Sunday, February 4, 2018

Microwave Chocolate Pudding from Scratch

Yes folks, it’s here! The homemade pudding from scratch that takes only a few minutes of your time and without a single scorched pot!

You will either love me or hate me for this. It’s that easy.

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Is Getting an Air Fryer Worth the Investment?

air fryer churros with chocolate sauce

It’s a cruel fact of life: fried food is so good for your tastebuds (and nucleus accumbens), and so not-great for pretty much all the rest of you. Sure, you can bake things instead of frying them, but it’s just not the same. Enter: the Air Fryer.

After being inundated with slow cooker and Instant Pot content from every corner of the Internet, you may have kitchen gadget fatigue by now, but allegedly, this other wunder-appliance can turn out all the crispy, crunchy fried foods you love with way less fat. (And despite its many virtues and seemingly miraculous culinary capabilities, the Instant Pot does not yet have a crisping function.)

The Air Fryer works by circulating super hot air around foods with just a thin coat of oil (some recipes add no oil at all), so you’re looking at at least around 70 to 80% less fat than traditional deep frying would use. It’s also much less terrifying than a pot of viciously bubbling oil that can spatter and burn, and fairly easily catch fire, and there’s no need to wrangle with disposing a quart of smelly used cooking grease once you’re finished. Naturally, Air Fryers can handle healthier versions of all the usual suspects, from chicken nuggets and egg rolls to potato chips and French fries, whether freshly made or frozen.

But wait—as with any other infomercial-worthy product, there’s more! The Air Fryer, like the Instant Pot, also makes quick(er) work of cooking in general; since almost everyone is pressed for time these days, shaving even just a few extra minutes off of the dreaded waiting-for-dinner limbo is a bonus.

air fryer

Amazon

And you can use an Air Fryer to make a range of other non-fried foods, like pizza, bacon, roasted garlic, toasted nuts, brussels sprouts, and even cakes. Why would you do that, you may ask? Well, why not? It could be a boon to those with tiny kitchens and those with no stoves at all, and potentially a good summer option for anyone, since it wouldn’t heat the whole room like a traditional oven. Plus, if you commit to buying an appliance, the ideal aim is to use it as often as possible in order to feel you’ve gotten your money’s worth.

Speaking of money, prices vary widely, but expect to spend at least $60; one of the top-rated models on Amazon is $79.50, but that can go up to $175+ for a brand-name Philips model. Pay attention to size, too; the standard seems to be around 3.5 to 3.7 quart capacity across brands, but you can find “XL” versions that go up to 5.3 quarts, and even really large 16-quart models.

So is it worth it? As with many things, you truly have to try it yourself before you can say. If you already have a convection oven, there’s no need to bother, since Air Fryers are really just mini versions of them. Otherwise, some potential drawbacks to consider would be the extra counter and cabinet space the appliance takes up, the reality that most models can’t cook a large amount of food at one time, and the fact that they can produce uneven results, depending on what brand and size you purchase. And even some avowed Air Fryer fans admit that the taste and texture of air-fried foods aren’t exactly like what you’d get with eight inches of oil and a metal basket—yet many are willing to make that small compromise for the benefits of relatively healthier eating and easier, less-messy cooking.

You still can’t live on air-fried chicken alone (at least probably not for very long). But you can enjoy all your favorites a little more frequently and with fewer potential consequences—health and safety-wise—if you embrace the power of air frying.

Check out some of what it can do and see if that’ll sway you. “The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook” promises everything from mixed berry muffins to spicy beef stir-fry, but here are a few home-cooked examples of its abilities:

Air Fryer Sriracha-Honey Chicken Wings

honey Sriracha air fryer chicken wings

Karen’s Kitchen Stories

The Air Fryer promises to make crispy chicken wings easy and healthy, and you can coat them with all kinds of flavors, but this spicy-sweet honey-Sriracha sauce is especially appealing. Get the recipe.

Air Fryer Coffee and Chili Rubbed Rib-Eye Steak and French Fries

air fryer steak and french fries

Montreal Food Divas

You can make both this juicy steak and oil-free fries to go with it in the Air Fryer, though not at the same time. Sub in air fryer sweet potato fries on the side if you prefer. Get the recipe.

Air Fryer Parmesan Dill Fried Pickle Chips

air fryer fried pickle chips

The Creative Bite

Bring the state fair into your home kitchen and make fried pickles! (You can also make more universally appealing and reasonably healthy potato chips in the Air Fryer if you like.) These are coated in dill-Parmesan breadcrumbs, so they’re really rather fancy, as frickles go. Get the recipe.

Air Fried Samosas

air fryer samosas

Spoon Fork and Food

These crispy dough pockets of spiced potatoes make a great accompaniment to Indian food, of course, and they are much healthier than delivery or take-out versions. Get the recipe.

Keto Air Fryer Shrimp Scampi

air fryer shrimp scampi

Two Sleevers

Yes, it does seafood too—beautiful air fryer fish and chips for sure, but you can think even further outside the Gorton’s box and make shrimp scampi, in only 8 minutes. Add some mashed cauliflower if you’re keeping keto, or serve it over pasta if not. Get the recipe.

Air Fried Churros with Chocolate Sauce

air fryer churros with chocolate sauce

Crux Kitchen

Honestly, these could be reason alone to buy an Air Fryer: squiggles of crisp cinnamon-sugar dusted dough, with an orange-accented dark chocolate dipping sauce to make you swoon. Get the recipe.

Air Fryer Air Baked Molten Chocolate Cake

air fryer air baked molten chocolate cake

Momma Told Me

Want to make mini molten chocolate cakes without heating up your kitchen, and in only 20 minutes? With an Air Fryer, you can do it any time! Get the recipe.



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Chowhound’s Official Super Bowl Halftime Show Drinking Game

Oh, the Super Bowl Halftime Show. For some, it’s 15 minutes of tedium, a pointless interruption during the biggest game of the year. For others, it’s the only good reason the game exists (well, that and the commercials). Regardless of whether you’re celebrating halftime or lamenting it, you’re going to need some alcohol to power through the spectacle of it all.

Especially when Justin Timberlake takes the stage this year. He’s no stranger to the game—this is his third halftime appearance. But this time around,  the pop star is pedaling through a promotion cycle for his latest album, the confusing and muddled “Man of the Woods.” Based on the cover alone, this is the year where he pivots westward into lumberjack territory.

Like we said, you’re going to need a lot of beer come Sunday night. Though keeping with his newfound rustic persona, I’m sure Timberlake would prefer you fill a mason jar with moonshine and huddle up in your doomsday bunker. (Haven’t you heard, he’s got loads of “Supplies” (or should we say SUPLAYAYAYES!) to woo you during the apocalypse?) But whatever your drink of choice, fill it up tall and get ready to play along with our Super Bowl Halftime Show drinking game:

Take a drink if:

  • Jimmy Fallon introduces Justin to the stage, or there’s some cheesy pre-taped bit ahead of the performance.
  • He plays “SexyBack”
  • There’s a faux wardrobe malfunction or a bunch of risqué dance moves, as if to infer he brought “SexyBack”
  • He sings that stupid “Trolls” song, “Can’t Stop the Feeling”
  • Trolls actually show up and become the next Left Shark (We never thought we’d be waxing nostalgic for Katy Perry.)
  • He wears a dumb hat.
  • He covers Prince. (The game is being played in Minneapolis, after all.)
  • He professes his undying love for his wife, that girl from “7th Heaven” a.k.a. Jessica Biel.
  • Janet Jackson shows up (Take three swigs if this happens. Because, that’s not gonna happen. But it really should happen. #JusticeForJanet)
  • The other dudes from *NSYNC show up.
  • *NSYNC doesn’t show up but he sings one of their songs anyway.
  • Back-up dancers (or anyone at all) is wearing flannel (seriously, there is a song on the new album named “Flannel”?!)
  • Take an extra shot of whiskey if Chris Stapleton shows up to duet on “Say Something.” (Chris, you deserve SO much better!)
  • If he flies in like Lady Gaga did last year, or does any aerial stunts. If so have everyone in the room jump. The last person to do so takes an extra shot.


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