Air-Fryer Zucchini

For a healthy and yummy veggie option, I tried these air-fried zucchini slices and thought they were pretty good. Enjoy!

Air-Fryer Zucchini

Calories per serving: 30-50

Ingredients:

• zucchini
• desired seasonings (I used garlic salt and pepper)
• powdered Parmesan cheese
• bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Thinly slice one zucchini (makes approximately 3 servings, depending on size). 
2. Toss with your desired amounts of garlic salt, pepper, powdered Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs.
3.  Air-fry for about 12 minutes or until crispy at 400 degrees, tossing the pieces halfway through cooking.

Marsha's Notes:

I tried to make this with grated Parmesan, which just kind of clumped up and burned in the air-fryer, so be sure to use the powdered Parmesan that will more evenly coat and stick to the zucchini. Air-fry until either tender, or keep cooking longer until as crispy as you like. There are no real measurements because zucchinis vary in size, so just use enough of everything to lightly coat each piece and then adjust to your tastes.

Cowboy Butter Pasta: Diet-Friendly

At about 350 calories a serving, this recipe is easy to make into larger meal-prep batches for lunches for the week. Enjoy!

Cowboy Butter Pasta: Diet-Friendly

Calories per serving: 350

Ingredients: (makes 3 servings)

• 6 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
• 1.5 cups COOKED pasta (Barilla protein pasta)
• 1 TBS butter
• ½ tsp cowboy butter seasoning
• ½ tsp paprika
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup milk
• 2 TBS parmesan
• 3 TBS light cream cheese, room temperature and cut into pieces
• ¼ cup shredded cheese of choice

Directions:

• Prepare chicken: Season with seasoning salt, pepper, garlic, paprika. Then air fry 400 degrees for 10 min., flipping the pieces halfway through. Let them rest a couple minutes before slicing or chopping into small pieces.
• In a skillet on medium heat, melt butter then add garlic and seasonings and stir until fragrant. Add milk and whisk until combined. Simmer for a couple of minutes to heat and thicken. Remove from heat before adding cheeses and cream cheese. Whisk until smooth.
• Do not let your cheeses boil, or they can split and become grainy.
• It is important that your cream cheese is room temperature and cut into pieces so it will melt faster in the sauce once removed from the heat.

Assemble bowl/tupperware in this order:

• 1/2 cup cooked pasta
• veggies of choice, to taste (see below)
• divide sauce evenly amongst 3 bowls
• 2 chicken tenderloins, sliced
• optional drizzle hot honey

*If eating leftover, store in air tight containers and microwave to reheat before eating.*

Prepare green veggie of choice, if using (I used air-fried zucchini in the picture).

Directions:

Thinly slice one zucchini (makes approximately 3 servings, depending on size). Toss with your desired amounts of garlic salt, pepper, powdered Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Air-fry for about 12 minutes or until crispy at 400 degrees, tossing the pieces halfway through cooking.

Marsha's Notes:

When making this, I took boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them into tender-sized portions because it was cheaper and I didn't have to remove the tendon bit at the end of each chicken tender. 

Doubling this recipe, I was able to use 1/2 a box of protein pasta. If making a single recipe, you would need to measure out 1/4 of the box.

Since cream cheese blocks are measured in ounces instead of tablespoons, the 3 Tbl of light cream cheese called for in this recipe is 1 1/2 ounces. Since I was doubling it, that meant that I needed 3 ounces of cream cheese (or 6 Tbl). You can use the ounce-ruler printed on most cream cheese packaging to figure out how much of the block to cut off, or you can figure that 4 oz is half a block and go from there.

Because there is not a lot of heavy cream or cheese in this recipe, the sauce is rather thin in consistency, but that is probably to be expected. Each serving seemed to get about 1/2 cup of sauce, but that could vary depending on how long you simmer and reduce your sauce.

Air Fryer Pizza Bagels

When I found these pizza-flavored bagels at our local Ridley's store, I just had to try them. Through some trial and error, I figured out the perfect way to make them and I wanted to document it here for future reference, either for myself (so I don't have to keep "recreating the wheel" or for others who might want to try it). Enjoy!

*Note: If you can't find these specific bagels, this recipe would also work for any plain or savory bagel that you like.

Marsha's Air Fryer Pizza Bagels

Ingredients:

• 1 bagel, sliced in half
• pizza sauce
• toppings
• cheese

Directions:

1. Place your sliced bagel on a microwave-safe plate and top each half with sauce, toppings and your cheese.
2. Microwave for 1 minute to start to slightly melt the cheese. 
• Placing the cheese over your toppings and melting it slightly in the microwave helps prevent the moving air in the air fryer from blowing all your toppings off your bagel.
3. Transfer your bagel halves to your air fryer and cook on the air fry setting (400 degrees, no preheat needed) for 4 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Marsha's Notes:

You can top your bagel with any toppings or cheese that you like. I used mini-pepperonis because it's what I had on hand, but full-sized would also be fine. I also used provolone cheese slices, but grated cheese would work just as well.

This is what I used.

Before adding the cheese.

After microwaving for 1 minute. See how the cheese is starting to form to the toppings underneath?

All done and delicious!

Air Fryer "Garlic Bread" Tortilla

I saw recipes like this one floating around the Internet and so I had to try it. It turned out surprisingly well and I want to remember what to do so I can do it again! Enjoy!

Air Fryer "Garlic Bread" Tortilla

Ingredients:

• 2 tortillas (any size that will fit in your air fryer)
• garlic butter
• shredded cheese
• seasoning (garlic salt, Italian seasoning, etc.)

Directions:

1. Spread one side of both tortillas with garlic butter. Sprinkle with your desired amount of cheese and seasoning. Stack your tortillas and place them both in the air fryer at 350-400 degrees for about 4-5 minutes or until golden.
2. Everything got so nicely golden brown and crispy! It was a delightful little treat. You could also change this up by adding some pizza sauce and pepperoni to the middle layer.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers

I saw this recipe on TikTok and it was billed as a meal ready in under 30 minutes (which is true, as long as you don't have to cook your chicken in batches). Everyone really liked it!

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1 TBL olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper

Garlic Butter: (Mix all together.)

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 TBL fresh diced parsley (or 1 tsp. dried)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Toss chicken chunks with the oil and seasonings listed above, then skewer the chicken nice and compact onto your skewer sticks to keep your chicken from drying out (if grilling, be sure to soak your skewers beforehand so they don't burn up). Cook until internal temperature reaches at least 160 degrees, bushing occasionally with your garlic butter mixture. Alternatively, cook in an air fryer at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn and brush with garlic butter mixture and cook another 2 1/2 minutes. Turn and brush with butter one more time and cook for another 2 1/2 minutes. Insure your meat has reached the desired temperature, plate and brush with butter one more time.

Grilled Pineapple (Air Fryer)

Here is a super easy recipe to get some grilled pineapple straight from your air fryer! And if you are lazy, like I was, you can just use one pre-bought container from the store!

 Grilled Pineapple (Air Fryer)

Ingredients:

• 1 pineapple
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbl melted butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Core and slice your pineapple. 
2. Mix together your brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. 
3. Then toss your pineapple in the cinnamon mixture. 
4. Spread out in an even layer in your air fryer/liner. 
5. Cook at 380 degrees for 12-15 minutes, flipping your pineapple halfway through cooking. Try serving with ice cream!

Marsha's Notes:

You can use one container (about 1 pineapple's worth) of precut fruit from the store instead of cutting up a fresh pineapple, if you want. About this size: