November Seasonal Flavors: Air Frying

You may have already joined the “healthy frying” craze and are a seasoned expert on air fryers and air-frying. However, there are still many people that wonder ‘does air-fried food really taste the same as oil-fried favorites,’  ‘what foods can be air fried,’ or ‘what air fryer should I buy’?  Our friends at MVP Health Care visited St. John’s today to answer these questions and more! With a full crowd in the audience and St. John’s Chef Mike Schnupp  at the cooking demonstration table, everything about “air-frying” was discussed and four yummy recipes using the air-frying technique were shared at the November 10 Seasonal Flavors program.

As a special bonus, an informational guide to air fryers was provided to guests in attendance. Download your very own PDF copy here: A Guide to Air Fryers

Sponsored by St. John’s in partnership with MVP Health Care, this program was the sixth in a series of cooking demonstration programming that is being brought to guests in 2022. Cheryl Minchella, MVP Health Care Community Health Educator, partners with the team at St. John’s Meadows to provide education regarding health food choices for seniors.

Watch St. John’s events listing for future programming where you can get recipes like Air Fried Avocado Tacos and Air Fried Pickles and so you too can cook healthy at home.

November Seasonal Flavors Recipes

Air Fryer “Fried” Avocado Tacos

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and pepper

2 large egg whites

1¼ cup panko

2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for misting or brushing

2 avocados, peeled and halved

1 lime

¼ cup mayonnaise

½ small red cabbage, thinly sliced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced

½ cup cilantro leaves

Flour tortillas, warmed

Lime wedges and sour cream, for serving

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Lightly beat the egg whites in a second small bowl. In a third small bowl, combine the panko with the oil. Cut avocados into ½-inch thick slices. Working with one slice at a time, coat avocado slices lightly in flour, then in the egg, letting any excess drip off and finally in the panko, pressing gently to help it adhere. Spray or brush the air fryer basket with oil. Spray or brush the avocados. In batches, place the avocado slices in the basket in a single layer and air fry at 400⁰ F until golden brown, 6 minutes. Meanwhile, finely grate the lime zest into a large bowl, then squeeze in 2 tablespoons of juice. Whisk in the mayonnaise and a pinch of salt. Add the cabbage, scallions and jalapeno and toss to coat; fold in the cilantro. Serve the avocados and slaw in tortillas with lime wedges and sour cream if desired.

Recipe Source: www.goodhousekeeping.com

Air Fryer “Fried” Pickles

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:

One 16-ounce jar dill pickle chips

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1 cup buttermilk

A couple of dashes of hot sauce

1½ cups panko

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Kosher salt

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Ingredients for Dipping Sauce:

½ cup mayonnaise

4 teaspoons ketchup

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Directions:

For the pickles: Preheat a 3.5-quart air fryer to 390⁰ F. Set a wire rack inside a baking sheet. Drain the pickles and spread them out on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Pat dry with more paper towels, pressing gently to remove as much moisture as possible. Eliminate any pickles with large holes or ones that are very thin. Set up a breading station using 3 medium bowls: Whisk together the flour, cayenne, and ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning in one bowl. In the second bowl combine the buttermilk and hot sauce. In the last combine the panko, Italian seasoning, the remaining 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning and ½ teaspoon salt. Drizzle in the oil and use your hands to toss and coat the panko. Working in small batches, bread the pickles: First, toss a handful of pickles in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Then dunk them in the buttermilk mixture to completely coat, shaking to remove any excess. Finally, toss them in the panko, pressing gently to make it adhere. Arrange the breaded pickles on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until all the pickles are breaded. Arrange one-third of the breaded pickles in the basket of the air fryer in a single layer. Cook for 8 minutes, the pickles will be very crunchy and browned on both sides. Remove to a serving plate and repeat with the remaining two batches of pickles.

For the dipping sauce: Whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish and Cajun seasoning in a small bowl. Serve the warm pickles with the dipping sauce or use them and the dipping sauce to top your favorite burger.

Recipe Source: www.foodnetwork.com

Air Fryer Korean-Inspired Pork Tenderloin Lettuce Wraps

Yields: 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound pork tenderloin

¾ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)

1 clove garlic, finely grated

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil

¼ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 Tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

Olive oil cooking spray

1 head of Bibb or butter lettuce, leaves separated

Sliced cucumber, sliced scallions, and cooked rice, for serving

Directions:

Cut pork in half crosswise; season all over with salt. In a medium bowl, combine gochujang, garlic, honey, oil, and ginger. Transfer ¼ cup gochujang mixture to a small bowl and stir in vinegar; set aside for serving. Add pork to bowl with remaining sauce and toss to coat. Lightly coat an air-fryer basket with cooking spray. Place pork in basket and cook at 350⁰ F, turning occasionally, until pork is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 140⁰, 16 to 19 minutes. Let rest about 10 minutes before slicing. Place pork in lettuce leaves, along with cucumber, scallions, and rice. Serve with reserved sauce alongside.

Recipe Source: www.delish.com

 

Air Fryer  Tuscan Stuffed Mushrooms

Yields: 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

½ cup thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry

¼ cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (about 4 pieces), patted dry and finely chopped

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

1 Tablespoon finely grated Parmesan

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

½ pound cremini mushrooms

1 Tablespoon Italian-style breadcrumbs

Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir spinach, tomatoes, cream cheese, basil, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and a few grinds of pepper to combine. Remove stems from mushrooms. On a work surface, arrange mushroom caps domed side down. Mound spinach mixture into each mushroom cap. Sprinkle top of spinach mixture with breadcrumbs. In an air fryer basket, arrange mushrooms stuffed side up. Cook at 370⁰ F until mushrooms are tender and filling is hot, 8 – 10 minutes. Arrange mushrooms on a platter. Garnish with basil.

Recipe Source: www.delish.com