Family air fryer recipes for all occasions

Louisa Holst’s Springbokkie Cheesecake, from The South African Air Fryer Cookbook 2. (Photo: Donna Lewis)

By TGIFood Contributors

17 Nov 2023

A year after her first air fryer book, Louisa Holst has produced a second volume: The South African Air Fryer Cookbook 2. She shares three of the new recipes with TGIFood readers.

It’s easy to use, saves you time and money, and helps you cook delicious meals without fuss — what’s not to love? Yes, we have all grown to love our air fryers. I’ve gone from using mine to only cook chips and chicken wings to cooking with it almost every meal, every day, and now I bake in it too. The more we use it and see how versatile it is and how well it works, the more we love it and the more we want to cook in it.

A year ago, we published The South African Air-Fryer Cookbook. The positive response was fantastic, but there was one question everyone kept asking: When does the next book come out? And so, here it is.

It’s been a lot of fun creating new recipes for this book. While I was trying out ideas and experimenting with different ingredients, I always kept a few things in mind. The air fryer has become our favourite kitchen appliance because it’s convenient and makes our lives a little bit easier, so the recipes I was creating for you had to be the same — uncomplicated and quick to prepare.

The result is a collection of recipes that you will find useful and that will help make mealtimes easier, whether it’s you or your teens doing the cooking. I have used local ingredients, most of which you should have on hand in your fridge or store cupboard, and I’ve tried to give you the kinds of recipes South African families will enjoy.

South Africans love to get together with friends and family to socialise and share time and food. We like to gather around the TV to watch sport together; we also like to braai, spend a lazy Sunday afternoon chatting around the lunch table or have friends or family over for afternoon tea and a slice of cake. You will find recipes in this book that you can prepare for all of these occasions, from snacks like sticky brandy and Coke chicken wings to serve to the hungry Bok supporters, to Marie biscuit condensed milk cookies that grandma will enjoy with a hot cup of tea. There are easy family meals, quick ideas especially for teens or students, roasts for Sundays and recipes that you can make ahead of time so you won’t be caught out during rolling blackouts.

I hope you’ll find there are plenty of new recipes you’ll want to try out, and that you’ll have fun cooking them and enjoy eating them as much as my family already do. Happy air frying!

Here are three of the recipes from the new book…

Harissa pork with roasted vegetables

Louisa Holst’s harissa pork with roasted vegetables, from The South African Air Fryer Cookbook 2. (Photo: Donna Lewis)

A flavoursome one-dish winner that takes the hassle out of dinner preparations. Harissa is a North African spice paste made from a blend of roasted peppers, chillies, herbs and spices. It’s a great ingredient to have on hand to add an extra flavour boost to your meals.

(Serves 4)

Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus marinating time

Cooking time: approximately 40 minutes

Air-fryer temperature: 180°C

Ingredients

40 ml olive oil

45 ml harissa paste

1 clove garlic, crushed

500 g pork fillet, cut into medallions (or use chicken fillets)

1 x 800 g pack of roasting vegetables

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

125 ml Greek-style yoghurt

Baby spinach leaves or rocket and fresh coriander, to serve

Method

Mix half the oil with 30 ml of the harissa paste and the garlic. Add the pork pieces and stir to coat well. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes or longer.

Put the vegetables into a bowl and add the remaining oil. Toss to coat, then remove the sweet peppers and onions (and any other quick-cooking vegetables) from the roasting vegetable pack and set aside.

Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C. Place the remaining vegetables in the basket of the air fryer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until almost cooked.

Increase the temperature to 200 °C and add the reserved vegetables and the pork. Cook for 10-15 minutes or cooked through, turning the ingredients over halfway through the cooking time. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix the remaining harissa paste with the yoghurt and serve as a sauce. Serve with baby spinach leaves or rocket, and garnish with fresh coriander.

Flaming hot chicken sticks

Louisa Holst’s flaming hot chicken sticks, from The South African Air Fryer Cookbook 2. (Photo: Donna Lewis)

(Serves 4)

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 7-10 minutes

Air-fryer temperature: 200 °C

Ingredients

120 g packet of Flaming Hot Chakalaka flavour potato crisps (or other spicy crisps)

200 ml mayonnaise

4 chicken breast fillets, cut into 4 strips each lengthways

16 wooden kebab skewers, soaked in water to prevent them from burning

30 ml fruit chutney

125 ml Greek-style yoghurt

Method

Crush the potato crisps in a food processor.

Put 150 ml mayonnaise into a shallow bowl and the crisps into another bowl.

Dip each piece of chicken into the mayonnaise to coat and then into the crisps.

Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C. Thread the pieces of chicken onto the kebab skewers. If the skewers are too long to fit into the air fryer, cut them shorter using a pair of scissors. Put a single layer of chicken into the basket of the air fryer. Cook for 7-10 minutes, turning the skewers over halfway through the cooking time. Repeat with the remaining skewers.

For the sauce:

Mix the remaining mayonnaise with the chutney and yoghurt. Serve as a dipping sauce for the chicken sticks.

Springbokkie Cheesecake

Louisa Holst’s Springbokkie Cheesecake, from The South African Air Fryer Cookbook 2. (Photo: Donna Lewis)

Inspired by the popular local drink, the springbokkie, this baked cheesecake is flavoured with Amarula and peppermint liqueur. It’s the perfect dessert to serve at your next rugby match get-together or at any other South African celebration.

(Serves: 8-10)

Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus refrigeration time

Cooking time: approximately 1 hour

Air-fryer temperature: 140 °C

Ingredients

250 g Tennis biscuits, crushed

100 ml melted butter

For the filling:

2 x 230 g tubs plain cream cheese, at room temperature

145 g (165 ml) castor sugar

2 large eggs

125 ml sour cream, at room temperature

50 ml Amarula liqueur

For the topping:

125 ml sour cream

20 ml castor sugar

25 ml peppermint liqueur

A few drops of peppermint essence and green food colouring (optional)

1 x 49 g bar Peppermint Crisp chocolate, crushed

Method

Mix the biscuit crumbs and butter together and press over the base and sides of a greased 18-cm spring-form tin. Refrigerate.

For the filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at time. Stir in the sour cream and liqueur. Spoon into the prepared crust.

Preheat the air fryer to 140 °C. Put the tin into the basket of the air fryer and bake for 50-55 minutes or until just set. (After 40 minutes, check to see that the top is not getting too dark. If it is, cover with a piece of aluminium foil.) Once the filling has set, remove from the air fryer and set aside for 10 minutes.

For the topping: Mix the sour cream, sugar, liqueur, essence and colouring (if using) together.

Pour over the cheesecake, then return it to the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes. Leave the cheesecake in the air fryer for 30 minutes to cool. Chill in the fridge overnight.

Decorate with crushed Peppermint Crisp. DM

The South African Air Fryer Cookbook 2 is published by Human & Rousseau

Follow Louisa Holst on Instagram @louisaholst

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