Kale and Potato Nuggets from The Vegan Air Fryer by JL Fields

These Kale and Potato Nuggets from The Vegan Air Fryer by JL Fields may seem naughty, but they’re full of nutritious goodness – and they’re quite tasty, too!

New Air Fryer

Dennis bought me an air fryer for Christmas, and it sat on the kitchen counter for about a month, because I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. I knew it was good for “frying” foods without using a ton of oil or turning on the stovetop, but beyond that, I didn’t know how to cook in it. The first few things I “cooked” were just simple frozen snacks from Trader Joe’s. Thankfully, I now have The Vegan Air Fryer by JL Fields to show me how to cook all sorts of delicious dishes with my new kitchen gadget!

The Vegan Air Fryer

Full disclosure here: JL is a friend of mine. We met while taking Victoria Moran’s Main Street Academy together in 2012. And more disclosure: I do consulting work for Vegan Heritage Press, JL’s publisher, and I worked on the book’s design. I would have been just as excited about this book if I didn’t know JL and didn’t work on the book, though!

JL starts the book with a chapter dedicated to air frying basics. This includes reasons why you should air fry your food, a list of handy accessories, and some safety tips. She then shares some vegan basics, such a list of ingredients that are good to have on hand, instructions on pressing tofu, and tips on adding umami, the fifth flavor, to your meals. She also includes a few basic recipes, such as pizza dough and vegetable broth.

If you’re already a whiz with vegan cooking and air fryer, you’ll want to delve right into the recipes. JL includes recipes for everything you could possible want to eat in a day, from breakfast through lunch and dinner right up to dessert. There are plenty of snacks, too! There’s something for everyone in The Vegan Air Fryer. The recipes range from simple dishes, such as Seasoned French Fries and Roasted Brussels Sprouts, to more complex meals, like Sambal Goreng Tempeh and Chic’n-Fried Steak. Did you know that you can “bake” in the air fryer? Yep! I’ve got my eye on the Shortbread Cake and Fruit Pastry Pocket recipes.

Kale and Potato Nuggets

I had a bag of potatoes waiting to be used, so the first recipe I made was the Kale and Potato Nuggets. In this dish, mashed potatoes and kale and mixed together to form bite-sized pieces and then they’re air fried to perfection. These are perfect as a snack, an appetizer, or even a side dish.

JL ends the book with a list of resources. There’s a chart with cooking times for common foods, more ways to use your air fryer, and list of current air fryer brands. There’s also an essay on using oils in a healthy diet by registered dietician Ginny Messina.

The Vegan Air Fryer’s chapters include:

• Air Fryer 101
• Vegan Basics
• Breakfast and Brunch
• Starters and Snacks
• On the Side
• Main Dishes
• One-Basket Meals
• So Sweet

Thanks to JL and The Vegan Air Fryer, my air fryer is no longer being neglected. I’ve been using it morning, noon, and night! If you have an air fryer, you need this book!

Print

Kale and Potato Nuggets

These bites may seem naughty but they are really nutritious and, most importantly, tasty! This is a great way to use leftover mashed potatoes—just skip the part about cooking the potatoes and use leftover mashers instead.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer, potato nuggets

Yields 4 servings

Author JL Fields

Ingredients

• 2 cups finely chopped potatoes
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 4 cups loosely packed coarsely chopped kale
• 1/8 cup almond milk
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil spray as needed

Instructions

1. Add the potatoes to a large saucepan of boiling water. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté until golden brown. Add the kale and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Drain the cooked potatoes and transfer them to a medium bowl. Add the milk, salt, and pepper and mash with a fork or potato masher. Transfer the potatoes to the large bowl and combine with the cooked kale. Preheat the air fryer to 390°F for 5 minutes.
4. Roll the potato and kale mixture into 1-inch nuggets. Spritz the air fryer basket with vegetable oil. Place the nuggets in the air fryer and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown, shaking at 6 minutes.

Recipe Notes

No-Oil Option: Omit the olive oil.

From The Vegan Air Fryer, copyright © 2017 by JL Fields. Used by permission.

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