‘Tis the season for food blogs filled with inspirational holiday dishes. Hey, I did my part this week. With my people – “real world vegans” – in mind, of course, it’s a super-quick recipe.
Warm Nutty Quinoa and Cherry (cranberry) Salad over arugula.
But, because I do live in the real world, it’s not all sugar plums and cranberry sauce around here. I’m working long hours and I want fast meals. I have one more month in Taos (I’m a chef instructor in the UNM culinary program) and my sweet little place is pretty humble. No cable/tv (I’ve survived!) and a tiny kitchen with small stove, no microwave, and virtually no counter space. Air frying to the rescue! I’ve written about how much I enjoy air frying on the road, and this week is no exception. Of course wrapping up my new cookbook
means I’ll air fry just about anything these days.
If you’re new to air frying – scroll down to see my air fryer recommendations- and wonder what else you can make in an air fryer besides french fries, how about grilled cheese sandwiches and tacos?
I made this air fried sandwich for lunch earlier in the week.
And I made these tacos last night.
The secret ingredient? Leftover Warm Nutty Quinoa and Cherry (I used cranberries!) Salad!
I simply spritzed two tortillas with extra virgin olive oil. I set them up in a stainless steel taco holder and added cold leftover quinoa and cherries (with arugula), chopped vegan bacon, a bit of vegan caramel sauce (date sauce), sliced onion and diced pear. I placed the taco stand in the air fryer basket and cooked on 390°F for 8 minute (6 minutes if you want less crunch).
The vegan air fryer to the rescue! And it turns out that Oprah is on the air frying bandwagon, too, because she included this Philips air fryer on her “favorite things” list! By the way, lots of folks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram ask me for recommendations on air fryers. Here’s my standard answer:
What Air Fryer Should I Get?
My first was a 3.7-qt GoWise – I love it.
Then Philips sent me an Avance XL (5+-qt) to use while writing my book. It’s a more expensive model but it’s large and powerful and great when I’m entertaining.
I picked up a small 3.2-qt Farberware to use in Taos. It’s inexpensive and cooks consistently well.
For one person or a family of two, a 3.2 – 3.7-qt. size should be fine (that’s my family size). For a family of four or more, consider getting a 5-qt or larger device.
I hope you find these commendations helpful, too!
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