Gizmos and gadgets a plenty...
...and air fryer chicken meatballs
Whosits and whatsits galore…you want thingamabobs, I got twenty…
Are you singing songs from The Little Mermaid now? You’re welcome.
Hi, Friends! Today we’re here to have a little discussion (or intervention…) about kitchen gadgets!
Who among us has a kitchen drawer (or two) stuffed so full of fancy tools it’s a pain to get open? Yeah, me too.
Who here knows they shouldn’t buy *single use* kitchen tools, but “gosh that one is just so cool, and I’ll probably use it every day anyway”? Still me with my hand raised.
It’s okay. They say the first step is admitting you have a problem…
But, problem or not, I do have a few favorite things that make my life easier, so today I’m bringing you my list of “single-use (or multi-use) kitchen things that Sarah gives two thumbs up”:
A microplane. I use it to zest citrus and grate fresh ginger, garlic, and nutmeg. I’ve tried off-brands, the actual Microplane brand works best for me.
A good pair of kitchen shears. Besides regular scissor functions, these are my go-to tool for spatchcocking a chicken. They also work for quickly trimming the stem end off green beans or even cutting a head of romaine lettuce for a salad.
My beloved garlic press. Controversial item here - in fact Epicurious lists the garlic press in this humorous article about The 10 Most Ridiculous Single-Use Kitchen Tools. But you know what, I have a serious dislike of mincing garlic (really can’t tell you why…), and I love my garlic press. So there. Word of warning, there are some really terrible garlic presses out there. Mine is from Pampered Chef; I’ve had it for years, and it works beautifully. No, they aren’t paying me money to say that.
A kitchen scale. Because weighing ingredients is more accurate, and without measuring cups, there are less dishes to do!
A set of scoopers. Perfectly round cookie dough - yes. Muffin or cupcake batter scooped into the pan - yes. Meatballs that all actually come out the same size - definitely yes!
Condiment style squeeze bottles. I have one for olive oil beside the stove, one for homemade BBQ sauce, and at least two or three with various salad dressings at any given time.
A rice cooker. So, I never thought I needed a rice cooker. Until I got one. We eat a fair amount of rice, and I love putting it on and walking away without worrying about my pot bubbling over or burning on the bottom. Also, it cooks other things like quinoa and farro and can even steam vegetables at the same time! Mine’s not fancy - it’s made by Black and Decker (yes, the power tool people).
An electric tea kettle. I love my electric kettle for making a cup of hot tea, but also for anywhere else boiling water is required. It really is easier than a pot on the stove and safer than a measuring cup in the microwave. Plus I love saying, “I’ll put the kettle on!” (British accents only please.)
Which brings us to air fryers and this week’s recipe. Everybody, thank our reader, Lisa, for asking for some air fryer recipes and making me realize this little guy sitting my closet has probably been severely underused. I got an air fryer back when everybody got an air fryer, and we used it here and there. Besides it being the best way to reheat leftover french fries, this chicken and broccoli stir fry has made several appearances, we’ve done these “fried” pork chops, and salmon (such as this honey-sriracha version) is super quick in the air fryer.
But when faced with a request for air fryer recipes, I wanted to get a little creative. I immediately started thinking about some chicken meatballs and how I could make them special. So after several test attempts (none of which were discouraged by the boys here at home), this week’s recipe for Air Fryer Greek Chicken Meatballs and Tzatziki was ready to go (recipe below)!
The ground chicken in this recipe is kept moist with the addition of greek yogurt and a little bit of olive oil and brightened up with lots of fresh herbs and lemon zest. Feta cheese is mixed right into the meatballs for that little salty, briny bite here and there. The quick cook in the air fryer gives an ever-so-slightly crisp outside and tender inside that every meatball longs to have. (And for those who are dying to know, yes they can be baked in the oven as an alternative! Details in recipe below.)
Of course, we have to have tzatziki sauce on the side. This one is thick and heavy on the cucumber and punchy with fresh garlic (which you can always dial back if needed) and the rest of that lemon zest.
Served on a plate with rice and veggies, or stuffed in a pita pocket, or snuck out of the tupperware in the fridge, these meatballs made this family pretty excited to pull the air fryer out again.
Also, I have to say, it’s been really fun to test some air fryer recipes. And using an air fryer instead of the oven in this summer heat has been a nice bonus.
See you next week, right back here! In the meantime, I’ll be trying to dislodge my potato masher from the back of the utensil drawer…
MONDAY - Baked Pork Burritos and Mexican Rice
Flour tortillas filled with shredded pork, green chiles, and monterey jack cheese baked in the oven to crisp up the outside. Rice on the side and cheese dip anywhere and everywhere.
TUESDAY - Tortellini and Meatball Bake
Taking some help with grocery store shortcuts tonight! Cheese tortellini and frozen meatballs baked in marinara sauce (from my freezer) and topped with extra mozzarella. Garlic bread for swiping up extra sauce!
WEDNESDAY - Grilled Steak with Pesto Potatoes and Green Beans
I’ve been craving a steak! We’ll do a marinated flank steak on the grill then slice it thin for serving. For the side, baby gold potatoes and fresh farmers’ market green beans blanched and tossed in pesto sauce.
THURSDAY - Chicken Pot Pie
I have to run to a meeting tonight, but lucky me (or smart me), I put an extra chicken pot pie in our freezer when I recently made one for my cousin with a beautiful new baby. I can pop it in the oven on my way out the door.
FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-up
SATURDAY - Dinner at YaYa’s (the in-laws!)
Easy fried rice using up leftover chicken and veggies from the week. Add in some frozen dumplings and egg rolls (which she always has a stash of), and we’ll have quite the “fake-out take-out” spread!
SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!
We were talking grilled cheeses with a friend the other day and thinking about BLT’s with pimento cheese while roaming the grocery store, and now I think fancy sandwiches sounds like a great way to round out a weekend.
LUNCHES for this week -
As I’ve been playing with the air fryer, I made some stuffed zucchini with tomatoes, quinoa, and chickpeas. It’s not quite perfect, so I’m not ready to share a recipe just yet, but if you’re wondering, you can absolutely make “zucchini boats” in the air fryer! They’ll be my lunches this week as I think about how I can make them even better.
EXTRAS for this week
My mom used to make a stewed tomato dish (she called it breaded tomatoes), and we all loved it. It had tomatoes and onions, a little sugar, a little vinegar, and croutons stirred right in! I want to make a version that utilizes fresh tomatoes but also has fresh corn (I love tomatoes and corn together), so I’ll be experimenting with that this week!
Air-Fryer Greek Chicken Meatballs & Tzatziki Sauce
Makes about 22 meatballs
Meatballs
· 1 pound Ground Chicken
· 1 large Egg
· ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
· 2 cloves Garlic, minced
· ¾ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
· 2 tablespoons plain Greek Yogurt
· ¼ cup crumbled Feta Cheese
· 1 tablespoon fresh minced Parsley
· 1 tablespoon fresh minced Oregano
· 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
· Zest from ½ of one Lemon
Tzatziki
· 1 medium Cucumber, grated on a box grater (about 1 packed cup)
· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt
· ½ cup Plain Greek Yogurt
· ¼ cup Sour Cream
· 1 clove Garlic, minced
· Zest from the other half of the Lemon
· 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
· 1 tablespoon fresh minced Dill
Make the tzatziki – Toss together the grated cucumber and salt. Place in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl to drain for 20 minutes. Using a spatula, gently press on the cucumber to release more liquid. Discard liquid.
While cucumber drains, in a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, sour cream, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and dill. Mix in the drained cucumber, taste and add more salt if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make the meatballs – In a large bowl, combine the egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, pepper, yogurt, feta, parsley, oregano, and olive oil. Mix well. With a rubber spatula, gently mix in ground chicken until well combined.
Form the mixture into 1 ½ -inch meatballs. (I use my small cookie scoop to evenly portion the mixture.) Gently roll the meatballs between your hands to help form them. Set the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the air fryer to 400, then cook the meatballs in a single layer for 12-14 minutes, until well browned and cooked through. If you have a smaller air fryer (like I do), you may have to cook the meatballs in two batches.
Serve with the tzatziki.
NOTE: Alternately, the meatballs can be baked. Heat the oven to 400, and arrange a rack in the upper third. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray and bake the meatballs for about 25 minutes.
That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!
(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)
All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!
Thanks for the mention, Sarah! And thanks for the great air fryer recipe.