This afternoon I bought some bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers at Fry's Groceries.  (That's a Kroger-branded store; it might be named differently in your area.)

I put the tray in the low position, poppers on the tray, and set the Speedi to Air Fry at 350°F for 14 minutes.  Came out pretty well perfect.

One caveat:  make sure place them cream-cheese side up.  These were so thoroughly wrapped with bacon that I got one of them wrong.  The cheese melted through the tray.  It wasn't pretty.

I washed four medium-small sized baked potatoes, pierced them with a fork, popped them in the Speedi on the crisper tray in the upper position and set the Speedi on "air fry" for 30 minutes at 390°F.  They came out perfect.

If you use larger potatoes, you don't want the tray in the upper position:  they'll touch the burner and burn.  Instead, use the lower position for 45-60 minutes.

2023-07-03:  I tossed 12 0z of frozen Brussels sprounts in Italian dressing and popped them into the Speedi using the "steam and crisp" function for 5 minutes at 450°F using 1/2 cup of water.  When I checked them they were not yet crisping, so I added 5 minutes on bake at 450°.  They came out fine.

Next time I think I'll try 3/4 cup of water and 9 minutes at the same temp in the "steam and crisp" mode.

2023-04-19:  I cut up a small crown of broccoli into 1-2"pieces.  Sprayed the insert with oil.  Threw in the broccoli.  Sprayed it with oil.  Salt, pepper, granulated garlic.  Cooked for 9 minutes at 390 F, stirring every three minutes.  It turned out adequate:  still crispy, but also decently charred.  The broccoli was perhaps a touch crispier (i.e., not cooked to the center) than i would have liked.

Next time I think I'll toss the broccoli with more oil in a bowl, then add salt and pepper and garlic, then cook for 8 minutes at 390 F, stirring once at 4 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups fresh broccoli florets 1.5 lbs (24 oz broccoli) cut into bite-sized pieces
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• ¼ tsp Hatch green chile powder (not in original recipe)
• 1 roasted lemon

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the broccoli florets and lemon halves on the baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread evenly on the baking sheet.
• Roast 15 to 22 minutes or until browned around the edges. Squeeze a little lemon juice onto the broccoli and sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired.

Source:  https://www.loveandlemons.com/roasted-broccoli/#wprm-recipe-container-42137

2023-04-05:  Today I left out the lemon juice.  I really liked this recipe.  Definitely a repeater.

Ingredients

• 8 cups fresh broccoli florets 1.5 lbs (24 oz broccoli) cut into bite-sized pieces
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Grease a large baking sheet, set aside.
3. In a small bowl mix together garlic powder, sea salt, paprika and black pepper. Set aside.
4. Place broccoli pieces in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and stir until evenly coated.
5. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture over the broccoli, stir and repeat with the second half and stir until evenly distributed.
6. Spread seasoned broccoli evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Roast at 450 degrees for 14- 15 minutes, or until the broccoli is nicely roasted, stirring once halfway through. (Note: the size you cut the florets into will effect the baking time:  smaller florets = shorter bake time, larger florets = longer bake time; so keep that in mind!
8. If necessary, broil the broccoli for 1-2 minutes at the end of roasting time to crisp it up (I find this is only necessary if using frozen broccoli).
9. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Source:  https://joyfoodsunshine.com/roasted-broccoli/

2023-04-02:  decent recipe.  Worth repeating.  Nothing astonishing.

Ingredients

• 1 jicama, about 1 pound
• 3 small oranges or tangerines
• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Method

1. Peel the jicama and cut it into small cubes, 1/4 inch or so, or into julienne strips.
2. Squeeze the juice from one of the oranges, pour it over the jicama, add salt and lime juice, and let it sit while you prepare the other oranges. The jicama may marinate for several hours if you wish.
3. Peel the remaining oranges and cut into small pieces, removing any pits and tought fibrous material. Add oranges and basil to jicama, toss, taste and correct seasoning and serve.

From p. 101 of Mark Bittman's "How to cook everything."

So I made this for the first time and skipped both the salt and lime juice. I let the jicama soak in the juice of two oranges for six hours. I doubt the jicama picked up any flavor.

But it was great. I served it as a partner to chicken Tinga. Great combo. I'm really not all that fond of jicama, although my mother likes it. This I will make again, though.

Not yet tried

Serves: serves 4

Ingredients

• ½ pound pancetta, cut into small dice (about 1 cup)
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound fresh brussels sprouts
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is fragrant and beginning to crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain and set aside.
2. While the pancetta is cooking, trim the ends of the brussels sprouts and cut in half from the root to the tips of the sprout. Raise the temperature of the pan to medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts cut side down in an even layer, and cook for 4-5 minutes and the sprouts begin to brown and caramelize, then turn, season with kosher salt and black pepper, reduce the heat to medium and cover with a lid. Add another tablespoon of oil to the bottom of the pan if needed. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the sprouts are fork tender.
3. Add the pancetta back to the pan with the sprouts. Whisk the remaining tablespoon of olive oil with the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar and add to the sprouts, tossing to coat, and cook for another minute or two, so the sprouts are still fork tender but not mushy. Season with more kosher salt and ground black pepper and serve.

Haven't tried this yet.

Ingredients

2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping [freshly grated]
1 heaping cup of regular gouda cheese [freshly grated]
1 cup fresh carrots
2 small white onion
2 large cloves of garlic
1 cup half and half
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
3 Tbsp butter
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp salt
dash of ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Dice the onions, mince the garlic and shred the carrot.
2. For the broccoli :
3. Chop 2/3 of it into tiny florets and then take the remaining 1/3 and give it a rough chop so you have a few large pieces to add to the soup.
4. Place chicken broth, broccoli, onion, garlic, carrots, and bay leaf to a pot and cook over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil.
5. Cook 4-6 minutes more or until broccoli is tender.
6. Once the broth is done, start your roux:
7. In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter on medium heat, whisking constantly.
8. Once melted, slowly add 3 tablespoons of flour as you continue to whisk.
9. Remove from heat and pour in the broth-veggie mixture and slowly stir in 1 cup of room temperature half and half.
10. Place on very low heat, uncovered.
11. Remove bay leaves from the pot and season with the above herbs and spices.
12. Add the cheddar and gouda cheese a handful at a time, stirring to melt the cheese after each addition.
13. Serve immediately in bowls or bread bowls.
14. Steam reserved broccoli in your microwave.
15. Garnish the soup with the reserved broccoli florets and a little extra grated cheddar.

The other day I wanted to try making hash browns. I just shredded the potatoes and cooked 'em for a long, long time. Sorta worked, but no great shakes and it took way too long: 45 minutes on one side and 30 on the other. My ex had said fried potatoes had to be cooked long and slow, so that was my reasoning.

So I started looking around for a better way to do it. At last I found an article where the author experimented with quite a few variables. His best version is in the link at the top of this entry.

So I decided to try this today. For the draining step I used a handkerchief, which was almost ideal: nice thin cloth that the water could easily get through.

This version is one manly serving or two lighter ones.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound russet potatoes, peeled
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Shred potatoes on the largest holes of a box grater.
2. Wrap in a kitchen towel or several layers of cheesecloth, and twist to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
3. Transfer the potatoes to a plate lined with two layers of paper towels. Cook in a microwave on high for 2 minutes.
4. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add shredded potato. Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Using a spatula, press potato into an even layer. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip the potatoes with the spatula and brown on the other side, about 2 minutes longer. Remove and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Serve immediately.

Truth to tell, I did not expect them to cook so quickly nor to crisp up. I was wrong. The two-pronged approach of squeezing and then pre-cooking in the microwave worked great.

Thoughts:

• Next time around I might try a mix of butter and vegetable oil for a better flavor. On the other hand, the moisture in the butter might slow the process.