When you buy a new air fryer you have to test it with an easy recipe, right? 😊 After roasting peppers (very easy), I tried zucchini. Here they are just out of the air fryer, my zucchini cooked in the air fryer, flavored with mint and basil:
I have to confess I had to try this twice, because the first attempt was a flop. They cooked poorly — rather than cooking they just shriveled up — and that discouraged me a bit, I must admit. Then — thanks to Michela and one of her experiments, which I often relate to 😍 — I understood my mistake: first, I had overcooked them, but above all I had cooked them without oil! Something that, apparently with an air fryer… you shouldn’t do. You only need a very small amount, but that little amount is necessary!
I’ll go straight to the recipe!
👇 Then, if you like, take a look at the other 3 recipes with my new air fryer, they’re super easy! 👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Air frying
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer and Fall
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini (about 14 oz (about 1 lb))
- 1 3/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- mint
- basil
Tools
- Air fryer
Steps
Wash and cut the zucchini into pieces.
Put them in a bowl and dress them with a heaping teaspoon of oil.
Mix them well with a spoon or, even better, with your hands, and pour them into the air fryer basket.
Run the air fryer for 10 minutes at 392°F.
Meanwhile, prepare the aromatic herbs: I used mint and basil, which miraculously survived on my terrace 😄 but you can use whichever herbs you prefer (you can also add a clove of garlic).
Open the basket and add the herbs roughly torn by hand.
Stir the zucchini and close the basket.
Run the appliance for another 10 minutes at 392°F.
After the time has passed, if you want them more browned, stir a second time and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
They’re ready, the zucchini cooked in the air fryer:
Enjoy your meal!!!!
Salt-free tips
As I have already mentioned in other air fryer recipes (for example in this one), vegetables turn out really well; air cooking preserves their natural flavor without losses. The addition of aromatic herbs completes the work and allows us not to add salt. For those not yet accustomed to cooking without salt, I also suggest using a pinch of chili pepper or paprika. 🙂
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Reduce salt gradually; the palate needs to get used to the change little by little.
▫ Use spices: chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs: basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds: sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use pungent vegetables or fruits: garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use strong-flavored condiments such as wine or balsamic vinegar.
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granulate and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water; prefer methods that don’t disperse flavors (grill, parcel, steam, microwave).
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Allow yourself an occasional indulgence. It’s good for morale and helps you persist.
If you don’t want, or cannot, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes and salt them according to your habits.
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