Air fryer is an inaccurate name. Although a brilliant marketing strategy, it is still a misnomer. Air fryers don't fry. It doesn't.Air fryers are something you've probably heard of. You've probably heard of air fryers. You would need an air fryer if you are on TikTok to make almost every recipe from the past year.Air fryer might be a synonym for deep fried food. Mozz sticks, wings and onion rings are all examples of the type of food that air fryer can be used to make. Marketing is the power of advertising. It's the art of taking something delicious and wonderful, and then reducing it to a manageable amount. Michael, on TV's The Good Place, said about frozen yogurt vs. Ice cream that "There's something so human in taking something great and ruining a little to get more."This is the promise of an air fryer. It won't be fried but it will taste good. You can make a healthier version of the real thing by adding frozen chicken tenders to this sucker.If that is how you use your air fryer, then it's probably not the right way to use it.Air fryers are great for roasting vegetables. This is a great tool for weeknight meals. It is quite frankly, I rarely use my oven for roasting vegetables anymore. Most of the dinners I prepare involve roasted veggies.Air fryer is, for all intents and purposes a convection oven. The air fryer circulates hot air around the food to fast cook it at high temperatures. This is how you would roast vegetables in a perfect universe.Here's how I air fry vegetables:You can cut the vegetable into any size or shape you likeUse cooking spray to get rid of all the oil from the basket.Put the food in the basketSpray everything on the food. (You could also use oil here, if desired)Season the vegetables however you wish (but make sure to include salt).Then, heat the air fryer to its maximum heatAfter about ten minutes, shake the basket to combine the vegetables.Vegetables are ready when they are crisp on the edges, but soft inside. A little bit of char should be visible. This process usually takes about 20 minutes.EatThis method will ensure crisp, delicious, beautifully charred vegetables every single time. This process would normally take 45 minutes, and you will need to use a lot of oil in the oven. The air fryer takes half the time and there is no oil if you do not wish to use it.Okay, now I have to confess. I'm an idiot. I couldn't find any photos of my delicious air-fried vegetables. It is perfect for weeknight meals, especially if you are rushing to finish work. When I want to relax and eat, I don't mind taking photos.Trust me. It's nearly impossible to make a mistake. Here, you can see beautiful vegetables that have been air-fried by others.You can also use your air fryer to cook other foods. It can cook frozen foods very well. Although it makes a great chicken wing, deep-frying is still better. It can be used for any type of baking or roasting. Air-frying chicken, salmon, and other foods has made it easy and quick to prepare with minimal mess.However, I would argue that vegetables are the only thing I'd prefer to cook in an air fryer over any other method. Even if the air fryer could only roast vegetables, I would still use it. A convection oven could achieve similar results. However, it will typically cost more, cook less vegetables and take longer to clean. My Instant Pot brand air fryer is only $99 and comes with a large nonstick basket that only takes a few minutes to clean.Let me tell you, if your air fryer isn't working for you, you might consider removing frozen foods from the oven. It will be a great decision.
