‘Tis the season… for socialising and cooking, as research by Smart Energy GB reveals that food is the way to Brits’ hearts during the holiday season. Festive food came out as the highlight of the celebrations for 69%, followed by spending time with family and friends (65%) and gifts (41%).
And it’s by no means a small affair, with over a over half (54%) of us cook for at least six people every time we host during the festive season – spending an average of £225.80 on food and drink over the season.
Yet despite the cost, two-thirds (66%) of Brits say that food is the main element that helps brings loved ones together during the festive season. And this year, Brits are getting more creative with their cooking with 36% turning to different kitchen appliances at their disposal to rustle up their festive feast. In fact, many households are shifting away from the trusty oven with nearly half (48%) saying they couldn’t manage without their air fryer.
A ‘must have’ on many gift lists, 44% of those surveyed said they plan on cooking with an air fryer for their Christmas dinner – with roast potatoes (67%), pigs in blankets (52%) and meat joints (36%) the most popular dishes of choice – saving them an average of 18% in energy costs compared to using the oven, according to data from Energy Saving Trust.
While 32% turn to their air fryer so they can spend less time cooking and more time socialising while hosting, over half (56%) use it in a bid to be more mindful about their energy use when cooking due to the impact on their energy bills.
42% of those with a smart meter say they will be monitoring its in-home display more closely this year than ever before to track their energy use in near real-time during the period of seasonal soirees.
A further 30% of households are looking for more energy efficient ways to host and cook for their nearest and dearest over the festive season, with one in ten (12%) considering buying ready-to-eat canapés or serving cold buffet food to spend less energy in the kitchen.
In response, Smart Energy GB is partnering with Michelin-trained chef and TikTok ‘Potato Queen’ sensation, Poppy O’Toole to offer easy, energy efficient canapé recipes and hacks for cooking up a storm in the kitchen, without energy bills skyrocketing.
Putting Poppy’s canapés to the test, Energy Saving Trust has estimated that the alternative recipe for the smoked salmon or beetroot houmous blinis reduces energy costs by 67% compared to the traditional method, and a further 38% for the potato croquetas.
Poppy O’Toole’s recipes can be found on the Smart Energy GB website, here. For more information on the Super Smart Home Hacks campaign and to find out more about getting a smart meter installed, search ‘get a smart meter’.
Air Fryer blinis with crème fraiche and smoked salmon
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
45g strong white bread flour
40g buckwheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
3.5g yeast
90-100ml whole milk
75ml soured cream
1 egg, separated
30g butter, melted
Instructions
- Sift the flours together into a large bowl, stir in the salt and sprinkle over the yeast.
- Heat 90ml of the milk and all the soured cream in a small saucepan, until lukewarm.
- Whisk in the egg yolk, and then gradually whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture, until you have a smooth batter, adding the remaining milk if necessary. Cover the bowl with a plate or a damp tea towel and leave to rise for about 1 hour.
- Once the mixture is bubbly, in a separate bowl whisk the egg white to stiff peaks and fold this into the batter.
- Heat the air fryer to 200°C/400°F and lay a sheet of greaseproof paper in the basket. Working quickly, add teaspoons of mixture to the greaseproof paper, leaving plenty of space between each, and cook for 4–5 minutes, until lightly golden (for optimum deliciousness do this in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer). Then, flip the blinis over and cook for another minute. Brush with melted butter and cool on a wire rack.
NOTES
Serve the blinis warm or at room temperature. To heat them up, wrap them in foil and warm them in the air fryer.
Layer your mini pancakes up with cream cheese and your choice of smoked fish to feel extra fancy on a Saturday night.
***
Air fryer crispy wontons with chilli oil
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
1⁄2 Chinese leaf lettuce or cabbage (about 230g), finely sliced
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
3 spring onions, finely sliced
30g fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
165g ready-to-cook prawns, finely sliced
165g 10–20% pork mince
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 x 300g packet of square wonton or dumpling pastry wrappers
Vegetable oil, for brushing or spraying
Instructions
- Tip the cabbage into a colander set over a bowl or a sink. Sprinkle over the salt and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Add the spring onions and ginger to a food processor along with the prawns, pork, soy sauce and sesame oil. Pulse until combined, then squeeze the water out of the cabbage and stir through. Cover and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- To assemble your wontons, place a teaspoon of the filling in the middle of a pastry wrapper. Use your finger to brush two edges with water and fold the pastry in half, so that you have a triangle. Press down to squeeze out any air from around the filling. Next, hold the triangle in one hand and use your other hand to draw the two corners together so that they are overlapping, then seal with water. It should look a bit like a boat. You can fold wontons in lots of different ways – this particular shape is called an ingot and is supposed to bring good luck. Place the wonton on a lined baking tray and repeat with the remaining mixture until you run out.
- Heat the air fryer to 180°C/350°F.
- Brush or spray the wontons with a little vegetable oil, place them in the air-fryer basket, leaving plenty of space between each (for optimum deliciousness do this in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer). Cook for 7–8 minutes, until crisp and golden.
NOTES
Dig in as they are, fresh out of the air fryer with a side of sweet chilli sauce.
***
Air fryer potato croquetas
Ingredients
2-4 maris piper potatoes, baked
80g bacon lardons, pan fried
50g crumbled Stilton
50g Brie, cut into small chunks
3 tsps of cranberry sauce
2 eggs
3 tbsps plain flour
100g panko breadcrumbs
Spray oil
Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Once the potatoes are baked, in the oven or the air fryer or even the microwave, leave to cool, remove the skin and separate into two bowls.
- Add the bacon and Stilton to one bowl and then the Brie and cranberry to the other. Season both well with salt and pepper.
- Roll into bite size balls and set in the fridge for 30-60 minutes
