hello internet pals! i am posting in the hopes that folks have some good lazy (but perhaps still somewhat healthy?) air fryer or microwave meal / snack recipes to share because i’ve fallen into a bit of a cooking rut lately and easy new recipes would definitely help inspire me.
I don’t have a recipe for it because my girlfriend always makes them but Brussels sprouts are amazing in the air fryer. If you have a recipe you like you do in the oven try it in the air fryer!
Agreed, I pretty much never use my oven anymore because the air fryer is so much more convenient. I love frying veggies in the air fryer, usually zucchini or broccoli. Season them with whatever you like, Italian seasoning is usually a winner for zucchini imo, or if you’re really going for a lazy meal, just salt and pepper are still good. I only really use the air fryer for sides though; wish I had a whole meal to recommend :(
I have an oven recipe: Cut the brussel sprouts in half. Toss in olive oil, minced garlic, and rosemary. You can add salt too, but i like to top with finishing salt at the end to feel fancy. Arrange on a baking sheet with the cut side down. Bake at 375-400F (my SO and I differ on our preferred temp setting, but there’s no difference in the deliciousness, go higher if you like to get a bit of char going on) until tender (i think around 20 minutes? i usually don’t set a timer, i just poke 'em with a fork every so often until it feels right lol).
Roasted carrots. They come out nicely caramelized and delicious. Toss in your oil of choice, some salt and pepper. Time and temp will depend on your individual air fryer. You can also do chicken wings. I found it best to double fry them and then toss in your sauce of choice. I used this video as a guide and the wings were amazing. I’m counting it as healthy because it wasn’t fried. Lazy factor may be a bit low for the wings but not that bad. I hope my linking works right, this is my first comment on kbin, fingers crossed.
Due to being disabled I do most of my cooking in the microwave. I’d love to get an air fryer but I have no counter space for it where I currently live.
I often do actual cooking - you can cook almost anything in the microwave, except most baking and anything that needs to be browned like a hamburger or a pot sticker - but sometimes it’s just, feh, let’s just do this.
I’ll take a packet of the Knorr’s “fried rice” (which is rice, thin pasta, freeze dried peas & carrots, and spices) and extend it out. I always use plain olive oil for the fat, and slightly reduce the water it wants if I use frozen vegetables. Then, chop up whatever vegetables you need to get rid of and/or feel like throwing in with the mix, oil, and water into a bigass bowl. I tend to use broccoli, snap peas, string beans, and/or asparagus, but sometimes I’ll use a pre-mixed package of “mixed stir fry vegetables.” Whatever I’ve bought that’s on sale. If you want to add any kind of meat or tofu, add it in the last 5-6 minutes of cooking time, less if it’s pre-cooked. You can also stir in an egg or two at that point if you’d like. You’ll get thin threads of egg throughout. I set my microwave to cook the whole thing for about 15 minutes; all the additions makes it need more. Adjust as you need.
One thing I do that’s less lazy but more “lasts for a while” is a tuna pasta salad. Boil up half or a whole box of pasta - I use shells or bowties, but any pasta will do. Wrap a head of broccoli in moist paper towels and nuke briefly until it’s just starting to soften. Cool it down, then chop it up. Chop up some tomatoes (I usually use 2-4 Romas). Drain 1-2 cans of tuna fish [depending on how much pasta you have. Toss this all together. Pour over it a good vinaigrette. I make my own with red wine vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, garlic powder, and because I use a lot of vinegar, a pinch of sugar or a drop of sucralose, to offset the bitterness. Let it sit for at least an hour, toss again, then consume. The best thing about this recipe is what goes into it is up to you. You can completely change the vegetables. You could use shredded or chopped chicken instead of tuna. Or finely diced extra firm tofu and make it vegan.
The easiest snack of all is popcorn. Don’t buy the microwave packets. Buy the raw kernels. Get yourself a silicone popcorn popper for the microwave; they’re about $10 online. It’s a silicone tub/bowl with measuring markers at the bottom and a lid that goes way down at the start but rises as the kernels pop. Some people put butter in the bottom but I’m afraid it will burn and haven’t tried that; I melt and add butter afterwards. Some people claim you can do this with a paper bag, but I’ve also heard others say the bag can catch on fire. A couple of handfuls of kernels and 2-3 minutes in the microwave and you have a big bowl of fresh popcorn. Yum.
Trim 3 or 4 zucchini, lengthwise, into quarters [sticks].
Mix 1 t each of dried thyme, dried oregano, paprika, and .5 t black pepper into .5 c grated parm.
Place the zucchini sticks, peel side down, onto your wire baking rack. Brush the cut sides of the sticks with olive oil. Sprinkle the parm over, pressing it in a bit as necessary.
Bake @ 350 for 15-20 minutes.
For a snack, I really like just heating up some frozen edamame in the microwave. Depending on the portion size, expect maybe 1 min of microwaving; let it cool off for a few mins because they always come out boiling in my experience. Salt em with kosher salt (or regular if you don’t have) and squeeze the beans out of the pod in your mouth. Easiest way to get a little bit of veg and protein, hands down.
It’s not the laziest, but this one can be prepped and made in the air fryer in <15 mins and it’s honestly AMAZING. Could probably be really good with some heated up grilled chicken slices for protein, too. Requires a lot of fresh ingredients so it’s more of a rare treat but it’s sooooo good.
