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Garnished Spicy Air Fryer Salmon with sautéed green beans mix and Spicy Ranch Dressing
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Spicy Air fryer Salmon Filet

Garnished Spicy Air Fryer Salmon with sautéed green beans mix and Spicy Ranch Dressing
Finish garnishing Spicy Air Fryer Salmon.

Tired of same old salmon filets the Spicy Air fryer Salmon satisfies those cravings. The key to flavorful salmon filets is putting some hot spices into rub with hint of sweetness. Most of all it takes just a few minutes to cook the salmon in the Air-fryer. Yet keeping salmon filet moist and flavorful. With just a few extra ingredients, say by by to boring salmon.

It’s all about using a spicy rub:

The spicy rub for salmon filets needs these key ingredients salt, sugar, spices and herbs. Next is to make a great rub needs Salt. Why is salt the most important factor, salt gives flavor to the salmon. Salmon needs the salt which helps hold it’s moisture and still supporting it’s texture. Choosing the right salt is just as important, use kosher salt rather than plain table salt which often contains iodine. The salt releases moisture in Salmon absorbing ingredients back into salmon. Third this takes time, allowing 15 to 20 minutes to do it’s magic.

Next is using sugar to adding a little sweetness and promoting good caramelization as salmon filet Air-fries. There is two good types of sugar to use in rub, brown sugar or Sugar in The Raw. Brown sugar has more molasses profile giving a more stronger deeper flavor profile. Sugar in The Raw has natural slight molasses flavor profile. Caution don’t add too much sugar to rub, just enough to balance flavor.

Bring some Pizzazz into the spice rub:

Now adding some wow to the rub, useing aromatics is key to having a successful rub. Choosing the right spices can really break that lackluster salmon, and bring back some wow. Typical spices used is paprika, black pepper, coriander, cumin and cayenne. Trends change, chipotle pepper was big hit for years, this has a smoky light amount of heat profile. Now a new trend is sriracha hot sauce, which is red chilies and garlic profile. Sriracha is everywhere, stores stock bottles of all different types including sriracha powder. This is a good possibility to use for spicy air fryer salmon filet rub.

Going one step further with the spicy rub by following the new next trends, by using Carolina Reaper powered. Very flavorful but extremely hot chili pepper, caution in adding the right amount of Carolina Reaper powder into rub. The goal is to have just right amount of heat and flavor with some sweetness and garlic profile. Having something simular to sriracha profile but with some punch. Be sure to adjust amount of Carolina Reaper powder to your taste level. This might be only using 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon of Carolina Reaper powder to one batch of rub.

Making Spicy Rub for salmon is a fairly simple task, combining kosher salt, sugar, and aromatic spices all together in bowl or mortar and pestel. I usually make fairly large batch of spicy rub, and keep extra in sealed jar for future uses. This cuts mise en place time down in future preparations.

Applying Spicy Rub to Salmon Filet:

First task is to prep the salmon filet, often I purchasing a side of salmon or couple of pounds of salmon filet. Some might have skin still attached to the filet. Using boning knife slip knife just under the salmon skin, with skin side of salmon facing down. Starting at tail end of filet and holding the salmon skin with left hand. Carefully slide the knife carefully towards right removing skin from salmon. Often salmon skin is slippery, try using paper towel to hold salmon skin for a better grip. Then cut salmon in size portions you like, 4 ounce, 6 ounce or 8 ounce portions are most common. This takes a little practice, but will save you lot of money, buying proportion salmon is almost double in cost.

Next place the silvery finished colored side of the salmon down on the cutting board. Now sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons of spicy rub onto top of each filet. Then rub spice mixture into each of salmon filets. Flip salmon over and sprinkle 2 teaspoons or more of spicy rub on the cut side of each salmon filet. Again rub spicy rub into salmon filets. Place in container and cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 20 minutes.

How to Air Fry Spicy Salmon Filets:

Most air fryers have a fish setting, this is a preset function on your air fryer. My PowerXL Air Fryer has a preset function for 10 minutes at 350°F. This is a good starting point, it’s not too high temperature for the spicy rub. This is just long enough to cook the salmon to a safe temperature, about 135 to 140° internal temperature. Note the longer time in the air fryer, the fish looses more moisture, which can become dry and chewy. The goal is to have a moist and very flavor salmon filet.

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Garnished Spicy Air Fryer Salmon with sautéed green beans mix and Spicy Ranch Dressing
Spicy Airfryer Salmon Filet
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Enjoy spicy Salmon Filet using Airfryer with just a few key ingredients, salt, sugar, spices and aromatics. The magic is in the spice rub and benefits of using Airfryer.
Servings Prep Time
2 Portions 5 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
10 Minutes 15 Minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 Portions 5 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
10 Minutes 15 Minutes
Garnished Spicy Air Fryer Salmon with sautéed green beans mix and Spicy Ranch Dressing
Spicy Airfryer Salmon Filet
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Enjoy spicy Salmon Filet using Airfryer with just a few key ingredients, salt, sugar, spices and aromatics. The magic is in the spice rub and benefits of using Airfryer.
Servings Prep Time
2 Portions 5 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
10 Minutes 15 Minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 Portions 5 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
10 Minutes 15 Minutes
Ingredients
Salmon Filet
Hot Spicy Rub
Spicy Ranch Dressing
Servings: Portions
Units:
Instructions
Hot Spice Rub
  1. Combine together in mortar and pestle the kosher salt, Turbinado Sugar, smoked paprika, black pepper, Carolina Riper chilies powder and season salt. Mixing well with pestle until nice evenly ground mixture comes together. Taste the mixture, and adjust Carolina Riper Chilies powder to your liking.
    Grinding Spicy Salmon Rub
  2. Place well mixed hot spice rub in storage jar. Note this might make more then you need for just 2 salmon filets.
Spicy Salmon Filets
  1. Remove skin from salmon filet with boneing knife. Cut the salmon filet into 5 to 6 ounce portions.
  2. Next season both sides of salmon filets with Hot Spice Rub putting one teaspoon of rub on each side of filets.
    Sprinkling Spicy Seasoning Rub onto salmon filets.
  3. Spray each salmon filet with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I like to use EVO Sprayer each spritz is 1/4 teaspoon of oil. This controls the coverage of olive oil nicely.
    Spray Salmon Filets with olive oil using the EVO Sprayer
Airfry Spicy Salmon Filets
  1. Preset Airfryer to fish setting or 350°F, allow airfryer to warm up this only takes about 2 minutes max.
  2. Place the seasoned salmon filets with cut side down into Airfryer basket. My PowerXL holds two filets nicely. Push basket into Airfryer and adjust time to 10 minutes. Note about half way into cooking process flip salmon over carefully. Then continue cooking until timer goes off.
  3. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over top of each cooked salmon filet.
Serving Hot Spicy Salmon Filets
  1. Place carefully remove the salmon filet from the basket with fish spatula. Place salmon filet onto plate carefully
  2. Drizzle some spicy ranch dressing in decorative manner onto plate. Add green vegetable of your choice of cooked Asparagus, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Green Beans are all great choice. Also serve nice starch like Risotto, Smashed Potatoes.
    Garnished Spicy Air Fryer Salmon with sautéed green beans mix and Spicy Ranch Dressing
Spicy Ranch Dressing
  1. Combine together in small bowl, the Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, Sriracha Sauce and Carolina Reaper Chilies powder together.
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Taco Turkey Burger only 7 Smart Points

Taco Turkey Burger with arugula, cherry tomatoes and southwestern sauce

Inspired by making a better burger using ground turkey mixed with Taco Seasoning.  With this goal in mind to building a better flavors and lowering the Weight Watcher Smart Points. Plain turkey burgers are ok, but by using Taco Seasoning really builds the flavors to a tasty enjoyment. Being a big fan of tacos for years and enjoying lot’s of Mexican Food really didn’t help my weight problem. The Taco Turkey Burger is the perfect answer to have that enjoyment of Mexican foods. This burger will still have that good taco flavor, but with only 7 Smart Points. Compare this to a Big Mac which has a least 18 Smart Points that’s a 61% reduction in points.

Key Points in making a better healthier burger:

93% lean ground turkey meat

The key to building a healthy burger, is by trying many different types of meats. Through testing extra lean ground beef, then some lean ground pork, next going to  lean ground turkey and  finally to ground white chicken breasts in search for the best Smart Point winner.  The 93% ground turkey works very well, it has enough fat to produce a moist burger and holds shape, with a good cost value $3.99 for one and quarter pounds. Trying 93% lean ground beef turned out dry and far more rubbery in texture then ground turkey. Finding Lean ground pork is very hard,  forcing me to grind pork loin my self. That’s another process and having to clean more equipment. Using lean ground chicken breast is very expensive but does have very good flavor too. That’s why the 93% ground turkey is my choice and taste tested many times.

Making the Taco Turkey Burger is a fairly simple task, and only takes about 5 minutes or less to mix together. Combining a pound of ground turkey with 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning in a mixing bowl, working the mixture by hand for about 2 minutes. Note make sure that you have gloves on your hands when mixing, this prevents any possible contamination. It’s important that the mixture of Taco Seasoning is blended in to ground turkey. This mixture should be slightly sticky which is the key to a successful burger. Chilling this Taco Turkey Burger meat for 30 minutes to hydrate seasonings into the meat, will provide better handling abilities and also develop a far better flavorful burger.

Preparing Taco Turkey Burgers:

Pressing Taco Turkey Meat between sheet of plastic wrap.

Time to make the Taco Turkey Burger patties, first measure out the taco turkey mixture into 4 ounces portions. Then place the portion mixture onto a 12 inch square of plastic wrap. Fold plastic wrap over meat and press into patties. By using plastic wrap the turkey meat will not stick to the plastic. Store the Taco Turkey Burger patties in refrigerator for up to 2 days, giving patties to firm up and develop flavors. But do not hold them longer then 2 days, or they will need to be frozen.

It’s Taco Turkey Burger cooking time, so what is the best cooking method to use? I love my new Air Fryer, it does a wonderful job. The Air Fryer cooks meats quickly, in about 12 minutes at 370°F, the turkey burgers come out juicy and nicely browned, it’s quick and easy. My all time favorite is  grilling the Taco Turkey Burgers on the Green Egg grill-smoker, this takes a lot more time but flavor is outstanding. Using grill pans work very well too, as well as Gorge Forman Grill.

Assembling Taco Turkey Burgers:

Putting Taco Turkey Burger together, select low Smart Point bun like Sara Lee or Village Hearth light buns. Spread a special sauce (1000 island light dressing and Sriracha sauce) on top bun, and garnish with arugula and tomatoes. Now that’s a Taco Turkey Burger with only 7 Smart Points that’s satisfying, remembering the famous line of Clara “Where is the beef!”

 

Taco Turkey Burger

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The Taco Turkey Burger is the perfect answer to enjoy Mexican foods, and still have a good taco flavor, with only 7 Smart Points.
Servings Prep Time
6 burgers 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
12 minutes 1 hours

Servings Prep Time
6 burgers 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
12 minutes 1 hours

Taco Turkey Burger

Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!

Print Recipe

The Taco Turkey Burger is the perfect answer to enjoy Mexican foods, and still have a good taco flavor, with only 7 Smart Points.
Servings Prep Time
6 burgers 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
12 minutes 1 hours

Servings Prep Time
6 burgers 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
12 minutes 1 hours

Ingredients
Taco Turkey Burger Mixture:

Special Sauce:

Burger Toppings:


Servings: burgers

Units:

Instructions
Taco Meat Mixture:
  1. Mix the ground lean turkey meat and taco seasoning in bowl. Combine the taco meat by hand, be sure to ware gloves.

  2. Continue mixing the turkey taco meat until all the taco seasoning is evenly distributed. Note do not over mix meat, the burgers will be tough and have rubbery texture. Over mixing the meat brings out proteins and binds them closer together, too much meat bonding is what makes the rubbery texture.

  3. Portion the taco meat into 4 oz patties, placing the meat between sheet of plastic wrap and forming into patties. The plastic wrap will not stick to taco meat making it easier to form and store. Note refrigerate taco patties for 30 minutes or more, they can be stored for up to 2 days int the refrigerator.

Special Sauce:
  1. To make the special sauce combine Light Thousand Island Dressing with Sriracha sauce in small bowl. Using a spatula mix until Sriracha is distributed into the dressing.

  2. Using a tablespoon to measure amount of dressing to be placed onto each hamburger bun.

Assemblymen
  1. Cook the Taco Burgers turning once through cooking process, the internal temperature should be 165°F. If using Air Fryer thats about 12 minutes at 370°F. When using grill on medium high heat about 4 minutes on each side.

  2. Place a tablespoon of special dressing on top bun, and the taco burger on bottom bun. Garnish top of the burger with arugula and sliced cherry tomatoes. Then place top of bun over burger. Serve right away.

Recipe Notes

Link to get recipe for Taco Seasoning.

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Broccoli Tots

Broccoli Tots a much better way to get your Tater Tots fix, with more healthily ingredients and good way to sneak in some healthy vegetables and cheese.  Totally love tater tots, growing up on these tasty treats in 60’s and 70’s, eating them by handfuls. Only problem is gaining weight especially now that I am over 60 years old, and child at heart. But my waist expanding, and pants size changing, my belt doesn’t fit, and ran out of notches. It’s now time to find an alternate fix to my Tater Tot craving.

Broccoli is great vegetable to use, and marries very well with cheese, it’s very nutritious too. So how do I go about getting these Tots to work? Broccoli is going to be the main ingredient, so what is going to be the binder? Bread crumbs is one of better binders along with eggs. But you have to be careful not to put too many eggs and too much bread crumbs, which defeat the whole purpose of reducing calories and but still making them tasty too. Of course cheese could be used also as another binder and add good flavor too. By adding a little crisp bacon would but it over the top. With out the bacon would take away all the good flavors and leave a bland uneatable Broccoli Tots, which would be a total bummer. So how do you get them into a Tot form efficiently? I am thinking using the gnocchi techniques in forming them into long rope then cutting them into Tot size shapes about 1″ long and 3/4″ wide.

Now that we figured out how to shape them will they become nice and crunchy on out side like a good Tot should be? I am thinking breading them with a light coat of panko bread crumbs. Then Air Fry them with just a few spritz of vegetable spray in 350°F setting, this should take about 8 minutes in good Air Fryer. Then dipping them into Spicy Sriracha Ranch Dressing.

These are going to be so good and my tummy might even get thinner, well hopefully so.

Broccoli Tots
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Broccoli Tots a much better way to get your Tater Tots fix, with more healthily ingredients and good way to sneak in some healthy vegetables and cheese.
Servings Prep Time
8 portions 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 minutes 30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 portions 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 minutes 30 minutes
Broccoli Tots
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Broccoli Tots a much better way to get your Tater Tots fix, with more healthily ingredients and good way to sneak in some healthy vegetables and cheese.
Servings Prep Time
8 portions 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 minutes 30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 portions 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 minutes 30 minutes
Ingredients
Broccoli Tot Filling:
Breading Station
Spicy Ranch Dressing:
Servings: portions
Units:
Instructions
  1. Thaw broccoli cuts and drain any excess liquid off cuts. Place in food processor with blade attachment. Pulse until chopped into 1/4 to 1/8th inch size pieces. Be sure to scrap sides of processor down with spatula as you pulse broccoli cuts.
  2. Process the velveeta cheese, american cheese singles skim milk, hot pepper seasoning, and low fat cream cheese in food processor with blade attachment until smooth paste formed. Be sure to scrap bowl down as process cheese mixture.
  3. Add egg to seasoned cheese mixture and process until smooth, scrap down sides with spatula. Then add panko bread crumbs and process until well combined.
  4. In large skillet fry bacon until crisp, turning bacon strips as needed. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towel, absorb bacon fat. Chop crisp bacon fine with chef knife.
  5. Add the finely chopped bacon to cheese mixture and process until combined well, scrap sides down with spatula. Finally add the chopped broccoli to cheese mixture and pulse this mixture until broccoli is mixed in well, do not over process. This is broccoli tot mixture.
  6. Divide the broccoli mixture into two portions, place on 24" strip of plastic wrap in even line of mixture. Roll plastic wrap over broccoli mixture to make broccoli roll. Then wrap in sheet of foil twisting ends well to form a perfect even roll of broccoli mixture. Place in freezer until semi frozen about 1 to 2 hours. Before cutting into broccoli tots.
  7. After the broccoli tot roll is semi-frozen, remove the foil and plastic wrap then cut broccoli tot roll into bit size portions about 3/4" wide. Arrange on sheet tray lined with plastic wrap and freeze solid, for about 1 to 2 hours.
  8. Mean while set up breading station. The far right bowl should have season flour mixture containing the following, flour, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, pepper and salt combined. The middle bowl should have egg and 2 tbsp milk combined. The far left bowl should have panko bread crumbs. Using your right hand to dredge broccoli tot with season flour then place dredge tot into egg wash. With left hand coat tot well with egg wash then place into panko breading. With right hand coat with panko bread to completely cover tot. Place on sheet tray lined with plastic wrap. Freeze again until solid about 1 hour.
  9. Remove tray of frozen broccoli tots, take amount of tots you like to Air-fry and spray them with some vegetable oil like canola oil. Place them onto Air-fryer basket and set time to 8 minutes and temperature to 350°F.
  10. When the broccoli tots are about to half way time point pull basket out of Air-fryer and turn broccoli tots, I used tongs carefully not to scratch non-stick coating then place back into Air-fryer and cook until timer goes off.
  11. When Air-fryer timer goes off remove basket and use tongs to plate Broccoli tots. They should be crisp on outside and moist and cheesy on inside. Serve with Sriracha Ranch Dressing to add some extra kick. Mix greek yogurt, low fat mayonnaise, Hidden Valley Ranch Mix and Sriracha Sauce. They go so good together it will put smile on your face.
  12. Plate broccoli tots with smear of Sriracha Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing and favorite sandwich like BBQ Pulled Pork on bun.
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