J. L. Fields - The Vegan Air Fryer: The Healthier Way to Enjoy Deep-Fried Flavors

The Vegan Air Fryer: The Healthier Way to Enjoy Deep-Fried Flavors (Copyright 2017 by JL Fields) All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except in the context of reviews and fair reference, without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-941252-37-6

First Edition, June 2017

Vegan Heritage Press, LLC books are available at quantity discounts. For ordering information, please visit our website at www.veganheritagepress.com or write the publisher at Vegan Heritage Press, LLC, P.O. Box 628, Woodstock, VA 22664-0628.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Fields, JL, author.

Title: The vegan air fryer : the healthier way to enjoy deep-fried flavors /

JL Fields.

Description: Woodstock, Virginia : Vegan Heritage Press, LLC, 2017. |

Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017004047| ISBN 9781941252369 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781941252383 (prc)

Subjects: LCSH: Vegan cooking. | Hot air frying. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.

Classification: LCC TX837 .F4448 2017 | DDC 641.5/636--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017004047

Photo credits: Cover and interior food photos by Michelle Donner. Additional decorative images from stock photo sources.

Disclaimer: The information in this book is correct and complete to the best of our knowledge. The information provided in this book should not be taken as medical advice. If you require a medical diagnosis or prescription, or if you are contemplating any major dietary change, consult a qualified health-care provider. Neither the publisher nor the author are responsible for readers health issues. The publisher is not responsible for specific health or allergy issues regarding ingredients used in this book.

Vegan Heritage Press, LLC books are distributed by Andrews McMeel Publishing.

Dedication

For the animals. Always.

Contents

Preface

W hen I was a new vegan, I discovered I didnt have to spend my life in the kitchen to eat healthy, home-cooked vegan foods. A pressure cooker could deliver plant-based basics in no time. That revelation led me to write Vegan Pressure Cooking: Delicious Beans, Grains, and One-Pot Meals in Minutes. I thought I had all the help I needed.

But I was wrong. I realized I needed another quick and easy cooking method to prepare great vegan food. Enter the air fryer. This fairly compact convection cooker uses rotating, rapidly moving hot air to cook food until its crispy. However, the air fryer itself requires no oilits the cooks choice as to whether to add oils to food before cooking, making air-frying a much healthier alternative to traditional deep-frying.

Prior to discovering this new device, I had never fried food. Not because I dont like fried foods. I do. But I live in a cozy condo with high ceilings and horrible kitchen venting. Frying foods is smelly, messy, and downright impractical in such a setting. But when I found there was a simple, mess-free, and healthy way to make fried foods at home, I impulsively purchased an air fryer.

When the air fryer arrived, my husband, Dave, rolled his eyes. Are you kidding me? (He thinks I have a kitchen appliance problem.)

I huffed at Dave and marched into the kitchen. Without reading the manual (which I dont advise), I sliced a potato into pieces and pressed the fries button on the device. Twenty minutes later, I placed a plate of hot, crispy, home-cooked French fries in front of my skeptical husband. After one bite, Dave exclaimed, This is the best thing youve ever purchased!

Another convert was born. If you, like my husband, are doubting that air-fried goodies can taste just as good as deep-fried foods while being healthier and easier to prepare, I invite you to dive into this book. The air fryer may make a convert of you, too.

I m a vegan cooking coach, and 98 percent of my clients come to me for one reason: to make vegan cooking easy. Thats why for years Ive taught thousands of people how to use a pressure cooker. And now I take my pressure cooker and my air fryer into my clients homes to show them that wholesome, plant-based meals can be cooked up in no time. This cookbook is filled with mostly whole-foods recipes that are quick to make. (By the way, I consider tofu and seitan whole foods; tofu is made from soybeans and seitan has been used as a meat substitute for centuries.) But the air fryer is also great for vegan convenience foods. Pick up any meatless patty from the frozen food section of your grocery store, set the air fryer to 390F, and in ten minutes your entre is done!

Air Fryer 101

A ir fryers have been popular in Europe for years. In fact, in 2010, the Daily Mail in the UK wrote about this convection-cooking technologywhere hot air as high as 400F circulates around the foodbecause it was news. Browned, crispy foods with little to no oil cooked in minutes? What a great idea for the health-conscious consumer.

Air-Frying: The Healthier Choice

Many people are turning to a plant-based diet to lower cholesterol, reverse diabetes, and prevent heart disease. Some individuals also choose to omit oil from their cooking. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM.org) offers excellent suggestions on how to do this:

• Cook with vegetable broth or water.
• Use nonstick cooking spray.
• Use spices instead of added oils to flavor foods.
• Use applesauce in baked recipes.

Throughout this book, I defer to nonstick cooking spray as a low-oil option. I also use lots of spices and seasonings, and, yes, applesauce will be found in several of the baked goods.

This vegan cookbook is not a diet book. For those of you who are not concerned about added oilsor are actually wondering what all the fuss is aboutI turned to my friend Ginny Messina, who is a nutritionist and my coauthor of Vegan for Her: The Womans Guide to Being Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet . I asked her to share her thoughts on the role of oil in a healthy vegan diet, as well as her advice on the best oils. You can read what she has to say in .

Air-Frying Is Clean and Cool

In addition to wanting a shortcut in the kitchen, there were two other major, divergent motivators for me to invest in an air fryer. First, the cleanup is a breeze. Second, speaking of breeze, I live in an old condo with no air conditioning. When I use an air fryer, Im able to bake, roast, grill, and fry without turning on the oven or stove and without overheating my kitchen.

Air-Frying Can Dazzle Nonvegan Friends and Family

For many new vegans, the transition to plant-based foods takes some getting used to. Many textures were accustomed to are elusive. One way to encourage our nonvegan family and friends to eat more plants is to find foods that are familiar. Air-frying adds a crunch, a crispiness, and a meatiness that is reminiscent of our pre-vegan days. Vegan fried chicken, crispy bacon, and meaty fajitas are sure to impress.