I’m experiencing a love affair with potatoes and it’s a bit of a cliche since so many people say the only thing they make in their air fryer is potatoes. But, hey, they cook up so good in the air fryer!
I have a kale and potato nugget recipe in The Vegan Air Fryer (and it’s been shared on a few blogs with permission from the publisher, links here) that I’ve been making on the book tour because it’s so simple and super-tasty. When I created that recipe I realized that mashed potatoes could easily become a part of my weekend bulk cooking – along with grains and beans – because they are so versatile.
And they have.
Over the weekend I made yellow eye beans, black lentils, rye berries, mushroom rice, and, yes, a batch of mashed potatoes (all five created in pressure cookers. Because Vegan Pressure Cooking!). And I’ve been air frying those potatoes daily.
I made bean and potato taquitos.
Method: I mashed cooked yellow eye beans and mashed potatoes with salsa and spooned the mix onto small white corn tortillas. I added sliced red onions and rolled those little tortillas up (if the tortilla begins to open, use a toothpick to keep it in place – just be sure the toothpick is far away from the heating element!). Spritz the air fryer basket and top of the taquitos with a little canola or olive oil mists (optional). Air fry for 8 minutes on 390°F (shake at 4 minutes).
I combined those same yellow eye beans and potatoes with raw arugula to form these little morsels.
Method: 1 cup cooked beans + 1 cup mashed potatoes + 2 cups loosely packed arugula; combine; roll into 12 nuggets; spritz basket and nuggets with vegetable oil mist (optional); air fry for 12 minutes at 390°F.
I love the simple original kale and potato nuggets recipe in my book but the added protein from the beans boost these darling little appetizers to the centerpiece of a balanced meal. (And they’re freaking delicious.)
And speaking of meals, I had leftover lentils from my weekend of bulk cooking and decided to make a lentil and potato-based veggie burger.
Don’t think of these Lentil and Potato Patties as burgers. Think of them as veggie fritters (turbo-boosted with lentils).
Lentil Potato Patties
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed potatoes
- 1 cup cooked black lentils
- 1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
- 1 cup tightly packed spinach
- 2 teaspoons salt seasoning blend (Herbamere, Trader Joe's Chile Lime Seasoning, etc.)
- 2 to 4 spritzes extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
Instructions
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Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl (use your hands!). Form into 4 patties.
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Spritz the air fryer basket with a couple mists of extra-virgin olive oil. Place the patties in the air fryer and spritz the top of the patties with extra-virgin olive oil.
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Air fry on 370 for 12 minutes (gently flip over with a spatula after 6 or 7 minutes).
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Increase the heat to 390°F and cook for 3 minutes longer.
Recipe Notes
Oil-free option: Omit the olive oil spritzes; you may want to use perforated parchment paper to begin the frying process to avoid sticking.
No air fryer? Bake these at 400°F for 20 to 24 minutes (until golden brown) or - gasp - use a little oil in a skillet and fry them.
I hope you picked up on something here: I was able to make three distinctly different things using the same bulk cooked ingredients. When you mix up the seasoning, spices, and textures you don’t really tire of bulk cooked foods during the week. Each use was entirely different in flavor profile and ranged from crunchy to creamy bites.
If air frying, or pressure cooking (including the Instant Pot), is new to you and you’d like to have a kitchen coach in your kitchen, consider taking a private online (video platform) cooking lesson with me. Online cooking lesson details here (check my availability here).
Did you know I have a Facebook group dedicated to air frying? Join 8,800+ Vegan Air Frying Enthusiasts!
