Beat the heat with our delicious air fryer recipes

Here comes the summer, and with it – hopefully – hours of lovely sunshine, so the last thing you’ll want is to be sweltering away in a hot kitchen for hours on end.

The cool solution? Our deliciously irresistible air fryer recipes! Not only are they the perfect solution for foodies looking for a more cost-effective way to prepare meals, they also bring some absolutely amazing combinations of spicy-sweet-smoky-savoury flavours together to turn your summer mealtimes into exciting taste adventures that your family and friends will love. What’s more, you can create them without heating up your whole kitchen as a traditional oven would! 

Before we get started, here are a few useful tips for getting better results from your air fryer:

1. For faster cooking, remember to preheat your air fryer before filling it with food. 
2. For extra crispy results, coat your food with a small additional amount of oil halfway through cooking.
3. Put a slice of bread on the bottom of your air fryer as a green alternative to foil for catching drips for easier clean-up.
4. Distribute ingredients evenly in the basket and don’t overfill to help foods crisp and brown more evenly.
5. Invest in a kitchen spray bottle. Spraying oil on the food is easier than drizzling or brushing, and means you use less oil overall. 
6. Turn/shake food halfway through cooking to help it crisp properly. 
7. Always clean your air fryer after use to prevent gunk building up.

And one final idea: Skip the microwave – an air fryer is great for heating up leftovers so you can enjoy them the next day too!

Now, onto our delicious air fryer recipes:

Air Fryer Thai Samosas

Preparation time 20 mins / cooking time 20 mins / serves 20.

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 60g chopped onion
• 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 60g frozen peas
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• salt, to taste
• splash water
• 600g potatoes, peeled, boiled until soft and crushed into large lumps
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 270g packet ready-made filo pastry
• 3 tbsp of Cottage Delight Thai Green Curry Paste
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a small non-stick pan and fry the mustard seeds for 30 seconds
2. Add the onion and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes over a high heat. Add the peas, stir well, and add the spices, salt and a splash of water. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the potatoes and coriander and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Take a sheet of pastry and lay it horizontally onto a clean work surface. Cover the rest with a damp tea towel to keep them from drying out.
4. Spread a thin layer of Thai Green Curry Paste on top.
5. Cut the pastry into 2-inch strips lengthways.
6. Fold the pastry into triangles down the strip. When you get to the end you will have one side of the triangle open, fill the samosa with around two teaspoons of filling. Do not overfill.
7. Fold the loose edge of the pastry over the open pocket. Ensure you do this tightly to eliminate holes and air pockets. Repeat for the remaining samosas and sprinkle over a few sesame seeds.
8. Brush samosas liberally with cooking oil (both sides). Arrange samosas in a single layer inside air fryer basket.
9. Air fry at 180°C for 25 minutes, turning occasionally, brushing with more oil if they look dry.

Aubergine and Sweet Potato Katsu Curry

Preparation time 15 mins / cooking time 15 mins / serves 4

A scrumptious vegetarian twist on a classic!

• 350g sweet potato – peeled and cut into 1 cm slices
• 500g aubergine – cut into 1 cm slices
• 150g panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup plain flour
• 300 ml water
• 500ml oil
• 1 jar of Cottage Delight Katsu Curry Paste
• 200ml coconut milk
• Coriander (optional garnish)
• Rice to serve

Method:

1. Slice sweet potato and aubergine (approx. 1cm thick)
2. In a bowl, mix the plain flour with the water until smooth. Place the panko breadcrumbs into a separate bowl.
3. Microwave sweet potato for 1-2 minutes until soft.
4. Meanwhile, boil 1 cup of rice until light and fluffy (approx. 20minutes) and put a thin layer of oil in a frying pan and leave to heat whilst you prepare the veg.
5. Dredge each piece of aubergine and sweet potato into the flour mix, then into the panko breadcrumbs. Set aside on a plate. Work fast, so the mix doesn’t fall off the vegetables.
6. Then place breaded sweet potato and aubergine in the air fryer and cook on 200c for 15 minutes until golden and crispy (no oil required). Then heat the Katsu Curry Paste with coconut milk in a pan until thick and cook rice according to packet.

Air Fryer Sweet Chilli Salmon

Preparation time 10 mins / cooking time 15 mins / serves 2

This Thai sweet chilli salmon is tender, crispy and full of sweet and savoury flavours the whole family will love!

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1 bottle of Cottage Delight Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 cucumber
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds
• 250g white basmati boiled rice
• 3 spring onions
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Pat dry the salmon filets and brush them with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and ginger powder.
2. Mix the sweet chilli, soy and garlic paste in a bowl. Add a piece of foil to the air fryer along with the salmon, skin side down. Cover the fillets with the sauce. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the top of the salmon.
3. Cook on 190c for 10-12 minutes. While your salmon is cooking, boil your rice with salted water. Also, use a potato peeler to grate long slices of cucumber or, if you don’t have a grater to hand, chop into small cubes. Chop spring onions finely and put aside.
4. Put cucumber into a bowl and add sesame oil and sesame seeds. Mix well and put aside.
5. Plate up your salmon, rice & cucumber salad, sprinkle the chopped spring onion over your rice and salmon.

Hoisin BBQ Burgers

Step away from the barbecue and enjoy this low stress burger when it’s next sunny!

Preparation time 30 mins / cooking time 15-20 / serves 4

• 4 burger buns
• 450g lean beef mince
• 1 tsp sesame oil, optional
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• 4 tbsp of Cottage Delight Chinese Hoisin Sauce
• 1 small orange or yellow pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
• ¼ red onion, peeled and finely chopped or 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 4 tbsp prepared plum sauce

Method:

1. In a large bowl mix all the burger ingredients together. Using slightly damp hands shape the mixture into four 9cm burgers. Cover and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
2. Cook the burgers on the air fryer rack on 180°c for 8-12 minutes depending on your desired doneness and turn them half way through cooking.
3. Meanwhile prepare the sweet pepper relish; in a small bowl mix all the ingredients together and set aside. Serve the burgers in buns with salad leaves and the sweet pepper relish.

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