Cheap, quick and easy to use, the air fryer has fast become the must-have kitchen appliance. While it might be the key to getting perfectly crispy chips, The Ultimate Air Fryer Cookbook is here to prove that you can use it for cooking much more than that, from quick dinners to healthy snacks, lighter desserts to fuss-free lunches. Along with countless other cooks, The Happy Foodie wouldn’t be without an air fryer, so we couldn’t wait to get our hands on fresh ideas for what to make in it. Read on to find out how we got on.
Who: Aggie Russell, Editor, Michael Joseph
What I made: Crispy Chilli Tofu and Pasta Sauce
What I thought of the Crispy Chilli Tofu: This is a super quick vegan/vegetarian meal that is packed with tons of flavour and is easy to knock up during the week. The marinaded, cornflour-coated chunks of tofu crisp up really well in the air-fryer; it’s a foolproof way of making tofu taste great, while being crunchy and moreish! The toasted sesame seeds are a really nice touch too and give the whole dish a nutty, deep flavour.
What I thought of the Pasta Sauce: Air-frying your vegetables gets so much flavour out of them! This is so simple to make and is the perfect way to make your own pasta sauce. I kept a jar in the fridge and put the rest in a freezer bag for another week. It’s a really flexible recipe, so if you have extra veggies to use up, you can add them in too.
Who: Francesca Sleet, Marketing Executive, The Happy Foodie
What I made: Goat’s Cheese and Caramelised Onion Tarts and Celeriac Rösti with Fried Eggs
What I thought: The recipes in this book are very easy to understand and follow, and as a new air fryer owner I really appreciated the tips chapter at the beginning of the book. The Celeriac Rösti was simple to make and made for a delicious weekend brunch dish, without the normal worry of the rösti falling apart in the pan. I was a little sceptical about the tarts as I had not considered baking in the air fryer before, but it worked perfectly for a super quick dinner. I will definitely be experimenting with more of the dishes in this cookbook in the near future, I need to try the sausage bake next!
Who: Hanifa, Marketing Assistant, Michael Joseph
What I made: Chicken and Back-of-the-Fridge-Veg Kebabs
What I thought: I added my own seasonings but followed the instructions, and it was super quick and easy to make. Also, I couldn’t find skewers and used toothpicks instead, and it worked perfectly!