In my post yesterday, I shared the process of how I discovered the multi-cooker and began using it. Now let me share all the many ways I have been using this wonderful appliance.
Air Fried Goodies
Using the air fryer was one my top favorite things to do with the Ninja Foodi. I made french fries, all kinds of fried veggie chips and even tried some traditional Indian snacks that are normally deep fried. The results were mixed…some things came out great but others not so much. One of these days, I will write a whole separate post just on my adventures (and misadventures) of the air fryer experience.
Soups
I love the fact that you can use the Sear/Saute function to get started with soup and then finish the process by pressure cooking it. And I also got myself a stainless steel insert so that I can purée the soup within the pot itself using my handheld blender.
Beans
When it comes to beans, no matter the kind – black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans – you name it, I would much rather buy the dry variety and cook it myself. Before getting the Ninja Foodi, I used my slow cooker to do this. But now, I love using the pressure function to cook those in a fraction of time. No soaking necessary. This is great for also making refried beans.
Corn
Did you know that you can cook corn to perfection using the pressure function? Yep. So I love making corn in there before throwing it on the grill to give it some of the charred flavor that makes corn on the cob so yummy. Just use the prescribed times in the booklet that the cooker comes up.
Granola
Yes, Granola. Before the Ninja Foodi, I used to make granola by melting all the sweet and sticky ingredients on the stovetop (or a glass bowl in microwave) before mixing it with the dry ingredients and then transferring the whole batch into multiple trays to bake them in the oven. That resulted in a lot of dirty dishes. But with the Ninja Foodi’s sear/saute function combined with the bake function, I do it all in one pot and have to wash only 1 pot when all is done. Love it!
For more info, check out my recipe: Two Ways to Making Quick and Easy Granola
Thai Sweet Rice or Sticky Rice
Oh, this is one of my childhood favorites. And before the Ninja Foodi, the process to make this special rice was to let it soak for hours and then steam it for a long long time until it reached the right tenderness. But using the pressure function, no soaking is needed and I can get the same tender moist sticky rice at a predictable amount of time. Another big win for the Ninja Foodi!
Hard Boiled Eggs
I cannot tell you how many time I have over cooked eggs when I tried hard boiling them in water on a stovetop. I mean I have seriously over cooked eggs. I mean crispy black burst-all-over-the-kitchen over cooked eggs that are no good except for trash with the added bonus of a nasty smell that takes a while to get rid of. Not to mention all the cleaning. So when I discovered that you can use the pressure cooker to cook boiled eggs to perfection, I was stoked. And because of the in-built timer, no more overcooking eggs for me. Ever!
For complete details see: Pressure Cooked Hard Boiled Eggs
Mac N Cheese
Mac n cheese is a fan favorite in our household. Until I discovered how to make it using the multi-cooker, I had to use 3 separate pots for making it – one pot for boiling the pasta, a second pan for making the cheese mixture and the final one for baking it all together. Well, with the multi-cooker, there is only one dirty pot. I first pressure cook the pasta and then in the same pot I add the ingredients for the cheese mixture and stir, and then finally I top it with bread crumbs and do the final baking also in the same pot. Win-win-win. And yum-yum-yum.
Final Honorable Mentions
Pot roasts, one dish casserole meals, lamb curry, beef curry, any other curry. Enough said. And oh, during the summer months, it comes in very handy for baking things that you normally would use your standard oven for, and not heating up the whole house. Imagine baking chicken wings without having to heat up the whole kitchen.
Well, there you have it, folks! This is only my shortlist of the many things I use my multi-cooker for on a regular basis. Be sure to follow my blog so you can catch the next tip I offer up…not just with using your multi-cooker but also other time saving tips.
Enjoy!
Jubila 365 