Showing posts with label Air Fryer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Air Fryer. Show all posts
One thing I wanted to get for myself when I was setting up my new kitchen was an Air Fryer. I had had a really good one in the UK that I used often. It was a T-Fal Opti fry and was very easy to use. I loved it.
Of course I had gotten it quite a few years ago. It was rather on the large side and did take up a lot of room. Air Fryers have come a long way since I had gotten that one. They basically serve a multitude of functions now
You can even bake cakes in them, although I have never done so admittedly.
I had ordered a Panasonic one from the Bay which never did arrive and so I ended up buying one at our local Home Hardware. It is a Kuraidori Multi-function Air Fryer.
So far I have been very pleased with it. It is a multi-function rotisserie air fryer. So far I haven't used anything other than the basic functions with it.
I have to say these new air fryers take some getting used to, at least for this old dog. For a time was calling my air fryer the "cremator," but I am slowly getting the hang of it.
It is said that an air fryer gives you all of the advantages of deep frying without any of the calories, especially f you enjoy fried foods. Can I be honest here?
If you are looking for deep fried flavor, you are not going to get it with an air fryer. You will get crisp in most cases however.
You do also have to time things very carefully because you can go from perfection to inedible at the drop of a hat, but having said that I am enjoying getting to know mine and eating things I am preparing in it.
MY HELPFUL TIPS FOR USING AN AIR FRYER
1. Read the instruction manual for your air fryer very carefully before cooking. This will help to make sure you understand specific features of your air fryer before you start to cook.
2. You can cook foods typically cooked in the oven in your air fryer. Because the air fryer is a more condensed rather than a regular oven, it is recommended that you cut the oven temperature by 25 - 50*F (6-10*C). You should also cut about 20% off of the cook times.
3. To help prevent foods from sticking to your air fryer basket, spray with nonstick cook spray before add the food, or line the basket with baking parchment. You can also get your food to crisp up better by spraying occasionally with cooking spray during the cooking process.
4. Don't over-fill the basket. Bear in mind you will probably need to cook in batches as needed.
5. Light foods may blow around from the pressure of the fan. Secure foods in the basket to help prevent this. Toothpicks come in very handy for this. My air fryer came with two baskets. I place the light food in one and then put the other basket over top. This works well.
6. Don't be afraid to check your food while cooking by opening your air fryer. This will not alter or disturb the cooking times, but it is one sure way to prevent your food from being over cooked.
One thing I have been really enjoying in my Air Fryer this week is Sweet Potatoes. I adore Sweet Potatoes. They are one of my favorite vegetables.
Not only are they deliciously filled with fiber, but they are actually considered to be a super food, packing a real nutritional wallop! They have about 50% more fiber than a regular baking potato and are loaded with Vitamins A and C.
I have always loved them baked. Normally I would throw them into the oven on a baking tray and leave them to bake while the rest of the meal is cooking.
This week I am taking advantage of my air fryer to do the exact same thing, with excellent results.
Do note however, it has been my experience when baking sweet potatoes, either in the oven or the air fryer, you are never going to get the really crisp skin that you might get when baking regular potatoes.
Nothing special is needed, other than the sweet potatoes themselves and an air fryer! Do take care when picking out your sweet potatoes.
Be sure to pick potatoes that are smooth skinned and blemish free, without any dark spots. Also no wrinkles or cracks. A wrinkled sweet potato usually indicates an old sweet potato!
Scrub your sweet potatoes really well with a vegetable brush and then dry them with some paper towels. You can then prick them all over with a fork.
Toss them into your air fryer basket and bake away! I usually do two at a time. I do have to say an air fryer is ideal for a person on their own or a couple, unless you have a super large one!
Personally I really enjoy them with a nice pat of butter, some salt and pepper, but you can top them with anything. Chili. Cheese. Sour Cream, bacon . . . chives. The world really is your oyster when it comes to these delicious nutritional giants!
Any leftovers can be wrapped and refrigerated. To reheat I simply peel and reheat gently in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Delicious!
Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes
Yield: 2
Cook time: 40 MinTotal time: 40 Min
These are delicious. They end up perfectly baked in less time than it takes to bake them in a regular oven. I love them.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized sweet potatoes
Instructions
- Wash the sweet potatoes really well then dry with some paper towels. Prick them all over with a fork.
- Place in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 35 to 40 minutes at 375*F/190*C.
- Serve hot, split open and with your favorite toppings.
Notes
If you don't have an air fryer, you can easily bake sweet potatoes in the oven. Wash and prick as above. Bake at 400*F/200*C for about an hour at which time the potato should be soft in the centre and yield slightly to light pressure. A knife will slip in very easily.
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One thing I really like is Onion Rings. I think if I had to choose between Fries or Onion Rings I would really have a hard time choosing which one to have. If push really came to shove, Onion Rings would win every time.
They are not so healthy though (as if fries are!). Deep fried food is not really a healthy thing to be eating. Also I tend to not deep fry anything at home if I can help it, due to the smell and mess. I save deep fried food for eating out and the occasional treat!
I recently purchased an air fryer and have determined to learn how to use it properly. I have had a difficult time coming to terms with it. I mostly just cremate food in it. In fact I have been calling it my cremator.
I really want it to pay for itself however, so I am sticking with it. I am happy to say I am getting way better and have had success with the last few things I have tried!
Air frying is so much better for you than deep fat frying. Not only it is quicker to cook foods in an air fryer, but studies have found that people who cook with a an air fryer reduce their calorie consumption by 70 to 80%!
All plusses in my book. I have never been a person that deep fried a lot of food anyways, but it is nice to know that if I want something with a deep fat fried flavor and texture I can achieve that in a much healthier way.
These newer air fryer models are so much better and more efficient than the fryers of the past and most of them these days provide multiple functions, rather than just frying.
Today I decided to do onion rings in them, because, as I said above. I enjoy onion rings, but I don't always enjoy the grease and indigestion they give me from the grease. Having said that however, I also have my favorites when it comes to onion rings.
Typically I have always found onion rings that are made from ground up onions, mixed into a batter and then fried in ring shapes disappointing. I want real onions, with a crispy coating. I like to chew my own food thank you very much!
When I was searching for recipes online as a guide to make my onion rings, I found that most were made with bread crumbs, and some with bread crumbs and cornmeal for extra crunch. I confess, I don't like the cornmeal. For me, that is a bit too much crunch.
I love cornmeal in breads and such, but not so much in breading. Panko bread crumbs seem to give the best results crunch wise, but don't worry if you only have regular dried bread crumbs. They can also be used with success.
If you really want a treat, add a bit of finely grated Parmesan Cheese and some herbs to the bread crumbs. You may want to make them the regular way first however so you know what to expect.
You want to use a sweet onion to make onion rings with. A Vidalia is great if you can get them, or a Spanish onion. You do want a large onion if possible.
Don't be tempted to use red onions. End of.
You will only need 1/2 of a large onion to make this recipe which I have sized perfectly for two people. You will find that it served two very generously.
Cut the onion into 1/2 inch thick slices and then separate them into rings. You won't be able to use the inner most parts, but that's okay, you can save them for something else.
The art of dredging or coating things in an egg/flour/breadcrumb coating is called Pane. It is not my favorite thing to do because it can get rather messy rather quickly.
I find that using three separate forks for each element of the pane works well and doesn't cross contaminate your coatings. You will need one for the flour mixture, one for the egg/buttermilk and one for the breadcrumbs. If you keep them separate with the three forks then there is very little mess.
These are not completely fat free of course. You need a bit of fat for flavor and to crisp them up. A bit of oil is mixed into the bread crumb mixture, which helps to crisp the crumbs beautifully. Use a healthy oil, a canola is good.
You will also need to spritz with some oil cooking spray as well. Some people swear by avocado oil cooking spray. I just used ordinary Pam.
This recipe I am sharing today makes the perfect amount for two people, although you could certainly double the recipe to feed more people if you wish.
Its helpful to know that you can also freeze these when done. Simply pop onto a baking sheet and into the freezer, repacking them into a zip lock freezer bag when frozen.
They will keep for up to two months packed this way and can easily be reheated quickly for a few minutes in the air fryer when you want to serve them.
I was really pleased with how these turned out. Not only were they quick and easy to make, but they were crisp and delicious as well.
I served mine simply with some tomato ketchup for dipping, but some people enjoy them with fry sauce (equal parts of ketchup and mayo) sour cream dip, etc. You know what you like best.
I would make these again and plan on making them sometime when Eileen and Tim come over. I just know they will love them! And it makes me feel good knowing that I can make a snack for them that is a bit healthier than the alternative!
Air Fryer Onion Rings for Two
Yield: 2
Prep time: 12 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 27 Min
Crisp and delicious and oh so simple to make! Sized perfectly for two people. Great on their own as a snack with a dip, or as a side for burgers or dogs.
Ingredients
- 1/2 of a large sweet onion (the sweeter the better)
- 1/3 cup (50g) plain all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp seasoning salt
- hefty pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 large free range egg
- 1/3 cup (80ml) buttermilk
- 1 cup (110g) panko bread crumbs
- 1 TBS vegetable oil
- 1 TBS cornmeal (optional)
- low fat cooking spray
- additional seasoning salt to finish
Instructions
- You will need three shallow bowls for the breading.
- In bowl one, whisk together the flour, seasoning salt and cayenne pepper
- In bowl two, whisk together the buttermilk and egg.
- In bowl three, whisk together the bread crumbs, oil and cornmeal (if using.)
- Cut your onion into 1/2 inch thick slices. (I peel my onion after I slice it.) Separate into rings. Save the small inner parts for another use.
- Working with one ring at a time, dip first into the buttermilk egg mixture, then into the flour and back into the buttermilk. Toss into the bread crumb mixture, pressing to adhere.
- Spray each with some cooking spray and place into the air fryer basket (s), in a single layer, taking care that they don't touch. (You can put the really small ones inside of the larger ones.)
- Preheat your air fryer to 350*F/180*C. Air fry for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
- Sprinkle with additional seasoning salt and serve immediately.
When I first moved into my new home I decided to buy myself an air fryer. They are all the rage at the moment.
I had one of the older T-Fal ones in the UK and I am rather ashamed to say I really didn't use it like I should have done. It was overly large and my kitchen too small. It did great chips and wings, etc. but it was so large I couldn't keep it in my kitchen
It got relegated to our bedroom closet with all of the other things which were too large for storage down stairs and I have to admit, it never got used again. Sad but true.
I am that person. That person who only uses things that are easily accessible to me. If I need help to get something out to use, the truth is I just will rarely if ever use it.
Its not that I didn't want to use it, its more like it was more trouble to dig it out than it was worth. In any case I got myself an air fryer when I moved into my new home and made a promise to myself that I was going to use it. Regularly.
And I have done. I bought a Cuisinart toaster oven air fryer, which had good reviews from ATK (America's Test Kitchen). I figured I could use it for more than one purpose.
I call it the Cremator. That's because almost everything I have tried to cook in it burns and rather quickly too. Its very fierce. I've been playing with it for months now and have still not come to terms with it.
I recently decided to buy myself a smaller one and see if I could work that one out any better. Today I decided to try to fry some chicken in it and I am happy to say, I managed to do a half decent job.
I based my recipe loosely on one I found on a blog called Recipes Worth Repeating. I did make a few changes.
I came near to cremating it, but managed to stop just shy of that, and ended up with tender, juicy, well flavored chicken. A tiny tad bit darker than I would have liked.
I used smaller chicken thighs than she did and adjusted the cook time accordingly. I wanted a recipe to feed two.
I used four small bone in, skin on chicken thighs, whereas she used 5 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I did remove the skin and discard it, but I kept the bone in.
I did that for several reasons. One bone in chicken stays moister. Two, bone in chicken has better flavor than bone out.
I discarded the skin because I was trying to be healthier, but you could leave the skin on if you wanted to.
Having removed the skin, I knew that the coating would have a problem sticking to the chicken. What is the point of using panko bread crumbs if you can't make them stick.
I therefore soaked the chicken in some water before shaking it with the crumb and spice mixture. I wanted my crumbs to stick. I suppose you could do the same with some buttermilk.
The spice mixture is a really nice combination. You would think it would be ultra spicy, but it just isn't.
There is ground cumin, sweet paprika, curry powder (I used medium), sweet paprika, mild chili powder, salt and pepper. This was just perfect.
If you wanted it really spicy you could amp up the heat a bit by using hot paprika, and a stronger curry powder, also a stronger chili powder.
I am a huge wimp when it comes to food that bites you back. I just don't like it. I want to be able to taste all the flavors in what I am eating. I don't want to burn my mouth.
Or worse yet, at my age anyways, get a huge case of indigestion, a very real problem with me. I have gastric disease. When I was younger, the hotter the better! I prided myself on being able to eat hot peppers and all sorts without any problem.
This is no longer the case.
But cutting back a bit on the timings, using bone in chicken and dampening the chicken so that the coating adhered I ended up with some pretty tasty, crisp and juicy chicken.
I served it with some corn on the cob, mashed squash and a kale salad. Yes, that does sound healthy. Well, it did to me anyways.
I think that when you live on your own you can have a tendency to not eat properly, or at proper times. I found myself getting into that habit. I am trying to change that now.
I have spent so many years taking care of everyone else, now I need to be a bit more selfish and take care of me. In any case, this was really tasty! I highly recommend and if you don't have an air fryer, never fear. You can still cook it in the oven if you wish, with successful results.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Small Batch Fried Chicken (air fryer or oven)
Yield: 2
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 25 Min
Crisp, moist and delicious with a beautiful blend of spices.
Ingredients
You will need:
- 4 smallish bone in, skin on chicken thighs
For the coating:
- 1/2 cup (60g) Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp mild chili powder
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Place the breadcrumbs and all of the seasonings into a large zip lock bag.
- Have a bowl of water ready. Remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Put the skinned chicken into the bowl of water.
- Remove the chicken one piece at a time and place into the bag with the crumbs and seasonings. Shake to coat really well. Place into the basket of your air fryer (see note if oven baking). Repeat until all the pieces of chicken have been coated. Take care not to overlap the chicken pieces.
- Set the temperature on your air fryer to 350*F/180*C. Preheat if necessary. Insert the basket holding the chicken into the air fryer, top side down.
- Air fry for 10 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, carefully turn the chicken over and then air fry for a further 10 minutes.
- Remove from the air fryer and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes:
It is possible to cook this in a regular oven if you don't have an air fryer. You will still end up with incredibly delicious chicken. Prepare chicken as above and place onto a baking sheet you have sprayed with some non-stick low fat cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Bake the chicken bottom side up for 15 minutes, flip the chicken over and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes, or until the juices run clear.
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