Charred Broccoli w/ Spicy Tahini Dressing

by Lou Robbie

Beautiful green homegrown Irish broccoli! YES we are well use to it being the trusty side veg but it can be the start of the plate and with a bit of roasting and dressing and it is incredibly tasty. Its important to char it to get the subtle bitter notes that taste delicious with the sweet, salty and spicy dressing.

We used the air fryer to cook this but you can of course roast in the oven also.

Make this with the next head of broccoli that arrives in your Green Earth Organics box.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients:

  • For the broccoli:
  • 1 whole head of broccoli
  • pinch salt & pepper
  • drizzle of oil
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • For the dressing:
  • 1/3 cup light tahini
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • squeeze of lemon juice
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely grated or minced

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven or air fryer 180c.
  2. Begin by chopping the broccoli into 8 long pieces, keeping the stalks on.
  3. Sprinkle the broccoli with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
  4. To cook: If air frying you may need to cook the broccoli in 2 batches lay flat in the air fryer basket and cook for 8 minutes at 180c. If roasting in the oven, lay the pieces flat on a tray and roast in the oven for 15 minutes approx at 180c.
  5. For the sesame seeds: toast in the air fryer or oven for 5 minutes until golden, keep a close eye as they can burn easily.
  6. While the broccoli cooks make the tahini dressing: Simply whisk all the ingredients in a bowl until smooth and creamy, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
  7. To serve, spoon half of the sauce onto a plate and top with the roasted broccoli and spoon over the remaining sauce sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Air Fryer Honey Roast Carrots w/ Whipped Feta

by Lou Robbie

Carrots are super versatile, economical and tasty! Carrots as a kid were boiled and boring but roasted with a bit of sweetness and spice they make a delicious sharing dish. We are hitting all the flavour profiles with this plate, sweet carrot, salty feta, bitter toasted pumpkin seeds and sour notes from the lemon zest!!! Try it out and get your taste buds tingling.

Serve up as a tasty snack, have it with a green salad or with some toasted sourdough..yum.

Try it soon and let us know what you think.

Lou 🙂

P.S. If you don’t have an air fryer simply roast the carrots with oil, s & p, for 15 minutes @ 180ºC then add the honey and cumin and roast for another 5 minutes.

Ingredients: serves 4 as a side dish

  • 500g carrots (about 5 medium)
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • pinch salt and pepper

For the whipped feta

  • 150g feta
  • 100g greek yoghurt
  • 1/2 lemon zest
  • pinch black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Plus 80g toasted pumpkin seeds

Method:

  1. Scrub and peel the carrots
  2. Chop into 4 long pieces and add them to a mixing bowl and toss in oil, salt and pepper.
  3. Add a 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket. Place the carrots on the rack and air fry for 15 minutes at 180ºc, shake half way through.
  4. While the carrots cook, make the whipped feta, simply add all the ingredients to a mixer and blend until really smooth. I used my Ninja smoothie maker, any small powerful blender will work.
  5. Back the carrots after the 15 minutes are up, drizzle over the honey and sprinkle the cumin, give the carrots a shake and cook for a further 5 minutes at 200ºc.
  6. When the carrots are done, toasted the pumpkin seeds in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 200ºc.
  7. Pour the whipped feta into a bowl, pile the carrots on top and scatter the pumpkin seeds over both.

Air Fryer Croutons 3 ways

by Lou Robbie

Bread is Irelands most wasted food with 40% of households saying old bread makes it way to the bin. There are a few nifty thrifty ways to use up old bread and give it a new lease of life. There is “Less Waste and More Taste” with these homemade croutons in 3 different flavours (herb, chilli and curry) that go deliciously well with soup in winter and salads in the summer.

I joined the air fryer community a few months ago and I have to say making a batch of croutons in the air fryer with old cubed bread is a cinch and very satisfying. Raid the spice rack and add some exciting flavours while you’re at it. If you don’t have an air fryer just toast the bread in the oven.

Tip: Old bread works best for croutons. Cut the pieces of bread into roughly the same sized cubes for even cooking.

My young kids adore these with their soup…and we munch and crunch on them chat about which flavour we like best.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 3 different flavours and 3 small bowls

  • 6 slices old bread – white slice pan/ sour dough/ batch loaf/ GF whatever you have
  • 1-2 tsp dried mixed herbs
  • 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1-2 tsp curry powder
  • cooking oil
  • salt and pepper optional

Method:

  1. For the herby croutons: Slice and cube 2 slices of bread and add them to a mixing bowl.
  2. Sprinkle in the dried mixed herbs and mix, add a drizzle of oil to coat season with a small pinch of salt and pepper if you wish. Toss the croutons to coat in the oil.
  3. Pour the cubed bread into the air fryer basket.
  4. Air fry at 180ºC for 8-10 minutes shaking half way through.
  5. You can toast the croutons in the oven -Preheat your oven 180ºC, put the bread cubes on a baking tray and bake them in the oven for 20 minutes, check and shake half way through.
  6. The croutons should be evenly toasted and brown all over.

For chilli croutons: Repeat the method above but for step 2 instead of dried mixed herbs add paprika and chilli flakes.

For curry croutons: Repeat the method above but for step 2 instead of dried mixed herbs add curry powder.