“Carrot soup? That sounds… um, not good.”

That’s what I said when my best friend, Kelley, suggested we throw together an Instant Pot soup for my blog. But, the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of disguising a serving of vegetables into a smooth soup. Make it tasty enough and no one in my family would know they were eating a full serving of veggies. Heck, I hardly noticed myself!

Both Kelley and I deal with food intolerances in our households, so we immediately knew we would make it gluten and dairy-free. We strive to create dishes that are easy, and that meet the needs of our loved ones too. Our end result was a rich, almost buttery-tasting soup that was a cinch to throw together. Even my six year old wolfed down a bowl, and that says something – trust me!

We hope you enjoy it too!

Check out the prep video here:

xo Jaime

Note: This post contains affiliate links that directly help support the life of this blog. When you use my links for purchase, you help keep Modern Day Fox going! I’m not sponsored by any company, and anything I recommend in this post I have actually purchased myself.

This is Kelley. Kelley makes really, really good pancakes.

Kelley’s pancakes are special. They are special because Kelley has a daughter with auto-immune issues and allergies that are severely affected by the food she consumes. Kelley’s daughter loves pancakes but her body does not love gluten or dairy. Kelley rose to the occasion and created the best tasting gluten and dairy free pancakes I’ve ever tasted. She even had my flour lovin’ boys begging like this…

If you are cutting back on gluten and dairy, or have an intolerance, give these pancakes a try. Get crazy and throw some Enjoy Life dairy free chocolate chips in there, or some fresh blueberries!

Wow! This recipe took off fast in the Instant Pot Community! So happy to see so many excited about how EASY using the Instant Pot can be. There is nothing to be scared of, folks! Not only is this soup easy though, it’s also healthy, gluten and grain-free, and fits perfectly with the 21 Day Fix nutrition plan.

A little warning – this soup has some kick. If you are sensitive to spice or have little ones who go crazy with the slightest hint of heat, sub the Rotel for another can of diced tomatoes. You may also consider cutting the chili powder to a half tablespoon and the pepper to a half teaspoon. As for me, I love a lot of flavor in my recipes so I love all the spices.

Check out my video on how to make this soup:

This post contains affiliate links that help support my blog. When you make purchases using my links, you help me keep it afloat! All opinions are my own and I only recommend products I actually use.

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Modern Day Fox Instant Pot Tortilla "Dump" Soup

Course

Soup

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

15 min

Passive Time

8 min (time to pressure)

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh chicken breast
• 1 can black bean drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can Rotel (Mild) (Rotel is diced tomatoes w green chile peppers
• 1 TBSP Cumin
• 1 TBSP Salt
• 1 TBSP Chili powder reduce to 1/2 TBSP if sensitive to spice
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if sensitive to spice
• 1 TBSP minced garlic heaping
• 6 cups Chicken broth

Course Soup Prep Time 5 min Cook Time 15 min Passive Time 8 min (time to pressure) Servings servings Ingredients 1 lb fresh chicken breast 1 can black bean drained and rinsed 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can Rotel (Mild) (Rotel is diced tomatoes w green chile peppers 1 TBSP Cumin 1 TBSP Salt 1 TBSP Chili powder reduce to 1/2 TBSP if sensitive to spice 1 teaspoon Black Pepper reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if sensitive to spice 1 TBSP minced garlic heaping 6 cups Chicken broth

Instructions

1. Dump in all ingredients and stir.
2. Set pot to manual HP for 15 min. You can either do a quick release or let steam release naturally. I find the chicken is a bit more tender with a natural release.
3. Remove chicken and shred well.
4. Return to broth and stir.
5. Serve with tortilla chips! Or, save the calories and just sprinkle on cilantro, a little cheese, and a slice of avocado!

Recipe Notes

If you use frozen chicken, I would do 20 min HP to be safe (although 15 min has worked for me in the past. I've found it depends on whether I laid my chicken flat to freeze.) Note that if your chicken is frozen in a big ball, it may not cook thoroughly in the center. If you find your chicken is not cooked through, my quick trick is break it apart and set pot to Sauté. Chicken will finish cooking in the boiling broth.

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I’m off the grains again. This time it wasn’t by choice. The new fitness program that I’m doing cuts out all grains on the third week. As I’m writing this, I’m on Day 20 and tomorrow is the last day. My results are pretty stunning. The best side effect is that this meal plan has been terrific for my husband’s struggle with Ulerative Colitis. When I told him that tomorrow is the last day of the program, he was practically begging me not to go back to cooking with grains again.

But. There is always a “but.”

Cutting grains ain’t easy, honey! I needed something that felt like a “cheat.” Since I just got a brand spankin’ new Power XL Air Fryer, I was anxious to “fry” something. I happened to have quite a lot of Tapioca Starch from when I was doing the Paleo(ish) diet earlier this year. So, I thought I would give it a shot as a breading for fried chicken thighs. The results were off the hook! In 20 minutes, I had perfectly fried and crispy chicken thighs.

A couple things…

I have kind of given up on dragging out my pro camera for my food blog posts. I know that sounds lazy, but my life is nuts and I don’t have time to edit a ton of photos. To be honest, I don’t even really have time to take good photos on my phone. Until I find more time, I am giving the world my crap-tastic iPhone photos. I have been finding myself ditching blog posts because of the anxiety associated with editing all the food pics. Therefore, I’m choosing posting more often over pretty photos!

Secondly, when I cook, I tend to do pinches of this and that instead of measuring everything out exactly. Feel free to leave your measuring spoons in the drawer and grab a pinch or two of these spices. Do what’s easy for you! You can also add seasonings that you personally love to the mixture. Don’t love turmeric, but love Old Bay? Do what floats your boat.

Please note this post contains Amazon affiliate links that help support this blog. If you purchase using my links, you help me keep this blog alive! My opinions are my own and I have no sponsorships whatsoever.

This girl is back on the Fix wagon. I finished up Hammer and Chisel a few days early so that I could join my rock star challengers with a new round on May 1st. Since I have a few newbies in the group, I decided to go to battle with them and do the 21 Day Fix again on Beachbody on Demand. I’m excited. I know this program gives me results and that is what I’m looking for! So many exciting things coming up this summer and I want to be in tip-top shape. My group truly inspires me to be better and to do better.

To celebrate my first week of the Fix, I am putting up a super easy breakfast recipe that you can make in your Instant Pot. Don’t have an Instant Pot? No problem. Make it on your stovetop. Then, go to Amazon and order your Pot! (I’m sorry, but I just love that thing.)

This recipe is a sweet twist on quinoa while still being clean and healthy. When served with berries and nuts, it makes for a hearty breakfast. Eat it up, then go get your workout done! Enjoy!

xo Jaime

This post contains affiliate links for Amazon and Beachbody, but this is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. When you use my links for purchases, you are directly helping to keep this blog afloat!

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21 Day Fix Approved Instant Pot Good Morning Quinoa

Servings

Ingredients

• 1 cups dry quinoa rinse well before cooking
• 2 cups Water
• 2 TBSP Maple Syrup or Honey
• 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• Dash Salt
• 3 cups Strawberries or Blueberries Use 1/2 cup per serving
• 3/4 cups Pecan Halves (roughly 10 pecan halves per serving)

Servings Ingredients 1 cups dry quinoa rinse well before cooking 2 cups Water 2 TBSP Maple Syrup or Honey 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 1/8 tsp Nutmeg 1/2 tsp Cinnamon Dash Salt 3 cups Strawberries or Blueberries Use 1/2 cup per serving 3/4 cups Pecan Halves (roughly 10 pecan halves per serving)

Instructions

1. Pour all ingredients into inner liner bowl and stir well.
2. Set Instant Pot to one minute, high pressure. Allow a natural release.
3. Fluff with a fork before serving. Top 1/2 cup quinoa with 1/2 cup berries and 10 pecan halves.

Recipe Notes

21 Day Fix container counts: 1 Yellow, 1/2 Purple, 1 Blue

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I’m thinking about my grandmother today, and often lately. My “Gram” is 94 years old and has been in a nursing home for the last few years. I went to visit her last weekend during a quick trip to my hometown in Maryland. It’s hard to see her in there. Her eyesight is gone, and she is no longer mobile. She lived a very vibrant life in her younger years, never missing a dance at the Moose Lodge and loving to stun her friends with raunchy gag gifts. I can’t imagine life without her in it, but I know the life she has now would never be her choice. During my visit, I asked her if she thought she’d live to be 100. She emphatically said, “No!” I said, “Well, how about 95?” She said, “Yeah, I think so.” I said, “How about 96?” She said, “I hope not.”  I said, “Once you hit 95, you’re officially out of gas?” She laughed and said she thought so.

I spent a lot of time at my Gram’s house growing up. There were things that she cooked that I loved, but she knew my favorite was “breakfast for dinner.” She made THE best pancakes I’ve ever had, and I’ve spent years trying to figure out how to get them to taste as good. Much of it has to do with the fact that she wasn’t afraid to cook those bad boys in hot oil. The edges were so crispy that it was almost like eating a funnel cake at the fair. I’m okay with the fact that my pancakes will never be as good. It is a memory that I will always hold dear and have no intention of replacing.

Now my own kids also love “breakfast for dinner,” along with our tradition of Pancake Sunday. Each time I make pancakes from scratch, I tweak the recipe a little more. Today I tried something new and it took my recipe to a new level. You know all that clear stuff that rises to the top of your homemade yogurt? It’s called “whey” and most people have no idea what to do with it after they strain it from their Greek Yogurt. Turns out you can trade out the liquid in your pancake recipe with whey for a healthy little kick. Not only did my pancakes turn out fluffy and tasty, I loved that I was using something that was essentially free in place of something I would otherwise have had to buy. Want not, waste not!

If you’ve found yourself pondering what to do with your leftover whey, give these pancakes a try. They aren’t as good as my Gram’s, but you’ll never know that!

Print Recipe

Whey Delicious Pancakes

Course

Breakfast

Cuisine

American

Servings

4" Pancakes

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1.5 TBSP baking powder
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 cups whey
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Course Breakfast Cuisine American Servings 4" Pancakes Ingredients 3 cups flour 1.5 TBSP baking powder 1/2 cup Sugar 1 tsp Salt 2 cups whey 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. In a medium size bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

   
2. Whisk eggs, and pour into dry ingredients.

   
3. Add whey to mixture.

   
4. Stir until completely blended, and make sure not to over-mix.

   
5. Stir in vanilla extract.

   
6. Using a quarter cup, pour batter onto hot greased griddle (375 degrees) to form 4" pancakes. If you wish, sprinkle in toppings like pecans or blueberries at this time.

   
7. Cook until bubble start to form, and then flip. Serve hot of the griddle!

   

Recipe Notes

This recipe can be cut in half, or doubled.

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My parents recently sent me a text that said a “Sushi Bazooka” was on the way and to watch for it in the mail. What the heck? A what?? My mom said that my dad saw it on television or Amazon or somewhere, and he decided that they needed one. He also decided that my brother and I needed one. Alrighty then! I can’t laugh at my dad too hard. My love for kitchen gadgets clearly comes from him. He texted me the other day to tell me he had just found a pressure cooker in the garage he’d never even used and forgot he had. I’m going for a visit to Maryland this weekend and though my parents will be out of town, I’m staying at their house. I might have to see what else in that garage!

Anyway, the “Sushi Bazooka” post will be coming soon since you know I have to review and link you up to this contraption. In the meantime, I want to share a 21 Day Fix Approved sushi “unroll.” This sushi bowl is sure to hit the stop for you raw fish lovers out there. I found my “sushi grade” tuna at Sprouts. The butcher recommended that I trim a very thin slice off each side of the steak and wash well before consuming. She said that although the tuna is “sushi grade,” it is still cut on the same board as the other fish. I’m very glad she told me that, and I certainly took her advice.

Now that I know I can successfully work with raw fish, I am ready to tackle my Bazooka! Stay tuned!

Wanna see me make it live? Check out my youtube video and make sure you subscribe!

Also, here is a link to Steve’s Kitchen where I found the great instructions for the sushi rice.

Want more info on 21 Day Fix! Hit me up with questions! I’d love to have you join my team. The fastest way to get a message to me is through my Facebook page! Hope you are following me!

You probably already know that I love my neighbor, Sharon, since I feature her on here frequently. She loves to cook just like I do and we have a blast texting each other recipes and swapping samples. Good neighbors make life so much more fun.

Sharon texted me the other night very excited about a steel cut oats recipe she saw on The Chew. Sharon never leaves a recipe the way she found it, and neither do I. So, I took Sharon’s recipe that she had adapted from The Chew, and I made my own changes based on the ingredients I had. Of course I also had to adapt it for the Instant Pot too!

What resulted was a breakfast dish that not only tasted good, but has incredible nutritional value. As Sharon said, “If I can get high fiber, anti-inflammatory antioxidants, and a proper glycemic index all in one bowl, I’m good!” Not to mention that steel cuts oats are very filling and help keep your bowels moving.

Print Recipe

Sharon's Dang Good Oats [Instant Pot]

Course

Breakfast

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

25 min including time to pressure and release

Servings

Ingredients

• 1 TBSP Tahini Butter
• 1 TBSP Butter
• 1 cup Steel Cut Oats
• 1 can Coconut Milk Lite or Full Fat
• 2 cups Water or fill your empty milk can
• 1 pinch Salt
• 3 TBSP Flax Meal
• 2 TBSP Maple Syrup or Honey Add more after cooking if you prefer sweeter oats
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Cinnamon

Course Breakfast Prep Time 5 min Cook Time 25 min including time to pressure and release Servings Ingredients 1 TBSP Tahini Butter 1 TBSP Butter 1 cup Steel Cut Oats 1 can Coconut Milk Lite or Full Fat 2 cups Water or fill your empty milk can 1 pinch Salt 3 TBSP Flax Meal 2 TBSP Maple Syrup or Honey Add more after cooking if you prefer sweeter oats 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 1 tsp Cinnamon

Instructions

1. Set Instant Pot to Saute. Melt tahini and butter. Add oats and toast for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add in remaining ingredients and stir well.
2. Turn off Pot and reset on Manual HP for 3 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally. Stir and add additional sweetener to taste. Serve hot and enjoy!

   

Recipe Notes

This recipe was adapted from one seen on The Chew.

1 cup of dry steel cut oats should only be considered 2 servings, but this is an extremely filling recipe. I could have easily fed my family of 4 and still had leftovers.

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