No. 06 / Kitchen · Tested

Recipes.

Things I actually make, written the way I'd want to read them — ingredients first, no essay in front of the instructions. More when I stop eating the evidence before I write it down.

Recipe 01 · Side · Instant Pot

Instant Pot
Yellow Rice 

Three minutes at pressure, ten minutes of doing nothing, and a pot of rice that makes every other side dish on the table look like it isn't trying.

Serves
3–4
Ratio
1½ : 1½
Pressure
3 min High
Release
10 min NR
§ Ingredients
  • Seasoned liquid
  • WaterYou'll use 1½ cups of it 2 cups
  • SeasoningGoya Sazón 1 packet (5g)
  • BouillonKnorr cube · halal 1 full cube
  • In the pot
  • RiceRinsed until the water runs clear 1½ cups
  • FatButter To taste
  • SpicesTurmeric and/or cumin Optional
§ Method
01
Rinse the rice

Wash the rice until the water runs clean — several changes of water. Drain it well; you don't want the extra surface starch or the extra liquid it carries in.

02
Build the seasoned liquid

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil with the packet of Sazón and the Knorr cube, crumbling the cube so it dissolves. Let it simmer down a bit — you're concentrating it, and you only need 1½ cups in the end.

03
Toast the rice in butter

Turn the Instant Pot on to the Sauté function and melt the butter — add the turmeric or cumin here if you're using them. Add the drained rice and stir thoroughly so every grain is coated, toasting briefly.

04
Add the liquid

Pour 1½ cups of the seasoned liquid over the toasted rice — that's 1½ cups of liquid to 1½ cups of rice. Stir and scrape any browned bits off the bottom to prevent a burn warning.

05
Pressure cook

Secure the lid. Using the Manual setting, pressure cook on High for exactly 3 minutes.

06
Natural release

Once the 3 minutes are up, leave the Instant Pot alone for a 10-minute natural release. After 10 minutes, manually vent any remaining pressure, open the lid, and fluff the rice with a fork.

Numbers

About 310 cal · 5 g protein · 56 g carb · 6.5 g fat · 1 g fibre · 690 mg sodium per serving, of 4. Assumes 2 tbsp of butter, and that 1½ of the 2 cups of seasoned liquid goes into the pot.

Notes

Boiling the seasoning and bouillon into the water first means the rice cooks in something already concentrated, instead of dissolving a cube against dry grains. You boil 2 cups and use 1½ because some of it goes off as steam — if you end up short, top back up to 1½ with hot water.

The 1:1 rice-to-liquid ratio is correct for the Instant Pot — it loses far less steam than a stovetop pot. Don't stir after the lid comes off until you've fluffed; that's how you end up with paste.

Recipe 02 · Condiment · No cook

Pepperoncini
Pizza Dipping Sauce 

The reason the crusts don't get left on the plate. Briny, garlicky, and better on day two than day one.

Makes
~1½ cups
Active time
~10 min
Rest
30 min
Keeps
~1 week
§ Ingredients
  • Mayonnaise 1 cup
  • PepperonciniDrained and chopped ¼ cup
  • Pepperoncini juice 2 tbsp
  • GarlicMinced 1 clove
  • Fresh parsley 2 tbsp
  • CapersDrained 2 tbsp
§ Method
01
Prep

Drain and finely chop the pepperoncini, mince the garlic, chop the parsley, and drain the capers. Hold back 2 tablespoons of the pepperoncini brine before the rest goes down the sink.

02
Mix

Stir everything into the mayonnaise — pepperoncini, brine, garlic, parsley, and capers — until it's evenly combined and flecked green throughout.

03
Rest

Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes so the raw garlic and brine mellow into the mayo. Stir once more before it hits the table.

Numbers

About 120 cal · 13 g fat · under 1 g carb · under 1 g protein · 230 mg sodium per 2 tbsp. The batch makes about 12 of those. It is almost all mayonnaise, so a light mayo cuts it to roughly 50 cal.

Note

Chop the pepperoncini and capers fine — you want them suspended in the sauce, not sitting at the bottom of the bowl. If it's too thick to dip a crust into, another splash of brine loosens it without watering down the flavor.

Recipe 03 · Main · Instant Pot

Instant Pot
Daal 

Thick, scoopable daal with a browned onion base and a ghee curry-leaf tadka. The onions are the whole recipe — everything after them is assembly.

Serves
4
Dal
Moong + masoor
Pressure
5 min High
Release
10 min NR
§ Ingredients
  • Dal
  • Moong dal½ cup
  • Masoor dal½ cup
  • Base
  • Ghee2 tbsp
  • Cumin seeds1 tsp
  • White onionsFinely chopped1½
  • Green chiliSliced · seeds out for less heat1 small
  • GarlicMinced2 cloves
  • Ginger paste1 tsp
  • Spices
  • Turmeric1 tsp
  • Ground coriander1½ tsp
  • Kashmiri chili powder⅓ tsp
  • Body
  • TomatoesFinely chopped1½
  • SaltTomato stage1 tsp
  • Knorr chicken bouillonCrumbled⅓ cube
  • Water1½ cups
  • Tadka
  • Ghee4 tbsp
  • Cumin seeds1 tsp
  • GarlicThinly sliced4 cloves
  • Fresh curry leaves12
  • Kasuri methiDried fenugreek leaves1 tsp
  • Finish
  • Garam masala1 tsp
  • LemonJuiced½ medium
  • SaltTo taste1 tsp
  • CilantroChopped⅓ cup
§ Method
01
Rinse the dal

Rinse the moong and masoor together until the water runs mostly clear — the masoor throws off extra starch, so expect an extra pass or two. Drain and set aside.

02
Brown the onions

Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (high). Add the 2 tbsp ghee, let it melt, then the cumin seeds — wait for them to crackle. Add the onions and green chili. This is a deep layer of onion, so stir only every 3–4 minutes and let it sit in contact with the metal; stirring more just keeps it wet and steamed. Cook until genuinely golden-brown at the edges. If the pot isn't getting there, finish it in a wide skillet on the stove and transfer back.

03
Bloom the spices

Add the minced garlic and ginger paste, stir 1 minute until fragrant. Add the turmeric, coriander, and Kashmiri chili, stirring constantly for another 30 seconds so the spices hit the fat rather than water. Splash in a tablespoon of water if anything catches.

04
Cook down the tomatoes

Add the tomatoes and 1 tsp salt. Press the tomato against the bottom of the pot with the back of your spoon every few minutes to help it collapse. It's ready when the mixture has thickened and fat pools at the edges — go by that, not the clock.

05
Pressure cook

Turn off Sauté. Stir the crumbled bouillon into the 1½ cups water until dissolved, then add it with the rinsed dal. Scrape the bottom thoroughly — with this little liquid, unscraped fond is the main cause of a burn warning. Seal and cook on High for 5 minutes.

06
Natural release

Let the pressure drop on its own for 10 minutes, then vent the rest. Whisk about 15 seconds — lightly, since the masoor has already broken down and the moong is there for texture.

07
Make the tadka

Heat the 4 tbsp ghee in a small pan until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle, then the sliced garlic until pale gold — pull it the moment it turns. Add the curry leaves with a lid ready, as they spit hard; about 15 seconds until translucent and crisp. Take the pan off the heat, then crumble in the kasuri methi between your palms and let the residual warmth bloom it for 5 seconds.

08
Finish and serve

Stir the garam masala into the daal, then the lemon juice. Taste and add salt as needed. Pour in most of the tadka, stir, and top with the cilantro and the last spoonful.

Numbers

About 395 cal · 13.5 g protein · 41 g carb · 21 g fat · 7 g fibre · 1,370 mg sodium per bowl, of 4. Half the calories are the 6 tbsp of ghee, and it counts all of the tadka and both teaspoons of salt.

Note

The onion browning is the step people rush, and it's the one that decides whether this tastes deep or flat. Everything after it takes fifteen minutes; give the onions the time they need and don't drown them by stirring.

Recipe 04 · Main · Oven

Jerk Chicken 

Four pounds of boneless thighs, a wet marinade that does all the work overnight, and a short broil at the end to buy back the char that skinless thighs can't give you. Serve with rice and peas.

Adapted from thatgirlcookshealthy · deporecipe
Chicken
4 lb thighs
Marinate
4–8 hrs
Bake
400°F · 20–25
Pull at
175°F
§ Ingredients
  • Boneless chicken thighsSkinless4 lb
  • Marinade
  • Olive oil3 tbsp
  • WalkerswoodMild5 tbsp
  • Green seasoning¼ cup
  • Browning2 tbsp
  • All-purpose seasoning2 tbsp
  • Salt1½ tsp
§ Method
01
Mix the marinade

Combine the wet ingredients in a bowl first — oil, Walkerswood, green seasoning, browning, all-purpose seasoning, and salt — then add the chicken and coat every piece.

02
Marinate

4 to 8 hours. Don't push past 12 with boneless thighs or it goes salty.

03
Bake

400°F for 20–25 minutes, flipping halfway. Use two sheets on separate racks and rotate them at the flip — crowded thighs steam instead of browning.

04
Broil and pull

Broil 2–3 minutes at the end, then pull at 175°F. Skinless thighs have no fat cap, so that final broil is doing the work the skin normally would.

Numbers

About 420 cal · 43 g protein · 6 g carb · 24 g fat · 2,100 mg sodium per 2 thighs, of 8. Counts all the marinade — Walkerswood and all-purpose seasoning are most of the sodium, and some of it stays on the tray.

Note

175°F is intentional, not overcooked — thighs are dark meat and the connective tissue needs the extra degrees to break down. Pulling them at 165°F like breast meat gives you chewy chicken.

Recipe 05 · Side · Instant Pot

Rice and Peas 

Doubled, all-coconut liquid, extra thyme, butter finish, no scotch bonnet. The beans go on top and stay there — stirring them in before pressure is how you get mush.

Serves
6
Active time
~10 min
Pressure
6 min High
Release
10 min NR
§ Ingredients
  • Aromatics
  • Olive oil1 tbsp
  • Yellow onionFinely chopped1
  • GarlicMinced2 tsp
  • Green onionsFinely chopped2
  • Rice and liquid
  • Long grain white riceRinsed until water runs clear2 cups
  • Full-fat coconut milk360 ml
  • Water120 ml
  • Seasoning
  • Salt1 tsp
  • All-purpose seasoning1 tsp
  • WalkerswoodMild · stands in for the allspice1 tsp
  • Black pepper⅓ tsp
  • On top
  • Red kidney beansDrained and rinsed2 cups
  • Fresh thyme sprigs4
  • Finish
  • Butter2 tbsp
§ Method
01
Sauté the aromatics

Set the pot to Sauté on More. Once it reads Hot, add the olive oil, then the onion, stirring until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and green onions and stir 30 seconds more.

02
Cancel, cool, deglaze

Press Cancel and let the pot sit a full minute to come off peak heat. Pour in the coconut milk and scrape the base with a wooden spoon until nothing is stuck. With this much coconut fat in the pot, a clean base is the whole difference between dinner and a burn notice.

03
Rice and seasoning

Add the rinsed rice, water, salt, all-purpose seasoning, Walkerswood, and black pepper. Stir until the rice is sitting in liquid with nothing catching on the bottom.

04
Layer beans and thyme

Pour the kidney beans over the rice. Do not stir — they stay layered on top. Lay the thyme sprigs over the beans.

05
Pressure cook

Lid on, valve to Sealing. Pressure Cook on High for 6 minutes — or press Rice and let the cycle run if yours is a newer model.

06
Natural release

Leave the valve alone for 10 minutes, then move it to Venting to release the rest.

07
Butter and fluff

Lift out the thyme stems. Add the butter and fluff with a fork, folding the beans down through the rice. Taste for salt and rest 5 minutes before serving.

Numbers

About 485 cal · 11 g protein · 67 g carb · 20 g fat · 5 g fibre · 780 mg sodium per serving, of 6. The coconut milk is most of the fat.

Note

All-coconut liquid means there's nothing thin in the pot to protect the base, so the deglaze in step 2 isn't optional. If the pot still throws a burn warning, it's fond you missed, not the ratio.

Recipe 06 · Pasta · Stand mixer

Fresh Fettuccine 

Makes ~440g of dough — two generous or three modest servings. A dry-looking dough that comes good on the bench, rolled to a thin 1.0mm sheet.

Makes
~440g
Knead
8–10 min
Rest
30 min +
Final sheet
Level 4 · ~1mm
§ Ingredients
  • All-purpose flourPlus extra for dusting2 cups · 300g
  • Eggs3
  • Salt1 tsp
  • Olive oil1 tbsp + 1 tsp
  • Water1 tbsp
§ Method
01
Mix

Whisk the flour and salt, mound it, and hollow a well in the center. Eggs, oil, and water into the well.

02
Bring it together

Beat the eggs with a fork, pulling in flour from the inner wall a bit at a time. When it's too stiff to fork, switch to hands and press into a shaggy ball.

03
Knead 8–10 minutes

Heel of your hand, fold, quarter turn, repeat. Done when it's smooth and a poke springs back slowly.

04
Rest

30 minutes minimum, wrapped tight at room temp. An hour is better.

05
Roll

Divide into 4 and cover what you're not using. Mixer at speed 5–6. Flatten a piece to ~1cm and run it at level 8 six to eight times, folding in half and rotating 90° between passes. Then single passes: 7 → 6 → 5 → 4. Halve the sheet crosswise once it's longer than your forearm.

06
Rest the sheets

15 minutes on a floured towel. The surface should feel like soft leather — dry to the touch but still flexible.

07
Cut

Through the fettuccine cutter. Flour the ribbons immediately and coil them into loose nests.

Numbers

About 490 cal · 17 g protein · 77 g carb · 12 g fat · 3 g fibre · 850 mg sodium per nest, of 3, before sauce. Salted pasta water adds a little more sodium.

Notes

With only 1 tbsp of water, the dough will look too dry when you first bring it together. Don't add water back yet — knead for 2–3 minutes first and let the flour hydrate. Only add liquid a teaspoon at a time if it still won't come together after that.

Level 4 gives you a ~1.0mm sheet, which is more fragile than 1.3mm was. Support it with your free hand coming off the roller and cut it in half sooner than you think.

Cook time drops slightly at this thickness — start checking at 90 seconds.

Recipe 07 · Main · Skillet

Creamy Cajun-Style
Sausage Fettuccine 

What the fresh fettuccine is for. A half-cream, half-milk sauce that needs a gentler hand than an all-cream one, built on the fond from browning everything else first.

Serves
2
Sauce
½ cream ½ milk
Pasta
2–3 min
Total
~25 min
§ Ingredients
  • Fresh fettuccineRecipe 061 batch
  • Skillet
  • Jalapeño cheddar chicken sausageSliced into coins2
  • Cremini mushroomsSliced thick5
  • Green bell pepperStrips½
  • Red bell pepperStrips½
  • Yellow onionSliced½
  • GarlicMinced3 cloves
  • Olive oil1 tbsp
  • Seasoning
  • Salt1½ tsp
  • Onion powder1 tsp
  • Garlic powder1 tsp
  • Adobo1 tsp
  • Red chili flakes½ tsp
  • Black pepperTo taste
  • Sauce
  • Heavy cream½ cup
  • Milk½ cup
  • Butter1 tbsp
  • Grated parmesan½ cup
§ Method
01
Pasta water on

Large pot, salted, rolling boil. Leave it going.

02
Mushrooms · 4–5 min

Olive oil in a wide skillet, medium-high. Single layer, don't stir, don't salt. Flip when the undersides are properly browned.

03
Sausage · 2–3 min

Push the mushrooms aside and add the coins. They're already cooked, so you're just after browned edges. Leave the fond in the pan.

04
Onion and peppers · 3–4 min

Onion translucent, peppers softened but still snappy.

05
Garlic and seasoning · 45 sec

Heat to medium. Garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, adobo, chili flakes, black pepper. Stir constantly — garlic burns fast.

06
Cream sauce · 6–7 min

Cream and milk in, scrape up the fond. Barely-trembling simmer, no real bubbles. Reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. This takes longer than a straight-cream sauce because half of it is milk.

07
Pasta · 2–3 min

Into the boiling water, stir immediately. Done when it floats and turns slightly translucent. Reserve a mug of pasta water before draining.

08
Combine

Heat completely off. Butter and parmesan in, stir until smooth. Pasta in, toss hard 30–60 seconds with splashes of pasta water until the sauce clings to the strands.

Numbers

About 1,400 cal · 54 g protein · 134 g carb · 71 g fat · 7 g fibre · 4,400 mg sodium per plate, of 2, with a full batch of fresh fettuccine split between the two. The sodium is high: the 1½ tsp of salt, the adobo, the sausage, the parmesan and the salt in the pasta all add up. Cutting the added salt to ½ tsp brings it to about 3,200 mg.

Notes

The half-and-half dairy split means less fat holding the emulsion — keep the heat low, and the butter and parmesan at the end are doing real structural work, not just flavor.

Adobo is salt-based, so it's stacking on the 1½ tsp. Taste before each splash of pasta water rather than after, and use plain hot water to loosen if it's getting salty.

Fix sauce thickness before the pasta goes in. Fresh pasta keeps drinking liquid and won't wait.

Recipe 08 · Main · Instant Pot

Birria Tacos 

2.5 lb of meat, roughly 12–16 tacos. The whole recipe hinges on two things: an actual dark crust on the sear, and not stirring the blended sauce into the liquid underneath it.

Makes
12–16 tacos
Meat
2.5 lb
Pressure
55 min High
Release
15–20 NR
§ Ingredients
  • For the braise
  • BeefLarge chunks · chuck is ideal, or nihari shank · needs some fat on it2.5 lb
  • OilFor searingAs needed
  • SaltTo taste
  • SugarPinch
  • Black pepperTo taste
  • Ginger-garlic paste1 tbsp
  • VinegarWhite or apple cider2 tbsp
  • Bay leaf + cinnamon stickOptional1 + 1 small
  • WaterFor deglazing250 ml
  • OilOnly if using shank½–1 cup
  • For the sauce blend
  • Water250 ml
  • TomatoChopped1
  • Chilmolli birria mix4 tbsp
  • Chicken bouillon powder1 tbsp
  • To assemble
  • Corn tortillas12–16
  • Oaxaca or low-moisture mozzarellaShreddedTo taste
  • White onionFinely choppedTo taste
  • CilantroChoppedTo taste
  • LimeWedgesTo serve
§ Method
01
Blend the sauce

250 ml water, tomato, birria mix, and bouillon into the blender until smooth. Set aside — it doesn't go in yet.

02
Sear the meat

Instant Pot on Sauté, oil in, meat in batches so it browns instead of steams. Season with salt, a pinch of sugar, and black pepper as it goes. You want an actual dark crust, not grey — this is most of your flavor.

03
Ginger-garlic · 30–45 sec

Stir constantly, it scorches fast on Sauté mode. If you want this to taste more Mexican than nihari, drop the ginger and use garlic alone — your call.

04
Deglaze

250 ml of plain water. Scrape until nothing is stuck to the bottom. Add the vinegar, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick.

05
Layer the sauce — don't stir

Pour the blended sauce on top and leave it. Thin liquid stays on the bottom, thick sauce sits above it. Stirring it together is what triggers the BURN error.

06
Pressure cook

High, 55 minutes.

07
Natural release

15–20 minutes, then vent whatever's left. Don't rush this — quick-releasing makes the meat seize up and go stringy.

08
Skim the fat

There should be a red layer floating on top. Spoon it into a small bowl — that's your tortilla dip. If you used shank and there isn't much, stir ½–1 cup oil into the hot consomé now, let it sit 5 minutes, then skim.

09
Shred

Pull the meat out, shred it, taste the consomé for salt and adjust. Spoon a little consomé over the shredded meat so it doesn't dry out while you're griddling.

10
Prep the rest

Chop onion and cilantro, shred cheese, strain some consomé into small cups for dipping.

11
Build the tacos

Dip a tortilla in the reserved red fat → straight onto a hot griddle → cheese on one half → meat on top → fold while it's still soft → crisp both sides until the outside is deep red and crunchy.

12
Serve

Onion, cilantro, lime, and a cup of consomé alongside.

Numbers

About 800 cal · 56 g protein · 44 g carb · 45 g fat · 7 g fibre · 1,900 mg sodium for 3 tacos with consomé, of 5. Assumes chuck, 2 tbsp of searing oil, 1½ tsp of salt, 15 tortillas, and 1 oz of cheese per 3 tacos.

Note

Step 5 is the one that saves the dinner. The Instant Pot reads scorch at the base of the pot, so as long as the thin deglazing water stays down there and the thick blend floats above it, the sensor never sees a problem.

Recipe 09 · Dessert · Ninja Creami

Banana Pudding
Protein Ice Cream 

A half pint that hits 40 g of protein for 376 calories with no added sugar. The banana and the starch in the pudding mix do all the thickening — do not reach for the xanthan gum.

Makes
1 half pint
Protein
40 g
Calories
376
Freeze
24 hr level
§ Ingredients
  • For the base
  • Fairlife 2% ultra filtered milk290 ml
  • Ripe bananaBrown spots on the peel · a yellow one is starchy and pasty60 g
  • Whey protein, vanillaLeanfit · 1 scoop · concentrate beats isolate here33 g
  • Sugar free vanilla instant pudding mixDry · about 1 tbsp · weigh it, don't scoop it8 g
  • Allulose½ tbsp
  • Vanilla extract1 tsp
  • Ground nutmegSmall pinch
  • SaltPinch
  • Optional mix-in
  • Vanilla wafersAdds roughly 35 cal2
§ Method
01
Weigh everything into the jar

Blender jar on the scale, zero it, and add the lot. One jar, one dish to wash.

02
Blend · 60 sec, then 15 more

Stop, push everything down off the sides, and give it another 15 seconds. Check it — fully smooth, no flecks. The machine will not break down banana pieces later, so whatever texture you leave here is the texture you get.

03
Taste before it goes in

Add more allulose only if it isn't sweet. Frozen always reads less sweet than the liquid does, but overdoing it here is how you end up with soup.

04
Into the pint immediately

Cut banana browns in air. Don't leave it sitting in the blender while you tidy up.

05
Freeze 24 hours, level

Lid on, flat shelf. A pint that freezes at an angle comes out dry on one side.

06
Spin on LITE ICE CREAM

Freezer to machine, no detours — don't let the pint start softening on the counter.

07
Re-spin

First pass comes out dry and powdery. That's normal. Add 10 ml of milk and RE-SPIN, again if it needs it. Two cycles is standard once there's whey in the base.

08
Mix-ins

Hole down the center, wafers in, MIX-IN once. One cycle only.

09
Serve immediately

It doesn't hold. Eat it out of the pint like everyone else does.

Numbers

376 cal · 40.3 g protein · 35.5 g carb · 9.7 g fat · 16.7 g sugar. That works out to 43% protein, 30% carb, 23% fat, and about 27 g net carb with the allulose taken out. Every gram of sugar is lactose from the milk and fruit sugar from the banana — nothing is added.

Fill level

The line on the pint is a ceiling, not a target. A half pint is fine, but keep the base above 250 ml or the paddle doesn't have enough material to work with. Never fill past the line — the base expands as it freezes.

Troubleshooting

Dry and powdery — that's just the first spin. 10 ml milk, RE-SPIN.
Elastic or stringy — you added gum on top of the starch. Don't.
Soupy — warm pint or too much allulose. Give it the full 24 hours.
Banana pieces — under-blended. 60 seconds, minimum.

Recipe 10 · Dessert · Ninja Creami

Strawberry
Protein Ice Cream 

A half pint with 40 g of protein for 346 calories. The strawberries and one serving of the dessert mix give all the body it needs — no salt, no xanthan gum.

Makes
1 half pint
Protein
40 g
Calories
346
Freeze
24 hr level
§ Ingredients
  • For the base
  • Fairlife 2% ultra filtered milk280 ml
  • Ripe strawberriesHulled100 g
  • Whey protein, vanillaLeanfit · 1 scoop33 g
  • Simply Desserts strawberry mixOne serving · not the box ratio12 g
  • Allulose1 tbsp
  • Vanilla extract½ tsp
  • Leave out
  • SaltThe mix has 284 mg sodium per 12 g · that's enoughNone
  • Xanthan gumThe corn starch and soluble fibre give enough bodyNone
§ Method
01
Blend · 60 sec

Everything into the blender at once and run it for a full minute.

02
Into the pint immediately

The starch in the mix starts to set in 3 to 5 minutes. Pour it before it does.

03
Freeze 24 hours, level

Lid on, flat shelf. A pint that freezes at an angle comes out dry on one side.

04
Spin on LITE ICE CREAM

Straight from the freezer into the machine.

05
Re-spin if needed

If it comes out dry, add 10 ml of milk and RE-SPIN.

Numbers

346 cal · 40 g protein · 39 g carb · 19 g net carb · 10 g fat · 14 g sugar · 550 mg sodium. Net carb takes out the allulose, the 5 g of erythritol in the mix, and the fibre.

Why 12 g, not the box ratio

The box calls for 48 g in 500 ml of milk. That makes a pudding that holds its shape — in a frozen base it turns the ice cream thick and pasty. One serving is right for a half pint.

Recipe 11 · Dessert · Ninja Creami

Chocolate Banana
Protein Ice Cream 

A half pint with 41 g of protein for about 395 calories. Chocolate up front, banana in the background, and no added sugar — all of it comes from the milk and the banana.

Makes
1 half pint
Protein
41 g
Calories
395
Freeze
24 hr level
§ Ingredients
  • For the base
  • Fairlife 2% ultra filtered milk305 ml
  • Ripe bananaBrown spots on the peel · a yellow one is starchy and low on flavour60 g
  • Whey protein, vanillaLeanfit · 1 scoop33 g
  • Jell-O fat free chocolate instant pudding mixDry · weigh it, don't scoop it12 g
  • Allulose1 tbsp
  • Vanilla extract½ tsp
  • Xanthan gumFill a ⅛ tsp and tip half out1/16 tsp
  • Leave out
  • SaltThe mix brings 330 mg sodium per 10 g · that's enoughNone
§ Method
01
Weigh everything into the jar

Blender jar on the scale, zero it. Milk in, cut the banana straight into the jar, then the whey and the pudding mix.

02
Xanthan on top of the powders

Allulose and vanilla in. Sprinkle the xanthan gum onto the dry powders, not into the milk — that's what keeps it from lumping.

03
Blend · 75 sec, then 15 more

Stop, push everything down off the sides, and give it another 15 seconds. Fully smooth, no flecks — the machine will not break down banana pieces later.

04
Taste before it goes in

Add more allulose only if it isn't sweet. Frozen always reads less sweet than the liquid does.

05
Into the pint immediately

The starch in the mix starts to set in 3 to 5 minutes, and cut banana browns in air. Don't let it sit.

06
Freeze 24 hours, level

Lid on, flat shelf. A pint that freezes at an angle comes out dry on one side.

07
Spin on LITE ICE CREAM

Freezer to machine, no detours — don't let the pint start softening on the counter.

08
Re-spin

Dry or in pieces? Add 10 ml of milk and RE-SPIN, again if it needs it. Two cycles is standard with whey. Stop when the surface is smooth.

09
Serve immediately

For mix-ins, hole down the center, mix-ins in, MIX-IN once. One cycle only.

Numbers

About 395 cal · 41 g protein · 45 g carb · 33 g net carb · 10 g fat · 16 g sugar · 550 mg sodium. All the sugar comes from the milk and the banana — the pudding mix has none.

Xanthan gum

It's a sixteenth of a teaspoon on purpose. The pudding mix already has xanthan in it and the banana adds starch. If the pint comes out elastic or stringy, use none in the next one.

More banana

Chocolate is dominant and banana sits in the background. Go up to 80 g of banana for more of it — don't increase the mix.

Without the whey

Drop the protein powder and use 290 ml of milk. About 255 calories and 17 g of protein.

Recipe 12 · Side · Instant Pot

Cilantro Lime
Rice 

Rice cooked in butter and chicken bouillon, then mixed with a raw sauce of cilantro (coriander), garlic, and lime. The sauce blends while the rice is under pressure.

Serves
2
Ratio
1 : 1
Pressure
3 min High
Release
10 min NR
§ Ingredients
  • For the rice
  • Long grain white rice1 cup
  • WaterUnsalted · the bouillon has the salt1 cup
  • Knorr chicken bouillon cube½ cube · 6 g
  • Butter1 tbsp
  • For the sauce
  • Fresh cilantroCoriander · leaves and soft stems20 g
  • GarlicAbout 3 cloves15 g
  • Lime juiceAbout 1½ tbsp24 g
  • Olive oil2 tbsp27 g
  • Salt¾ tsp
§ Method
01
Rinse the rice

Cold water, 2 to 3 times, until the water is almost clear. Drain fully.

02
Sauté · 1–2 min

Instant Pot on Sauté, butter in. Crumble in the bouillon and stir until it dissolves. Add the rice and stir for 1 to 2 minutes.

03
Add the water

Scrape the bottom of the pot so no rice or bouillon stays stuck. That's what prevents a Burn warning.

04
Pressure cook · 3 min High

Lock the lid, valve to Sealing.

05
Natural release · 10 min

Let the pressure drop on its own for 10 minutes, then turn the valve to Venting.

06
Blend the sauce

While the rice cooks: cilantro, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and salt into the blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.

07
Mix and serve

Fluff the rice with a fork and let it cool 2 to 3 minutes so the sauce stays bright green. Pour the sauce on, mix fully, and taste for salt.

Numbers

About 530 cal · 8 g protein · 78 g carb · 20 g fat · 2 g fibre · 1,510 mg sodium per serving, of 2. The olive oil in the sauce is about half the fat; the bouillon and salt are the sodium.

Weigh the sauce

The sauce ingredients are in grams for a reason. Weigh them for the best result.

Doubling it

For 2 cups of rice, the cook time stays at 3 minutes. Double everything else, with 1½ tsp of salt in the sauce.