I had been considering buying an air fryer since hearing the receptionist at my dentists office going on and on about how much she used hers.
So, I combined my cash gifts and ordered this one from Amazon, after reading dozens of reviews and comparing units.
Really, it basically works like a small convection oven. There is a heating coil in the top and a blower to circulate hot air around the food.
The first thing I tried was zucchini fries. I did what they suggested not to do - and overloaded the basket.
Before cooking, I tossed the zucchini with olive oil, parmesan cheese and ranch popcorn seasoning.
They weren't crispy like french fries but the parmesan browned and added a good flavor.
Next was jalapeno halves stuffed with cream cheese and bacon.
They cooked quicker than I expected and the cheese was melting out before the peppers were fully cooked. No one turned them down when I put them on the table though.
There is a bit of a learning curve but that makes it kind of fun. Next time I will cook longer at a lower temperature.
Then, another day, roasted eggplant...
This had a really good flavor with just olive oil and sprinkle of seasoned salt. The hot air dries up a lot of the moisture that can make some veggies soggy even when roasting.
I added jarred red peppers and crispy bacon and it made a nice meal.
The air fryer came with a book of recipes. I picked out one for Coconut Macaroons to try since my husband really likes coconut.
Oops...good thing I checked them before the time was up...they were almost too brown. Lonnie liked them.
Back to zucchini - this time diced, along with red and green peppers and onions. Sprinkled with olive oil and Italian seasoning.
I had cooked chicken tenders one day too, coated with mayonaise and parmesan. They were so good I forgot to take photos. The parmesan browned and crisped up a bit. (The recipe book instructed to bread with flour and panko crumbs but I wanted to avoid the carbs.)
I have also made sweet potato fries, again not really crispy, but a nice roasted flavor.
Overall, I like this appliance and even though I don't like a lot of stuff out on my countertops, I made a place for it there. And besides it is too big to fit into any of my cabinets, ha ha.
It's easy to clean. The two piece drawer is non-stick and can be submerged in soapy water.
Less energy use than heating up an oven too.
I bought the air fryer choosing Amazon's "warehouse deals" feature, which means either the box was damaged, there was cosmetic damage, or in my case it was a customer return. I've ordered several items like that and never had a problem, and it's a substantial savings.
So...I had enough cash left over to order this new ironing board cover! Whoo-ooo!
And last but not least, the Sasquatch surprised me on my birthday with a nice quilting fabric assortment.
My mind is swirling with ideas of how I want to use them...another patriotic quilt? a modern looking quilt featuring the black and white print? The pink gingham, definitely cute for a baby girl quilt.
The blue in the middle is my favorite...and Lonnie said I should make him a shirt with the blue print on the left... yeah, right.
Also, snugged in the box of fabric was a jar of Marcona Almonds. They are my favorite so they have all disappeared without a photo.
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