'Painting' Potatoes

The excitement was palpable as my Phillips Air Fryer inspired a new way of frying. 'Painting' delicious root vegetables was now my new standard in creating incredibly tasting home fries and french fries. Had a discovery been made?

The potatoes had been soaking in water to remove as much starch as possible. A clean towel was used to dry them out. A tiny bit of oil was hand tossed onto them in readiness for the spice mix that would soon follow. (Too much oil would simply slide into the bottom basket) Spices helped the oil adhere to the potatoes for more incredible taste and texture. Into the air fryer went the potatoes, for 10 minutes, at low temperatures, for slow 'cooking' while I attended to other things. ...(High heat releases this thing called acrylamide, a cancer causing chemical, generally found in grains, starches, and processed foods when high heat is applied. Medium to low heat cooking is always followed by the Momsey.Stir frying seems to be the exception to this rule)

After the first round of air frying, the potatoes were emptied into a bowl where a mix of spices: paprika, smoked paprika,- (tastes like bacon) onion powder, turmeric, onion powder, sea salt and pepper were coated onto the potatoes then tossed like a salad. Spices helped the oil remain on the diced, sliced or cut potatoes. The cooking continued for another ten minutes, at a slightly higher temperature. Brushing oil onto the shaken potatoes began this newest step of 'painting' the potatoes for added flavour, taste and that 'golden' touch. Presentation is everything where food is concerned. Shaking the fryer basket moved potatoes around thus allowing for the 'painting' to continue.

Using low smoke oil on fried food can pose a health hazard. On high heat, low smoke oil degrades and harmful chemicals are released into the food being fried and maybe into the air we breathe. Olive oil should not be used with high heat. It is a delicate oil that should be added directly to foods, especially salads and sauces -(after cooking has finished.) I follow this directive always after accidentally watching a Saturday morning show, years ago, and learning something significant about oils. The hosts on this popular cottage/country episode were cowboys who explained the 'differences' of the oils being presented and telling the audience the importance of using the correct oil for cooking purposes. Using the wrong oil for cooking would harm us. It all made sense. I was impressed.

Brushing more oil onto the potatoes helps in the browning process while adding tremendous flavour. Fat in food is about flavour as well as satisfying our appetite. Though fat is a more concentrated 'nutrient', overall calorie count can be greatly reduced because of fat's satiety value in the food with more valuable nutrients being absorbed, more efficiently, also. (A, D, K, and E) The more nourished we are the less food we eat. 

Eating more carbs has never been the answer to weight control. (Day old potatoes perform like resistance starch, I have learned.) Yeah potatoes. I use red or yellow preferring to use organic whenever possible.'Painting' vegetables for air frying reduces cooking time and calories when deep fat fried foods are craved. Even cauliflower can be 'fried' in a myriad of delicious ways using the air fryer. Toss with oil first then 'bake' for a few minutes. Toss onto flavoured bread crumbs while pressing the coating gently onto the vegetable. Deep fried' breaded cauliflower is done. Continue 'frying' till golden. Eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, parsnips, onions, sweet potatoes can be air fried. They become a junk food replacement.

Let today's modern appliances and the altered food pyramid help us stay true to form where diets are concerned. Food is medicine. We all know that to be true. Now we can add herbs to that ever growing list of air fried foods, made better. Brushing oil onto vegetables being air fried keeps them out of the deep fryer while making them healthier in a shorter span of time. A little bit of oil, 'strategically applied', is all it takes to make life's choices more delicious. “Do you need fries with that?”