Instant Pot Tomato Bulgur

Here's a real favorite for my family. We've been making various versions of tomato bulgur for years. but when we got the Instant Pot we worked out a version to take advantage of that.

This is a versatile side dish, but one of my favorite ways to serve it is with chicken - either sweet chili chicken legs, or magically crispy chicken - a pico de gallo and a creamy cold sauce of some kind, maybe a ranch dip.

Instant Pot Tomato Bulgur
Serves 4 generously (we always have leftovers and they're very good cold in a salad)

1 small onion, finely chopped
olive oil
400 ml bulgur wheat, the coarse kind
1 tin (400 g) crushed tomatoes
400 ml water (just use the tin above)
1 tsp Vegeta (optional but gives a little extra oomph)

Set the IP to Sauté and heat the oil. Fry the onion for a few minutes, Add the bulgur wheat. Press cancel, and add tomatoes, water and vegeta (if using).

Place the IP on high pressure for 12 minutes (I use the rice setting) and then do an instant release. Season with salt and pepper as you see fit.

Slow-cooked Pork Shoulder with Tomato Marmalade

This dish comes from Top Chef season 2, and I found it in one of the Top Chef cookbooks - books I like to read, but rarely cook from. However, this was an excellent dish, and I'm glad I tried it. I pretty much followed the recipe but decided to use my crock-pot to make things even easier. It was one of the dishes I served as part of our 13-course menu, so having it all cooked in advance sure helped. I used less liquid than the original recipe, since very little evaporates from the crock pot.

We just served small servings of this, both pork and tomato marmalade, on toast. I have a lot of leftovers in the freezer, and I'm thinking we'll probably serve those with nacho chips and lots of toppings. (Lots of meat, that is - we ate every last bit of the tomato marmalade.)

The tomato marmalade is very zingy and I used a bit more capers than the original recipe called for. It really cuts through the richness of the meat.

Slow-cooked Pork Shoulder
1,5 kilos (or so) pork shoulder (I use fläskkarré)
salt, and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, finely diced
2 celery sticks, finely sliced
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
125 ml freshly-squeezed orange juice
250 ml red wine vinegar
125 ml beef stock

Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Season the pork with salt and pepper, and brown it well on all sides.

Lift out the pork and move it to the crock-pot. In the other pot, add the vegetables and the five-spice. Cook on low-medium heat for about 5-10 minutes. The vegetables should have softened. Put the veggies in the crock-pot.

Stir together vinegar, orange juice and beef stock and pour on top of the meat. Cook on low until the meat is really tender - I let mine go for about 8 hours.

Lift out the meat and shred it, using two forks. Place in a heavy pot. Sieve the remains in the crock-pot and discard the solids. Add the juices to the meat. Before serving, re-heat on the stove, and season with salt and pepper.

Tomato Marmalade
300 g cherry tomatoes
125 ml sugar
125 ml sherry vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 scallion, thinly sliced (this is salladslök in Swedish, feel free to use leeks instead)
1 tbsp capers, drained
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Cook the sugar and tomatoes on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved - this needs to be watched and stirred. Add everything else, and cook on fairly high heat for about 20 minutes. The marmalade should be syrupy and thick, but it will thicken even more if you let it sit before serving, so try to remember that.  Season with salt and pepper if you wish, and serve it with the meat.

Summery Tomato Soup

Summery Tomato Soup
serves 2

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
½ red bellpepper, in small dice
400 g cherry tomatoes, tinned
3 basil sprigs
2-300 ml water
1 cube chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
50 ml cream
salt, pepper

Heat a little olive oil, and fry onions, garlic, carrot and pepper on medium heat, for about five minutes. Add basil and tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add water and stock cube, and cook for ten minutes,



Blend the soup until smooth - I use a stick blender. Add the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with more fresh basil if you'd like, and grilled cheese sandwiches. I made yummy ones with cream cheese as well as regular sharp cheese that melted when I fried them in a little butter.

Recipe in Swedish:
Somrig tomatsoppa