BAY LEAF POWDER FOR DIABETES RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the flour turns a deep golden color, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the flour to a plate and let cool. (There will be a strong aroma similar to burnt toast. Be careful not to let the flour burn; reduce the heat if flour seems to be browning too quickly.) Alternately, toast the flour in a pie plate in a 400 degrees F oven for 20 minutes.
• Heat oil in a heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic; sauté until the onions are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in the toasted flour. Gradually stir in broth and bring to a simmer, stirring. Add tomatoes, okra, pepper, thyme, oregano, cayenne and bay leaf. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in rice and cook, covered, for 15 minutes longer.
• Add shrimp, chicken and sausage; simmer until the shrimp is opaque inside, the chicken is no longer pink and the rice is tender, about 5 minutes longer. Discard the bay leaf and season with salt. Ladle into bowls and serve with hot sauce.

Steps:

• Select the high Sauté setting on the Instant Pot and heat the avocado oil. Add half of the onion and all of the garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes, until the onion is slightly softened. Add the ground beef and sauté for about 3 minutes more, using a spoon or spatula to break up the meat as it cooks. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, beef broth, and 1 teaspoon salt. It’s fine if some pink remains; the beef does not have to be fully cooked at this point.
• Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Press the Cancel button to reset the cooking program, then select the Pressure Cook or Manual setting and set the cooking time for 10 minutes at high pressure. (The pot will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure before the cooking program begins.)
• When the cooking program ends, you can either perform a quick pressure release by moving the Pressure Release to Venting, or you can let the pressure release naturally and leave the pot on the Keep Warm setting for up to 10 hours.
• Open the pot and give the meat a stir. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.
• Using a slotted spoon, spoon the meat onto tortillas or into taco shells. Top with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, and the remaining onion. Serve immediately.
• Combine the beef bones, celery, carrots, onion, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf in the Instant Pot. Pour in the water, making sure the pot is no more than two-thirds full.
• Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Select the Soup/Broth setting and set the cooking time for 120 minutes at high pressure. (The pot will take about 30 minutes to come up to pressure before the cooking program begins.)
• When the cooking program ends, let the pressure release naturally; this will take about 45 minutes.
• Place a wire-mesh strainer over a large heat-safe bowl or pitcher.
• Open the pot and, wearing heat-resistant mitts, lift out the inner pot and pour the broth into the strainer. Discard the bones and vegetables. You can pick the meat off the bones if you like, but it will have given up most of its flavor to the broth. Pour the broth into a fat separator to remove the fat, or chill the broth in the refrigerator until the fat solidifies on top, then scoop off the fat from the surface with a large spoon. Let the broth cool to room temperature. (To speed the cooling process, set the bowl in a larger bowl containing an ice bath.)
• The broth can be used right away, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 6 months.