

 So, of course, I had to do the additional research to devise the best possible recipes for those, made specifically to perfectly complement my Scottish American Recession Haggis.

As usual, I explored several existing recipes, history, references, and the like. As it turns out, whisky sauce is a relatively modern addition to the "traditional" meal. This is unsurprising, seeing as whisky, especially the good stuff, is not cheap, nor was it exactly plentiful to the peasantry, from whom haggis as a common meal likely originated. 


That said, it pretty well goes hand in hand with the dish nowadays, and it's freaking delicious! At least this version is. The delicious is the main reason for including it, despite my work to return to the more humble origins for my haggis recipe. The "not actually as traditional as often implied" is the reason I had no qualms whatsoever about messing with the recipe in less "traditional" ways. None of the recipes I found out there call for the addition of rum extract or smoke powder, but that's what my palate said it needed during taste testing, so in they went! Nor did I find so much as a whisper of a hint of a non alcoholic version. 
Then again, since when has not finding what I wanted stopped me? Since never! That's when!  

 

 So, technically, it's a simple matter to just switch out the whisky (or whiskey, if you prefer) for an alternative, and that is basically what I did, but I decided that this recipe would be focussed specifically on it being a no alcohol version. I know it is still a "well known fact" that alcohol cooks out of most things, but that turns out not to be the case. You have to actually boil or simmer something for a matter of hours to remove even the majority of the alcohol, and you are not going to be able to guarantee removing even enough to legally qualify as non-alcoholic (0.05% ABV) unless you've got some mighty expensive testing equipment just lying around. Luckily, a company called Ritual Zero-Proof has created some great, botanical "alternatives" to spirits. 

So far, I've only tried their whiskey alternative, but it holds up pretty dang well! No, it isn't Scotch Whisky alternative. It is American style, so if you want to go for super authentic Scottish recipe, you're SOL if you want a NA version. So far, anyway. Maybe if we petition the company...

Anyway, this stuff is great and works well for the recipe. I highly recommend it. It's not really intended to be drunk neat, but it even kinda works there, as long as you're not expecting top shelf taste, so if ya want to use it for your "wee dram", you may want to go with putting it in Coke or coffee or some other mixed drink. But this isn't a review for that, so, moving along...

In addition to your haggis supper, try this sauce on steaks, chops, salmon, other fish, any style potatoes, roast veggies, and anything else you can imagine!

Another plate of haggis, neeps, and tatties with whiskey sauce.

We put it on beef heart sandwiches for lunch recently, and it was to die for! I'll probably post that recipe sometime in the foreseeable future too, since the reaction to my mealtime food porn posts were so positive.

Seasoned, broiled beef heart slices on toasted ciabatta with sharp cheddar, red onion. mayo, and whisky cream sauce.

Khaos' Whiskey Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
    • 16 oz heavy cream
    • 1 Tbs whole grain or stone ground mustard
    • 1 Tbs creamy type Dijon mustard
    • 2-3 Tbs whiskey alternative (or actual whisky, if you prefer)
     • 1/2 tsp rum extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp white pepper
    • 1 tsp onion powder
    • a pinch hickory smoke powder or dash liquid smoke
    • 1 generous Tbs butter (Use REAL butter or just omit it. No substitutes.)

Directions: 

* If using real whisky, FIRST pour whiskey into your pan and carefully set alight to burn off some of the alcohol and remove bitterness. It should go out on its own, but keep the pan lid handy, just to be on the safe side.

    • Heat cream in small saucepan on medium heat
    • As it heats, whisk in other ingredients and mix well
    • Bring to gentle simmer and cook, stirring often for about 4-6 minutes.
    • Turn to lowest setting and hold to serve for up to an hour, stirring occasionally.
    • Drizzle over haggis, neeps, tatties (potatoes), steaks, salmon,  roasts, etc. 
    • Try not to eat/drink it straight. It IS delicious, but very high in fat and calories.
    • Store in airtight containers for up to a week in refrigerator, 2-3 months in standard freezer, or indefinitely in deep freezer @0°F or below.

Recipe ~ Maple Dijon Glazed Salmon & Brussels Sprouts

As always, if you just want the recipe, without the story behind it, click here, or check out the AllRecipes Link. And if you make it (or someone else makes it and you eat it), PLEASE leave a review there too!

This was a dish inspired, like many, by my Imperfect Produce delivery. In fact, I was originally planning on using the Maple-Mustard Glazed Salmon & Brussels Sprouts Sheet Pan Dinner recipe they posted that week, to go with the Brussels sprouts in my delivery, but when have I ever been known to just use a standard recipe for anything? 

So, I started assembling the ingredients, took a couple pictures, and then got chopping and mixing. 
I already had substituted a small onion for the shallot, just because I didn't have any shallots on hand, and had decided to put some dill in it.
 But then, when the glaze was all mixed up, it just didn't smell right, and I knew it was because there were ingredients missing.

  I mean, even without dill, who does a salmon glaze without garlic? Not me, that's who! Sure, I have made and eaten salmon without either of those things once or twice, but, meh. Besides, I had some fresh dill that was starting to look a little less fresh, and my dill plant needed a trim again, so in they both went. 
It was definitely smelling closer to what I wanted, but something was still missing. Then I thought, "Oh! this slight sweetness from the maple would really be enhanced by the herbal sweet of some tarragon, and I just happen to have some ready for its first small pruning!"
As it turns out, I had to supplement it with some additional, dried tarragon as well, but next time, it will all be freshly harvested.

So, here are the Brussels sprouts all coated in goodness. 

 I also didn't like all the extra steps and wasted dishes that the original recipe used, so I streamlined it, and used my cast iron Dutch oven instead of a baking sheet, because I generally prefer the results when cooking with cast iron. This was not an exception. 

Here we are going into the oven...

 
 And coming out of the oven...

  And served on a bed of freshly harvested sprouts and garnished with fresh parsley and chives, cause they needed a trim anyway and it adds extra dimensions to the look, taste, and texture of the dish.
 

And then we eated* it! :D

*(Yes, I know "ate" is correct. I like "eated". So there!)

And now, without further adoooooo... The recipe!

 Maple Dijon Glazed Salmon & Brussels Sprouts

Equipment:

• Big bowl
• Whisk
• Oven safe pan 

Ingredients: 

    • 1 lb or so salmon, cut into 4-6 oz fillets (fresh or frozen)
    • 3 Tbs maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup whole grain spicy Dijon mustard
    • 3-4 Tbs olive oil, plus extra for pan
    • 3 Tbs apple cider vinegar
    • 1 small shallot or onion, chopped
    • 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed & cut in half
    • 2 tsp sea salt or to taste
    • 1 Tbs Ground pepper or to taste
    • 2-3 cloves minced garlic
    • 2-3 sprigs fresh dill, chopped
    • about 1 Tbs fresh tarragon, chopped
    • Fresh parsley, chives, and/or sprouts for serving (optional)

Directions: 

    • Preheat oven to 425°.
   
    • Whisk maple syrup, mustard, olive oil, vinegar, shallot/onion, garlic, dill, and tarragon together in a bowl large enough to accommodate Brussels sprouts and allow room for tossing/mixing.

    • Dump Brussels sprouts in the bowl and toss until well coated with glaze mixture.
   
    • Oil the bottom of a cast iron Dutch oven (preferred), rimmed baking sheet, or casserole dish with the remaining olive oil and tip the Brussels sprouts in, without dumping in the leftover glaze.
   
    • Swish and flop the salmon filets around in the bowl to coat well with remaining glaze and arrange them on top of the Brussels sprouts. Use your finger or a rubber spatula to get every last drop you can of the glaze drizzled over everything.

    • Roast until salmon is flaky and Brussels sprouts are tender and well browned, around 18-20 minutes.
   
    • Serve, garnished with fresh parsley and chopped chives, on a bed of alfalfa or other sprouts, if desired.
   

Notes:

    • You can use salmon filets right out of the freezer too. Just add another 10-20 minutes of cook time, checking frequently, or insert a thermometer and remove when fish internal temperature is 145°F
   
    • If the fish is done, but you don't have that nice, brown crusting on top, turn the broiler on high for just a few minutes, monitoring closely so you don't overdo it.
   
    • You can absolutely use other cruciferous veggies instead or or in addition to the Brussels sprouts, and it will still turn out great!