quick keto cooking
Keto diets or keto-friendly foods are a big part of America’s diet culture. Basically, a keto diet is one low in carbohydrates and high in protein and fat in order to encourage your body to burn the fat that’s been stored. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re interested in incorporating your favorite air fryer, then these 100 recipes for delicious dishes could be just what you’re looking for.
They jump right in with breakfast ideas, like the biscuit (which includes cheese, sausage crumbles, and veggies), granola, bacon egg loaf, Sheetpan Pancakes, among others. Then it’s on to side dishes, although I think many of these sound like appetizers (and delicious). There are recipes for Bacon Jalapeno Poppers, Chicken Skin Chips, Coconut Crusted Paneer, Jicama Fries, Mozzarella Sticks, Pickle Fries, Roasted Radishes, and Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini Spears.
Then it’s on to the proteins, which they call “Star Ingredients.” First up is Beef, with recipes for dishes like Fajita Roll-Ups, Greek Meatballs, Spicy Beef Bulgogi, Stuffed Red Peppers, Taco Hand Pies, and Teriyaki Steak Bites. And then it’s on to Star Ingredient: Chicken, with recipes for Buffalo Chicken Hand Pies, Coconut Curry Chicken, Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs, Chicken Tenders, General Tso’s Chicken. Sesame Chicken, and Tuscan Chicken Thighs.
Next up, Star Ingredient: Pork, featuring dishes like Crispy Boneless Pork Loin Chops, Ham and Cheddar Pinwheels, Pork Belly, Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin, and Scotch Eggs. And then it’s Star Ingredient: Seafood. Here you can learn to make Cajun Shrimp, Coconut-Crusted Shrimp, Garlic Butter Shrimp, Lemon Dill Salmon, Spicy Scallions, or Fish Cakes. And finally, Star Ingredient: Vegetables, with recipes for Buffalo Mushrooms, Cauliflower Mac ‘n Cheese, Cheddar and Chive Cauli Tots, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Garlic Parmesan Green Beans, Spaghetti Squash, and Veggie Kebabs.
They even end with a chapter of desserts, including Blackberry Hand Pies, Cheesecake Hand Pies, Carrot Cake Muffins, and Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. And there are recipes for doughs (like for the hand pies) and another filled with sauces and seasonings. There are Buffalo Sauce, Coconut Curry Peanut Sauce, Chimichurri, General Tso Sauce, Lemon Dill Sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce, Cajun Seasoning, Ranch Seasoning, and many more.
This also incudes lists of helpful tools, pantry essentials, and even rookie mistakes that new air fryer cooks make. Each recipe includes nutritional information, but unlike with other cooking manuals, the authors ask that you measure everything carefully. Usually this is reserved for baking, which relies on a delicate balance of ingredients and their interactions, but the keto diet is also a delicate balance, so it’s best to stay true to these recipes as much as you can.
If you are someone on a keto diet and wants to know how to incorporate the air fryer into what you’re eating, the Quick and Easy Air Fryer Cookbook is a good resource for you. If you are wanting to get into a keto diet, then this would be a good resource, but I don’t think it would be good to make this your only resource. There are several pages up front talking about the keto diet and why some people love it, but it’s just the basics. You’ll need a lot more information to find the right balance in order to make the most of your health on the diet.
One thing I always find disappointing in a cookbook is a lack of photos. This does have many photos, but there are also a lot of recipes that have no photo with them. Most of the pictures that are there look delicious, but not every recipe shows what they’re idea of the finished product should be. But there is an index at the end, which love. So overall, this is a good, solid resource for air frying on a keto diet, with lots of creative ideas, all made fast and simple with your favorite air fryer.
Egalleys for Quick and Easy Air Fryer Cookbook were provided by Chartwell Books through Edelweiss, with many thanks.
