{"id":13290,"date":"2024-04-10T17:05:45","date_gmt":"2024-04-10T21:05:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/?p=13290"},"modified":"2024-04-10T20:57:27","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T00:57:27","slug":"quicker-than-quick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/2024\/04\/10\/quicker-than-quick\/","title":{"rendered":"Quicker Than Quick!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-13325 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Low-Calorie-Air-Fryer-French-Fries-9.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s take as long as possible to get dinner on the table&#8221;&#8230;.said no one! If you&#8217;re like me, you&#8217;re always seeking ways to shorten the time it takes to make dinner. I have lots of helpful strategies&#8230; like making sure I have a plan, shopping for the ingredients I will need and prepping the ingredients ahead of time. I really like use my air fryer or instant pot to speed up the actual cooking time.<\/p>\n<p>So imagine my delight when I found out DinnerTime has added\u00a0 <strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Instant Pot<\/span><\/strong> and <span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Air Fryer<\/strong><\/span> to <span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>cooking equipment<\/strong><\/span> available in my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/household_profiles\/51990\/edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Profiles<\/a>. Just open one of your Profiles and scroll\u00a0 to the section titled <span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Skill Level. <\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Cl<\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">i<\/span>ck on (or off) the cooking equipment you have available. The next time you spin a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/plan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Meal Plan<\/a>, you may see recipes using these time-saving appliances. You can also search for &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/plan\/recipe-box\/air%20fryer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">air fryer<\/a>&#8221; or&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/plan\/recipe-box\/instant%20pot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">instant pot<\/a>&#8221; recipes in your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/plan\/recipe-box\/new\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DinnerTime Recipe Box<\/a>. I love that DinnerTime is always looking for ways to make my life easier!<\/p>\n<p>If you haven&#8217;t yet cooked with an air fryer or an instant pot, you will be delighted with the results. Both shorten the cooking time and often have healthier results. Let&#8217;s get into each piece of equipment and the pros and cons of each.<\/p>\n<h2>Air-Fryer<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-13302 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-2024-04-09-at-11.11.59\u202fAM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"535\" height=\"397\" \/><\/h2>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Just like the name suggests, an air fryer cooks hot and quickly by circling air around the food. It&#8217;s similar to a convection oven, only more intense and faster.<\/h5>\n<h3>Pros:<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-13314 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/air-fryer-whole-chicken-recipe-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"321\" height=\"482\" \/><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Time Saving:<\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> They<\/span> <\/span>heat up super fast. Typically, most air fryers can preheat to 400\u00b0F in five minutes or less, while gas ovens can take up to 13 minutes, and electric ovens between 17 and 19 minutes. My teenage son loves it because he can make a basket of wings in no time!<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Versatile:<\/span><\/strong> Make everything from yummy crispy fries to moist and tender salmon. I&#8217;ve even cooked a whole chicken in my air fryer.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Cost Saving:<\/span><\/strong> Heats up so fast and cooks quicker. Plus, you may be more likely to reheat foods since the air fryer can bring your leftovers back to their original crispiness. Yum!<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Calorie Cutting:<\/span><\/strong> Use less oil. It reduces calories by 70% to 80% and has a lot less fat than traditional methods of frying. Achieve delicious results with little to no oil. Sometimes just a spray of your favorite cooking oil is all you need.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Speeds Clean Up:<\/span><\/strong> Use liners that are easy to toss or clean. Traditional fryers or other methods require more oil&#8230;to spill and clean. Most air fryer baskets can go right into your dishwasher.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Cons:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Can overcook foods so watch your time. Since air fryers heat up very quickly, and retain their hot temperature longer, this often speeds up the cooking process. Conversely, if you don&#8217;t pre-heat, your food may be undercooked. Be sure to read your manufacturer&#8217;s guidelines for the appropriate settings.<\/li>\n<li>Smaller capacity of an air fryer means you may not be able to feed more than four at a time. I often will do two batches of fries for our family. They cook so quickly that it works for us.<\/li>\n<li>Must &#8220;shake&#8221; the basket at least once during cooking so that the air has an opportunity to circulate evenly. I don&#8217;t find this a problem, and I like to check on the progress of the food anyway.<\/li>\n<li>Space-grabber by taking up valuable real estate in my kitchen. We use this appliance often enough that it makes sense to leave it on the counter. There are some newer models that incorporate a toaster-oven with the air fryer capabilities so you can get two functions in one machine.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Instant Pot<\/h2>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-13307 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-2024-04-09-at-11.24.25\u202fAM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"591\" height=\"363\" \/><\/h2>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Instant pots cook fast, super hot and with high pressure resulting in tender and tasty results.<\/h5>\n<h3>Pros:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Multi-Use:<\/span><\/strong> Pressure cooking, slow cooking, rice cooking, steaming, warming and saut\u00e9ing. Wow!<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Quicker Than Quick:<\/span><\/strong> Dishes that usually take all day to cook are done in a fraction of the time,\u00a0 such as tough cuts of meat, beef brisket, pork shoulder plus soups, stews. Rice and beans are finished faster too. In general, using an instant pot can reduce your cooking time by about two thirds. The steam and energy is trapped inside, whereas with regular pots a lot of the energy escapes.<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright wp-image-13304\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/img-3591-beef-stew.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" \/><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Easy Clean Up:<\/span><\/strong> No overflowing pots on the stovetop. Because the top locks down there won&#8217;t be spills, plus you won&#8217;t need to constantly be stirring or flipping and messing up the area around the instant pot.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Environmentally Friendly:<\/span><\/strong> Uses less energy than a traditional stove top and oven. Converts into lower energy bills!<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Healthier:<\/strong><\/span> Nutrients are better retained. The shorter cooking times and controlled temperatures help preserve vitamins and minerals that are otherwise lost in longer cooking processes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Cons:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Collectively cooking means everything must be cooked for the same amount of time. It takes practice to figure out what you want to make in your instant pot. Some folks use it to make perfect rice, others like to make the entire meal in one pot like a stew.<\/li>\n<li>Don&#8217;t over-cook. A few extra minutes can make a big difference. Consult your manufacturer&#8217;s instructions. Mine came with a How-to booklet that was helpful.<\/li>\n<li>Space-grabber on your countertop.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>To Get Started:<\/h2>\n<p>Both appliances are wonderful ways to make tasty meals, faster and healthier. Here are some fun ideas to get in the swing of using these great tools.<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright wp-image-13310\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screenshot_2023-06-13_at_12.46.48_PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"269\" height=\"269\" \/><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Borrow an air fryer or an instant pot from a friend so you can try one out. Also, ask for tips.<\/li>\n<li>Share favorite recipes. He makes your recipe and you make his&#8230; and then compare notes.<\/li>\n<li>Hold an &#8220;Air Fryer&#8221; pot-luck night. Everyone brings their air fryer and makes a different dish to compare and share. (I&#8217;m dying to try these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/recipes\/8543\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Air Fryer Bacon Avocado Fries!<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Learn a new recipe you want to share with DinnerTime? Send us the recipe atYou can email us at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:recipes@dinnertime.com\">recipes@dinnertime.com<\/a> with a photo or a scan or the URL of your recipe. We will enter them into the DinnerTime database and add them to your Favorites in your<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/plan\/recipe-box\/new\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Recipe Box<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Dinner Quicker Than Quick<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0Search for more delightful recipes in your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/plan\/recipe-box\/new\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DinnerTime Recipe Box<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Use the filter function (found on right of your DinnerTime Recipe Box search) to find\u00a0desserts,\u00a0main dish,\u00a0side dishes\u00a0etc.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/recipes\/8584\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Air Fryer Pork Chops<\/a><\/h5>\n<h5 class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/recipes\/6357\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Instant Pot Beef Tacos<\/a><\/h5>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/recipes\/6300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Instant Pot Whole Chicken<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/recipes\/8584\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13339 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/fried-chop.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside. Yum!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/recipes\/6357\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13340 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Instant_beef_tacos.thumb_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The whole family will love these flavorful tacos!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><div class=\"col-sm-4\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dinnertime.com\/recipes\/6300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13342 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Instant_Pot_Whole_Chicken.thumb_.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0Easy and delicious.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-sm-4\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &#8220;Let&#8217;s take as long as possible to get dinner on the table&#8221;&#8230;.said no one! If you&#8217;re like me, you&#8217;re always seeking ways to shorten the time it takes to make dinner. I have lots of helpful strategies&#8230; like making&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/2024\/04\/10\/quicker-than-quick\/\" class=\"read-more\">Read&nbsp;More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":13325,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13290"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13290"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13358,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13290\/revisions\/13358"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp2.dinnertime.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}