The "I Love My Air Fryer" Keto Diet 5-Ingredient Recipe Book: From Bacon and Cheese Quiche to Chicken Cordon Bleu, 175 Quick and Easy Keto Recipes

Cooking with an Air Fryer

Cooking with an air fryer is as easy as using a microwave. Anybody can do it, and after just a few uses you’ll wish you had switched over to this genius method of cooking earlier. This chapter will introduce you to air-frying options and accessories to maximize your cooking time and get delicious, crispy results. It will also explain how to keep your air fryer clean and offer essentials you’ll want to stock up on so that you can whip up a delicious meal with just five ingredients or less any day of the week.

While this chapter will cover the basics of air frying, the first step is reading the manual that came with your air fryer. The recent rise in popularity of the appliance means that you’ll find a variety of models with different settings and sizes on the market. A thorough knowledge of how to use your specific air fryer is the key to success and will familiarize you with troubleshooting issues as well as safety functions. Read over the manual and wash all parts with warm, soapy water before first use to help you feel ready to unleash your culinary finesse.

Why Air Frying?

Air frying is increasingly popular because it allows you to quickly and evenly prepare delicious meals with little fat and little effort. Here are just a few of the reasons you’ll want to switch to air frying:

• It replaces other cooking appliances. You can use your air fryer in place of your oven, microwave, deep fryer, and dehydrator! Using one small device, you can quickly cook up perfect dishes for every meal without sacrificing flavor.

• It cooks faster than traditional cooking methods. Air frying works by circulating hot air around the cooking chamber. This results in fast and even cooking, using a fraction of the energy of your oven. Most air fryers can be set to a maximum temperature of 400°F, so just about anything you can make in an oven, you can make in an air fryer.

• It uses little to no cooking oil. A main selling point of air fryers is that you can achieve beautifully cooked foods using little to no cooking oil. Even people following the keto diet can appreciate the lower fat content; calorie counts are important if you’re following keto for weight loss, or if you track your macros and choose to use your calories otherwise.

• Cleanup is fast. Any method of cooking will dirty your cooker, but your air fryer’s smaller cooking chamber and removable basket make thorough cleanup a breeze!

Choosing an Air Fryer

When choosing an air fryer, the two most important factors to focus on are size and temperature range. Air fryers are usually measured by quart size and range from about 1.2 quarts to 10 or more quarts. Thanks to the number of models available, you can now even find air fryer ovens—larger convection oven–type appliances that you can use to cook multiple racks of food at the same time. This book is based on a four-person air fryer with a 3-quart capacity and 1425 watts of power. If you’re looking to cook meals to feed a family, you might be interested in at least a 5.3-quart fryer that can be used to beautifully roast an entire chicken. If your counter space is limited, and you’re cooking for only one or two, you can make do with a much smaller air fryer. As for temperature range, some air fryers allow you the ability to dehydrate foods because you can cook them at a very low temperature, say 120°F, for a long period of time. Depending on the functions you need, you’ll want to make sure your air fryer has the appropriate cooking capacity and temperature range.

The Functions of an Air Fryer

Most air fryers are equipped with buttons to help you prepare anything, such as grilling the perfect salmon, roasting an entire chicken, or even baking a chocolate cake.

These buttons are programmed to preset times and temperatures based on your specific air fryer. Because of the wide variety of air fryers on the market, all the recipes in this book were created using manual times and temperatures, without preheating. Every air fryer allows you to set these yourself. Still, it is important to know how the cooking programs work on your air fryer and when to use them.

Essential Accessories

Your air fryer’s cooking chamber is basically just a large open space for the hot air to circulate. This is a huge advantage because it gives you the option to incorporate several different accessories into your cooking. These accessories broaden the number of recipes you can make in your air fryer and open up options you never would’ve thought were possible. Here are some of the common accessories.

• Metal holder. This circular rack is used to add a second layer to your cooking surface so you can maximize space and cook multiple things at once. It’s particularly helpful when you’re cooking meat and vegetables and don’t want to wait for one to finish to get started on the other.

• Skewer rack. Similar to a metal holder, it has built-in metal skewers that make roasting kebabs a breeze.

• Ramekins. Small ramekins are great for making mini cakes and quiche. If they’re oven safe, they’re safe to use in your air fryer.

• Cake pans. You can find specially made cake pans for your air fryer that fit perfectly into the cooking chamber. They also come with a built-in handle so you can easily pull them out when your cakes are done baking.

• Cupcake pan. A cupcake pan usually comes with seven mini cups and takes up the entire chamber of a 5.3-quart air fryer. These versatile cups are perfect for muffins, cupcakes, and even eggs. If you don’t want to go this route, you can also use individual silicone baking cups.

• Parchment paper. Specially precut parchment paper can make cleanup even easier when baking with your air fryer. Additionally, you can find parchment paper with precut holes for easy steaming.

• Pizza pan. Yes, you can bake a pizza in your air fryer, and this book includes several recipes for different kinds of keto-friendly pizzas. This is a great option for easily getting the perfect shape every time.

Accessory Removal

At some point you will need to get those helpful accessories out of your air fryer without burning yourself. Here are some tools that will allow you to take items out of your appliance safely and easily.

• Tongs. These will be helpful when lifting meat in and out of the air fryer. Tongs are also useful for removing cooking pans that don’t come with handles.

• Oven mitts. Sometimes simple is best. Your food will be very hot when you remove it, so it’s great to have these around to protect your hands.

Cleaning Your Air Fryer

Before cleaning it, first ensure that your air fryer is completely cool and unplugged. To clean the air fryer pan you’ll need to:

Remove the air fryer pan from the base. Fill the pan with hot water and dish soap. Let the pan soak with the frying basket inside for 10 minutes.

Clean the basket thoroughly with a sponge or brush.

Remove the fryer basket and scrub the underside and outside walls.

Clean the air fryer pan with a sponge or brush.

Let everything air-dry and return to the air fryer base.

To clean the outside of your air fryer, simply wipe with a damp cloth. Then, be sure all components are in the correct position before beginning your next cooking adventure.

What Is Keto?

The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a very low-carb, moderate-protein, high-fat diet that allows the body to fuel itself without the use of glucose or high levels of carbohydrates. When the body is in short supply of glucose, ketones are made in the liver from the breakdown of fats through a process called ketosis. (Please note this differs from ketoacidosis.) With careful tracking, creative meals, and self-control, this diet can help you lose weight, lower your blood sugar, regulate insulin levels, and control cravings.

When you eat a very high-carb diet (pizza, pasta, pastries), your body takes those carbs and turns them into glucose to power itself. When you cut out the carbs, your body burns fat instead. Typically, a ketogenic diet restricts carbs to 0–50 grams per day.

What Are Macros?

Macronutrients, or macros, are the three nutrients your body uses to produce energy. They include carbohydrates, protein, and fat. When you’re following keto, it is very important to track how many grams of each macronutrient you consume each day.

• Carbs should constitute around 5 percent of your daily calories

• Protein should constitute around 25 percent of your daily calories

• Healthy fats should constitute around 70 percent of your daily calories

Some of the best-quality fats come from natural sources such as fish, avocados, and nuts. These fats can help reduce your cholesterol, keep your heart strong, and fuel your body throughout the day. You should always beware of unhealthy trans fats and saturated fats, however, which can come from foods like cookies and french fries. Overconsumption of these, especially in conjunction with a high-carb diet, can contribute to heart disease, low energy, and unwanted weight gain.

Net Carbs

Most people following keto opt to track net carbs instead of total carbs. You can figure out net carbs by subtracting your dietary fiber intake from your total carb intake:

Total carbs – dietary fiber = net carbs

You can also subtract sugar alcohols from the total carb count. Net is generally the preferred method because of how your body reacts to the fiber and sugar alcohols. On nutrition labels, the grams of dietary fiber and sugar alcohols are included in the total carb count, but because fiber and (some) sugar alcohols are carbs that your body can’t digest, they have no effect on your blood sugar levels and can be subtracted.

Tips to Remember

Keep these tips in mind as you plan your daily meals:

• Carbs are a limit: Don’t go above your allotted daily net carbs.

• Protein is a goal: This is the most important macro to hit. If you’re losing weight, you want to make sure you’re eating enough protein to keep you from losing muscle.

• Fat is a lever—use it to adjust your diet: In the keto diet, fat is designed to keep you full. If you’re hungry, go ahead and eat that healthy fat up to your limit. If you’re not hungry, you don’t have to hit your fat macros.

With the quick and easy recipes in this book, you should never feel deprived on your keto journey. Just remember, if you fall off the wagon, the most important thing is to get back on as quickly as possible. Allow yourself grace and time, but never give up just because you slipped up.

Pantry Staples

Now that you have a better understanding of your air fryer and the ketogenic diet, you’re ready to get cooking…almost. Each recipe in this book has five or fewer main ingredients, but also included are some kitchen staples in addition to those five to help make sure the tastes and textures of your meals come out perfect. I’ve identified seven nonperishable pantry staples that you likely already have in your kitchen and that you’ll want to have on hand when creating the recipes in this book:

• Salt

• Ground black pepper

• Paprika

• Garlic powder

• Baking powder

• Coconut oil

• Vanilla extract

These must-haves were chosen for their versatility and frequent use in not just the recipes that follow, but also in recipes encountered online, at family gatherings and parties, and more. In each recipe in this book, you’ll find a list of which of these staples you’ll also need, so be sure to stock up on anything you may be running low on beforehand.

With this final information in hand, you are truly ready to get cooking! Throughout the following chapters you’ll find plenty of delicious, five-ingredient recipes to suit all tastes. Use these recipes as your guide, and always feel free to season intuitively and customize dishes to your liking—just be aware that doing so will change the provided nutritional information.

Breakfast

Breakfast is often referred to as the most important meal because of its role in getting your day started in the right direction. It can be tough to fit a tasty breakfast into your morning, especially when you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock one too many times or you’re rushing to get the kids out the door for school. Following a keto diet can make breakfast all the more complicated, leading to the temptation to pick up something fast and unhealthy in the drive-through line.

Fortunately, this chapter is here to save your morning. You’ll find lots of delicious, easy recipes