Go, Go Kitchen Gadgets!

Kitchen technology just keeps getting better. If you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen tools, look no further than the Ninja Foodi, and these fast, delicious recipes.

BY ZARA ABBASI | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATIE CHILDS

Have you bought into the idea of robots helping you out in the kitchen yet? No? Well, let me convince you why you absolutely should! Now, I don’t mean robots in the sense of the futuristic “The Jetsons” (although I’d take a Rosie any day!), I mean more along the lines of machinery that makes life easier for you with meal prep and the actual task of cooking dinner. You’ve probably heard tons about crock-pots, pressure cookers and the Instant Pot, and they’re all great, but my personal favorite is the Ninja Foodi. Now, let it be known I’m not being compensated by Ninja or any of its affiliates for the following information; this is all based on the two years' experience I’ve had with this machine, along with the several years of experience I’ve had with other gadgets.

I’m a pretty old-fashioned cook—I love to be adventurous in cooking, but I cook and bake everything I can and from scratch when possible. When I received a run-of-the-mill pressure cooker for my wedding 14 years ago, I about charred my face off because no one had ever taught me to not open the top until it had completely depressurized. Scary, right? I thought so, and so do quite a few other people. They’re totally threatened by such contraptions and maybe for good reason. As I got better and better at using the pressure cooker, I incorporated it into my regular cooking a lot more. However, my experience with the crock-pot was not really the same; I used it pretty infrequently. I didn’t grow up with a parent using one and I really had no clue as to where to start, so that machine came out to play only for special occasions like holding a big batch of cheese dip at parties, keeping hot cocoa warm during the holidays and a soup here and there.

When the Instant Pot came out, it was all the rage. I couldn’t understand why until I realized it was a more fool-proof pressure cooker. Then I understood all the hype, but as I already had a pressure cooker, I really wasn’t persuaded by the Instant Pot despite its fancy display screen and safety.

Enter, the Ninja Foodi. While I don’t really care for the name (it sounds so … blah), I was still mesmerized by the infomercial one late night. What was this contraption? And why was it different than the Instant Pot? One quick answer: It has a built-in air fryer! What?! Let me repeat, it’s a pressure cooker WITH A BUILT-IN AIR FRYER. So, I began my research. It was new, like brand new. Hardly anyone had heard of it at that time so I had to dig deep and watch videos and demonstrations. Soon, I was sold. I knew I needed this spaceship food maker and, lo and behold, my sweet husband gifted it to me right away.

I’ll spare you the initial excitement and delve right into what I’ve learned from having this thing: Almost all Instant Pot recipes are adaptable to the Foodi; I learned that the Foodi has a bigger engine so it cooks things faster and hotter (which is a win for me!); its so versatile and can make a full roasted crispy chicken in it. Say what? Sorry, excuse all my childish slang, but fun cooking gadgets bring the kid out in me. I really cannot recommend this thing enough. It saves you from getting two gadgets (Instant Pot and a separate air fryer); it cooks fast, flavorful meals; and, it’s genuinely something that you can incorporate to make incredible meals. If this article convinces you to get the Foodi, there is only one thing I would encourage you to do: Get rid of the recipe book that comes with it. Unfortunately, it is extremely poorly written and has yielded several disaster meals only because I firmly believe that someone without recipe development skills was tasked with writing it. There are far better recipes online and in social media groups dedicated to this device. So, without further ado, here are a few of my favorite recipes for the Foodi.

Easy Air Fryer Chicken Wings

2 pounds fresh or thawed chicken wings

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 to 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

½ cup favorite hot sauce (optional)

1. In a large bowl or Ziploc bag, toss the wings with all the dry ingredients.

2. Spray or grease the crisper basket and preheat Foodi to 400 degrees.

3. Place the wings in the basket and lightly spray with your choice of cooking spray.

4. Close lid and air crisp for 20-25 minutes, being sure to flip halfway through.

5. Toss warm wings and the hot sauce together in a bowl and enjoy. Serve with your favorite dip.

10-Minute Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

1½ cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

½ pound fettuccine noodles broken in half

3 teaspoons garlic paste

1 pound chicken, cut into cubes

1½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup parmesan cheese

Fresh basil (optional)

1. In your Foodi pot, layer the following ingredients in this order: broth, cream, garlic, a little salt, broken noodles (do not stir but just move gently to ensure they’re covered by the liquid).

2. Top with the chicken pieces (they don’t have to be fully immersed).

3. Secure your pressure cooker lid and set on high for eight minutes.

4. Once the timer is done, do a quick release and add in freshly grated parmesan and stir.

5. Let it thicken a bit, then I like to add fresh basil for extra flavor. Enjoy with your favorite garlic bread and salad.

Quick Blueberry Cake

8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar, set aside

1 tablespoon

1 egg

1 tablespoon quality vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour, set aside

¼ cup

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

½ cup buttermilk

1. Cream butter and sugar (except the 1 tablespoon set aside) until light and fluffy.

2. Mix in egg and vanilla.

3. Toss the blueberries with the ¼ cup flour and set aside.

4. Add the remaining flour, baking powder and salt into the butter and egg mixture and combine slowly.

5. Add in buttermilk and stir until just combined.

6. Fold in the floured blueberries (don’t have to add in the excess flour left behind).

7. Pour your batter into the greased pot and close the crisping lid.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

9. Check after about 15 minutes to make sure it's not getting too brown.

10. Cake should be complete in about 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy as dessert or as a breakfast item with coffee.