Can’t stop (won’t stop) using an air fryer
Previously sidelined by the pandemic, Santa Cruz County hosts its first games in 15 months
You can make a lot of stuff in an air fryer. Chris Murphy, president of the Santa Cruz Warriors, said he uses his all the time.
Ever since Gary moved in, I’ve been tripping over a box in the garage. On the outside, it said Food & Wine, so I logically expected that it was yet more wine. “Do we really need all this wine?” I finally asked him. He said, “That isn’t wine. It’s an air fryer.”
Well, shut me up—which isn’t easy to do. I tore open the box, pulled out the fryer, and plugged it in. I haven’t stopped using it since then. Who knew there was so much you could do with it?
A friend once demonstrated his, making French fries. They were good. But I’m not much of a French fry person, nor do I like many fried foods. So, nothing compelled me to try an air fryer at home.
I know, I know. I’m late to the party. But I’ll bet there are a number of you who haven’t tried the gadget yourselves. More’s the pity. The first thing I tried was frozen chicken tenders. Brush with a tiny bit of oil, pop them into the fryer, and start cooking. Within a few minutes, we had tenders that were brown on the outside and juicy inside. Hey, this could be a thing!
Next, I cooked some frozen meatballs. They came out beautifully browned and cooked all the way through. I didn’t have to stand over a frying pan, add oil, or stir anything. One huge advantage is I don’t have to turn on the oven, which can be costly as we watch our utility bills increasing.
The fryer works like a broiler, with the heat source above, and a convection oven, with a fan to circulate the heat. The compact size means you aren’t wasting any heat, as you would with a regular oven.
Get creative with it
and not so soggy. .nd Dijon. Brush onto the Note: When you spray flesh side of the s.lmon.
3 on oil, use the pump-bottle . Pl.ce s.lmon into rather than the aerosol .n .ir fryer, skin side type. The aerosol oils are down. Cook .t 355F for more difficult to clean off 14-16 minutes—less time the fryer basket. for . pink interior, or more
Let me know what you for well done. do with your fryer. And if
4
. Sprinkle with p.rsley you’ve had any failures.
.nd serve.
More boiled eggs
After reading my last column, Linda Burroughs said her foolproof method for hard-cooked eggs is to steam them. Bring about a cup of water to a boil in a pan fitted with a steamer basket. Place the eggs in the basket in a single layer. Cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook 12 minutes. Then drain and plunge the eggs into ice water until cold. You’ll have perfect eggs with shells that slip right off.
You can make a lot of stuff in an air fryer. My friend Chris Murphy, president of the Santa Cruz Warriors, said he uses his all the time. Most often, he cooks sturdy vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, and peppers. Spritz on some oil, sprinkle with herbs or spices, and cook away. If you aren’t sure of the temperature or time, just experiment. Start with medium heat, and keep checking the progress.
Chris also cooks chicken, fish, and wings, along with “kid food” like chicken nuggets, French fries, and Tater Tots. But I’ve gone even farther.
I loved the crunchy chickpeas (“ceci”) that my grandmother gave us as snacks. Now I make them myself. Drain and rinse a can of garbanzos, toss with a little olive oil, sprinkle with spices (Mideastern, Mexican, garlic powder, salt, etc.), and cook on high heat. Shake the basket now and then, and cook to your desired doneness—chewy or crunchy.
I’ve also made toasted Serves 3-4 almonds and toasted rice Ingredients: (raw almonds or rice, • 1 pound salmon fillet no oil, five minutes) for (wild caught) a more complex flavor. I Salt used to toast them in a frying pan, but this is so Pepper much faster and easier. 1/4 cup brown sugar
Yesterday, I even made 2 tablespoons Dijon grilled cheese sandwiches. mustard Square bread Parsley (optional garslices fit better than the nish) oval slices typical of sourdough
Directions: boules. Butter one
1 side of each slice, place a . Remove the bones nice cheddar between the from s.lmon fillet .nd slices (buttered side out), cut into 3-4 equ.l portions. and cook for about 5 minutes S.lt .nd pepper each side. It’s a little e.ch side.
2 slower than a frying pan, . In . sm.ll bowl, mix but the result is crunchier together brown sug.r
Tipoftheweek
When I have a lot of lemons, I grate and freeze the zest for later use. I also save the juice in ice cube trays so I can use it in chicken soup, iced tea, and other dishes.
Recipes of the week
Air fryer cooking is so easy that I’ve included two recipes. I couldn’t find too many that were more involved or complex than these! The first is adapted from Simply Made Recipes, and the second is from Princess Pinky Girl.
Air fryer salmon with brown sugar glaze
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Easy air fryer doughnuts
Makes 8, plus 8 doughnut holes
Ingredients:
1 (16.3 ounce) can jumbo flaky biscuits, 8 count
1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
5 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Directions:
1
. Pl.ce . sheet of p.rchment p.per on . rimmed cookie sheet or cutting bo.rd. Pl.ce e.ch biscuit on the p.rchment. Cut the center out of e.ch one using . doughnut cutter, the rim of . sm.ll spice j.r, or wh.tever else is h.ndy. Set .side the doughnut holes.
2
. Combine sug.r .nd cinn.mon in . sm.ll bowl.
3
. Spr.y the .ir fryer b.sket with non-.erosol cooking spr.y. Pl.ce up to 4 doughnut in the b.sket, depending on the size of your fryer. Avoid the doughnuts touching. 4
. Set .ir fryer to 360F for 3 minutes. (NOTE: In some air fryers, you may need to flip the doughnuts and bake for another 1-2 minutes.) 5
. Remove .ir-fried doughnuts, immedi.tely brush with melted butter, .nd roll in cinn.mon-sug.r mixture.
6
. Repe.t for .ny rem.ining doughnuts. 7
. For doughnut holes, pl.ce .ll 8 biscuit holes into the .ir fryer b.sket, setting the timer for . tot.l of 2 minutes. Turn h.lfw.y through cook time. Dip in butter .nd dredge in cinn.mon mixture.
When I have a lot of lemons, I grate and freeze the zest for later use. I also save the juice in ice cube trays so I can use it in chicken soup, iced tea, and other dishes.
SANTA CRUZ >> Fifteen months have passed since the last regular-season football game was played in Santa Cruz County. The oft-delayed, highly anticipated 2021 season will finally begin this week.
St. Francis and Scotts Valley square off at Santa Cruz High on Thursday night at 7 p.m., making it the second prep football game played in California since the Covid-19 pandemic forced the cancelation of sports at all levels across the country. (Escondido and Del Notre kick off at 6 p.m.)
California still sat in the purple — or most restrictive tier — of the state’s re-opening plan as of Tuesday, and athletes’ parents have signed consent forms to allow games to begin. Athletes and coaches alike will continue to undergo weekly antigen or PCR testing until the the state drops to a less restrictive tier.
The risk of a player testing positive, and the ensuing cancelation of games, could wreak havoc on the success of this season. But the majority of local coaches are saying, getting any games in, no matter how few, is a victory unto itself.
“I’m cautiously optimistic,” said Soquel’s Dwight Lowery, a former NFL defensive back in his third year as head coach at his alma mater.
The Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League has created a sixweek season for 10 county high schools that last year competed in the Pacific Coast Athletic League. No fans will be allowed to the games. Fans should check out their school’s website to see if games will be streamed live online. Aptos, Scotts Valley and MVC are among the schools that will stream games. Others are trying to make that reality.
“I think you’re going to see a lot of men and women serving as water boys or wanting to be part of the chain crew,” one
coach quipped.
The SCCAL will feature two tiers, an A and B Division. Aptos, Soquel, Monte Vista Christian, Santa Cruz and Watsonville will compete in the A Division. San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley, St. Francis, Harbor and Pajaro Valley will compete in the B Division. Each team has one crossdivision game and division bowl games are slated for April 16-17.
Aptos
Under four-time Central Coast Section winning coach Randy Blankenship, Aptos (6-6 in the PCAL Gabilan in 2019) again figures to be in the mix. The Mariners have 54 players, including returning quarterback Nick Forbes, split end Fisher Johnson, running backs Seamus Carey and Andrew Manning, lineman-turned-fullback Adam Candelario, and tight end Nicco Riccabona.
Johnson, Rio Cruz, Vito Riccabona and Kelly McGinn give Blankenship his deepest group of split ends in its run heavy Wing-T offense. The aforementioned split ends also are part of a ballhawking secondary on defense.
“We’re going to play five games and every matchup we’re playing is like the Super Bowl,” Blankenship said.
While Johnson and Forbes have added 30-plus pounds of muscle to their frames, sophomore Caden Prichard (RB/OLB) produced the biggest offseason weight gain, jumping from 138 pounds to 192.
“We’ve had 14 months to prepare for this one game” Blankenship said of his opener against Santa Cruz on Friday. “It has been start, stop, start stop. A lot of times the kids thought this isn’t going to happen. But they stayed so consistent in their training. I couldn’t of asked for more.”
Soquel
Owner of an explosive offense and vastly improved defense, the Knights went 8-3 in 2019. Lowery hopes the squad continues to show growth.
“I’m excited for the future here as long as we continue to to move forward,” he said, noting that meant continued support from all facets of the program.
The Knights have 2530 players out. Two stars who elected to sit out this season are University of Washington-bound lineman R.J. Wyrsch and receiver/defensive back Max Mendoza, who has committed to play Division I baseball.
Soquel still has plenty of athletes, including senior quarterback Tanner Jones and senior utility player Darius Bedford (RB/WR/S), a D-I talent who likely play at the junior college level next season.
Lowery is also high on the efforts shown from seniors Cherubim Lesu’i (C/ NG) and Sean Feeney (RB/ DE) as well as junior linebacker Dillon Vienna.
“Our team is a lot different that when we last played,” Lowery said. “But there are still elements to it that will provide excitement.”
Monte Vista Christian
The Mustangs, who went 7-3 in 2019, have a new head coach in Jeremiah Williams. He has 30 players on varsity and will likely call up some talent from the junior-varsity squad.
Williams has two of the area’s biggest talents, figuratively and literally: returning quarterback/linebacker Brendan Doyle (6-3, 225) and former 220-pound wrestler Nate Fernandez (6-5, 280), an offensive tackle and nose guard. Tight end/defensive lineman Aiden Williams (6-5, 230) and twoway lineman Clayton King (6-6, 240) are two other behemoths in the trenches, joining Matt Vrechek (60, 190).
The coach had high praise for Doyle: “He’s a beast, one of the best quarterbacks in league and TriCounty area. His arm is a cannon. He can thread any needle and he’s even deadlier in the run game.”
Running backs Aiden Keegan, Mark Spohn and Nathan Hanson will see the bulk of the carries in the Wing-T attack and senior talent Riley Moller returns at tight end and linebacker.
“We’re all ecstatic,” coach Williams said. “We can’t wait to step on the field and get the game going. Once the whistle blows, it’ll be a win in itself.”
MVC will play on its new, synthetic-surface field for the first time.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz went 10-4 and won the CCS Division IV championship last season under coach Bubba Trumbull. The Cardinals have 25 players out, though only four seniors. And that’s not a bad thing, Trumbull said. His squad has size and speed.
Trumbull will rely heavily on two of the area’s most talented junior athletes, running back/safety Qwentin Brown (5-11, 200)
and receiver/defensive back Caleb Womack (5-11, 165). Returning leading tacker Landon Hiley, a senior linebacker, returns and sophomore receiver/ defensive back Myles Reber (5-11, 175) is sure to open eyes.
Junior Josh Bendix (60, 190) has replaced graduated Dillon Danner at quarterback. Trumbull said Bendix has a strong arm, is a durable runner, and is showcasing leadership on offense.
“I think we’re kinda of the camp that this is almost a fall ball for football,” Trumbull said. “You’re kinda trying out some new things, testing some guys in positions. But when the lights go on Friday night, we’re competing to win. That’s always the ultimate goal.”
Watsonville
Anthony Valdivia, a St. Francis assistant the past three seasons, has returned to his alma mater as first-year head coach. He has 37 players on varsity as the program comes off a 3-7 campaign in 2019.
Senior running back Nasser Sabla (5-9, 187) will be among the players leading the Wing-T offense. Junior Adrian Arevalo will also see carries. Valdivia is in the process of naming his starting quarterback. Juniors Colin Parker and A.J. Martinez, who rotated the role on junior-varsity last season, are vying for the role.
Senior lineman Oscar Ortiz and senior linebacker Anthony Lozano lead the defense.
“We’re obviously happy to be able to play,” Valdivia said. “It has been the longest offseason in the history of football. But we have the expectation of winning every game we play.”
The Wildcatz are getting their field resurfaced and will play every game on the road.
San Lorenzo Valley
Dave Poetzinger begins his eighth and final season as head coach after serving 25 years as a Cougars assistant.
The Cougars, coming off a 2-8 campaign, have 20 players on varsity. The majority of the players are seniors, including Dylan Arroyo (WR/FS), Michael Manley (WR/CB), Brodie Brownlee (RB/LB), Lucas Collins (FB/LB), Justin Sizemore (RB/LB), Andrew Gudnason (WR/CB/K), and Luke Reason (C/NG).
Dual-threat junior Jaden Hunter will serve as quarterback and safety after playing running back last season.
“He’s got a good arm, good touch on the ball, so we’re excited about him,” Poetzinger said.
With no preseason or scouting, a wrench has been thrown in teams’ preparation this season.
“We’re just happy for the kids, that they get a chance to play football,” Poetzinger said. “and get out of a Zoom box, a Zoom interchange, and get out into the open air and sunshine, where they get to play with their buddies.”
Scotts Valley
Louie Walters will serve as interim coach — his 20th season at the helm — after the pandemic prevented the school from finding a new coach in the offseason. The Falcons went 3-7 last season.
Scotts Valley has 26 players out, including a handful of three-year players: seniors Austyn Crispell (OG/LB/DE), Shane Williams (RB/LB) and Andrew Nice (OL/DL) and junior Nolan Smith (TE/ MLB).
Senior Aiden Paul returns at quarterback after making a couple starts in 2019. Senior Daniel Nava (RB) and junior Brock Siechen (RB/DB) will see the bulk of the carries. Juniors Caden Stratton (WR/ FS) and Isaiah Velez (WR/ DB) also return.
“We should be solid on both sides of the ball,” Walters said.
St. Francis
John Ausman begins his fourth season as head coach after posting a 7-3 mark in 2019.
He’ll lean heavily on six fourth-year players: Josh Hernandez (RB/DT), Pedro Valencia (RB/SS), Davin Avila (QB/SS), Kodiak Ortiz (FB/MLB), Isaiah Gonzalez (OT/DE) and David Moreno.
“Our junior class got a lot of experience last year,” Ausman said.
The Sharks, who won’t be playing on campus this season due to field issues, have abandoned their Wing-T offense for more of a “gap scheme” attack.
“Both divisions are very competitive, but I don’t think that’s the point this year,” Ausman said.
Harbor
Coach James Gaynor Jr. begins his fourth season at the helm with 33 players. The school is going with just one team this year. The Pirates went 1-9 in 2019.
Junior Cash Rosburg (QB/DB) will again lead the offense, with handoff options going to seniors Ronald Lainez (RB/DE), Kan Phosoh (SB/CB) and Arnulfo Artiga (SB/DB). Junior Danny Carrillo (WR/DB) and senior Alejandro Guzman (WR/DB)