Dude Food: 48 Father’s Day Recipes for Dad

Cook Leafy Greens In The Air Fryer For 'game-changing' Veg With 1 Addition To Stop Them Burning

If you've never thought of using your air fryer to cook your greens, you might want to think again. According to one air fryer expert, cooking your broccoli and kale in the handy kitchen gadget is a game-changer which produces 'tender, perfect' veggies.

However, if not cooked properly, they can end up burnt or crisp beyond recognition. But just one addition while cooking can ensure they'll be served up without crispy, black edges or a bitter taste.

Philips Air fryer chef Martin Senders said that there's a scientific reason as to why leafy greens are so often ruined when people try to cook them in the appliance.

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He said: "Unlike potatoes and other starchy veg, most greens don't have a lot of moisture in them, which is why cooking at high heat in an air fyer can cause them to blister quickly, resulting in a burnt, acrid taste.

"Greens naturally lose water quickly under intense heat, so if you want to avoid burnt edges and bitter bites instead of tender, perfectly cooked veg, you need to modify the way you're cooking them.

"Greens need a balance of steam and heat to cook through evenly without burning."

His tip is to add a small amount of water to your air fryer. And while that might sound like an alien concept he said it works.

He added: "A touch of water in the air fryer, either in a heat-proof container or directly into the basket, helps create steam, which softens the leaves and locks in their bright colour and flavour."

Martin also tells home cooks to be careful of the temperature greens are cooked on.

He said: "Greens don't need high heat, so if you're cooking a traybake style dish, be careful of the timings. Either ensure the greens are added later in the cooking process or, if you have a dual draw airfryer, cook the veg at a lower temperature in the separate drawer."

Martin's elevated roasted broccoli recipe

Ingredients:

Method:

Cut the broccoli into about 4 x 5 cm florets. Cut off the hard part of the stem and discard it. Then peel the rest of the stem and cut it into about 5 x 1cm strips.

Put the broccoli florets and stem strips in a bowl. Add unpeeled whole garlic cloves to the broccoli, drizzle with olive oil and mix everything well

Transfer to the airfryer basket and slide the basket into the airfryer. Start the device at 160 degrees for 11 minutes. (Tip: If using room-temperature broccoli, you should reduce the cooking time. Cook low and slow to avoid overcooking and burning your vegetables)

Once air frying is done, transfer the roasted broccoli into a large bowl. Peel and puree the roasted garlic cloves in a separate small bowl. Add the lemon juice and olive oil to the garlic and stir

Pour the prepared dressing over the roasted broccoli, add salt and toss to coat evenly. Serve and enjoy!

Will This Former Chef Serve Up A Side Of Romance For His Date?

LAURA M.: 30 / speech-language pathologist

When she is happiest: Playing music at a gig

What makes her a catch: She's empathetic and has great communication skills.

7:30 P.M. GRAY'S HALL, BOSTON

Culinary Connection

Owen I've been reading the Cupid column for a couple years now and decided on a whim to send in an application.

Laura I am always down to try something new and meet new people.

Owen Before the date, I went to the driving range to hit a bucket of balls and clear my mind.

Laura I almost canceled because I wasn't feeling my best, but I didn't want to disappoint.

Owen I got there first and was seated at the end of the bar. I perused the wine list as I waited for her to arrive.

Laura The hostess told me that he was sitting at the end of the bar.

Owen I thought she was really cute with a warm, friendly smile.

Laura I thought he was objectively good-looking. He seemed calm and confident.

Boiling It Down

Owen We both come from Italian families. We talked about natural wine vs. Orange wine. She plays guitar in a band, works with kids, and is the fun aunt to nine nieces/nephews.

Laura He immediately asked where I was from/where I lived and we talked about our professions. I discovered that he works at a fish product production company but cheffing is his passion and his previous career.

Owen She was easy to talk with and we got more comfortable as the evening progressed. She had a fun energy about her. Early on in the date, I thought she had a good attitude and lives somewhat intentionally.

Laura I felt pretty comfortable from the beginning. I felt like he was my friend—I probably over-shared.

Owen We ordered the roasted carrots, burrata, roasted broccoli, and tuna tartare.

Laura The food was great and the service was great, too. It was fun that he could describe the different flavor profiles from his experience as a chef.

Owen I think there was more romantic potential than actual chemistry. First date is more of a vibe check for me, and she definitely passed that.

Laura I didn't pick up on any obvious romantic chemistry. I was happy that we enjoyed the evening and had pretty good conversation the entire time.

Dining and Dishing

Owen The evening had naturally run its course but I never felt a rush to end the date.

Laura At the end I was ready to go, but that was because I wasn't feeling good in general.

Owen The date ended with me waiting with her for her Uber, a hug, and an exchange of numbers. I asked her if she would like to go out again and she said yes.

Laura He was so nice and waited for my Uber to arrive. We exchanged numbers and hugged and left. A perfect gentleman!

Second Date?

Owen I would like to. She will be out of town for a little while so it's hard to project when that would take place.

Laura We might! I don't foresee a crazy amount of chemistry growing, but it was a fun time, and you never know.

Grading the Date

Owen / A-

Laura / A

Go on a blind date. We'll pick up the tab. Fill out an application at bostonglobe.Com/cupid. Follow us on Twitter or Instagram @dinnerwithcupid.

Roast Your Broccoli At A Lower Temperature

Broccoli is a journeyman vegetable. Consistent and dependable, it does exactly what you ask of it every time, without requiring much fanfare or an overly precious cooking method. The stalks can be cooked in a myriad of ways, most of which are pretty good, but roasting has the best effort-to-reward ratio—especially if you roast them slowly.

Until recently, I was all about the high-temp roast, because I am a woman who loves the crispy bits and craves all the flavors brought about by the Maillard reaction. When roasting at 400℉ or more, however, sometimes the fluffy ends start to burn before the stalk has softened. I recently found a solution for this problem while reading this extensive brocc doc (short for "broccoli document") from Food52, which extolls the virtues of slower, more sensual broccoli roasting. The brocc doc's writer promises slow roasting will produce tender stalks with, "concentrated flavor and lots of crispy bits, almost like French fries."

Excited by the concept of French fry broccoli, I chopped a head into florets, tossed it with enough olive oil to coat (around 3 tablespoons), and salted it heavily (a little more than 1/4 teaspoon). I roasted it at 325℉ for about 45 minutes on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Then I ate half of it directly off of the rack while standing in the kitchen, because it ruled.

(Note: I was using the convection setting on my oven, which speeds things up a little. Conventional ovens may take up to an hour to get your slow-roasted broccoli where you want it, but it is worth the wait.)

Likening it to French fries might be a stretch, but Food52 wasn't kidding about the concentrated flavor, nor the crispy texture. The slow-roasted results were deeply savory, with lots of browning on both ends and perfectly tender-crisp stalks.

Beyond dropping the temperature and extending the cook time, there are three additional moves you can make for better roasted broccoli.

What do you think so far?

The first is to elevate it off the sheet pan while cooking using a wire rack. This increases the air flow around the florets and allows the moisture released by the steaming vegetable to drip down and away, keeping your broccoli from getting soggy.

You'll also want to use a little more oil than seems decent. Rather than stick to a strict measurement, glop on enough that the florets look "wet" with oil. This will maximize the amount of crispy browned bits, and likewise, maximize the flavor.

Finally, try and keep the florets roughly the same size to ensure they finish roasting around the same time. That said, if you want a mixture of super dark and crispy pieces and larger, juicier stalks, then by all means, get a little wild with your sizing. Broccoli may be a journeyman, but even journeyman deserves a bit of excitement from time to time.

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