But I bought an air fryer a few months ago.
These devices are essentially countertop convection ovens that can give food the crispness and tenderness you get from roasting and frying, but in a fraction of the time and without any oil at all.
My expectations were low. But to my surprise, it turns out that this amazing little device has opened the door to endlessly creating fun, delicious, and nutritious meals. You can make dinner in 20 minutes without it.
I used my air fryer to fry roasted brussels sprouts, potatoes, broccoli, carrots and sweet potatoes with perfect texture in 10 minutes. I made chicken nuggets for my 3-year-old to devour, and organic teriyaki-flavored tofu cubes that are perfect for a quick vegetable stir-fry or vegetable curry topping.
One of our favorite recipes is salmon with broccoli, soba and sesame ginger sauce. Steam the broccoli and boil the soba. Next, make the sauce by combining soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and lime juice.
Place 1 pound of fresh salmon in the air fryer and cook for 12 minutes. It doesn’t take much time and effort, and it’s delicious. Even my 1 year old daughter scarves it down.
Why air fryers are different
I’m not the first to discover the joys of air fryer cooking. The latest air fryer was introduced to the public in 2010 by consumer electronics manufacturer Philips. Developed by Dutch inventor Fred van der Vay. He was looking for a way to make perfectly crispy French fries without the oil or hassle. According to NPD Group, between January 2020 and December 2021, he sold more than 25 million air fryers, a 76% increase in his previous two years.
I bought a Chefman air fryer for about $70. It takes up as much counter space as a large coffee maker. Includes a basket with a perforated tray in which food is placed. A powerful fan above the food circulates hot air throughout the chamber.
Preheating takes only a few minutes. You don’t need to use oil in your air fryer, but using a spray bottle to spray food such as fresh vegetables, sweet potato fries, chicken tenders, and salmon with a little olive or avocado oil will keep them moist. Helps to get a golden-brown color while.
“Perforated trays promote air circulation around food, which causes it to be crunchy and crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside,” says nutritionist and cookbook author Mona Dolgoff. Food is cooked in less time than it would be in the oven, with great results.”
Videos of mouth-watering food cooked in an air fryer quickly went viral on social media. I realized it wouldn’t appeal to those with a health conscious diet in mind. So she wrote “SatisFry: The Air Fryer Cookbook.” This book shows you how to use your air fryer to make easy, nutritious meals and snacks.
It includes a 15-minute meal of spinach, avocado, mushroom frittata, and hummus-crusted chicken made with artichoke hearts, olive oil, and lemon sauce.
Air-fried vegetables can beat the picky
An air fryer can turn carrots, parsnips, and other root vegetables into healthy French fries (you just need a little olive oil and cornstarch). You can make crispy air fryer Brussels sprouts.
Here’s a recipe for fried avocado, buffalo cauliflower sashimi, and zucchini chips with a lemon and herb dip. Because you put them in the air fryer and they end up looking great,” Dolgoff said.
Air fryers can be “a big game-changer and a very useful tool for anyone looking to start a healthier routine.”
For example, many of her clients love to eat deli meats like turkey and chicken, but are often shocked when they find out how much sodium these foods contain. about 80% of the sodium they consume in their daily lives comes from meals they don’t make at home,” she said.
When buying an air fryer, you may want to look for one with a rotisserie function. Did.
“It’s great to be able to make something at home at a rotisserie because you get the flavor you’re looking for, but with absolutely no salt,” she added.
There’s a burgeoning world of cookbooks devoted to the art of using an air fryer. She says it changed her life and that of her family.
“I grew up in the South where fried food was everything,” she said. “I immediately loved being able to crunch things in the deep fryer without oil.”
Hale, who has two teenage children, is the author of two air fryer cookbooks, including “Mediterranean Air Fryer” and “Clean Eating Air Fryer Cookbook.”
“We live a fast-paced lifestyle where more and more people are working two jobs or their parents are working outside the home,” she said. Anything that makes it easier to serve healthy meals and save time is at the top of my list.”
Questions about healthy eating? Email EatingLab@washpost.com I may answer your question in a future column.
