Category Archives: Air-Frying

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE TIMES FOUR

Posted in Air-Frying, Appetizers, Incredibly simple, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by

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It’s been quite a long time since I shared recipes that are so easy, it’s hard to call them as such. Come to think of it, my most recent post in this series was from May last year (check it out here). So, without further ado, let’s get this ball rolling!

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APPLE-PROSCIUTTO APPETIZER

Get some apples, cut them in wedges, any thickness you like. Sit the slices over a couple of crisp Romaine lettuce leaves cut the same size as the apples. Place a slice of cheese on the other side, roll it all together with prosciutto. Sit on a serving plate and drizzle balsamic vinegar reduction (store-bought is totally fine).

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AIR-FRIED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Use small sprouts, if you can find them. Cut them in half. Place them in a bowl with very hot water for 10 minutes. Drain. Coat them lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Air-fry at the highest temperature your fryer goes, until golden brown. Probably 15 to 20 minutes. Shake them around every once in a while. I drizzled a little balsamic reduction when I served them. Love that ingredient so much… If you don’t have an air-fryer, simply use your oven at 420F.

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YUKON GOLD ROAST POTATOES

Cut each potato in half. Place them in cold salted water and boil gently for 12 minutes. Drain. Drizzle olive oil over a baking sheet that can hold them in one single layer, covered with aluminum foil (non-stick foil works great). Place them cut side down, season lightly with salt and herbes de Provence. Roast them at 420F without moving them for 20 minutes, then flip them around and roast for 5 to 10 minutes more.

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ZA’ATAR AIR-FRIED EGGPLANT

I don’t bother salting eggplant anymore, but you can if you prefer. Cut the eggplant in half, score it with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern to expose the flesh. Mix a little olive oil with lemon juice, salt and za’atar. Brush all over the surface, then air-fry at 385F for 25 minutes, until the flesh is cooked, test with a fork. 

I hope you enjoyed this small collection of super easy recipes. The apple appetizer is really delicious, I was inspired by a recent show from Molly Yeh (Girl Meets Farm) to make them. Normally I am not too fond of prosciutto without cooking it (like on pizza), but in that recipe it worked nicely with the apples providing nice texture.

ONE YEAR AGO: Zucchini-Prosciuto Parcels

TWO YEARS AGO: Double Peanut Sourdough Loaf

THREE YEARS AGO: Fennel-Rubbed Shrimp in Light Coconut Sauce

FOUR YEARS AGO: Puff Bread Balls, Two Salads and a Cookbook Review

FIVE YEARS AGO: Pistachio-Caramel and Apple Mousse Cakes

SIX YEARS AGO: La Couronne Bordelaise

SEVEN YEARS AGO: A Special Birthday Dinner

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Duck Confit for a Special Occasion

NINE YEARS AGO: Tuscan Grilled Chicken and Sausage Skewers

TEN YEARS AGO: Celebrate Wednesday with Pork Tenderloin & Apples

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Salmon Wellington

TWELVE YEARS AGO: The Green Chip Alternative

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Weekend Pita Project

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Let it snow, let it snow, eggs in snow

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED CHICKEN BREASTS

Posted in Air-Frying, Poultry by

The air-fryer does it, friends! If you don’t have one you can still adapt to a regular oven, but I tell you, the texture and how easy it all happens is hard to beat. Ever since we invested in a model with a bigger basket, I’ve been using it all the time.

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED CHICKEN BREASTS
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

3 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
juice of a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
slices of prosciutto
spray of olive oil

Squirt a very small amount of lemon juice over the chicken breasts, season lightly with salt and pepper, rubbing the mixture all over.

Lay 2 slices of prosciutto overlapping slightly over a board, place one chicken breast over it and wrap the prosciutto around. Carefully place the meat in the air-fryer basket, with the seam side down. Repeat with all other pieces. Spray them with a little olive oil and air-fry at 400F (or as high as your machine goes) for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping the meat midway through. You can check the temperature with a probe thermometer if you prefer a little more precision, going for 160F.

Allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I made this twice already and will be repeating it soon, because we really liked it a lot. Prosciutto tends to be expensive, that is the only drawback and you do need two slices per breast. We enjoyed it with green beans with almonds and plain rice, it was a quick and very delicious dinner.

ONE YEAR AGO: Cauliflower with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Olives

TWO YEARS AGO: Curry Sourdough with Sesame Seeds

THREE YEARS AGO: Chocolate-Crusted Passion Fruit Tart

FOUR YEARS AGO: Lemony Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Almonds

FIVE YEAR AGO: Savory Oatmeal with Bacon and Cheddar

SIX YEARS AGO: Air-Fried Carrots, Two Ways (most popular post on my blog!)

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Five Minutes in L.I.T (a tour of our laboratory!)

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Chicken Thighs with Artichokes and Capers

NINE YEARS AGO: Pea Pancakes with Herbed Yogurt

TEN YEARS AGO: Mushroom Stroganoff

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Tomato Sourdough

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Gamberetti con rucola e pomodori

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Flirting with Orzo

AIR-FRYER CORN RIBS

Posted in Air-Frying, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by

Note added after publication: I now tried the air-frying with whole corn cobs, and it worked great also! So if you are afraid to cut the cobs (I don’t blame you), go ahead and try it this way. I rubbed the cobs with the seasoned oil, placed at 390F for 16 minutes, turning them around every once in a while. Perfect! Not as cute as the ribs, but definitely safer.


Apparently this recipe went viral on TikTok. I can understand why – it is unusual, cute, and dangerously addictive. However, in my humble opinion, the videos showing how they prep the corn are misleading. It is a dangerous maneuver, and not at all easy to do. I modified the technique by microwaving the corn before cutting it into “ribs”. It did not harm the final product and made a very tricky step a little more user-friendly.

AIR-FRYER CORN RIBS
(adapted from several online sources)

3 ears of corn
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp Southwest spices
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
salt to taste
squirt of lemon juice
grated Parmigiano to serve

Wrap the corn cobs in plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes. Allow it to cool until you can handle.

Cut the corn cob lengthwise in ribs – you will still need a large knife and maybe use something to bang on the top of it to make it slice through. I have a lower-quality knife with a large blade that can take that abuse.

Whisk the oil, spices and lemon juice in a small bowl, then drizzle all over the ribs of corn in a large bowl. Make sure to rub the mixture well. Place in the air-fryer and set at 400F (or as high as your machine will go) for 10 minutes, moving them around half-way through frying time. Season with more salt if you like, and sprinkle cheese on top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is a real keeper of a recipe! The corn gets a perfect texture, and you can vary the spice mix to take it in any direction you like. Many versions will serve it with a sauce, often mayo-based, but we liked it plain. I don’t think you can pull the exact same quality without the air-fryer, but maybe if you roast it at 450F it might get close. Super delicious. Trust me. Prepping the corn is not fun but once you bite into these little morsels you will feel it was all worth it.

I cannot express how much I love them! I ate four, and went back for two more, which was pretty much half the amount prepared. We had no leftovers. I don’t think I ever consumed as much corn in a single sitting. Plus, I smiled and oohed and aaahed all the way through it.

ONE YEAR AGO: Lemony Chicken Thighs with Artichokes and Olives

TWO YEARS AGO: Farari Bateta

THREE YEARS AGO: Covid-19, Keeping yourself safe

FOUR YEARS AGO: Carrot Cake Macarons

FIVE YEARS AGO: Soup Saturday: Say Goodbye to Winter

SIX YEARS AGO: Manchego and Poblano Soup

SEVEN YEARS AGO: A Smashing Pair

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

NINE YEARS AGO: Crispy Chickpea and Caper Spaghetti

TEN YEARS AGO: Spring has Sprung!

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Chickpea and Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Double Asparagus Delight

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO:  Sun-dried Tomato and Feta Cheese Torte

ACCORDION POTATOES

Posted in Air-Frying, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by

I am not a fan of tiktok, but apparently this method to cut the potatoes was a huge hit a while ago, everybody doing, sharing videos, raving about it. I was intrigued, decided to give it a try. Super cool technique, and if you don’t need to make too many of those, the air-fryer does a great job. I made three, which fit well in the basket of our fryer. Most people deep fry the potatoes, but I almost never choose that path. I suppose you could use a very hot oven too, but I haven’t try it, so feel free to experiment. If you want to see how to cut the potatoes, this video explains it in detail.

ACCORDION POTATOES
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

3 large Russet potatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper

Peel the potatoes and trim them to form a nice rectangle shape. Place the trimmed potato over a cutting board, nudged between two chopsticks that will prevent your knife blade from cutting the potato all the way through. Make very thin slices – around 1mm thick. Turn the potato over, and make the same type of cut, but diagonally (check the video if you need clarification).

Thread a wooden skewer in the center of the cut potato and carefully open it like an accordion. Soak the potatoes and skewers in cold water for 30 minutes or so. Dry very well. Spray olive oil, season with salt and pepper and air-fry until golden brown, flipping the pieces every 5 minutes or so. Time will vary, depending on the power of your air-fryer and size of the potato.

You can deep fry if you prefer. Season with additional before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: It is hard to understand how to cut the potato without watching a video, so I advise you to either watch the one I linked in the post, or search the many options available on youtube. The most important thing is to cut the slices thin, or you won’t have the accordion effect. I sometimes wish we had a larger air-fryer, and this was definitely one recipe that would benefit from it. But for the two of us, three accordion slabs are enough, so no need to invest in a bigger machine.

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The best part is the crispy edge, but the center will be cooked nicely, very creamy. Even if you mess up and cut the slices a bit thick, it will work, but might take a little longer and not be so crispy. Experiment with it, we made it three times already. I intend to try with sweet potatoes soon…

ONE YEAR AGO: Braised Lamb Shanks in Clay Pot

TWO YEAR AGO: Cookies with a Smile

THREE YEARS AGO: Pearled Farro with Asparagus Coins

FOUR YEARS AGO: Pistachio Caramel and Apple Mousse Cake

FIVE YEARS AGO: Someone turns 70 today!

SIX YEARS AGO: Carioca Cake, the Final Chapter

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Duck Confit for a Special Occasion

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Ken Forkish’s Warm Spot Sourdough 

NINE YEARS AGO: Bran Muffins, Rainbows, and a wonderful surprise!

TEN YEARS AGO: Salmon Wellington

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: The Green Chip Alternative

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Weekend Pita Project

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Let it snow, let it snow, eggs in snow

CRISPY AIR-FRIED ZUCCHINI

Posted in Air-Frying, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by

I adore Lolita, our air-fryer, and use it often. It does a wonderful job on many vegetables, and it is our default choice when we make cauliflower, butternut squash or sweet potatoes. Zucchini is a bit tricky, unless sliced super thin and air-fried in very small batches. But now I finally found a method to make it shine… Crispy, tender, and a reasonable amount can be divided in just two portions without turning the pieces into mush. If you don’t own an air-fryer, check the comments after the recipe.

CRISPY AIR-FRIED ZUCCHINI
(adapted from several sources)

3 medium zucchini
1 + 1/2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (vegan friendly) or grated Parmigiano cheese
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix Panko, nutritional yeast (or cheese), salt and pepper. Reserve.

Trim off the ends of the zucchini and cut into quarters lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 3/4-inch thick pieces. Place in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the zucchini with the oil. Toss to coat.

Sprinkle the flour mix over the zucchini slices and mix gently to coat them.

Air-fry in two batches at 390F or as high as your fryer goes, for about 9 minutes, until golden brown. Shake the basket every once in a while. Once the first batch is done, air-fry the second portion, then join them both and air-fry for a minute or so together, just to heat the first batch again. You can also place the first portion in a low-oven to keep warm, but I found that not to be needed.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I used nutritional yeast simply because I love to play with ingredients and wanted to give it a try. It is salty and sharp, making it a very good substitute for cheese, so if you need to entertain a vegan guest, this recipe is for you. I am now finally satisfied with a method to air-fry zucchini, and suspect this will be a regular appearance in our meals. If you don’t own an air-fryer, use a 420F oven, spread the zucchini over a large baking sheet lined with parchment, and roast until golden brown, probably 20 to 25 minutes.

ONE YEAR AGO: Pasta with Cremini Mushroom Ragu

TWO YEARS AGO: A Magical Marinade

THREE YEARS AGO: Pumpkin Sourdough

FOUR YEARS AGO: First Monday Favorite

FIVE YEARS AGO: Secret Recipe Club: Paalak Paneer, a Farewell Post

SIX YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, November 2015

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Helen Fletcher’s Oatmeal Cookies

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Thai-Style Pesto with Brown Rice Pasta

NINE YEARS AGO: Shrimp with Spicy Orange Sauce

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ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Sour Cream Sandwich Bread

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Pasta with Zucchini Strands and Shrimp