Dinner Ideas:A Variety of Cuisine with Kitchen Appliances

by Sarah CarterOctober 31, 202411 minutes read

In the modern kitchen world, all kinds of delicate kitchen appliances are like magic wands, creating colorful food feasts for us. Whether it's preparing a quick meal on a busy weekday or cooking a delicious meal at leisure, air fryers, ovens, microwave ovens and rice cookers have all become indispensable helpers in our kitchens. With their unique functions and charms, they add countless fun and delicious flavors to our dietary life. More and more people are considering acquiring kitchen appliances to enhance their cooking experience. With the skillful use of these appliances, you can create a variety of memorable dishes and make your kitchen a paradise full of creativity and surprises.

Air Fryer

The Culinary Magic of the Air Fryer

Air fryer is an appliance that can make delicious fried food by circulating hot air, which is healthy and less oil. Recent best-selling brands such as Ninja are powerful and popular among young consumers; Moulinex is a well-known French brand with stable performance; Philips has a wide range of products with thoughtful designs; and German Pool is reliable in quality and unique in function.

●French Fries

Ingredients: Potatoes, salt, olive oil (optional).

Procedure:

1.Peel and wash the potatoes, and cut them into evenly sized strips, trying to keep the thickness consistent.

2.Soak the potato strips in water for 10 - 15 minutes to remove the surface starch, then drain them.

3.You can evenly brush a thin layer of olive oil on the surface of the potato strips (or not), sprinkle an appropriate amount of salt, and stir evenly.

4.Preheat the air fryer to 180°C, put the potato strips in the frying basket, try not to stack them, and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, turning them once halfway until the surface of the potato strips is golden and crispy.

●Roasted Chicken

Ingredients: chicken thighs, orleans grill seasoning, soy sauce, cooking wine, honey (optional).

Procedure:

1.Wash the chicken thighs and make a few cuts on the surface to facilitate the flavor.

2.Add Orleans barbecue sauce, soy sauce and wine, mix well and marinate for 3 - 4 hours to let the chicken thighs fully absorb the flavors of the seasonings.

3.Preheat the air fryer to 200°C. Place the marinated chicken thighs in the frying basket and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, turning once, to heat the thighs evenly. If you prefer a shiny surface, brush with honey during the last few minutes of baking.

●Delicious Onion Rings

Ingredients: Onions, eggs, flour, breadcrumbs, salt, black pepper, oil (for dipping).

Procedure:

1.Cut the onions into ring shapes and separate them into individual onion rings.

2.Beat the eggs in a bowl until well mixed. Prepare flour and breadcrumbs in separate containers.

3.Sprinkle an appropriate amount of salt and black pepper on the onion rings to season, and then dip the onion rings in flour, egg liquid, and breadcrumbs in sequence, ensuring that each onion ring is evenly coated.

4.Brush a layer of oil on the bottom of the air fryer's frying basket (or spray oil on the surface of the onion rings). Put the coated onion rings in the frying basket, set the temperature to 180°C, and bake for 10 - 15 minutes, turning them once halfway until the surface of the onion rings is golden.

●French Cheese and Ham Puff Pastry Rolls

Ingredients: Puff pastry (you can buy ready-made ones), ham slices, cheese slices, egg liquid, salt, black pepper.

Procedure:

1.Thaw the puff pastry and roll it out into a thin sheet.

2.Evenly sprinkle a little salt and black pepper on the puff pastry.

3.Lay a layer of ham slices and then a layer of cheese slices on it.

4.Start rolling up the puff pastry from one end, roll it tightly, and then cut it into small sections.

5.Place the cut puff pastry rolls in the frying basket of the air fryer and brush a layer of egg liquid on the surface.

6.Preheat the air fryer to 180°C and bake for 12 - 15 minutes until the surface is golden and crispy.

Oven

The Culinary Art of the Oven

Ovens can be used to bake all kinds of food for a variety of cooking results. Some of the best-selling oven brands in recent years include Bosch, known for its high quality and advanced technology; Siemens for its sleek design and powerful features; and Electrolux, a well-established brand with products suitable for home use and specialized in baking functions.

●Italian Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients: Various vegetables (such as eggplants, zucchinis, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic), olive oil, salt, black pepper, Italian mixed spices.

Procedure:

1.Wash the vegetables. Cut the eggplants and zucchinis into thick slices, the bell peppers into large pieces, the onions into slices, the tomatoes into small pieces, and the garlic into minced pieces.

2.Put all the vegetables in a large bowl, add an appropriate amount of olive oil, salt, black pepper, and Italian mixed spices, and stir well.

3.Evenly spread the vegetables on the baking tray, making sure not to stack them.

4.Preheat the oven to 200°C. Put the baking tray in the oven and bake for 25 - 35 minutes, turning the vegetables appropriately halfway to ensure even heating until the surface of the vegetables is golden and cooked through.

●German Roasted Pork Knuckle

Ingredients: Pork knuckle, salt, black pepper, garlic, rosemary, beer, olive oil.

Procedure:

1.Wash the pork knuckle and dry it with a kitchen towel. Evenly sprinkle salt and black pepper on the surface of the pork knuckle and massage for a while to make it flavorful.

2.Mince the garlic and chop the rosemary, mix them together, add an appropriate amount of olive oil to make a spice mixture.

3.Evenly smear the spice mixture on the pork knuckle and marinate it in the refrigerator for 4 - 6 hours.

4.Preheat the oven to 220°C. Lay a layer of tin foil on the bottom of the baking tray, pour in an appropriate amount of beer, put the marinated pork knuckle on the baking tray, and brush a layer of olive oil on the surface of the pork knuckle.

5.Put the baking tray in the oven and bake for 30 - 40 minutes first, then reduce the temperature to 180°C and continue baking for 1.5 - 2 hours. During this period, turn the pork knuckle over every once in a while and pour the beer juice in the baking tray onto the pork knuckle until the surface of the pork knuckle is golden and crispy and the inside is tender and soft.

●Portuguese Egg Tarts

Ingredients: Egg tart shells (you can buy ready-made ones), eggs, milk, sugar, whipping cream.

Procedure:

1.Beat the eggs in a bowl, add sugar, and stir evenly until the sugar is completely dissolved.

2.Pour in milk and whipping cream and continue to stir evenly.

3.Sieve the stirred egg tart liquid 2 - 3 times to remove the surface foam and make the liquid more delicate.

4.Place the egg tart shells on the baking tray, pour in the egg tart liquid, filling it to eight-tenths full.

5.Preheat the oven to 200°C, put the baking tray in the oven, and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until the surface of the egg tarts is golden, the egg tart liquid slightly puffs up, and there are brown spots.

●Roasted Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients: Salmon, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, butter, egg yolks, white vinegar, water.

Procedure:

1.Wash the salmon and dry it with a kitchen towel. Sprinkle salt, black pepper, and lemon juice on the fish and marinate for 15 - 20 minutes.

2.Preheat the oven to 200°C. Put the salmon on the baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 - 12 minutes. Adjust the time according to the thickness of the salmon and your preferred degree of doneness until the surface of the salmon is golden and the fish is cooked through.

3.Make the Hollandaise sauce: Add an appropriate amount of water and white vinegar to a small pot and heat it over low heat until it slightly boils. Put the egg yolks in a heat-resistant container, place the container on the pot, and heat it using the steam, constantly stirring the egg yolks until they become thick. Slowly add the melted butter and continue to stir until the sauce becomes smooth. Add an appropriate amount of salt and black pepper to season.

4.Place the roasted salmon on a plate and drizzle the Hollandaise sauce on it to enjoy.

Microwave Oven

The Quick and Convenient Microwave Oven

Microwave ovens can quickly heat and defrost food and are easy to operate. In the European market, Panasonic microwave ovens have high heating efficiency and a variety of functions; Samsung microwave ovens have a stylish appearance and innovative functions, all of which have a certain market share and a good reputation.

●Vegetable Cream Soup

Ingredients: Potatoes, carrots, onions, broccoli, milk, cream, butter, salt, black pepper.

Procedure:

1.Peel and cut the potatoes and carrots into small pieces, dice the onions, and cut the broccoli into small florets.

2.Put the potatoes, carrots, and onions in a microwave-safe container, add an appropriate amount of water, and heat on high for 5 - 7 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

3.Take out the container, pour out some of the water, leaving a little soup, add milk, cream, and butter, and then put the broccoli in, sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

4.Stir evenly, put the container back in the microwave oven, and heat on high for 2 - 3 minutes, taking it out and stirring every one minute until the soup becomes thick and the vegetables are cooked through.

●Cheese Baked Macaroni

Ingredients: Macaroni, cheese, milk, butter, flour, salt, black pepper.

Procedure:

1.Cook the macaroni in a pot until done, then drain it.

2.Put the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 30 - 40 seconds until the butter melts.

3.Add the flour and stir evenly to make a batter.

4.Slowly pour in the milk while constantly stirring until the batter becomes smooth without lumps.

5.Add salt and black pepper to season, then put the cheese in and stir until the cheese melts.

6.Add the cooked macaroni and stir evenly to make the macaroni coated with the sauce.

7.Sprinkle a layer of cheese shreds on the surface, put it in the microwave oven, and heat on high for 1 - 2 minutes until the cheese melts and turns golden.

Rice Cooker

The Versatile Rice Cooker

Rice cookers are mainly used to cook rice, essential for home cooking, and have developed a variety of cooking techniques in recent years. Fuku is a popular Korean brand in the European market with excellent pressure cooking technology, while Elephant Print, a Japanese brand, is recognized for its high quality and good heat retention, among other features.

●French Beef Stew with Red Wine

Ingredients: Beef (brisket or tendon meat), red wine, onions, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt, black pepper, olive oil, flour.

Procedure:

1.Cut the beef into large pieces, soak it in water for 30 - 60 minutes to remove the blood, then drain it.

2.Evenly sprinkle salt, black pepper, and flour on the surface of the beef and stir evenly.

3.Pour an appropriate amount of olive oil into the inner pot of the rice cooker, press the cooking button, and when the oil is hot, put the beef pieces in and fry until the surface is golden, then take them out.

4.Cut the onions, carrots, and potatoes into pieces, dice the tomatoes, and mince the garlic.

5.Add some more olive oil to the inner pot, stir-fry the onion and minced garlic until fragrant, then add the carrots and potatoes and continue to stir-fry.

6.Put the tomato pieces in and stir-fry until the juice comes out, then put the fried beef pieces back into the inner pot, add red wine, covering about half of the beef, and put in bay leaves and thyme.

7.Press the cooking button, and after the rice cooker jumps to the 保温 (keep warm) state, simmer for 20 - 30 minutes. During this period, you can open the lid and stir it to make the taste more even. If there is too much soup, you can press the cooking button again and cook until the soup thickens.

●Italian Vegetable Risotto

Ingredients: Rice, onions, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, chicken broth (or vegetable broth), butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper.

Procedure:

1.Wash the rice and soak it for 15 - 20 minutes.

2.Cut the onions and carrots into dices, cut the broccoli into small florets, and slice the mushrooms.

3.Put the butter in the inner pot of the rice cooker, press the cooking button, and when the butter melts, add the diced onions and stir-fry until fragrant.

4.Add the diced carrots, broccoli, and mushroom slices and stir-fry evenly.

5.Pour in the rice and stir-fry for a while to let the rice absorb the fragrance in the pot.

6.Slowly add the chicken broth, covering the rice, and add an appropriate amount of salt and black pepper to season.

7.Press the cooking button, and after the rice cooker jumps to the 保温 (keep warm) state, do not open the lid immediately, but simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. During this period, you can appropriately add chicken broth according to the absorption of the rice.

8.Open the lid, stir evenly, sprinkle Parmesan cheese shreds on it, cover the lid and simmer for a while until the cheese melts.

Conclusion

In the European kitchen, the air fryer, oven, microwave oven, and rice cooker all show their unique charm and wide range of uses. The air fryer can make a variety of delicious snacks and special roll-up foods; the oven can bake rich dishes with different national characteristics; the microwave oven quickly presents us with delicious soups and baked rice dishes, etc.; the rice cooker can cook European-flavored delicacies such as French beef stew with red wine and Italian vegetable risotto. By skillfully using these appliances, we can easily create a variety of foods according to our own tastes and needs, enriching our dining table. Let's give full play to the advantages of these kitchen appliances, explore more food inspiration, and enjoy the fun and satisfaction brought by cooking. Whether it's a simple daily meal or a sumptuous meal on a special occasion, it can be easily achieved with the help of these appliances, making our kitchen life more wonderful and diverse.