Spicy Air Fried Chickpeas

All the Christmas in July talk had me craving my Chistmas snacks.  For the last several Christmases my friend Kena has gifted us a large bag of her spicy pretzels.  They are so good and I look forward to her gift of them every year (are you reading this Kena?)!  They have the perfect combination of a salty crunch with a bit of spice to them.  The ONLY negative is that the pretzel recipe has a pretty significant about of oil in the ingredients.  I am a snacker, and often find myself looking for something to munch on.  These chickpeas satisfy my craving for that spicy crunch, but keep the snack on the healthier side  – and they let me keep looking forward to Kena’s Christmas pretzels! ~Tracy

chickpeas

Ingredients:

  • 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I used Bush’s Organic Garbanzo Beans)
  • ½ tsp. garlic salt
  • ¼ tsp. lemon pepper
  • ½ tsp. red cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp. onion powder
  • 1 T. powdered ranch dressing mix
  • dash salt
  • dash black pepper
  • Canola oil cooking spray

Spread chickpeas evenly in one flat layer on paper towels.  Allow them to dry on the kitchen counter for three to four hours, rolling them occasionally so that they evenly dry on all sides.

Lightly spray chickpeas with canola oil cooking spray.  Roll them around and lightly spray again making an effort to coat them lightly, but evenly.

In a large zip style baggie, combine all dry ingredients and shake to combine well.  Add the sprayed chickpeas to the bag, seal, and gently shake to coat the chickpeas with the spice mixture.

Place chickpeas in the basket of air fryer and cook on 340 for 14-16 minutes. You can click here for the link to my air fryer.

Air fryers vary in power, so begin to check the chickpeas at about the 14 minute mark for the desired crispiness.  My family likes them very crispy, but I don’t mind them with a little softness in the center.  You can experiment with what you like.

Chickpeas are ZERO WW points!  Some may argue that with the cooking spray these should be counted on WW, but per serving I’m not going to count the negligible amount.

Brown Sugar & Bacon Chicken

My daughter is turning 12 soon.  She’s just like me as a child in that she starts planning her birthday months in advance…. possible theme, cake flavor, birthday dinner, etc.  I give my kids the option of either going out to eat or having Mom cook whatever favorite dish they want.  This year she’s decided she wants her favorite food of all… bacon.  My response to this request was, “Bacon and what? It’s not really a meal by itself.” That’s actually not true, in my opinion, but she doesn’t need to know that.  So she decided on this bacon-wrapped chicken dish and mashed potatoes as the side.  No other veggies because she “doesn’t have to eat veggies on her birthday.”  You got it, Sweetie! 

This is no ordinary baked chicken.  Dredged in a spiced brown sugar mixture and wrapped in bacon, it’s birthday-dinner worthy!  ~Erin

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ to 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts; about 3 large breasts cut into 6 chunks each for a total of 18
  • 9 slices center-cut bacon, halved
  • ½ c. packed brown sugar
  • 1 ½ T. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F (If using an air fryer, no need to preheat).

Line a sheet pan with foil and place a wire rack on top.  Spray with cooking spray and set aside.

In a gallon zipper baggie, mix spices together with brown sugar until well-combined. Place chicken pieces in the baggie, seal and shake to coat.

Take the chicken pieces out and wrap each piece in a half slice of bacon; place on the wire rack or in the basket of an air fryer.  Do not crowd together. Drizzle any remaining spiced brown sugar mixture left in the baggie evenly over the chicken.

Bake in the oven 30 minutes, or until bacon is crispy; or bake in the air fryer at 330° for 13-14 minutes. 

WW Freestyle Info.:  This makes 18 bacon-wrapped chicken pieces.  Each piece is 2 SmartPoints.

 

Chicken Fajita Meatballs

Like all great ideas, this recipe inspiration came to me in the middle of the night.  Every cloud has a silver lining – even a little short-lived insomnia. Surely I’m not the only one who makes meal plans when I can’t sleep!  Anyway, I love meatballs of all flavors and I thought a chicken fajita meatball sounded pretty tasty! After some experimenting in the kitchen (during daylight hours), these babies were born.

These are delicious served with sour cream and your favorite salsa, but they are even more amazing with this zero point Creamy Cilantro Sauce.  If you like cilantro, that is. I find that most people either love it or hate it. I happen to love it. This sauce is easy to make in your blender and will store in the fridge for up to a week. Try them together for the perfect healthy meal.  ~Erin

Ingredients: 

  • 1 lb. 98% lean ground chicken (or turkey) breast
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 1 bell pepper (I used half a red and half a green for color), finely diced
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • ¾ c. plain breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • ½ tsp. onion powder
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp. cumin
  • The juice of half a lime

Optional serving choices: corn tortillas warmed in a skillet, chopped onion, cilantro, additional lime wedges for squeezing over meatballs, sour cream, salsa, and of course Creamy Cilantro Sauce

Instructions:

  1. If cooking in a conventional oven, preheat to 375° F.  If cooking in an air fryer, there is no need to preheat.
  2. In a medium skillet, sauté the onion and peppers in the olive oil until the onions are tender (about 5 minutes); set aside to cool to room temp.
  3. In small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the spices (chili powder, salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and cumin) until combined); set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together the ground chicken, the sautéed veggies, egg, and lime juice.  Then work in the bread crumb mixture.
  5. Roll the meat mixture into 18 golf ball sized balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or in the air fryer at 350° F for 12-13 minutes.   
  7. Serve as an appetizer with dipping sauces or on tortillas.

WW Freestyle info:  This recipe makes 18 meatballs.  Each meatball is 1 SmartPoint.

Four Sisters’ Favorite Things for the Kitchen… plus a Giveaway!

We are kicking off a new series of Four Sisters Favorite Things with our very favorite category of things: kitchen tools and gadgets! We each have carefully chosen our favorite item for the kitchen and professed our love for each of them below. These are things we have owned for some time and use often.   

Any of these items would make great Christmas gifts for the cook in your life (or for yourself – no shame in buying yourself a gift! Click the links or the photos to shop!) so don’t forget to Pin this post for later reference and, most importantly, don’t forget to read how to enter our giveaway at the bottom of this post!

TRACY:
I think every person has those times in their life that cause them to instantly think, “Why didn’t I do/get this sooner!?” Those life-altering moments like having your first child or buying a king-sized mattress. While I admit that these life events may be on somewhat different playing fields, both changed my life for the better. On that list is also the purchase of my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. If you mix or bake just about anything, you will LOVE one of these. I have the 5 quart stand mixers in “green apple.” This mixer comes with the traditional mixer paddle, a whisk, and a dough hook (I use all three frequently). This piece of kitchen equipment is an investment that you won’t regret and Kitchenaid often has great sales. But, I’ll let you in on a little secret…..you can find them refurbished on Amazon (sold by Kitchenaid), which is how I bought mine. Check out this great model that’ll look beautiful on your kitchen counter top:

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ERIN:
I thought long and hard about my favorite kitchen item. I have so many favorites! Ultimately, I decided on one of the few I would instantly replace if it were to break: my Ninja 3-in-1 Cooking System. You’ve seen it many times in my recipe photos and videos because I use it constantly. The thing I love most about it is the “stovetop cooking” setting. I can sear a roast on the highest stovetop setting, then switch it over to the slow cooker mode to slow cook it all day. No need to use an extra pan to brown the meat! I LOVE that it saves me from dirtying more dishes. That’s not all though. You can use the Ninja 3-in-1 Cooking System to steam and even bake! This is definitely my most versatile kitchen gadget; worth spending the money to replace my old boring, slow-cooker. You can get yours at this link or by clicking on the photo below.  

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ROBIN:
I am a coffee fanatic, so naturally while at Williams-Sonoma I accepted the free cup cappuccino…game changer! In the Nespresso VertuoPlus Deluxe Coffee Maker & Espresso Machine with Aeroccino Milk Frother (I just call it my Nespresso machine–anyway, I linked to the updated model so you can be sure the fab device is available for you.), the coffee brewed faster than my Kurig – with one lovely difference: these pods are foodgrade aluminum and are easily shipped in for recycling in a pre-addressed shipping bag! There is a handy-dandy little storage container on the back of the coffee pot where your used coffee pod is automatically dropped when you open the lid to start the next cup of coffee!

I had no idea pre-measured coffee could be that flavorful and amazing. They have several great flavor options of espresso or regular brew; a barcode on the edge of the pod is read by the machine so it knows how much piping hot water to use for each kind of brew. The milk steamer is shockingly easy to use and just as easy to clean – in about one minute or less you can pour in your milk and have perfectly steamed, frothy milk. The frother can even do a cold frothing! You will never go back to a Kurig. And while it’s a bit pricy, they have frequent specials (we’re talking 60% off specials) to get both the coffee maker & milk steamer together. I have had this coffee pot for over a year, and I am still absolutely loving it – it’s so good it feels downright luxurious. Who doesn’t need a little luxury to start the day?  

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The below image on the left is the coffee alone, just brewed. The one on the right is, of course, with that perfectly steamed milk.

KATHY:
I have many kitchen favorites. But to me, this gadget stands out! I use it as much, or more than any other in my kitchen. My Cuisinart Immersion Blender (also called a hand blender) is the bomb! I’ve had it for years and I use it for everything! I love that it’s powerful, small, fits easily into a drawer and is super easy to clean. I make milkshakes, smoothies, puree soups and have even whipped egg whites with it. I have even used it to get lumps out of gravy. My favorite way, and I’d say the most resourceful way, to use it is to blend up veggies into my family’s favorite foods & they never suspect! I use kale, spinach, zucchini, beans and flax seed quite often blended into sauces, soups, etc. and no one is the wiser….. genius, I say!!

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Bonus Favorite Thing!: Three out of four of us own this air fryer and LOVE it! This is the GoWise USA 5.8 Quart Air Fryer and it’s the best thing since sliced bread.

GoWISE USA 5.8-Quarts 8-in-1 Electric Air Fryer XL + 50 Recipes for your Air Fryer Book (Black)

We love it so much that we are giving one away to one of our readers! There are TWO ways to enter:

  1. Follow Four Sisters Dish. Do this by entering your email address into the box labeled “subscribe via email” on the homepage below the recipe index link on Foursistersdish.com. Don’t forget to verify your email (check your email – if you don’t see it, look in your spam folder.) to get fully subscribed. (You’re automatically entered once if you already follow by email).   NOTE:  To make the subscribe option appear on a mobile device, click the gear icon in the center of your screen just below the Pinterest icon.
  2. Find our giveaway post on Facebook (Click here to be directed to our page) and follow the directions on how to enter there – it goes like this: Follow Four Sisters Dish on Facebook, tag a friend our original post, then share the post.

If you do both things, you get TWO chances to win the air fryer!

Rules: You must live in the continental U.S. and be 18 years or older to win.

The winner will be contacted by email OR via Facebook messenger, depending on winner’s entry method on December 15th, so it can hopefully be delivered in time for Christmas!

Good luck!

This is not a paid sponsorship! We do, however, receive a very small commission if you purchase any item below using the link provided. Don’t worry, it doesn’t change the price at all for you.

 

Air Fryer (or Oven) Cinnamon Roasted Apples

I started making these little roasted apple bites years ago because, at the time, I didn’t like the texture of a raw apple.  Yes, I have weird texture issues.  I’ve learned to like apples in all forms now but I still love them best cooked… preferably in a pie, let’s be honest.  If I don’t have a good excuse to make a pie though, these are the next best thing.  These can be done in the oven or the air fryer (my favorite is this Go Wise Air Fryer available here*).  I use the air fryer more often than not because it cuts down the cooking time and they come out perfect.  Plus, it’s summer and I only turn on my oven if absolutely necessary.  Regardless of how you choose to cook them, I hope you try this simple recipe.  And by “simple,” I mean REALLY simple.  I hesitated posting the recipe because it is, in fact, so simple.  It’s literally 2 ingredients (3 if you count the cooking spray you spray the pan or basket with) but so many friends have requested the recipe, I decided it needs shared with the world.  These make a great topping for ice cream or yogurt (shown here) or just a great snack by themselves!  Enjoy!  ~Erin

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Ingredients:
  • 4 to 6 sweet/tart apples (My favorite variety is Pink Lady but Jazz or Honey Crisp work well too.), peeled, cored, and chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • ¼ to ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions for conventional oven:
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Spray a large sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. Spread the chopped apples in one even layer.
  4. Spray them lightly with cooking spray, then sprinkle with cinnamon. Start with ¼ tsp. of cinnamon and add more if needed. (4 apples will probably only need ¼ tsp. but 6 apples or more will obviously require more cinnamon.)
  5. Toss to coat evenly.
  6. Bake 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally until the edges begin to brown.
  7. Remove from the pan and immediately store in a container with a lid. This will help them keep their moisture.
Instructions for air fryer:
  1. Spray the fryer basket with cooking spray.
  2. Place the chopped apples in the basket and sprinkle them with the cinnamon; toss to coat.
  3. Cook at 400°F for 12-14 minutes or until edges begin to brown, pulling the basket out and tossing/stirring the apples every 5 minutes or so. This will help them brown evenly.
  4. Immediately store them in a container with a lid. This will help them keep their moisture.

WW Freestyle Info.: This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings at ZERO points each.

*This post contains affiliate links.  We earn a small commission on purchases made via these links.

Bread Pudding Lightened Up

I’ve had something like this in mind for a while now.  I wanted a bread pudding I can eat without guilt.  It’s taken me a few fails to figure out a good recipe.  For instance, while 2-ingredient dough bagels are delicious, they do not make a good bread pudding.  That turned out bad.  This cinnamon swirl bread is perfect though!  It’s already mildly sweet and cinnamony.  The sweet bread soaked in a protein shake custard is just the combination I was looking for!  I can even eat this for breakfast and feel like I’ve started the day right!  ~Erin

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Ingredients:
  • 2 ½ slices Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl bread
  • ½ of an 11 oz. carton of Vanilla Premier Protein Shake
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ¼ tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • Caramel ice cream topping, regular or sugar free (optional)

Instructions: 

  1. Air fryer and conventional oven cooking instructions are included below.
  2. If using a conventional oven, preheat it now to 350°F.
  3. Tear the bread into small pieces and place into a ramekin or oven safe mug; lightly pack together.
  4. In a small bowl, beat together the egg, protein shake, cinnamon, and sugar to make a custard.
  5. Slowly pour the custard mixture over the bread, until all the bread is soaked but not swimming in custard; discard any leftover custard mixture – there shouldn’t be much if any.
  6. For air fryer: Cook at 350°F for 10 minutes.
  7. For conventional oven: Cook in the preheated 350°F oven for 45, until the top is brown.
  8. Drizzle with caramel ice cream topping, if desired.

WW Freestyle Info.: This recipe makes 2 servings. Each serving is 5 points, not including caramel topping.

*This post contains affiliate links.  We earn a small small commission on purchases made via these links.

Air fryer and conventional oven cooking instructions are included below.

Check out getting your own air fryer at Amazon here:

Here is the bigger one (6 qt.!) that we love even more, but it was not available on prime when we checked last, though that sometimes changes: