MONDAY RECIPE POST - CAULIFLOWER APPETIZER WITH RANCH DRESSING

This recipe came from a friend so there is no link.  We enjoyed it very much. The cauliflower was cooked in an air-fryer but it can easily be roasted in the oven.  I didn't want to use the oven because of the hot summer weather, and decided on the air-fryer instead. 

Cauliflower Appetizer with Ranch Dressing.

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup cornstarch

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon paprika

1 cup club soda

1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 cup of ranch dressing (the kind you get in a bottle at the supermarket)

1 tablespoon hot sauce (we used Sciracha)

Preheat air fryer to 350° for 15 minutes, and then use a little cooking spray on the bottom of the fryer basket.  Go carefully as everything will be very hot.

Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and paprika in a bowl. Slowly whisk in club soda until combined. Do not overmix as you want some bubbles left.  This mixture will be thinner than a regular batter.

Dip the cauliflower florets into batter mixture, coat well but tap off any extra.

Add florets to the basket in one layer (you may have to work in batches). 

Cook (at 350º) for 8 minutes and check to make sure things are not browning too much.  I think like our ovens, temperatures in these air-frayers may fluctuate.  

After 4 minutes of cooking time coat the pieces with more cooking spray.  

Repeat above with the remaining cauliflower if you have any left.  

Mix the 1 cup of ranch dressing and 1 tablespoon of Sriracha together with a spoon, until completely combined, and serve with the cauliflower at the table. (If you don’t like it spicy, you can always leave out the hot sauce and have the dressing without.  Still very good.)

This was a delicious appetizer.  You can add it to a green salad or a main course.  We served ours as a snack with raw vegetables (carrot and celery sticks).  I asked my dear other half if he preferred it this way or roasted in the oven, and he said he would be happy to have it either way.

MONDAY RECIPE POST - AIR FRYER TOFU

This week's recipe was found here at "Delish".  I was looking for a meatless meal, one that was healthier than frying and also wanted to use our air-fryer.  This fit those criteria.  

Air Fryer Tofu by Justin Sullivan

4 servings

This takes about 45 minutes from prep to table.

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. paprika (regular, hot or smoked)

1 (14 oz.) block firm tofu, cut into 1 ½” cubes

2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1/2 c. cornstarch

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray

1/4 c. mayonnaise  

1/4 c. Thai sweet chili sauce

2 tbsp. sriracha

2 cloves garlic, grated

Steamed white rice, for serving

Scallions, sliced for garnish

Sesame seeds, for garnish

 

The recipe didn't call for pressing the block of tofu first, but because we have always done it that way, we didn't miss this step out. You can look here at the Spruce to see how this is done, and if you haven't cooked with tofu before.  

It might be a good idea to start cooking your rice.  Ours took 18 minutes on top of the stove and cooked to package directions.

Toss tofu cubes, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, low-sodium soy sauce, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Toss well, cover, and transfer to the fridge to marinate for 20 minutes to an hour.

Preheat air fryer to 400ºF. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, salt and black pepper.

Working in batches if necessary, toss tofu in the cornstarch mixture until thoroughly coated. 

Shake off excess cornstarch and add tofu in a single layer to the air fryer basket. (We found the tofu cubes fitted in the basket nicely.) 

Spray the cubes with a bit of cooking spray and air fry the tofu for 15 minutes, tossing half way through, until it is golden and crispy.

Prepare the sauce: While the tofu cooks, in a large bowl, whisk together mayo, chili sauce, sriracha, and grated garlic. 

Season to taste with salt and set aside.

When all the tofu is cooked, add the tofu and toss in the sauce. 

Serve over white rice, and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

If you enjoy tofu this was a very enjoyable meal.  

Onion powder was missing from our supplies but we didn't miss it.

Also when making the sauce we used garlic powder and not freshly grated,

Also did not have any green onions, didn't miss those either but they would have made a nice garnish.

Instead of the sesame seeds I used Furikake.  There are different flavors of Furikake.  Mine was Umeboshi (containing pickled plums).  I wouldn't have known had I not looked at the ingredients.  It has a lovely taste.

I also used a little Chili Crisp on the top, my favorite condiment at the moment.  

We didn't coat the tofu in the sauce, but used it very lightly and drizzled over the top.  We didn't need a lot as it was quite hot.  Dear Other Half said he would use less Sriracha next time, but shoe being on the other foot, I didn't find it so and put my Goldilocks curls on and said it was 'just right'.  My taste buds must be getting used to these things, and I enjoyed the taste.  Entirely up to you how much you would like to use.

We used Jasmine Rice cooked according to the package directions.

Finished off with a side of peas.  We thought of making up a stir fry and using more veggies to mix with the Jasmine Rice.  But we didn't want to fuss any more today as we were both feeling a wee bit tired and the peas were very nice.

A meal we both thoroughly enjoyed, even the non-loving-would-rather-have-meat-and-still-do-man-in-the-house. He offered the suggestion that shrimp would go great with this, or chicken.  I have no idea how to cook these and for how long in the air-fryer.  

If you don't have an air-fryer, it would be easy to convert to the top of the stove.

If the link doesn't work, or if you prefer not to use embedded links, you can find the recipe at this address:

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a37826062/air-fryer-tofu-recipe/

Thank you for looking and have a great week.

 

MONDAY RECIPE POST - AIR FRYER ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

This Monday's recipe came from All Recipes, made by Bren.  You can look at the original if you click on the link above in red lettering.

Air Fryer Roasted Cauliflower 

Serves:                    2 

Calories:             118 per serving

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time:      15 minutes
Total time:            25 minutes

3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 cups cauliflower florets

Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Cut garlic in half and smash with the blade of a knife.  Place in a bowl with oil, salt and paprika.  Add cauliflower and turn to coat.

Place the coated cauliflower in the bowl of the air fryer and cook to desired crispness, about 15 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes.

Our air-fryer is relatively new and I have been experimenting with different things.

This was an very tasty side dish, and would be great for a snack also. 

It took about 10 minutes as they seemed cooked enough, but depends on how well done you like your cauliflower.  This was just past the crisp-tender stage and it does brown very quickly.

I didn't have fresh garlic and instead used garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon, entirely up to you.

We used avocado oil instead of the peanut oil. 

If I didn't have an air-fryer I would put the oven on at the given temperature (400 deg F), on a foil-lined baking tray, for about 20 minutes.  If you do it this way, don't forget to check it for doneness, and maybe give it a stir half way through the cooking process.  I still like to roast my vegetables in the oven.

It will be fun to try other seasonings, but the smoked paprika and garlic were very nice.

I added half a raw onion cut into chunks, which was left over from another recipe.  We love grilled onions so will use a whole one next time.

Also, I like the idea of using broccoli.

The photo isn't that great and doesn't do it justice but it was so tasty.

That's about all I can think of for now.



Take good care of yourselves out there.  It is a very scary time.  Hugs and love to everyone.

Added note 9-16-20: Valerie from A Mixed Bag asked me about the air-fryer and I thought I would share a photo of ours.  I also found the following information: "An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that cooks by circulating hot air around the food using the convection mechanism.  It is a smaller version of the convection oven."  

My recipes use a minimal amount of oil so it is also healthier than cooking in a deep fryer.  

This is the one I have and what I like is that you can put the basket, and the strainer inside the basket, into the dishwasher.  

I also noticed that the person in the photo is pouring frozen French fries into the basket.  I never thought of using frozen food, and that might be nice if you have a bag of French fries or anything else you want to try in the freezer.