Tag Archives: Cooking

Fast Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas w/Rotel Tomatoes

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by Texas Homesteader ~ 

It’s very beneficial for our food budget that I prefer to cook dry beans. I mean, a bag of dried beans is cheap, y’all! And now that I have an Instant Pot, cooking them is super fast too. Especially black-eyed peas. Heck, I don’t even have to soak them first.

Black-eyed peas cook in only about 15 minutes with an additional 15-minute natural release time. I can put ‘em on to cook when I start supper and they’ll be ready to serve by the time we’re ready to eat!

But I wanted a little something different with our black-eyed peas. I decided to add some spicy Rotel tomatoes to them. They turned out deliciously.

The Instant Pot makes quick work of cooking dry Black-Eyed Peas. And this simple recipe has an added spicy kick from Rotel-style tomatoes. #TexasHomesteader

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Supper Made Fast: Chicken Fried Rice  

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By Texas Homesteader ~

I’m a big fan of Planned Leftovers. That’s when some of the components of today’s meal were actually prepared for a completely different dish yesterday.

It’s a super-fast meal since some of the ingredients of tonight’s entrée have already been cooked.

For instance, I have leftover grilled fajita chicken and some plain long-grain rice in the fridge needing to be used.

So I’ll combine them deliciously to make a completely different meal tonight with an oriental flair. Chicken Fried Rice!

Chicken Fried Rice makes good use of leftover meat & rice to get supper on the table fast. #TexasHomesteader

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Taco Spaghetti – An Easy One-Pot Meal With A Mexican Flair

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by Texas Homesteader ~ 

Everyone knows that spaghetti is a simple yet delicious meal. But, you know, sometimes you want something with a little more zing.  A little something different. You know, just a little more excitement.

How about giving plain ole spaghetti a facelift? How about a taco theme for a little Mexican flair?

It sounded good to me. So I decided to give a taco-styled spaghetti idea a try.

It’s a simple dish, and the kids will love it too. I mean – spaghetti AND tacos? What’s not to love??

So if you’re after the one-pot preparation simplicity of a spaghetti supper but want to try something different, this taco spaghetti is an easy, cheesy, delicious option for your family too.

Simple one-pot meal of Taco Spaghetti is a fast meal idea, ready in only about 30 minutes. #TexasHomesteader

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3-Ingredient Instant Pot Pepperoncini Roast

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by Texas Homesteader ~ 
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I love my Instant pot for many things. One of the biggest benefits is faster or simplified cooking in my kitchen. BUT, that simplification is bumped up even higher with this Pepperoncini roast. There are only 3 ingredients: A roast, an onion and one 16-oz jar of sliced Pepperoncini.

Let me paint you a picture:

Sear roast, sauté an onion or two, then dump an entire jar of Pepperoncini over the whole shebangie.

Simply allow the IP to cook for 35 minutes or so and BOOM! Dinner is served.

I’m not gonna lie, this is by far the easiest pot roast I’ve ever made. And it’s also RancherMan’s favorite. Here’s how it all comes together:

This is the easiest Instant Pot Pepperoncini roast recipe of all - only 3 ingredients! A roast, an onion and a jar of Pepperoncini. #TexasHomesteader

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Meal Ideas When Bringing Food For A Family

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by Texas Homesteader~ 

Whether mourning a death in the family, dealing with illness or even just feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities of a new baby, those going through hardships are comforted when others bring food.

There’s just something about others caring enough to bring a meal to your family, ya know?? A meal you won’t have to worry about planning or cooking. It not only offers nutrition during a very trying time, but it’s like a warm hug from those around you.

But I’m always in a quandary when knowing what meal to bring to another family. You too?

Well you’re in luck. I’ve made a list of easy-to-prepare options that I revert back to when deciding what to bring. These easy yet delicious meals are sure to nourish, as well as comfort heart & soul.

The Gift Of Food: Meal Ideas When Bringing Food To Families #TexasHomesteader

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Simple Sweetened Popcorn Recipe

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by Texas Homesteader~

Time’s running out! Looking for a quick homemade gift idea? This Sweetened Popcorn was made into a sweet Christmas Trail Mix. It made for a delicious last-minute Christmas gift idea.

Although we typically gift our grands Experience Gifts these days, we still wanted something cute to present to them on Christmas day. So we decided to make an easy yet delicious edible gift for them.

I started with this sweetened popcorn treat. It was beyond easy to make. Seriousiosly, as in add 3 ingredients, boil 4 minutes and pour onto popcorn easy! Y’all aren’t gonna believe this…

Simple sweetened popcorn recipe - coat popcorn with syrup made from sugar, butter and water - Easy recipe! #TexasHomesteader

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Instant Pot Goulash – A Fast Meal That Cooks In Just 4-Minutes

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by Texas Homesteader ~ 

It’s true, I was late to the game in getting my very own Instant Pot. Oh sure, others raved about their Instant Pots, but I just wasn’t convinced.

Until I was!

Now I use my Instant Pot All. The. Time.

One of my favorite meals to make with it is Instant Pot Goulash. I mean – brown the meat, dump in the rest of the ingredients, press a button for 4 tiny minutes cook time & walk away?

Yeah, that’s my kinda cooking, y’all!

Instant Pot goulash needs only 4 minutes of pressure cooking. It's a delicious comfort-food meal made FAST! #TexasHomesteader

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My Fresh Herb-Drying Setup – No Energy Required!

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by Texas Homesteader~ 

I love herbs & spices, don’t you? But several years ago I ran out of thyme. So I went to the store to buy more. WHEW! You know, there are some herbs and seasonings you can buy pretty cheaply. A big jar will cost very little.

But for some reason thyme was pretty pricey (IMO). Heck, for what they were charging for that little jar of thyme, I could buy a whole plant and harvest from it year in, year out!

So I did…

My most-used herbs are thyme, sage, oregano, basil and rosemary. So I make sure I always have them available, whether fresh or dried.

A Facebook follower asked about my herb-drying setup. Y’all know I’m all about simplicity! So I thought I’d show how I dry my fresh herbs.

Herb drying doesn't need to take any energy or special appliances. Come see my herb-drying setup. #TexasHomesteader

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