Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

 

There are a great number of ways to make fries in the air fryer.  We found a great recipe (from Yumna Jawad's Feel Good Foodie) to serve as a base and started mixing in different spices until we found a great taste.  These are a quick and easy way to add a great side to your meal (if you have an air fryer).  Since sweet potatoes are a super food - it is a nice way to get them into your diet more.  The trick here is to be patient and not overload the sweet potatoes in the air fryer.  Working in batches might be in order if you are cooking for a crowd.  They need a bit of room to cook!

Ingredients (2 servings)

2 medium or 1 large Sweet potato
1 tsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Onion powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
Pinch of Black Pepper (adjust to taste)

Directions

1. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. 
2. Peel the sweet potatoes, then slice each potato into 1/3 inch thick sticks.  
3. Place the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl, and toss with olive oil, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder paprika and black pepper.
4. Cook without overcrowding the pan.  This will be between 13-14 minutes.  Half way through, shake the basket to get all sides cooking.  

Enjoy!

Air Fryer Crab Cakes

 

We love crab cakes at our house and are always looking for a recipe that is easy and delicious.  I have been enjoying the air fryer a great deal lately and we found this recipe on EatingWell.  This came out fantastic.  They looked a bit well done, but they were nice a moist inside.  We served them with a caesar salad.  This is going to be a regular in our house.  

Ingredients (makes 4 crab cakes)

• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp Butter (unsalted if available), melted 
• 1/2 tsp Basil, dried
• 1/2 tsp Tarragon, dried
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/2 tsp Lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp Onion powder
• 2 tbsp Sour cream
• 8 oz. Lump crabmeat (fresh if possible), drained
• 1/2 Red bell pepper, finely chopped.
• 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat a larger air fryer to 390°F. 
2. Whisk eggs, butter, basil, tarragon, Worcestershire, lemon juice, paprika, garlic salt, onion powder,  and sour cream together in a large bowl. Add crabmeat, bell pepper, and panko and stir gently.
3. With clean hands, shape the mixture evenly into 3 or 4 crab cakes (around 1/3 cup each). Generously coat the fry basket with cooking spray. Add 3 crab cakes to the basket; coat the top of the crab cakes with cooking spray. Cook until deeply browned and crispy on both sides, 14 to 16 minutes.  

Enjoy with Salad or shredded lettuce.

Tortilla Espanola (also Tortilla Espagnola or Tortilla de patatas)

Tortilla Espanola (also Tortilla Espagnola or Tortilla de patatas)

I have not made this dish in a long time.  I modified my recipe a bit from when I first wrote this down nearly 20 years ago.  We will definitely make this again before too long. Once you get the hang of this dish, it will be very easy to make and something that will be welcome for any meal! This dish is basically a Spanish potato omelet. I have heard that the word "Tortilla" in this dish comes from its circular shape, but it could also come from the fact that it will end up "cake" like. If you called this "Fred", it would still taste great.

Ingredients:

3-4 tablespoons Vegetable oil
4-5 medium white potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (around 1/8" thick with a mandolin)
1 medium onion (yellow or vidalia), thinly sliced (around 1/8" thick with a mandolin)

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
6 Eggs

Cooking spray (if needed)

Directions
1. In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add potatoes and onions and stir every few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. The potatoes should cook for around 15-18 minutes. The potatoes and onion should brown in the process.  Lower the heat to prevent it from burning.  
2. In a large bowl, beat 6 eggs and add salt and pepper to taste. When potato and onion mixture is finished, add to the bowl with the eggs. Mix thoroughly.
3. Add one tablespoon oil to a skillet over medium heat (it can be the same used in step number 1. The ideal skillet for this step will have curved sides). Let heat up and then add the potato/onion/egg mixture spread evenly into the skillet.
4. Cook over medium heat for around 6-7 minutes until firm on the top (you do not want to burn the bottom).  Use a spatula to make sure it is not sticking to the sides.

5. Flip the tortilla.  There are two ways to do this.  Option one: you can take a large plate and place it over the top of the skillet. Make sure the smooth side of the plate is next to the food. Flip the skillet onto the plate. (If it falls apart, you did not cook it long enough.) Then slide it back into the skillet to cook the other side of the tortilla. Option two: you can use another skillet and just flip the tortilla from the pan into the new one.  Make sure that you have sprayed the other pan with cooking spray.

6. Cook for an additional 5-6 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve. Slice with a bread knife or pizza cutter.

Enjoy!

Holiday Brie Bites

We ended up making another recipe from Lauren Miyashiro on the delish.com.  This recipe was requested by my sister-in-law and we used the recipe for Cranberry Brie Bites as an inspiration.  These are super easy to make and taste fantastic.  You can adjust the recipe a great deal and I am sure that it will come out well.  These are really nice and look pretty on a tray.

Ingredients (makes 24 brie bites)
Cooking spray, for pan & parchment paper
1 (8-oz.) tube crescent dough (low fat works fine here)
1/2 (8-oz.) wheel of brie or slicing brie (around 4 oz)
1/2 cup Cranberry sauce, whole berry (24 tsp)
1/2 cup Nuts, chopped (can mix or match - I used pecans and almonds)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375° and grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. On parchment paper, roll out crescent dough, and pinch together seams. Cut into 24 squares. Place squares into muffin tin slots.
3. Cut brie into equal sized pieces (around the size of a quarter and a 1/4" thick) and place in the muffin tins.
4. Top each piece of brie with 1 tsp of cranberry sauce and around 1 tsp chopped nuts (almonds or pecans).
5. Bake until the crescent pastry is golden, about 13-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Holiday Antipasto Sandwiches

Pam found this great recipe from Lauren Miyashiro from the delish.com website for Antipasto Squares.  We were cooking for our big holiday party and we were looking for an easy crowd pleaser  So we tried these and they were a hit.  We played with the recipe and used a lower-fat crescent roll (so it was a bit better).  Not only did they heat up well for leftovers, but they were great cold.  We will definitely make these again.  The recipe is fairly flexible, so you can add or subtract items as you see fit.  Or more appropriately, if it fits within the sandwich.  We made it in half-portions than were originally called for - and it worked out well. 

Ingredients (each recipe makes one set of 8 sandwiches)
Parchment paper
1 (8-oz.) tube Crescent dough (can be low-calorie)
4 thin slices Ham (from the deli)
10-15 thin slices Pepperoni (or turkey pepperoni)
2-3 thin slices Turkey (from the deli)
2 slices, Provolone cheese
2 slices or 1/4 lbs shredded, Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Pepperoncini, sliced and drained (adjust to taste)
Olive oil spray
1 tbs Grated Parmesan
1 tsp Oregano, dried

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place one unrolled can of crescents on prepared baking sheet and pinch together seams. Layer ingredients on one half of the crescent roll (below the center seam).  Layer ham, half the pepperoni, turkey, the other half of pepperoni, provolone cheese, mozzarella cheese, and the drained pepperoncini.
3. Fold the top half (without ingredients) down towards the bottom to make the contents covered with dough.  Pinch the seal at the edges of to make a good seal (it does not have to be perfect).
4. Lightly spray the top with olive oil (or brush).  Then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and oregano.
5. Bake for 32-35 minutes (until dough is golden and cooked through).  Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing into 8 squares.  A pizza cutter here works well.

Enjoy with marinara sauce for dipping the edges.

Baked Shrimp Egg Rolls

This fall, I tried out a recipe for Baked Apple Pie Rolls that used egg roll wrappers as a crust.  These were so excellent, that I started digging around and looking for a lower calorie egg roll that uses the same basic steps.  I also drew inspiration from a few other recipes including one from the Spruce on making low calorie baked egg rolls and one from Dashing Dish. I loved, loved, loved the way these came out and they are very simple to use, especially if you start with a Asian Chopped Salad.  I am not sure how many calories are here - but they are way better than restaurant egg rolls - so we can start with that.  I probably need to get a picture of them open!  But these are really great.

Ingredients (makes 8 pie rolls)

Olive oil spray
4 oz Mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup Shrimp, cooked and chopped into 1/4" pieces
10.5 oz Asian chopped salad (around 3 1/2 cups)
1 tbsp Soy sauce
8 egg roll wrappers

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray pan with olive oil spray and place over medium-high heat.  Add sliced mushrooms and saute for 7-8 minutes.
3. Add chopped shrimp and Asian chopped salad to the pan.  Mix thoroughly and saute for 1-2 additional minutes.
4. Add soy sauce and saute for one minute more.  Remove from heat.
5. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet - and lightly spray with olive oil.
6. Place an egg roll wrapper on a clean work surface with one corner facing you. Brush the edges of the egg roll wrapper with water. Using a large slotted spoon, place around 1/3 cup of the egg roll filling in the center of the wrapper. Take the corner facing you and fold it over the filling.  Then fold both sides of the wrapper over the filling, then roll up as tightly as possible. Place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
7. Lightly spray the top of the egg rolls with olive oil.
8. Bake for 15 minutes.  Turn over and bake for 10 more minutes.

Enjoy with plum sauce or Chinese hot mustard.

Coconut Shrimp with Apricot Sauce

After the holidays, we did an inventory of the baking ingredients that we had in the house. Not sure how it happened, but we had an extra bag of shredded coconut. So this all got me thinking about something I had long wanted to try - coconut shrimp.  So when you get this at a restaurant, you will normally have something that is deep fried.  So I was really excited when I found a recipe for coconut shrimp from my favorite magazine and cooking site - Eating Well.  I also had a jar of apricot preserves for the longest time - so I wanted to find a sauce that would use this as a base.  This is not really super healthy, but you do not have a ton with the shrimp.  What you see in the picture is a double batch of sauce.  I did find a great recipe to be the inspiration for the sauce from the Simply, Sweet and Savory blog.

This was, simply put, fantastic!  Now while it would go well as an appetizer, it was practically our meal on Oscar night.  I will definitely be making this again as it was fantastic.  I love the idea that this is just as delicious as what I get in restaurants, but a bit healthier.

Ingredients (six portions for appetizers or 3-4 portions for main entree)

Apricot Sauce:

1/2 cup Apricot preserves
1 tsp (or cloves) Garlic, minced
2 tsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Brown sugar
2 tbsp Water

Coconut Shrimp:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 lbs Shrimp (raw - 21-25 count per pound)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.  Place parchment paper on a baking sheet or coat with cooking spray. 

2. Combine all sauce ingredients (apricot preserves, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and water) in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer for 12-15 minutes.

3. In one dish, whisk flour, paprika, cinnamon, and garlic powder. In a second dish, beat eggs. In a third dish, combine coconut and kosher salt.

4. Peel shrimp, leaving the tails on. Butterfly the shrimp by cutting halfway through the back, stopping at the tail. Holding the shrimp by the tail, dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture.  Then dip the shrimp in the egg and then coat with coconut. Stand the shrimp tail-up on the prepared baking sheet. Discard any unused dipping mixtures.

5. Bake the shrimp until the coating starts to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Sauteed Mushrooms

When Pam and I went out to California, we stayed at a hotel in Capistrano Beach, near Dana Point, California.  The closest restaurant to the hotel was Agostino's Ristorante Italiano (or Agostino's By The Sea).  The restaurant is right on the Pacific Coast Highway and we ate outside over the highway - but more importantly with a great view of the Pacific Ocean.  Sure, we heard the cars - but we also heard the waves crashing along the shore of Doheny State Beach.  It was a wonderful place for a meal.  And while we had a great location, the food was fantastic.  They had a special menu item for an appetizer - Sauteed Mushrooms.  They were...how to put it...amazing!  So good, in fact, that we went BACK to that restaurant before we left California.  Both times, we shared the amazing sauteed mushrooms with one order of Spaghetti alla Putanesca.  That was great and I hope to make that at home.

Once we started eating the mushrooms on the first night at Agostino's, I knew we had to try to make it at home.  I saw on the menu what ingredients were in the dish, and I asked how it was made.  I was sorta fishing around for a recipe.  The waitress said it was easy, just put in some broth and wine with the ingredients - and you have a great meal.  But what made it SO DARN GREAT was the sauce that the mushrooms were cooked in.  They had great bread and we used it to get every drop of sauce.

Before I left California, I sketched out a recipe on my little notepad.  I tweaked it a bit and tried it tonight.  It was spot on and tasted fantastic!  This is going to be a regular dish for us, especially when we want to make Tapas or small plates for dinner.  It will certainly be a special dish when we entertain.  So, so glad we at at Agostino's and so glad we have this new recipe.

Ingredients (served 2-3)
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp Butter
2 cloves (or tsp) Chopped garlic
1 Shallot (small), chopped
2 tbsp Parsley, chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)
1/2 tsp Kosher salt (adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp Black pepper (adjust to taste)
8 oz White mushrooms, stems trimmed and larger ones halved
1/2 cup Chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup Sherry or cooking sherry


Directions
1. Heat oil and butter over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes (or until the butter is melted).
2. Add garlic, shallot, parsley Kosher salt and black pepper.  Saute for 2-3 minutes
3. Add mushrooms and saute until they are blended with the garlic mixture.
4. Add the broth and sherry.  Saute for 3-4 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and saute for 4 more minutes.

Serve with bread and enjoy!

Mini Brie and Apple Quiches

We were getting ready for the Oscars and decided that we needed some fancy appetizers.  I found this great recipe on Eating Well for Mini Brie & Apple Quiches and played with it a bit. I loved the way this turned out and we will definitely make these the next time we are entertaining.  This is the first time I used mini phyllo shells - it was really a nice treat - and super easy.

The fact that the recipe comes from Eating Well give me confidence that it is really not that bad for you.  And it is a nice and unexpected treat that we can serve company when we entertain.  It tasted great, was not a ton of work and much better for you than the frozen ones.  This will be an Oscar night regular!

Ingredients

15 Mini phyllo shells (one 1.9-ounce packages)
1/3 medium apple, peeled and finely diced
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/4 tsp Paprika
2 oz Brie (1/4 small wheel), cut into 15 squares

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Arrange phyllo shells on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Divide apple among the shells.

3. Whisk egg, egg white, Dijon mustard, Kosher salt, black pepper and paprika in a bowl. Pour small amounts of the egg mixture over the apple (do not overfill the shells). Place a Brie square in each shell.

4. Bake for around 15 minutes.  The egg should be set, the brie will be melted and the phyllo will start to brown on the edges.  Let cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy!

Crab Cakes

This recipe was adapted from Emalee Chapman's Fresh 15-minute meals. The original recipe was for crab cakes. This is an easy recipe and it makes a great dish.

Ingredients (makes 8 small crab cakes - serves 3-4)
2 6 oz can Crabmeat, drained
2 tsp lemon juice
1 egg
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp Celery seed
1 tbsp flour
3 tbsp Olive oil (add more if needed)

Directions
1. Drain the crab meat and place in mixing bowl.  Add lemon or lime juice and eggs. Mix until well blended
2. Add breadcrumbs, salt and pepper (to taste) and celery seeds.  Mix to combine.
3. Form small patties (around 1 1/2 to 2" round). Sprinkle patties with flour on both sides.
4. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook 4 patties at a time. Cook approximately 3-4 minutes on the first side, and then 2-3 minutes on the other side.  Use more oil if needed.

Drain over paper towel and enjoy!

Muffin-Tin Crab Cakes

This is a recipe that I wanted to try for some time.  It was adapted from a recipe in Eating Well Magazine and came out great.  The best part is that they were not fried - which means they are a treat that actually is not that bad!  I loved the way these turned out and served them with green beans.  Additionally, they were not that hard to make - so it is perfect all the way around.

Ingredients (Makes 8-9 crab cakes & serves 3-4) 
Cooking spray
2 6 oz Crabmeat, canned
1 cup Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Red bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk Celery, chopped
1/4 cup Mayonnaise (olive oil or reduced fat)
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1 tbsp Lemon juice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Generously coat a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray. (Do not skimp with the cooking spray)!
2. Mix crab, breadcrumbs, bell pepper, celery, mayonnaise, eggs, Kosher salt, pepper and lemon juice in a large bowl until well combined. Divide mixture evenly among muffin cups. Using a spoon, push the mixture firmly into the muffin cups.  Bake until crispy and cooked through, 23 to 25 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Special Chicken with Coconut

This is a really great recipe that too me over a year to get into the blog.  I will definitely make this again.  We adapted this recipe from Tim Ferriss' Crisp-Baked Sesame-Coconut Chicken. This was relatively simple to make and very tasty.  The best part was that it came from the Dr. Oz show - so you know it is good for you.  This would be good as a chicken entree, and I can also see this as something we would put on salad.

Ingredients (4 servings)
1/2 cup Mayonnaise (we used olive oil mayonnaise)
1 egg
1 tsp Sesame oil
1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 tsp Mustard powder
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 1/2 lbs Boneless, skinless chicken (around 3-4), cut into 1" chunks
7 tbsp Sesame seeds
6 tbsp Coconut flakes

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, egg, sesame oil, mustard powder, salt, and pepper.  Add chicken chunks and toss to coat.
3. Mix the sesame seeds and coconut flakes on a plate.  One by one, take a chicken chunk and place it in the sesame seed-coconut mixture.  Then, sprinkle some mixture on top of the chicken.  Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet and repeat with remaining chicken.
4. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 20–22 minutes.  Let cool for 2-3 minutes and then serve.

Enjoy!

Pork and Mushroom Pot Stickers

This is a wonderful new recipe in my favorite magazine, Cooking Light.  The recipe was adapted for Pork and Shiitake Pot Stickers. in the March 2014 issue.  While I am sure that this is lighter than the pot-stickers that you get in Chinese restaurants, it is not quite health food.  I tweaked the recipe for more mushrooms and less pork - and loved the way that it turned out.  Not only was it great when I cooked them, but also when I brought them for lunch the following day.  They heated up very well.  These are definitely going to fall into the rotation of things I will be making.

Ingredients
2 tbsp Sesame oil
2 stalks, Green onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp Garlic, chopped
1 tbsp Ginger, minced
8 oz Mushrooms (white or baby bella), thinly sliced
1 tbsp Lower-sodium soy sauce (plus some for dipping)
2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp Black pepper
11 oz Ground pork
40 gyoza skins or round wonton wrappers
Cooking spray

Directions
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan.  Add green onions, garlic, ginger and mushrooms; stir-fry for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool slightly in a bowl. Combine mushroom mixture with soy sauce, hoisin sauce, black pepper and ground pork.  Mix thoroughly.
2. Working in batches of 6-10 goyza skins (depending on your space), arrange gyoza skins on a clean work surface; cover remaining skins with a damp towel to keep them from drying. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons pork mixture in the center of each skin. Moisten edges of skin with water. Fold in half; press edges together with fingertips to seal. Repeat procedure with remaining gyoza skins and pork mixture.
3. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Generously coat pan with cooking spray. Add 8-10 pot stickers to pan; cook around 1 minute (until browned on that side).  Turn pot stickers over & add 1/3 cup water to pan. Cover tightly and steam for 3-4 minutes. Repeat procedure in batches with remaining pot stickers and more water.

Enjoy with additional soy sauce!

Healthier Stuffed Mushrooms

One of the things that we love to do on Oscar Night is to have appetizers and enjoy a fun dinner that way. We have some fun foods in store for this evening, but I wanted to make a nice healthy stuff mushrooms because that could be a nice way to meet these types of events in the future. I figure that I will come up with a few of these over the next few years - as we play with ingredients. This is my first stab at this and it was adapted from the excellent looking Skinny Spinach and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms. These came out amazing and I will definitely make these again!

Ingredients:
8 oz Mushrooms, stems separated
2 tsp (or cloves) Garlic, chopped
2 cups Baby spinach, loosely chopped
5-6 slices ham, finely chopped (around 1/4 cup)
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 tbsp shredded (or grated) Parmesan cheese
Pinch of kosher salt and black pepper.
Cooking spray or olive oil spray
1-2 tbsp shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray a foil lined baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Remove stems from mushrooms and mince fine.
3. Add olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add ham and minced mushroom stems and saute for 2 minutes. Add spinach and saute until it is wilted (around 2 minutes). Remove from heat.
4. Empty the content of the pan into a mixing bowl and add bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Mix until well blended.
5. Fill mushrooms with spinach mixture, rounding tops off. Place on the lined baking sheet and lightly spray the tops with olive oil or cooking spray. Sprinkle lightly with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake 15-17 minutes and enjoy!

Holiday Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce

This is hardly a recipe - but so it goes. This is a variation on the traditional holiday meatballs sauce with chili sauce and grape jelly. This is pretty much right from the Ocean Spray site. We also used frozen meatballs - though we cooked them in the oven for a bit longer than recommended to give them a crunchy side.

Ingredients

1 14-ounce can Jellied cranberry sauce
1 14-ounce can Whole berry cranberry sauce
2 12-ounce bottle Chili sauce
5 pounds of frozen meatballs (cooked as directed)

Directions

1. Combine cranberry sauces with the chili sauce in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth (around 10-15 minutes).
2. Place meatballs in a slow cooker or other heating device (to keep them warm if serving at a party). Pour combined sauce over meatballs and set to low for an hour before they will be served.

Enjoy!