One filled squash half is a satisfying vegetarian main dish or a very generous side dish. If you prefer smaller servings, cut each squash half in half again to yield 12 pieces.
HANDS ON 20 min.
TOTAL TIME 40 min.
3 delicata squash
1 1/2 cups (3 oz.) fresh shiitake mushrooms, caps chopped and stems discarded
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine or low-sodium vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups cooked unseasoned long grain and wild rice blend
1 cup shredded aged Gruyère cheese
1/2 cup chopped roasted cashews
1/4 cup dried cranberries, golden raisins, and/or chopped dried apricots
1. Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard seeds. Brush 1 Tbsp. olive oil all over squash; season with a few pinches of salt and black pepper. Place cut sides down in the air-fryer basket and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. additional olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add mushrooms, celery, and white parts of green onions. Cook and stir until mushrooms have released their liquid and begin to brown, 4 minutes. Add sage and garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, 45 seconds. Add wine; simmer until reduced by half, 1 minute. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in rice, cheese, green parts of green onions, cashews, and dried fruit. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop a heaping 1/2 cup of the rice mixture into each squash half.
4. Air-fry, in batches if needed, until the filling is heated through (165°F), 6 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 12.
TO MAKE AHEAD
Prepare as directed through Step 3. Store stuffed squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. To reheat, let squash stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat air fryer to 350°F, air-fry until the filling is heated through (165°F), 8 to 10 minutes.
PER SERVING 384 cal, 19 g fat (6 g sat fat), 24 mg chol, 341 mg sodium, 45 g carb, 5 g fiber, 13 g sugars, 13 g pro
Make two batches of this recipe to serve 8 to 10 guests.
START TO FINISH 20 min.
1 cup whole raw or salt-free roasted almonds
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp. Aleppo pepper or hot paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 lb. Broccolini
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. soft goat cheese (a soft-ripened type like Bûcheron is best)
1. In a 9-inch glass pie plate combine almonds and rosemary; drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and toss to coat. Microwave, uncovered, on high (100% power), 4 minutes, stirring every minute until nuts are golden.
2. Add Aleppo pepper, garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt; toss to combine. Microwave on high 1 minute more. The nuts will become crunchy as they cool. Chop 1/4 cup to serve with Broccolini. Reserve the rest of the nuts to pass at the table or save for snacking later.
3. Trim 1/4 inch off ends of Broccolini and discard. Place Broccolini in a 2-qt. glass baking dish. Add 1 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and vent one corner. Microwave on high until the Broccolini is bright green and stalks are crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, for dressing, in a small bowl whisk together lemon juice, Dijon, and 3 Tbsp. additional olive oil until combined.
5. Drain Broccolini, snipping the longest stalks in half with kitchen shears, if desired to make them easier to serve. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. Transfer Broccolini to a serving platter. Top with small spoonfuls* of goat cheese and sprinkle with the chopped nuts. Serve warm or at room temperature. Season with salt and ground black pepper, if you like. Serves 4 to 6.
*TIP To make scooping goat cheese easier, place cheese in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 15 seconds to soften the cheese.
Prepare nuts as directed through Step 2. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.
PER SERVING 411 cal, 34 g fat (5 g sat fat), 5 mg chol, 461 mg sodium, 17 g carb, 6 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 14 g pro
HANDS ON 15 min.
2 pretzel rolls or rustic country-style rolls, torn into bite-size pieces (4 cups)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. dried currants
1 bulb garlic
5 medium beets (5 oz. each)
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
6 cups lightly packed spinach and arugula
6 slices French blue cheese (such as bleu d’Auvergne)
1. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. In a large bowl toss the pretzel pieces with 3 Tbsp. olive oil and 1/4 tsp. each salt and black pepper. Arrange in an even layer in an air-fryer basket, in batches if needed. Air-fry, stirring occasionally, until croutons are golden brown but still have some chew, 5 minutes.
2. In a small bowl combine vinegar and currants; set aside while preparing beets.
3. Place a steamer basket in a 6-qt. electric pressure cooker. Add 1 cup water to cooker. Cut ¹∕2 inch off the top of the garlic bulb to expose ends of cloves. Leaving bulb whole, remove any loose, papery outer layers. Place beets and garlic bulb in the steamer basket; lock lid. Set cooker on high pressure to cook 18 minutes. Let stand to release pressure naturally, 15 minutes. Release any remaining pressure. Open lid carefully.
4. Transfer beets to a colander set in the sink. Rub skins off beets under cool running water (wearing rubber gloves, if you like). Cut beets into bite-size wedges; place in a medium bowl. Drain currants, reserving vinegar. Add currants to beets. Season with additional salt and black pepper.
5. For dressing, squeeze garlic cloves from bulb into a large bowl; mash with the back of a spoon. Add the reserved vinegar and the olive oil. Whisk vigorously to make a homogenous, emulsified dressing.
6. Add spinach, arugula, and croutons to bowl with dressing; toss to coat. Add beets and currants; toss to combine. Arrange on platter or salad plates. Serve with cheese slices on the side. Serves 6 to 8.
Prepare croutons as directed. Let cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. Prepare remaining salad components as directed through Step 5. Place in separate airtight containers and store in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Let ingredients (except greens) stand at room temperature 30 minutes before assembling salad.
PER SERVING 356 cal, 23 g fat (7 g sat fat), 21 mg chol, 733 mg sodium, 29 g carb, 5 g fiber, 15 g sugars, 10 g pro
We left the carrots full length for dramatic effect, but for easier serving, you can cut the carrots into shorter lengths before topping the tart.
HANDS ON 30 min.
TOTAL TIME 1 hr. 20 min.
1∕3 cup butter, melted
8 sheets frozen phyllo dough (14×9-inch), thawed
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1∕3 cup sour cream
1∕4 cup chopped carrot greens or fresh flat-leaf parsley
1∕4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 lb. multicolor carrots (about 2 bunches)
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
Carrot tops or fresh parsley sprigs (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Dip a pastry brush or basting brush in the melted butter and drizzle sparingly on one sheet of phyllo; brush evenly over phyllo sheet. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets and butter, off setting the sheets to create an uneven sawtooth edge around the stack. Center the phyllo stack in the pie plate and tuck the excess pastry hanging over the side under to create a ¹∕2- to 1-inch edge all around.
3. In a medium bowl beat cream cheese with a mixer on low to medium 30 seconds. Add sour cream, chopped carrot greens, Parmesan, egg, garlic, thyme, ¹∕2 tsp. salt, and ¹∕4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Beat on high until fluffy and smooth, 4 minutes. (If your mixer has a whisk attachment, use that.) Spoon mixture into the phyllo-lined pie plate, smoothing top with a rubber spatula.
4. Bake until the filling is puffed and golden brown in places and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 minutes.
5. Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Cut carrots in half or quarters lengthwise, until they are ¹∕4 to ¹∕2 inch wide at the thickest end. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with ¹∕4 tsp. salt and a couple grinds of black pepper. Place half of the carrots in a single layer in air fryer. Air-fry 6 minutes. Toss carrots. Air-fry until some browning appears and carrots are very tender, 4 minutes more. Repeat with remaining carrots.
6. In a small saucepan whisk together maple syrup and vinegar. Bring to simmering over medium; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until reduced by one-third to half, 5 to 8 minutes.
7. To serve, top warm tart with carrots. Drizzle with the maple syrup glaze. If you like, garnish with carrot tops or parsley. Serves 6.
Prepare as directed through Step 5. Cover tart with foil and place carrots in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days. To serve, preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap carrots in foil. Bake tart and carrots until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Cover tart loosely with foil if phyllo dough starts to overbrown. Continue as directed in Step 6.
PER SERVING 406 cal, 31 g fat (17 g sat fat), 105 mg chol, 678 mg sodium, 26 g carb, 3 g fiber, 10 g sugars, 8 g pro
PHOTO: CARSON DOWNINGPHOTO: ALASDAIR JAMES/ISTOCK BY GETTY IMAGESPHOTO: (CARROTS) KARISSSA/ISTOCK BY GETTY IMAGES, (AIR FRYER LINERS) CARSON DOWNING