The Unofficial Cookbook for Ninja Foodi Beginners: A Healthy Guide to Using the Pressure Cooker That Crisps

Copyright © 2019 by James O. Fraioli

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Kai Texel

Cover photo credit: Tucker + Hossler

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-5548-2

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-5549-9

Printed in the United States of America

THANK-YOUS

The author would like to personally thank Nicole Frail and the wonderful team at Skyhorse Publishing; Hattie May Root, Taira Poletz, Jackson Poletz, Laura Scherer, Ed Geric, Carolyn Harries-Duncan, Gordon Duncan, Eric Rudd, William Rudd, Tucker + Hossler Photography, and Tiffany Fraioli for her incredible assistance and culinary expertise.

CONTENTS

Introduction

THE NINJA FOODI

Getting Familiar with the Ninja Foodi

Lids

The Control Panel

Ninja Foodi Accessories

Care and Cleaning

Cleaning the Anti-Clog Cap

Removing and Reinstalling the Silicone Rings

Safety First

FEEDING YOUR FOODI FRIENDS AND FAMILY: RECIPES

Fresh Starts

Quick Six Ingredients or Fewer

Classics, Comforts, and Mains

Holiday Parties and Weekend Gatherings

Breads, Sweets, and Treats

About the Authors

Index

Conversion Charts

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Ninja Foodi.

As you’ve probably heard, the Ninja Foodi is revolutionizing the home cooking and multi-cooker industry. This amazing and robust kitchen appliance with two unique lids and a straightforward control panel starts as a pressure cooker to lock in flavor and make your foods more tender while speeding up the cooking process by up to 70 percent compared to most traditional cooking methods. The Ninja then quickly converts over to a broiler using TenderCrisp cooking technology, the first of its kind, so you can finish your dishes with crisp and crunch using little to no oil. Some call the Ninja Foodi pressure cooking and air-crisping in one pot. Others call it a culinary miracle.

Whether you choose the 6.5-quart model or larger 8-quart, the Ninja Foodi easily allows you to air-fry, dehydrate, steam, slow cook, sear, sauté, bake, roast, and broil, using fresh and/or frozen ingredients. These options are ideal for home cooks with busy schedules and hungry mouths to feed. In addition, Ninja Foodi’s versatility means it’s welcome in many small kitchens struggling for space or appliance overload. And when it comes to cleaning, the Ninja Foodi is just as convenient. Nonstick cooking surfaces and dishwasher-safe parts and accessories make cleanup a breeze.

In the pages ahead, you will quickly become familiar with the Ninja Foodi. You’ll be introduced to the two types of cooking lids along with the various control and function buttons on the easy-to-use panel. You’ll discover the many accessories you can add to the Ninja Foodi while instructions on proper care, cleaning, and safety precautions when using the appliance will guide you along the way. Then there are the recipes. More than 75 of them.

The recipes are straightforward and, with a few exceptions, focus on the healthy side of eating. These wholesome dishes include relatively easy-to-find ingredients with minimal cooking steps. Whether you’re assembling a Denver omelet and blistering Brussels sprouts, or roasting chicken and baking zucchini bread, the Ninja Foodi’s quick and easy methods will have you serving up delicious meals for your friends and family in no time. So, what are you waiting for? Turn the pages ahead and begin your gastronomic journey into the magical world of the Ninja Foodi.

THE NINJA FOODI

GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE NINJA FOODI

When you first unpack your Ninja Foodi box, you will discover the exciting Ninja Foodi appliance along with an assortment of cooking accessories.

Ninja Foodi with attached Crisping Lid

Pressure Lid

Removable Cooking Pot (must always be inserted when the Ninja Foodi is in use)

Cook and Crisp Basket (with detachable diffuser)

Reversible Rack (with Lower position for steaming and Higher position for broil)

Cook and Crisping Layered Insert

Many of the wonderful recipes that follow in the pages ahead will refer to the Ninja Foodi and the accessories above. Please familiarize yourself with each component before attempting the recipes.

LIDS

Why Two Ninja Foodi Cooking Lids?

There are two lids that come with the Ninja Foodi. They are the pressure lid and the crisping lid. The two-lid design allows you to pressure-cook and crisp in the same pot, which is what makes the Ninja Foodi so revolutionary.

Lid

Pressure Lid

The pressure lid is used to tenderize the food when pressure-cooking, steaming, slow cooking, and searing/sautéing. The recipes will indicate when to use this lid.

Note: When removing the pressure lid, always lift and tilt away from you while making sure no condensation drips into the cooker base.

There are also two types of pressure releases the recipes will refer to when using the pressure lid. They are natural pressure release and quick pressure release. The recipes will indicate what pressure release to use.

Natural Pressure Release

After pressure-cooking is complete, the steam inside the Ninja Foodi will naturally release from the appliance as it cools down. This can take up to twenty minutes. During this time, the appliance will automatically switch to KEEP WARM mode. When the natural pressure release is finished, the red float valve on the appliance will drop down.

Quick Pressure Release

Some recipes call for the quick pressure release. To release quickly, turn the pressure-release valve from the SEAL position to the VENT position, and the pressure inside the Ninja Foodi will be released immediately.

At any time during natural pressure release, you can switch to quick pressure release by simply turning the pressure-release valve