Hi! Glad to have you back! Let’s talk veggies again, shall we?
Just because you’re not using meat a lot when you’re eating a plant-based diet, doesn’t mean you can’t have FLAVOR. The Instant Pot© (IP) is such a wonderful way to impart a ton of gusto because it pressurizes your ingredients, allowing flavors to permeate in such a short amount of time! The next recipe doesn’t really fall in any particular cuisine type, but does provide tons of nutrition and plenty of taste!
Instant Pot Chipotle Pasta & Veggies
Serves: 6
Ingredients
1 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon butter or ghee
4 ounces mushrooms, diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
1/2 yellow squash, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups vegetable broth
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 ounces of any desired high fiber pasta (we try to use legume-based pastas [like Banza®] as much as possible in our home)
1 cup shredded cheese
Other garnishes: avocado, cilantro, jalapenos, Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Set the IP to sauté function. Add olive oil and let heat up for 1 minute.
- Add onions and and sauté until they slightly start to caramelize. Add butter and then the mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Add in the zucchini and squash and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Add in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle powder, and salt until fragrant and vegetables are coated, about 30 seconds.**
- Pour in vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, black beans and pasta. Stir all the ingredients together.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot. Close the steam vent (should be on sealing). Set to high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Once the 5 minutes is up, use the quick steam release method to carefully release the steam.
- Stir cheese into the pasta mixture before serving.
** The reason I recommend 3 different (short) sauté steps is to let each veggie truly sauté (and maybe even brown just a bit), and not steam in the IP pot.
I do want to mention that this recipe is slightly, but delightfully, spicy, so when serving it, a garnish of avocado and/or Greek yogurt definitely mellows out that zing. As far as rounding out this meal, I would say using some of those garnishes is enough, as this dish is really quite satisfying without adding any significant side dishes.
Now, lets’ get to that nutrition highlight. I know this blog is still in its infancy, but I still can’t believe it took me this long to talk about. . .
THE TOMATO
Tomatoes contain:
Fiber: improves digestion and decreases blood cholesterol
Phytonutrients (including *Lycopene): provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits
Potassium: helps maintain proper blood pressure and fluid balance, lowers risk for kidney stones, and is associated with increased bone mineral density
Vitamin C: acts as an antioxidant (protect cells from damaging molecules [‘free radicals’]), is a requirement for collagen production, and is important for some neurotransmitter synthesis
*Lycopene bioavailability is improved with the presence of fat and/or with cooking!
So, that’s all for now. Please feel free to ask questions about my experience with the IP, Weekday Vegetarianism, tomatoes, general nutrition or whatever! See you next time!
References:
1. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44
2. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/
Disclaimer:
Any content you find on Sunny Seeds Nutrition Blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition.
Sunny Seeds Nutrition 
Yummy sounding recipe. Nice to see how good tomatoes are for us because I love them. One question about the recipe – about how many servings would you say it is? Looking forward to your next recipe.
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Oops – just noticed you included the serving size 🙂
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