Ninja Foodi Chicken Quarters
Ninja Foodi Chicken Quarters
Continuing my love affair with the Ninja Foodi. I'm really getting scrumptious results using the Air Roast feature. I see many postings where an internal temperature of 165°F is called for chicken dark meat (thighs, drumsticks, and/or quarters). But I have learned over the years that chicken dark meat is very forgiving when it comes to internal temperature and should always be taken to 180°F. My neighbor, Tom, who works for Foster Farms has told me that the white breast meat needs to be taken to 170°F while the dark meat requires to be taken to 180°F. So, I have always used those guidelines and by using bone-in skin-on chicken it has always turned out moist and most important - the chicken has always been done to perfection. Nothing ruins a meal like raw bloody chicken ...
Trimmed the chicken quarters of any excess skin and fat before peeling back the skin, Rubbed roasted garlic extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with my Poultry Seasoning - see page 170 of my cookbook - The Wood Pellet Smoker and Grill Cookbook or use McCormick Montreal Chicken Seasoning. Replaced the skin, rubbed with the olive oil, chicken seasoning, and wrapped in plastic before refrigerating for four hours.
Lined my Ninja SP101 Foodi 8-in-1 Digital Air Fry Oven sheet pan with heavy duty foil. Placed the seasoned chicken quarters, upside down, on the sheep pan. Set the Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven Air Roast option to 375°F and roasted the chicken quarters for 15 minutes. Flipped the chicken quarters and roasted for an additional 20 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken reached 180°F. Rested the chicken quarters loosely under a foil tent for 10 minutes before serving.
Served the chicken quarter with half an avocado, Spanish Rice-A-Roni, and a side of squash, red onions, & stewed tomatoess.
Ninja Foodi Low Carb Cod & Shrimp Casserole
Cod and Shrimp Casserole
For the complete Low Carb Cod & Shrimp Casserole recipe Ingredients and Directions visit my previous post with all the details at the following link. The only difference is that I modified the directions to use my new Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven.
- Prepared the casserole as per the recipe using an 11 x 8½ x 2" dish
- Preheated the Ninja Foodi for 5 minutes at 375°F using the Bake feature
- Baked the Low Carb Cod & Shrimp Casserole for approximately 25 minutes until the internal temperature of the cod reaches 145°F or flakes easily with a fork
- Served with a side of fried Asparagus, steamed Broccoli & Zucchini
Ninja Foodi Atlantic Salmon
Ninja Foodi Atlantic Salmon
Five species of Pacific salmon thrive in the North Pacific waters of the US and Canada: Chinook (King), Coho (Silver), Pink, Sockeye (Red), and Chum salmon. They begin their lives in freshwater streams, lakes, rivers and migrate to the sea as small fish called smolts. Most people have their favorite salmon and mine has always been Sockeye salmon better know as Reds. Sockeye salmon is an oilier fish with deep red flesh and is high in heart-healthy omega3s but has a stronger flavor and stands up well to grilling and smoking using Alder wood pellets.
Unfortunately, my local Costco only stocks fresh wild Alaska Reds for a limited time each year and for the most part can be a bit pricey. So I have come to rely on fresh and frozen farmed Atlantic Salmon from Costco. The frozen 4 oz portions of farmed Atlantic Salmon is a good alternative to wild-caught salmon. Costco's Kirkland farmed Atlantic salmon is raised without antibiotics and contains more omega-3 fatty acids than wild-caught salmon.
Defrosted two 4 oz portions of Kirkland frozen Farmed Atlantic Salmon. Seasoned the salmon with layers of flavors consisting of Old Bay seasoning, Lawry's Garlic salt, and Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste & Glaze with Honey and Pineapple.
Lined my Ninja SP101 Foodi 8-in-1 Digital Air Fry Oven sheet pan with heavy duty foil. Placed the seasoned Atlantic salmon on the sheep pan. Set the Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven Air Roast option to 390°F and roasted the Atlantic salmon for approximately 16 minutes until the internal temperature of the salmon reached 145°F and the fish flaked easily with a fork. Rested the baked Atlantic salmon for 5 minutes before serving with your side(s) of choice.
Always be safe and thaw your meat, poultry, and fish in the refrigerator.
Ninja Foodi Pork Loin Rib Roast
Ninja Foodi Pork Loin Rib Roast
You can save a substantial amount of money when you buy a whole boneless pork loin and customize cutting it yourself. I prefer buying my pork loins from Costco, trimming any excess fat and silver skin, and cutting my own roasts and pork chops. I vacuum seal the cuts of pork and freeze them for later use. Why pay the extra price for a meat cutter/butcher for your pork cuts. I like my roasts around 2 pounds which is perfect for the two of us.
Rubbed all sides of the Pork Loin Rib Roast with extra virgin olive oil and my Pork Dry Rub - See page 169 of my cookbook - The Wood Pellet Smoker and Grill Cookbook. Wrapped the seasoned pork loin with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight.
Lined my Ninja SP101 Foodi 8-in-1 Digital Air Fry Oven sheet pan with heavy duty foil. Placed the seasoned Pork Loin Rib Roast on the sheep pan. Set the Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven Air Roast option to 350°F and roasted the pork loin for approximately 35 minutes until the internal temperature of the pork loin reached 145°F. Rest the pork loin for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain and serving with your side(s) of choice.
Ninja Foodi Spatchcock Cornish Hen
Ninja Foodi Spatchcock Cornish Hen
After reading and seeing the results of Air Fry Ovens I decided to see what the fuss is all about and learn for myself if one of these is worth the money. There are so many Air Fry Ovens on the market that selecting one was almost too daunting. After extensive research, I chose the Ninja SP101 Foodi 8-in-1 Digital Air Fry Oven which flips away for storage. This Ninja model is so versatile and easy to use that I often prefer using the Air Fry Oven over my wood pellet smoker grills, conventional oven, microwave oven, and my instant pot. To date, I have enjoyed cooking all the common items one associates with Air Fry Ovens and then some. I will be sharing many of my cooks in the days and weeks to come.
I started by spatchcocking a Cornish hen ... Spatchcock: Removal of the backbone with poultry sheers in order to open out flat the bird. This allows for shorter cooking times and more even cooking.
Patted the Cornish hen dry with paper towels before rubbing roasted garlic extra virgin olive oil under and on the skin. Seasoned under and on the skin with Jan's Dry Rub - See page 168 of my cookbook - The Wood Pellet Smoker and Grill Cookbook. Wrapped the seasoned spatchcocked Cornish hen with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
Lined the Ninja Foodi sheet pan with heavy duty foil. Placed the seasoned spatchcocked Cornish hen breast side down on the sheet pan and set the Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven Air Roast option to 400°F for 12 minutes. Flipped the Cornish hen breast side up and set the Air Roast option to 400°F for an additional 12 minutes to complete the cook. Rest the roasted Cornish hen for 10 minutes before serving. The Cornish hen was perfect - the dark meat and the white breast meat were extremely moist and flavorful.
Always cook to internal temperatures using an instant read thermometer. Unlike some recipes that call for the thigh internal temperature to be at 165°F I propose that you make sure to take the thigh to 180°F which is what the directions on the Cornish hen package calls for.
Served half a roasted Cornish hen with half an avocado and an ample side of Brussels sprouts in a creamy sauce with bacon. Believe it or not, half of a Cornish hen has more meat on it than you think. I used to smoke/cook 2 Cornish hens but usually wound up vacuum sealing and freezing the second Cornish hen for a later meal. If you have an Air Fry Oven you should try roasting a Cornish hen for a quick and delicious entree. If you don't own an Air Fry Oven, I propose you at buying one - you'll be surprised how much use you'll get out of one!