From scotch eggs to banoffee tart, recipes that prove you can cook anything in an air fryer

SINGLE mum-of-two Hayley Dean knows a thing or two about cutting corners in the kitchen and her new book, How To Make Anything In An Air Fryer, is packed full of easy meals, most of which are less than 600 calories.

If you want to save precious time, and money off your energy bill, Kirsty Spence has picked out some of Hayley’s dishes here, from wholesome air-fried roast chicken to a Biscoff banoffee tart worthy of Bake Off.

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Air fryers can be made to make some hearty meals[/caption]

Hannah Hughes

Hayley Dean has written a recipe book for air fryer fanatics called How To Make Anything in an Air Fryer[/caption]

How To Make Anything In An Air Fryer by Hayley Dean (£22, Ebury Press) is out on November 23.

Hannah Hughes

How To Make Anything In An Air Fryer by Hayley Dean (£22, Ebury Press) is out on November 23[/caption]

Roast chicken

Serves: 4

Hannah Hughes

Rustle up this roast chicken dinner in just an hour[/caption]

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Calories per serving: 280

YOU NEED:

For the chicken:
1 medium whole chicken (around 1.6kg)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
To serve:
Hasselback potatoes
Roasted vegetables

METHOD: Preheat the air fryer to 180C.

Drizzle the chicken with the olive oil and season with the smoked paprika, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper.

Rub the chicken all over on both sides to ensure it is fully coated.

Then place the chicken breast side down in the air fryer, making sure it isn’t touching the top of the air fryer.

Cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, carefully flip the chicken over using heatproof tongs.

Add an extra drizzle of oil and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Take the chicken out of the air fryer.

If you have a digital probe thermometer, check the temperature of the thickest part of the chicken is at least 75C.

If you don’t have one, make sure the juices are running clear and the meat isn’t pink.

A larger chicken might need longer in the air fryer, so check it after 1 hour and give it more time, if necessary.

Cover the chicken with foil and leave to rest before carving.

Serve with Hasselback potatoes and roasted vegetables.

Scotch eggs

Makes: 4

Hannah Hughes

It takes just 15 minutes to prepare these scotch eggs[/caption]

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Calories per serving: 368

YOU NEED:

For the Scotch eggs:
4 eggs with golden yolks
350g pork sausage meat (or 5 thick pork sausages with skins removed)
½ tsp garlic paste
½ tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp plain flour
1 egg, beaten
80g panko breadcrumbs
To serve
Your favourite mustard

METHOD: Lower the eggs into a pan of boiling water and cook for 6 minutes exactly.

Lift the eggs out of the pan and immediately place them in iced water for 5 minutes.

Alternatively, you can soft boil the eggs in your air fryer.

I cook mine at 180C for 8 minutes.

Once cool, peel the shells from the eggs.

Preheat the air fryer to 180C.

Place the sausage meat in a bowl, add the garlic paste and garlic powder, then season with plenty of salt and pepper.

Mix well to combine.

Divide the sausage meat into 4 equal portions.

Roll each portion into a ball and then flatten out into a round.

Place a boiled egg in the centre of each flattened sausage meat round and pull up the meat around the egg to completely enclose it with no gaps.

Place the flour in a bowl and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Whisk an egg in a second bowl.

In a third bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs and again season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Coat the Scotch eggs in flour.

Then dip them in the beaten egg, allowing any excess to drip away.

Finally, cover the eggs in the panko breadcrumbs, pressing gently to make sure they are fully coated.

Place the Scotch eggs in the air fryer, spray with oil spray and cook at 180C for 15 minutes or until golden, turning halfway through.

Slice each Scotch egg in half to reveal the soft yolk and serve with mustard.

Smoky chipotle chicken fajitas

Serves 4

Hannah Hughes

Place the chicken and vegetables in the air fryer and cook at 190C for 20 minutes[/caption]

Cooking time: 23 minutes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Calories per serving: 565

YOU NEED:

For the chicken:
4 chicken breasts (around 600g)
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 red onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chipotle paste
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic paste
To serve:
8 tortilla wraps
100g sour cream
100g salsa
80g light cheddar, grated

METHOD: Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips.

Slice the red and yellow peppers and the red onion into thin strips that are roughly the same size as the chicken pieces.

Place the chicken, peppers and onion in a bowl, drizzle over the oil and add the chipotle paste, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and garlic paste.

Mix everything together well.

Season with salt and pepper.

Line the air fryer.

Place the chicken and vegetables in the air fryer and cook at 190C for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, shaking the tray a few times to make sure everything cooks evenly.

Warm the tortilla wraps for 30 seconds in the microwave or wrap them in foil and warm them in the air fryer for 3 minutes.

Fill them with the chicken and vegetables, then top with sour cream, salsa and grated cheese.

Meatball subs

Serves: 4

Hannah Hughes

Cook these meatballs in the air fryer for 12 minutes[/caption]

Cooking time: 17 minutes

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Calories per serving: 537

YOU NEED:

For the meatballs:
500g minced beef (preferably 10% fat)
1 egg, beaten
1 onion, very finely diced or grated
2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp chilli flakes
400g tomato pasta sauce from a jar
To serve:
4 sub bread rolls
50g mozzarella, grated

METHOD: Combine the minced beef, beaten egg, onion, panko breadcrumbs, garlic, dried oregano, dried basil and chilli flakes.

Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Roll the beef mixture into 12 equal-size balls.

Preheat the air fryer to 180C.

Place the meatballs in the air fryer, leaving space between each one, and cook for 12 minutes or until cooked through, turning halfway through.

Warm the tomato sauce in a bowl in the microwave until hot, then add to the cooked meatballs.

Fill each sub with 3 meatballs, then scatter over the mozzarella.

Return the filled subs to the air fryer and cook at 180C for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the subs have crisped up.

Biscoff banoffee puff pastry tart

Serves: 4

Hannah Hughes

Cook this banoffee tart at 170C for 12 minutes or until the pastry is puffed up and golden[/caption]

Cooking time: 12 minutes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Calories per serving: 384

YOU NEED:

For the tart:
½ sheet ready-rolled puff pastry (or enough to cover the base of your air fryer)
1 egg, beaten
120ml double cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
2 Biscoff biscuits, crushed
3 bananas, sliced (or enough to cover the tart)
2 tbsp caramel or toffee sauce
1 flaked chocolate bar

METHOD: Unroll the puff pastry sheet, leaving it on the parchment paper.

Cut the pastry to fit the tray of your air fryer.

Using a knife, score a border all around the edges of the pastry.

Brush the pastry with the beaten egg.

Lift the pastry on its parchment paper and place in the air fryer.

Cook at 170C for 12 minutes or until the pastry is puffed up and golden.

Once cooked, allow the pastry to cool completely.

Meanwhile, using a handheld electric whisk, whip the cream and icing sugar to soft peaks.

Keeping it inside the border, spread the whipped cream over the pastry base.

Scatter the crushed biscuits over the cream, then layer on the sliced bananas in neat rows.

Drizzle over the caramel or toffee sauce, then crumble the chocolate bar over the top.

Alternatively, grate chocolate over the top or melt chocolate in the microwave and drizzle it over the tart.

Slice the tart and serve straight away.

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