Instant Pot Banana Bundt Bread

Got ripe bananas? Bake Instant Pot Banana Bundt Bread! This sweet treat comes together easily from kitchen staples and makes a nice accompaniment to a coffee break, or an easy breakfast, or a fruity dessert.

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Last summer I had nearly 2 dozen Instant Pot cookbooks from the library quarantined with me for several months. I thoroughly enjoyed reading them and was filled with so many ideas for future classes (Instant Pot Bowls! Instant Pot Pasta! Instant Pot Brunch!) as well as loads of recipes to try. This recipe is one of the keepers. It's from The Instant Pot Bible by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough (I really like this book--it breaks down recipes by size & type of machine, so if you've got an Instant Pot Max especially be sure to check it out!)


I've included this recipe as a bonus one in several of my classes primarily because it's an excellent use of leftover ripe bananas. I'm notorious for buying a bunch (or getting some in my food share) and failing to eat them all before they're too ripe to eat. ((That sounds so silly--food is too ripe to eat? Crazy. Too ripe to enjoy out of hand, but perfect for baking with.) 

Salmon in the Company of Good Oranges (Fruit Fundraiser #2)

Salmon and fresh oranges in a poppy seed vinaigrette, served over hot pasta. The bright and fresh flavors of this dish lighten up the dark winter days.

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New photos from the 2015 Band Fruit Fundraiser!

After you've had your Band Fundraiser Tangerines for breakfast in this dish, it's time to think about what to do with your Band Fundraiser Oranges! Here's a recipe round up for ya.

This is one of those 'so crazy it must be good' combinations--salmon, with oranges, green onions, and poppy seed in a vinaigrette.  Served over noodles.  Sounds weird, right?

It did to me.

I was sick of eating fruit fundraiser oranges just out of hand, and my friend Debbie told me about her sister Chrissy's recipe from a magazine (Cooking Light maybe?).  The combination sounded so weird that I had to try it.  Debbie brought it over and we enjoyed it while watching Love, Actually.  So in my mind, the holiday season, the fruit fundraiser season, and this recipe all roll together.

(You can make it at other times, as well.)

I normally make this recipe with a salmon fillet, but in the interests of trying to be more frugal, I decided to try it with canned salmon.  I've never used canned salmon before.  If you eat blindfolded, the dish is about the same (slight textural difference).  But I eat with my eyes first, so to me the dish is better with a salmon fillet.

What do you think?

Canned salmon.

Hearty Cassoulet in the Instant Pot

A hearty bowl of tender beans studded with chunks of sausage and vegetables in a simple broth. This comforting recipe is an excellent use of pressure cooking to create a warm nutritious meal without having to remember to pre-soak beans.

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I buy dry beans because I know they're good for us, but I rarely remember to pre-soak them prior to using. (I can easily remember to set the eggs and cream cheese out to come to room temperature before making a cheesecake so I suspect it's a matter of priorities, not organizational skills.)

I teach Instant Pot classes, and for my All-in-One-Instant-Pot class I want recipes that can cook all together and create a full meal with a single cooking session. This one fits the bill. Add some bread and a salad if you like, or just dig in to a bowl. Other recipes on this site from that class are my Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs or my Turkey and Wild Rice Meatloaf with Sweet Potatoes.

Pin for later!

When I saw this recipe* (more on that in a bit) I noticed that it called for BOTH pre-soaking the dried beans AND a relatively long cook time. I wondered if it was truly necessary to pre-soak when the cooking time should be sufficient to fully cook the dry beans.

I decided to experiment and do half a bag of beans with a quick soak and leave half a bag of beans dry, then make two batches of this recipe--one with each kind of bean. Full disclosure--my daughter suggested this and she's a smart cookie (as well as my Producer for my online cooking classes). Having my college kids home "at school" instead of away at school is mostly a very nice situation.

How do you Quick Soak dry beans in an Instant Pot?