Basics and Blends

Basic procedures and custom spice blends

Air Fryer Basics

Meat and Poultry (line basket with foil or liner)

Steak: 8-12 minutes at 360, flipping midway through
Pork Chops: 10-14 minutes at 360, flipping midway through
Hamburger: 7-14 minutes at 360, flipping midway through
Chicken Breast: 10-15 minutes at 360, flipping midway through

Potatoes and Fries (add 1/2 tablespoon of oil)

Thin frozen fries: 9-16 minutes at 400, shaking midway through
Thick frozen fries: 11-20 minutes at 400, shaking midway through
Homemade fries: 16-20 minutes at 400, shaking midway through
Homemade potato wedges: 18-22 minutes at 360, shaking midway through
Homemade potato cubes: 12-18 minutes at 360, shaking midway through
Potato gratin: 15-18 minutes at 400, shaking midway through

Snacks

Falafel: add 1/2 teaspoon of oil, 15 minutes at 360, shaking midway through
Spring rolls: 8-10 minutes at 400, shaking midway through
Frozen chicken nuggets: 6-10 minutes at 400, shaking midway through
Frozen mozzarella sticks: 8-10 minutes at 360, shaking midway through

Air Fryer Bacon

8 slices bacon

Layer the bacon in the air fryer basket. You can overlap the slices a bit because that bacon isgoing to shrink and shrink.

Set your air fryer to 400F for 10 minutes. You should have not have to flip the bacon at all.
If you use very thick bacon it will take longer. In contrast, thinner bacon will get done faster.
Turkey bacon cooks up in about 7-8 minutes so keep an eye on it from time to time.

Note: The GoWise says 3-5 minutes for regular cut and 8-10 for thick.

Remove the bacon on to a plate covered with paper towels, and let it drain.

You can carefully pour the bacon grease from the foil sheet into a mason jar.

To reduce smoke when cooking bacon in the air fryer:

Water. Put a little bit of water in the bottom pan/basket of the air fryer. You put some water in it, you put the bacon on the rack/grill part of the basket, and you have at it.

Bread. Place pieces of bread at the bottom and let them soak up all that lovely grease!

Foil. I would not recommend parchment paper if you plan to use the bacon grease, as it is very hard to pour it out of a sheet of parchment. You are better off using foil to gather than bacon fat instead.

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

1/2 pound of unsliced pancetta or prosciutto
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 pounds canned tomatoes, preferably imported Italian
1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound dried bucatini or perciatelli
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino, romano or Parmesan cheese

Cut the pancetta or prosciutto into chunks less than one-half inch thick. Place in a saucepan with the olive oil and fry over low heat for 15 minutes, until all the fat has been rendered out and the meat is very crisp. Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the onion to the pan and saute over medium heat for five minutes.

Drain the tomatoes, finely chop them and add to the onion in the pan. Season with red-pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of cold water to a boil and add salt to taste. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 to 12 minutes, depending on the brand. Drain well.

Transfer the cooked sauce to a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and the reserved meat and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the cheese and mix very well. Transfer the pasta to a warm platter and serve immediately.

Ancho-Lime Butter

2 stemmed and seeded ancho chiles
4 ounces softened unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 teaspoons lime zest
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 grated garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Toast ancho chiles in a small skillet over medium, turning often, until they start to blister, about 4 minutes. Transfer chiles to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 15 minutes. Drain well and finely chop.

Mash butter with chopped chiles, chives, lime zest, salt, garlic, crushed red pepper and black pepper. Roll butter in parchment; freeze until firm.

Notes
Grate over chicken noodle soup or roasted tri-tip.

Roasted Chili Butter (for Grilled Vegetables)

5 red Fresno chiles or jalapeños
1/2 teaspoon minced Scotch Bonnet chile or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons minced chives

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Grill the Fresno chiles over high heat, turning, until blackened and softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool slightly. Peel, seed and mince the chiles and return them to the bowl. Add the Scotch Bonnet, butter and chives and stir until combined.

Serve with grilled vegetables.

Parmesan Corn Butter

1 ear of corn, shucked
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Kosher salt

Grilled fish, chicken steak, or vegetables for serving

In a large cast-iron skillet, cook the corn over high heat, turning, until charred in spots, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Cut the kernels off the cob and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the butter, cheese, lime zest and lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve with grilled fish, chicken or steak.

Make Ahead
The corn butter can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

Classic Cacio e Pepe

3/4 pound linguine
1 cup grated pecorino cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons coarsely ground smoked or regular peppercorns
Salt

In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 2/3 cup of the cooking water; return the pasta to the pot. Add the cheese, butter, pepper and cooking water and toss. Season with salt and serve.

Coconut Rice (Savory or Sweet)

1 cup long-grain white rice, such as jasmine
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 scant tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3/4 cup water

Rinse the rice a few times, until the water that drains away runs almost completely clear.

Put in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat with coconut milk, water, sugar and salt. When the liquid comes up to a boil, give it a good stir, scraping the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot and turn the heat down to low.

Cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 10 minutes. Mix gently with a flexible rubber spatula. Taste, season with salt and serve.

This becomes a meal if you serve it with a fried egg, finely sliced pickled chiles with a little of the pickling liquid and some crushed peanuts. And if you wanted to turn it into dessert, serving it with ripe fruit like cut mango on top, you could stick to the recipe below, but bump the sugar up to 2 tablespoons.

Classic Fettuccine Alfredo

Salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 large egg yolk
1 pound fresh fettuccine
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring 6 quarts generously salted water to a boil.

While the water heats, melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; saute until fragrant and sizzling, about 2 minutes. Whisk the cream with the egg yolk in a bowl until blended; pour into the garlic butter. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir until hot but not boiling. Keep warm over low heat.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta, partially covered, until al dente. (The pasta will float when it’s done.) Drain in a colander, shaking out excess water, but reserve a little cooking water.

Pour hot pasta into the cream mixture and toss to coat (still over low heat). Add the cheese and keep tossing gently until cream is mostly absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. If sauce is absorbed too much, toss with a little pasta water. Serve in warm bowls.

Classic Shrimp Scampi

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine or broth
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 pounds large or extra-large shrimp, shelled
1/3 cup chopped parsley
Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon
Cooked pasta or crusty bread

In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine or broth, salt, red pepper flakes and plenty of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Let wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes.

Add shrimp and sauté until they just turn pink, 2 to 4 minutes depending upon their size. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and serve over pasta or accompanied by crusty bread.

Half Cooked Eggs (Ivan Ramen Eggs)

50 milliliters (31?2 tablespoons) sake
50 milliliters (3 1?2 tablespoons) mirin
200 milliliters (13?4 cup + 1 tablespoon) soy sauce
30 grams (2 tablespoons) sugar
40 grams (3 tablespoons) garlic, chopped coarsely
75 grams (21?2 ounces) fresh ginger, chopped coarsely
6 room-temperature fresh large eggs
1 liter (1 quart) water

Simmer the sake and mirin in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes to cook off a bit of the alcohol. Reduce the heat to low, then add the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and ginger and simmer and stir for 10 minutes. Let come to room temperature; you can store the mixture in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. You want a big pot so that when the eggs go in, the temperature won’t drop too drastically, and the water will quickly come back to a boil.

Poke a small hole in the bottom (larger end) of each egg with a pushpin.

Gently slide the eggs into the boiling water. Start your timer. Stir for the first 2 minutes. Prepare a large bowl of ice water to shock the eggs.

The total cooking time for a large egg in Tokyo is 6 minutes and 10 seconds. You might decide to adjust that time depending on the size of your eggs, how many you’re cooking, or what the chickens were thinking about when they laid them.

Remove the eggs after 6 minutes and 10 seconds, and immediately place them in the ice bath. Stir until there are no pockets of hot water.

In a large bowl, combine the shoyu tare with the liter of water. When the eggs are cooled completely — after about 15 minutes — peel and soak them in the seasoning liquid for 2 hours in the refrigerator. The eggs will hold in the soak for 3 days.

When it comes time to slice the eggs and add them to the ramen, a taut nylon fishing line gets the job done without losing any of the precious yolk.

Note: from Ivan Ramen by Ivan Orkin

Peanut Sauce

1/3 cup (86 g) Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 cup (62.5 g) hot water
2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) White Vinegar
1 (1 ) lime, juiced
1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Minced Ginger
1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Garlic
1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Ground Black Pepper

Place all ingredients into a blender and whirl until smooth.

Serve with vegetables, leftover cooked chicken, or as a salad dressing in your favorite salad.

Pressure Cooker Turkey Stock

1 roasted or pressure cooked turkey carcass, cut into 6 to 8 pieces OR 2 roasted hindquarters*
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
5 sprigs fresh parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
10 cups water

Put all of the ingredients in the pressure cooking pot. Select High Pressure and a 30 minute cook time.

When the cook time ends, turn the pressure cooker off and use a natural pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.

Allow the stock to cool slightly. Pour the stock through a fine-mesh strainer set over a very large bowl or pot. Discard the solids.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate. When chilled, skim fat from the surface.

NOTES
Note: Turkey stock will keep 3 days in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 6 months. Freeze stock in 1 cup containers to use as needed.

*Roasted Turkey Hindquarters:
If you want to add extra flavor to your stock, roasting the hindquarters is a great option. The hindquarter includes the drumstick, thigh, and part of the back. It is entirely dark meat. For , you’ll need 2 turkey hindquarters, approximately 5 lbs.

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Place the turkey hindquarters, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Season with salt and
pepper. Roast for 30 minutes until skin begins to turn golden brown.

Reduce the temperature to 350°F and loosely cover (tent) turkey with a large piece of aluminum
foil. Roast for about 45 minutes more, or until a meat thermometer registers 170°F in the
thickest part of the thigh. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Reserve any juices from the roasting pan to add to the pressure cooking pot when making the stock.
When cool, remove most of the meat from the bones.

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

1 1/2 pounds (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into quarters
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (60 ml) heavy cream
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
1 tablespoon milk (or more)
Salt and pepper

Cook the potatoes: Place the peeled and cut potatoes into a medium saucepan. Add cold water to the pan until the potatoes are covered by at least an inch. Add a half teaspoon of salt to the water.

Turn the heat to high and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer, and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until you can easily poke through the potatoes with a fork.

Prep the butter and cream: While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter and warm the cream. You can heat them together in a pan on the stove or in the microwave.

Drain and mash the potatoes: When the potatoes are done, drain the water and place the steaming hot potatoes into a large bowl. Pour the heated cream and melted butter over the potatoes.

Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Then use a strong wooden spoon (a metal spoon might bend) to beat further.

Add milk and beat until the mashed potatoes are smooth. Don’t over-beat the potatoes or the mashed potatoes will end up gluey.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes:

Always put potatoes in cold water to start, then bring to a boil. That way the potatoes cook more evenly.

This recipe is easily doubled.

Creamed Corn

6 ears fresh corn
2 tablespoons butter
Sliver of garlic
Sea salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
Fresh sage leaves or chopped parsley, for garnish

Scrape corn kernels from cobs, running knife edge along cobs to squeeze out juices. (If the corn is not very fresh, then blanch in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes before scraping kernels from cobs.)
Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Drop in butter and melt until foamy. Add corn, garlic and juices. Season with salt and cook until kernels become tender. Pour in milk and simmer until milk is almost gone. Pour in cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve.

Notes: Fresh corn is best for this, but frozen corn would work as well. If using the latter, add a bit of water when cooking before you add the milk.

Homemade Rice Noodles

1 1/4cups rice flour
2 tablespoons tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (plus more for brushing)

Add the rice flour, tapioca starch (or cornstarch), salt and water to a mixing bowl. Mix and dissolve everything together well. Add 1 teaspoon of oil, and strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into another bowl. Cover the liquid and let rest for 30 minutes.

While the mixture is resting, fill your wok (make sure that your flat-bottomed pan fits comfortably inside first!) with water. If you don’t have a wok, use a large, deep cooking vessel with a wide opening and a lid. Bring the water to a boil. (You might need to add more water throughout the cooking process. The goal is to have the pan float on top of the boiling water.)
Brush a light coating of oil on the bottom of the flat-bottom pan, put the pan on top of the boiling water, and add a 1/4 cup of the rice liquid to the pan. Tilt it a little so the rice liquid covers the bottom of the pan.

Now, cover with the pot/wok lid and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. If the flat bottom pan you use has a thicker bottom, e.g., Pyrex, increase the cooking time to 7 or 8 minutes. While it’s cooking, brush the second pan lightly with oil.

After 5 minutes, remove the lid, take out the 1st pan, and set aside. Put the 2nd pan on top of the water in the wok, add a 1/4 cup of the rice mixture. Tilt it a little so the rice liquid evenly covers the bottom, cover, and let cook.

While it’s cooking, attend to the first pan. We’re going to lift the noodle sheet out and place it onto a cutting board. Brush the cutting board with a thin layer of oil to prevent sticking. Then, use a rubber spatula to loosen all sides of the sheet of noodle, and slowly lift it up and off the pan. Lay it flat on your cutting board. By now, your second pan is probably ready. Remember to brush the first layer with a thin layer of oil before layering the second sheet on top to prevent sticking.
Now brush the bottom of the 1st pan with some oil and get ready to make your 3rd batch. Repeat the above steps until all of the noodle batter is gone. Once all of the noodle sheets are made, I cut the noodle sheets into 1/3-inch wide pieces, but feel free to cut them in whatever sizes and shapes you like. I then toss the noodles, loosening each layer to separate them. Now the rice noodles are ready to be used!

You can store these noodles in the refrigerator for a day or two. They might harden slightly, but they should bounce back nicely once heated. Enjoy your homemade noodles!

Ranch Dressing Mix

1/2 cup dry buttermilk
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried chives
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse buttermilk, parsley, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper until well combined about 1-2 minutes.

NOTES:

3 tablespoons is equivalent to 1 (1.0-ounce) package Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix.

To make the Ranch dressing, combine 1 cup milk and 1 cup mayonnaise with 3 tablespoons of this seasoning mix.

To Make Dressing:
Add 3 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream and 3/4 cup milk. Stir until well combined and refrigerate at least 20 minutes before serving.

Or: Mix together 1/2 cup ranch seasoning mix with 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1/2 cup buttermilk.

To Make Dip:
Combine 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix, with 1/2 cup mayonnaise & 1/2 cup sour cream. Add up to 1/2 cup milk to reach desired consistency. Stir will and refrigerate at least 20 minutes before serving.

Or: Mix together 1/4 cup of ranch seasoning mix with 1 cup of sour cream and 2 tablespoons buttermilk.

Ranch Chicken Fingers:
When dredging chicken tenders in flour, egg, and cornflakes, add 2 tablespoons of ranch seasoning mix to the flour to give more flavor.

Ranch Popcorn:
Toss 8 cups of popcorn with 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning mix.

Roasted Ranch Potato Wedges:
Toss 1 pound of potato wedges with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning mix. Roast at 400ºF for about 30 minutes, until tender.

Chicken Soup (with Slow Cooker and Pressure Cooker Variations)

1–2 tablespoons olive oil
one large onion, diced (or sub 2 fat shallots, or two leeks)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
4–8 garlic cloves, rough chopped (I like 8)
4 cups chicken broth or stock
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or use regular)
1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless, skinless ( or use breasts- if very large, cut in half)
——–
lemon juice to taste
pinch chili flakes
scallions, cilantro or Italian parsley
drizzle of toasted sesame oil (optional, tasty)

Optional: 2-3 cups of cooked grain or starch of your choice like… Quinoa, rice or soba noodles, pasta, rice, 1 can whitebeans.

STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat oil in a big pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Lower heat to med- low and continue sauteeing until golden, 3-4 more minutes.

Add the chicken stock, water, salt, white pepper, bay leaves and skinless chicken. Bring to a boil. Cover, and lower heat so it’s gently simmering, covered for 20 mintues. If using breasts, check at 15.

Test a piece of chicken for doneness by pulling meat apart with two forks. It should come apart easily and look opaque. If done, shred the rest of the chicken, then return to the pot and simmer gently for 5 more minutes.

Squeeze with lemon, taste and adjust broth. You can add more salt of needed, or if too salty for your taste, water down with a little water. I prefer ours salty, lemony and unctuous, especially if adding a starch (like rice, noodles or beans) which will temper the salt quite a bit. Up to you. If the soup tastes bland, it needs salt.

Ladle it over cooked rice or noodles or just on it’s own.

Garnish with scallions or cilantro (or both) a drizzle of sesame oil if you like and chili flakes (or chili paste or sriracha). Or you could add some cooked or leftover rice or quinoa. You could add white beans or cooked pasta.

Or if going low-carb- leave all the starch and grains out keep it simple and keto-friendly. Cauliflower rice would also work well here too!

Notes:

Soup will keep 4 days in the fridge, or freeze.

You could ladle it over a mound of rice noodles, then finish with sesame oil, sesame seeds, scallions and cilantro

Feel free to add 1/2 cup rice or quinoa to simmering soup. Or add a can of whitebeans. You can also add pasta ( about 4 ounces) but I prefer to cook pasta and rice noodles separate and ladel the soup overtop cooked noodles. Up to you. Feel free to toss in veggies, kale, spinach, etc.

Instant Pot: Set Instant pot to “saute” function and heat the oil. Add onion, garlic and ginger and saute 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add broth, water, salt, pepper, bay, white pepper and chicken thighs, give a stir. Pressure cook on high for 12 minutes. (If using breasts, pressure cook 8-10 minutes depending on size). Manually release. Shred chicken with two forks. Season with lemon juice. Taste, adust salt. Follow the rest of the instuctions above.

For a slow cooker version, cook as stated above then cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on High for 3 hours.