Summery Gnocchi with Feta and Spinach

 We originally made this recipe from a meal kit many years ago and our recipe has evolved a lot since then so time to add it to the blog. Especially with summer coming, this is a perfect recipe for hot summer nights when we don't want to eat meat but still want something cooked. 

The gnocchi really is the star of the show here and its easy to make but also easy to get wrong. Over many repetitions, I've found that the soaking step and the frying steps are critical to perfectly soft and pillowly gnocchi. 

Ingredients

• 2 packs of fresh potato gnocchi
• Olive oil 
• 2 Red onions, cut in wedges 
• 1 Zucchini chopped
• 1 Red paprika/Bell pepper chopped
• 1 pack of crushed tomatoes 
• 1 bag of baby spinach, washed well and drained
•  5-6 garlic cloves
• Dried Rosemary
• Sugar
• Chicken stock cube
• 2 blocks of Feta cheese, roughly chopped

Method

1. Cover the gnocchi with cold water and soak for 20 minutes. Rinse once after about 10 minutes and drain thorughly right before you fry off, below.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the onions and red pepper and mince the garlic in after a few minutes. After a few minutes add the Zucchini.
3. After about 5 minutes when the onions and peppers have turned glassy, add in the crushed tomato, rosemary, sugar, salt and stock cube and cook till it comes together, probably another 10 minutes or so, on medium to low heat. Turn off the heat once done.
4. In a separate pan, add olive oil and fry off the gnocchi. This will take more oil than you think and you can fry the gnocchi until they have a nice golden crust. You can add the fried gnocchi diretly into the sauce above.
5. Mix in the spinach leaves and crumble the feta into the mix and serve warm.  

Instant Pot Carnitas (Juicy, Crispy & Family-Friendly)

If you’re looking for the best Instant Pot carnitas recipe, this one is a total game changer. These pressure cooker pork carnitas are incredibly juicy, rich in flavor, and finished with perfectly crispy edges—just like authentic Mexican carnitas, but made faster and easier at home.

I’ve made these carnitas three times in a row (yes, they’re that good) to really dial in the technique. The key to perfect carnitas in the Instant Pot is getting the right balance of fatty and lean pork. Too much fat and the dish becomes heavy; too little and the meat turns dry and stringy. Using a mix—especially cuts that include connective tissue or even ribs adds collagen, which creates that tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture carnitas are known for.

The flavor is deeply savory, slightly sweet, and irresistibly meaty, making this a huge hit with both adults and kids. It’s one of those recipes that disappears fast from the table.

How to Serve Instant Pot Carnitas

We love serving these carnitas in tacos (especially “boat tacos” or lettuce wraps for a lighter option), topped with fresh, vibrant sides. Our go-to combination includes:

• Creamy guacamole
• Fresh pico de gallo with onion, tomato, cilantro, lime juice, and cucumber
• A squeeze of lime for brightness

The contrast of rich, tender pork with fresh, zesty toppings creates an amazing balance of flavors and textures.

 Ingredients

• 1.5kg pork ribs
• 1.5kg pork shoulder or similar cut
• Two oranges, washed
• Garlic cloves from a full head of garlic
• 2-3 large onions cut roughly
• 1 bottle full sugar coke (preferably mexican coke if you can get it) 
• Oregano
•  Cumin
• Bay leaves
• Paprika

Method

1.  Cut the pork into 2" pieces and the ribs into pairs or singles (depending on the size)
2.  Fry off the pork in batches in the instapot and get a bit of browning for flavour. 
3. Remove the pork and then briefly fry off the garlic and onions and then add in the pork, spices, coke and oranges. For the oranges, slice in half, squeeze out the juice and then toss in the peels as well.
4. Pressure cook on high for 1 hour then let the pressure release naturally
5. Leaving the liquid behind in the pork, move the meat into a baking tray. Remove the bones and, bay leaves and orange peels. Leave the orange fruit pulp in, its delicious in the end.
6. Turn the oven on at 230 C and bake the meat for about 20-30 minutes. You will need to keep an eye on the meat. Mix the meat around at least once during this time and add liquid as needed
7. Boil down the liquid, removing fat from the top if there is too much and then add some if not all the liquid to the meat. The objective is to have a nice moist texture with some crisp parts but not too much liquid.  
8. Serve in tacos with limes and cilantro on top at least and we add in guacamole, pico and other things if we have time to make them.