A Crunchy Healthy Cauliflower

One of my favorite recipes is my Mom's fried cauliflower. This was always a treat because of the earthy sweet taste of the florets and that delectable fried crunch, thanks to the breadcrumbs. Unfortunately all that frying and the veggie's gas inducing qualities usually made for a pretty wild ride afterwards. I decided to try the air fry method  with my new favorite appliance - my Power Air Fryer.

I found a recipe on line that I adapted to what I had in the kitchen, I used a medium sized cauliflower from Stop & Shop's organic Nature's Way. You don;t have to parboil it but it does help in creating a tender middle in the florets. It also makes it easier to pull apart.

Parboiling just takes five minutes .Boil water and put stripped cauliflower in the water.

After, to stop it from overcooking, plunge into an ice bath.

I added  two ice trays worth of ice cubes to "shock" the cauliflower. This stops it from cooking more from the residual heat.

Now it's onto breading. I used a recipe from The Foodie Eats site./It's half a cup of water,1/2 cup of almond milk and 1/3 cup flour. I added two and a half teaspoons of Pereg's savory halwaij spice mix. 

This is a traditional Yemeni spice that will be competing with the already trendy za'atar spice mix.

The floret looked a bit anemic so I decided to do a double dip. First a dip in the wet batter then dredging in a mix of halaij, flour , salt and pepper.

 

As you can see, it's a messy,messy job. Be prepared to get your fingers batter dipped too.

Now for air frying.

Set it at 350 F

For fifteen minutes.

This is the finished product. It's not as good with as my Mom's breaded and fried version. Thanks to the halaij it had an Indian curry vibe . The spice contains turmeric which gave the florets that nice golden glow. It had the sufficient crunch. I would make it a bit differently - possibly with onion powder and definitely more salt and pepper. The next time will be with panko crumbs.The most noticeable change is that I didn't have any stomach problems afterwards. 

If you want a healthier fried cauliflower, this is the  recipe for you. You can add a dipping sauce or just eat the florets plain.It's a different spin on my family's classic.

Life With The Air Fryer

I have to admit that I didn't know what to do with the Power Air Fryer I received for Christmas.My first thought was it's too big and  I'll use it as much as I will that cookie press I bought. Boy, was I wrong!

It turns out this gadget is handy and sometimes better than the oven.I was skeptical at first, wondering if I was going to use it or would it just collect dust. . The air fryer  was what my kitchen was missing. I definitely warmed up to this huge  pod, a little bigger than a Keurig coffee maker.In actuality, it's just a smidge larger than my crockpot and fits quite nicely on my kitchen counter. Another plus is that it has a timer that beeps when the food is done or needs to be turned. To be honest I use it more than my oven now.There's no need to  empty it of the pots pans, and cookie sheets that are conveniently stored inside of my stove. . It is a snap to clean - unlike the other.
 The two "frying " baskets are just emptied of crumbs (read eaten - they're the most delicious part) and then washed in just warm soapy water. To be honest, all the foods that require oven cooking taste better somehow in this amazing machine.It may be the hot air that encircles each piece. I've noticed that Gardein's tofu chicken nuggets were much tastier and crunchier, without any grease. The Power Air Fryer turned Golden"s veggie pancakes into extraordinary golden discs, perfectly cooked with a crispy french fry like exterior.

Having it has expanded the cooking experience. I have air fried Stop & Shop's spring rolls in it. They turned out to be golden without the usual oily after taste.I've bought spanokopita , the small Greek spinach pies that can be cooked in the fryer. I do want to try homemade potato pancakes as well. There is a recipe book with it, that features the usual and not  so usual. It shows how to properly frozen onion rings and fries, along with homemade mozzarella sticks. There's also the intriguing mac and cheeses, a perfect recipe for left over baked macaroni,What's surprising is that the book - more of a pamphlet really - has recipes for beef empanadas and blooming onions.  The next model up has accessories like baking pans and you can bake anything in it.There is even a web site with all recipes air fryer, from shortbread (!) to lamb chops.The recipe for air fried breaded mushrooms look interesting and would even make a good main course. I definitely want to try the banana chips and the air fryer tofu, made crispy with brown rice flour.

The Power Air Fryer is here to stay. I really love this machine.It's versatile and a good alternative to the oven.There's so much to do with it - so much to make.

I Gave Out Healthy

It's Halloween and Sweetie - my sweet girl -  and  I want to wish you a Happy Halloween. her idea of a perfect treat involves tuna. I can't give that out

                                         So I went with these. I went healthy instead of wicked.

These are Crispy Apples from Crispy Green. Crispy Green is a company that freeze dries fruit, from apples to pineapples(!) to bananas and every other fruit in between, The result is a fun treat packaged in handy snack bags.Best of all they're healthy along with being only thirty-five calories a bag. I've had these and love them.

They can be mistaken for potato chips. What I love - and I hope my trick or treaters will is the crunch. Apple Crisps have the same crispy, crunchy texture as any savory snack. Crispy Greens are wonderful for those dieters longing to satisfy their primal need to crush something between their teeth.

Do I regret giving out healthy for Halloween? No. If it opens at least one kid's or parent's eyes to a healthier snack or treat, then they were definitely worth handing out.