It’s no secret, fried food tastes pretty amazing. The practice of frying food in animal and plant fats dates back to somewhere around 2500 BC, where it first began to show up in the Ancient Egyptian kitchen. Since then, people have found a reason to fry all things from apples to zucchini, and everything in between.
How to Make the Most Out of Your Air Fryer
Even meat is no exception; most western countries enjoy fried eggs on a daily basis, and fried chicken is an American favorite. What’s a dedicated foodie to do, though, when so many studies have come out condemning fried food as unhealthy for us and bad for our hearts? Luckily, there’s a hero in this story!
Meet the air fryer, which can take your favorite French fries, chicken breasts, donuts, and more – and crisp them to perfection without ever needing a drop of oil, butter, or other frying fat! Instead of frying food in oil, an air fryer uses air temperatures up to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit to crisp the outside of those food to give you the taste and texture you love without ravaging your arteries.
So, what to cook? Here are five healthy recipes to get you started no matter what course of the meal you’re on!
Fresh Baked Oatmeal
Breakfast foods? In your air fryer? No joke, you can make just about anything in what’s sure to be your latest and greatest kitchen gadget, including a healthy, wholesome breakfast like oatmeal! All you need are oats, your choice of liquid (we tried ours with almond milk and it was delicious!), an egg, and some fruit to bake into this crispy and quick-cooked breakfast!
If you’re feeling froggy, why not trade out different kinds of fruits, or even add some brown sugar and cinnamon to the mix?
Air-Fried Vegetable Salad
Everyone is always trying to eat more salad, but nine times out of ten, they’re just too boring to put up with. With your air fryer, though, you can spruce up even the most lackluster salad with a splash of crispiness – no, not croutons, but vegetables!
Try out cauliflower, beets, and radishes on your next salad, and pair it with fantastic, healthy vinaigrette you can make right in your kitchen!
Spiced Nuts
It’s snack time, and all you have is a cabinet full of spices you never use and a bag of nuts you grabbed in bulk last time you were at the store. Well, have no fear; you have all the ingredients you need for a healthy snack without tons of oil and fat!
Try spicing your favorite nuts with some cinnamon and sugar, and add an egg in to help with coating as well as to add a little more protein to the mix!
Air Fryer Salmon
It’s dinner time, and you’ve got as much time as the next busy foodie – not a whole lot! With your air fryer, you can take your favorite proteins and crisp them in a cinch to perfect moist tenderness, without the hassle of an oven or a frying pan full of oil!
Try out this perfect air fryer salmon recipe, maybe even with that salad you just made!
Coconut Crusted Cinnamon Bananas
Oh, yes, your air fryer can even make you dessert! Next time you’ve got a sweet tooth, just head to your fruit bowl and pick a few ripe bananas. All you need beyond that is a few eggs, flour of your choice, a tiny bit of sugar and some cinnamon – and voila! You have the perfect healthy dessert compliments of the chef, your air fryer.
References:
wikipedia.org
www.cnet.com
www.huffingtonpost.com