Instant Pot Red Coconut Curry Noodles

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/instant-pot-red-coconut-curry-noodles/ 

This was really good and easy. Felt like we were eating at a restaurant.  I didn't have any sweet red curry sauce but had red chili sauce. I used that along with honey and sesame oil?? I can't remember but I looked up a recipe on the internet to substitute, Don't remember it now. 

NGREDIENTS

• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 16 ounces fettuccine noodles, broken in half--BEth didn't have any so used penne
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk, light or regular
• ¼ cup sweet Thai chili sauce (see note)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger or ginger paste
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste (see note)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
• 1 cup snow peas, halved or whole
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced into strips
• 1 cup small diced carrots or matchstick carrots
• Fresh, chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts, for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Pour two cups of the broth into the bottom of the electric pressure cooker. Layer the noodles on top of each other in 5-6 layers, alternating directions (see picture in the post for a visual) so they don’t clump together while cooking.
• Pour in the remaining two cups broth.
• Whisk together the coconut milk, Thai chili sauce, fresh ginger, red curry paste, garlic and salt. Pour this mixture into the pressure cooker. Do not stir.
• Secure the lid, set the valve to seal, and set the pressure cooker to cook on high pressure for 4-5 minutes. (The exact time will depend on the brand of noodles – take the al dente cooking time, cut it in half and subtract another 1-2 minutes.)
• Quick release the pressure. If liquid spurts through the valve, close the valve and wait 5 minutes before trying again. It’s ok if there is remaining liquid in the bottom of the pressure cooker – it will continue to absorb into the noodles for perfect sauciness.
• Give the noodles a good toss with tongs and add the vegetables. Close the pressure cooker and let sit for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables steam in the residual heat. Toss until combined. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
• Serve the noodles with chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro, if desired.

NOTES

Noodles: the fettuccine noodles are obviously not authentic to a curry noodle dish like this, but they work great. You can try subbing in rice noodles or other noodles if you’re ok experimenting with the cooking time/method.

Curry Paste: I almost always use the Thai Kitchen brand of red curry paste. It has a mild kick to it. You can dial the amount of red curry paste up or down depending on the brand or how spicy you want the noodles.

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce: I usually have the Mae Ploy brand of this sauce in my fridge, so that’s what I use.

Vegetables: you can increase the veggies and customize what kind you use – zucchini, broccoli, etc.

Seven Layer Bean Dip

Here are two versions of bean dip.  I made the one from Mel for a party. I made it even easier by using store bought guacamole instead of making my own homemade. https://www.melskitchencafe.com/the-best-7-layer-dip/

INGREDIENTS

Bean Layer:

• 1 (30-ounce) can refried beans about 3 1/2 cups (see note)
• ½ cup green or red salsa

Guacamole (see note):

• 3-4 medium ripe avocados
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sour Cream Layer:

• 1 ½ cups sour cream
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Pinch of black pepper

Other Layers:

• 1 ½ cups finely shredded Mexican blend cheese, monterey jack + cheddar
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes (see note)
• 1 cup sliced olives
• ¼ cup finely chopped green onions or chives

INSTRUCTIONS 

• For the bean layer, mix the refried beans and salsa together until creamy and smooth. Evenly spread in a 9X13-inch (or slightly smaller) dish.
• For the guacamole, mash the avocados, lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper together until desired consistency (for this recipe, I like the guacamole mostly smooth with just a few small chunks). Spread the guacamole evenly over the refried beans.
• For the sour cream layer, stir together the sour cream and all the seasonings until smooth and evenly combined. Spread evenly over the guacamole, covering completely all the way to the edges so the guacamole doesn’t turn brown.
• Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the sour cream followed by the tomatoes, olives, and green onions (or chives).
• Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The dip can be made 8-12 hours in advance (and probably longer, although it might get a bit liquidy from the tomatoes if refrigerated longer than that).

NOTES

Refried Beans: this is my favorite homemade refried beans recipe.

Salsa: use a brand of salsa you like the flavor of (and choose a heat you are comfortable with). This is my favorite homemade salsa. For storebought I like the Herdez or Trader Joe’s brands.

Guacamole: if you want to use a premade/storebought guacamole, you’ll need 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

Tomatoes: I like to use roma or cherry tomatoes since they are less liquidy than other varieties of tomatoes.

This is also Grandma West's recipe:

Grandma Glo's Pancakes