One or two onions sliced into slightly thick rings, tossed in a bowl with a tablespoon of flour, a teaspoon of paprika, salt and a little cayenne, then drizzled with olive oil and shaken to coat. Spread in the basket and air-fried at 180 °C / 350 °F for 15 minutes with a shake halfway, they come out light, smoky and crunchy on every side. Good with beer, on burgers, or straight from the tray. Serves 2 as a snack.
A can of corn turned into a crunchy, lightly spicy snack. The kernels are already cooked, so the air fryer only has to give them a crust: toss them with a tablespoon of cornstarch, two tablespoons of paprika, half a teaspoon of chili powder and salt, add a little olive oil, spread in the basket and cook at 190 °C / 375 °F for 12–15 minutes, shaking halfway. Sweet kernels, salty coating and a small kick. Scatter over salads, tuck into tacos or eat by the bowl. Serves 2.
Roasted tomato chili juice is a Bloody Mary mix that went through the oven: nine whole tomatoes, two red chilies and thyme roast at 200 °C for 30–40 minutes until the skins split, then everything — including every drop of tray juice — blends smooth, gets strained fine and poured over ice. Ice-cold first, then the chili catches up. Serves 4.
This Spanish tomato refresher is a drinkable 10-minute gazpacho: three ripe tomatoes (peeled with a knife-back trick, no blanching), a cucumber, a small garlic clove and two ice cubes blended smooth with wine vinegar and olive oil, then strained silky and poured over ice with a pinch of salt, cracked pepper and an olive-oil float. Cold and silky is the point. Serves 2.
Flour-and-water flatbreads with no yeast: boil 300 ml of water right in the pan, stir in 300 g of all-purpose flour off the heat (the boiling water cooks the starch — the hot-water dough trick), rest 20 minutes, roll thin and fry 30–45 seconds a side in a lightly oiled pan. A warm stack faster than a trip to the store. Makes about 8; serves 4.