tAre you tired of fighting with your conscience every time you look at that greasy takeout menu? Well, salvation is near. Enter the deep fryer, here to revamp junk food.
Wanting to stay away from junk food is a key reason for the UK's air fryer obsession. A host of health benefits can be found, such as reducing levels of dangerous carcinogens usually found in fried foods. You can also upgrade your “fake” staples with healthier ingredients.
However, getting a deep fryer is only half the battle. To get the most out of your new kitchen kit, you need to know how to adapt those everyday recipes to optimize them for the air fryer.
Martin Senders, the official Philips air fryer chef, has created a set of air fryer recipes to ensure success.
“You can get the best of both worlds with your air fryer, enjoying healthy, nutritious recipes and reducing cooking time so you have more room to focus on your biggest challenges,” he says. “Whether it's a healthy breakfast before work or a fake breakfast on Friday night, you'll be able to add a nutritious twist to any recipe in a matter of minutes.”
Martin's Top Five Air Fryer Recipes for Success
Shakshuka with egg and avocado
This recipe is packed with your favorite vegetables and eggs.
(Philips)
Heart-friendly avocado is the perfect complement to this delicious Middle Eastern recipe packed with your favorite vegetables and eggs.
Preparation time:12 minutes| Time to cook:43 minutes
Ingredients:
1 onion
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1½ tablespoons cilantro, fresh
200 g tomatoes, diced, canned
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
1 pinch of ground cumin
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper
1 dried bay leaf
2 eggs
1 avocado
Method:
1. Peel the onion and cut it into halves. Remove the stem and seeds from the bell peppers and cut them into strips. Cut the cilantro, including the stems.
2. Place the onion and bell peppers in a large bowl and mix with the diced tomatoes. Sprinkle with olive oil. Season to taste with cayenne pepper, cumin powder, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Mix in the cilantro and bay leaf and transfer to the air fryer.
3. Bake the vegetables in the fryer for 10 minutes at 180C.
4. Stir the vegetables. Restart the fryer and cook the vegetables for another 20 minutes at 160C.
5. Remove the bay leaf from the vegetables and make a whole with each egg. Crack the eggs into each hole and poach them in the fryer for another 13 minutes at 160C.
6. Half the avocado, remove the stone and peel it. Cut the avocado into slices. Coarsely chop the cilantro. Place the avocado on top of the shakshuka and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with bread.
5 Minute Victory Pizza
This delicious alternative will make unhealthy takeaways a thing of the past
(Philips)
Expensive and unhealthy takeaways can be a thing of the past with this easy and delicious alternative.
preparation time: 5 minutes | Time to cook: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
2 tortillas
80 grams of tomato sauce
125g mozzarella cheese
6 basil leaves
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Method:
1. Cut the mozzarella into pieces. Spread half of the tomato sauce over the tortilla, leaving about 1cm on the edges for the pizza base. Place half of the mozzarella on top.
2. Place the tortilla in the fryer basket and cook for five minutes at 180C. Repeat the process for the second tortilla.
3. Once baked, remove the tortilla from the fryer and serve immediately with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
Salmon of champions
A twist on a British classic, this dish replaces regular meat with the tasty omega-3 superfood salmon.
preparation time: 10 minutes | Time to cook: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
140 g fresh puff pastry
220 g skinless salmon fillets
40 g frozen spinach
2 pinches of salt
2 pinches of pepper
1 egg
Method:
1. Cut the fresh puff pastry into two 14x26cm strips. Cut the salmon fillets into 10x5cm blocks. Defrost the spinach and drain before using. Add the spinach to the center of each puff pastry strip. Place a piece of salmon on top of the spinach and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Starting with the two longest sides, fold the dough over the salmon. Then, fold the other two sides over the top to create a compact dough package.
3. Turn the top of the Wellington dough face down and, with a sharp knife, cut diagonal lines in two directions forming small diamonds on the top of the dough. Place the salmon wellies in the air fryer basket.
4. Beat the egg and gently brush the dough. Cook for 15 minutes at 170C.
5. Serve hot.
Win win chicken for dinner
Juicy chicken and a rich, creamy sauce is a great combination.
(Philips)
A rich combination of tender, juicy chicken bathed in a creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and herbs.
preparation time: 20 minutes | Time to cook: 22 minutes
Ingredients:
450 g chicken breast fillets
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
50 g sun-dried tomatoes
3 sprigs of basil, fresh
350 g cooking cream (15% fat)
50 g grated parmesan
100ml of water
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Method:
1. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to obtain four equal pieces and sprinkle each with salt. Dip both sides of the meat in flour to coat it evenly. Brush or spray with vegetable oil and transfer to baking insert.
2. Place the baking accessory in the basket and slide the basket into the air fryer. Cook for 12 minutes at 200C.
3. For the sauce, combine the cooking cream, grated parmesan, water, tomato paste and dried oregano and mix well.
4. Open the air fryer and pour the prepared sauce evenly over the chicken. Cook for 10 minutes at 180C.
5. Drain the dried tomatoes from the excess oil and chop them. Wash and finely chop the fresh basil. Once done, remove the chicken from the device and set it aside. Add the chopped sundried tomatoes and basil to the sauce in the baking dish and stir. Serve the chicken breast drizzled with the prepared sauce and cooked pasta or rice.
Medal-worthy meatballs
Try this upgraded version of a classic family favorite.
(Philips)
An improved version of a classic family favorite: quick, juicy meatballs in homemade tomato sauce.
preparation time: 30 minutes | Time to cook: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
4 cloves of garlic
500 g of ground beef
1 tablespoon breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil
300 g tomatoes
1 red pepper
1 onion
Method:
1. Combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, minced garlic, thyme, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and mix until well combined. Form 12 equal meatballs.
2. Wash and cut the tomatoes, bell pepper and onion into small cubes. Peel the remaining garlic. Transfer everything to the baking accessory, add the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
3. Place the meatballs in a single layer in the left pan. Place the baking accessory in the appropriate mold. Cook the meatballs for 25 minutes at 200C and the vegetables for 20 minutes at 200C. Mix the vegetables twice during cooking.
4. Transfer the roasted vegetables to another pot and blend with a hand blender until smooth. Serve the meatballs in the tomato sauce with the accompaniment of your choice.
For more tips and recipes to get the most out of your air fryer, visit the Philips website
