Isn’t it funny how you all but forget about appliances until you find a recipe online? Then it’s like Christmas when you realize you have one of those handy gadgets.

I feel that way about my air fryer right now. A friend gave me a bag of frozen button mushrooms without breading a few days ago. As I was mentally going over my dinner options on my way home from work last night, I thought about how good those would be if they were fried. Unfortunately, I had too much to do to spend that much time at the stove. Plus, I’ve eaten enough fried food in the past month to last me until Thanksgiving.
I wondered how the mushrooms would taste if I baked them in the oven, so I came home and looked at a couple recipes online. A small tagline at the bottom of my screen caught my attention. It was for air fried mushrooms. Then it hit me. I own an air fryer! I haven’t used it in a long time, but I keep it on my convenient appliance shelf in the corner of my kitchen. I looked at a couple more online recipes to figure out the proper temperature and cook time.
Not one to waste time, I loaded and started my dishwasher while the air fryer was preheating. When the mushrooms were nearly done, I put a Totino’s Pizza Stuffer in the microwave. The mushrooms came out perfectly roasted. All I added was a little garlic & herb seasoning and a dash black pepper. I had a tasty, quick dinner in around 15 minutes, which wouldn’t even be enough time to preheat my oven.
Dinner was somewhat healthy. The mushrooms were a perfect choice. I didn’t even use a drop of oil on them, so they were nice and nutritious. The Pizza Stuffer wasn’t exactly the sort of thing my doctor recommends, but it wasn’t bad with 32 grams of carbohydrate and 7 grams of protein. I chose it because of the fact that it cooked in less than 2 minutes and didn’t put me over my carb limit. It’s also quite tasty, so I try to keep a box in the freezer all the time.
I had such a busy night planned that it was either cook something quick or buy expensive drive thru fast food, which is never good for me. I definitely didn’t want any more fast food. I spent way too much money on quick national chain meals last week while taking care of my mother-in-law and my sister’s dog. I didn’t get drive thru every night, but that was the fare most evenings. I didn’t get home before 8:30 p.m. any night last week. Add to that, I probably gained 5 pounds from all of that greasy grub.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a big, juicy burger just as much as the next person, but I usually try to eat a bit healthier than that. There was one night last week when I visited my mom, and she made roast and carrot salad for me. That night offered the one shining healthy dinner amongst a sea of fried beef and pork.
Now that my air fryer is at the forefront of my mind, I think I’ll do some experimenting with it. The mushrooms turned out nice enough that I’m going to try roasting other vegetables. I have some sweet peppers and tomatoes that I plan to roast for dinner tonight. If I find myself at a grocery store, I’ll pick up an onion to go with it. I even have some chicken in the freezer that would be the perfect accompaniment to the aforementioned vegetables.
I have a friend who uses her air fryer at least once a week. She’ll be so proud when I tell her I used mine last night. She’s been after me to put it to work for a while now.
Do you have an appliance that sits neglected for months on end, only to impress you anew every time you use it?
See air fryers here: https://amzn.to/3vwZxLw.
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