Beyond Chips: How Your Air Fryer Can Revolutionise Weeknight Cooking
The relentless pace of modern life often makes evening meal preparation feel like a chore, but one kitchen appliance has emerged as a genuine game-changer for British households. The air fryer, once considered merely a lockdown novelty, has proven itself to be the secret weapon for creating delicious, affordable meals with minimal effort and washing up.
Culinary collective Sorted Food has demonstrated the device's remarkable versatility with three inventive recipes that go far beyond simple chips. These dishes - including flaky salmon, sticky chicken wings, and a Vietnamese-inspired banh mi - deliver restaurant-quality flavours while being perfectly suited for weeknight cooking budgets.
Three Restaurant-Quality Meals Made Simple
The first standout recipe features salmon roasted with jammy tomatoes and capers. This Mediterranean-inspired dish combines tender salmon fillets with new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and briny capers, all cooked together in the air fryer for a complete meal with minimal cleanup. The result is a zesty, sophisticated dinner that feels far fancier than the 20-30 minutes required to prepare it.
For those craving something with more punch, the honey-lime ginger wings served with a gnocchi salad deliver fiery, fresh flavours. The chicken wings achieve that perfect sticky-sweet glaze while the accompanying gnocchi salad, dressed with gochujang mayonnaise, provides a creamy, spicy counterpoint. It's a substantial meal that brings takeaway-quality wings to your dinner table without the guilt or expense.
Perhaps the most inventive offering is the sesame-crusted beef meatball banh mi. This clever twist on the classic Vietnamese sandwich features air-fried meatballs coated in sesame seeds, served in a crusty baguette with quick-pickled vegetables and a spicy sriracha mayo. It transforms simple ingredients into an exciting flavour experience that transports your taste buds straight to the streets of Hanoi.
Smart Cooking for Challenging Times
In response to the ongoing cost of living pressures facing many British families, this collaboration between journalists and Sorted Food aims to provide practical, affordable meal solutions. These recipes demonstrate that financial constraints don't have to mean compromising on flavour or culinary enjoyment.
Each dish has been carefully designed to make the most of the air fryer's capabilities while keeping ingredients costs manageable. The included shopping list allows for efficient weekly planning, helping households reduce food waste and streamline their grocery shopping.
Sorted Food's meal-planning app, Sidekick, offers further support for those looking to cancel boring dinners while staying within budget. The platform provides additional recipe ideas and organisational tools to take the stress out of meal planning.
These three recipes prove that with a bit of creativity and the right appliance, weeknight dinners can transform from mundane necessities into anticipated culinary highlights. The air fryer has truly earned its place as an essential modern kitchen tool, capable of delivering impressive results that belie both the effort required and the cost involved.
