5 simple and tasty recipes for a multicooker

Frying pans, pots, ovens, microwaves, and now a multicooker. In the world of modern kitchen gadgets, it is very easy to get confused. OBOZ.UA makes sure that every new word is clear to our readers, so we will tell you what a multicooker is, how it works, and how it differs from other devices.

What is a multicooker?

A multicooker is a kitchen assistant for cooking. It is distinguished from other appliances primarily by its multifunctionality.

For example, it is most often used for steaming and stewing because the heat comes from the bottom and spreads out from there. In turn, the principle of a multicooker is to circulate hot air at high speed. It is equipped in such a way that cooking is carried out due to the uniform circulation of hot air, and therefore the food is evenly heated from all sides and better retains nutrients during the cooking process.

A multicooker is also more versatile than a grill, microwave, or other kitchen gadgets as it can defrost, heat, and cook. For example, the XXL Combi multicooker from Phillips allows you to cook your favorite dishes using 22 functions: frying, grilling, roasting, baking, stewing, sous vide, oven cooking, toasting, dehydrating, and even reheating ready-made dishes, among others. The multicooker also has 75 automatic programs that make it easy to figure out how to cook individual ingredients: the multicooker will provide all the necessary information about the size of the dish or pieces, their quantity, thickness if necessary, and adjust the cooking time, temperature, and optimal air flow.

The Philips Combi multicooker has an advanced hot air flow technology with the ability to set a slower or faster flow called Rapid CombiAir. This technology allows you to cook the most demanding dishes as the airflow can be combined: fast at the beginning of cooking and slow at the end so that the steak is perfectly juicy inside and the cheesecake retains its texture and does not over-brown.

The multicooker's capabilities are perfectly complemented by the NutriU app, which contains recipes for more than 500 meals for every day. What's more, the Philips Combi multicooker can not only cook food but also recommend recipes based on the owner's favorite dishes.

The built-in food thermometer gives you complete control over cooking and ensures that steaks, chicken, fish and any other food is perfectly cooked. Simply insert the probe before starting the program and the multicooker will control the cooking process to ensure that the food remains tender and juicy and with a perfect golden brown. You can control the thermometer in the same way as the multicooker: both on the multicooker screen and through the NutriU app. After all, the Philips Combi multicooker can be easily controlled from a distance using the app, so you can enjoy the cooking process and receive reports on the intermediate stages of cooking even on the way to the supermarket or while playing with your children.

In addition, you can use up to 99% less oil, butter or fat to cook in the multicooker. The food is healthier than frying but still crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. And this, of course, is a bonus for a healthy diet when there are no compromises on the taste of the dishes.

A nice bonus is that Philips multicooker cooks 40% faster than an oven and saves up to 70% of energy. For detailed calculations, visit Philips.ua.

Now we want to share a selection of delicious and simple recipes that we found in the NutriU app.

Medium rare New York steak

With the integrated thermometer in the Philips Combi, you can cook your steak just the way you like it regardless of the degree of doneness. Simply select the desired temperature in the app or adjust it on the multicooker display.

Ingredients for 1 serving:

• a piece of meat (approx. 0.3 kg)
• 1 pinch of sea salt
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 5 g of garlic
• 10 g of parsley

Preparation:

1. Preheat the grill grate at 200℃ for 2 minutes.
2. While the grill is heating, brush the steak with neutral-smelling vegetable oil.
3. Insert the built-in thermometer into the thickest part of the steak. Place the steak and garlic in the multicooker and cook on the Steak program for 4 minutes.
4. Turn the steak over and cook for another 3 minutes.
5. Wrap the steak in food foil and leave it for 5-8 minutes to distribute the juice evenly.
6. Cut the steak into 0.5 cm wide slices, add spices and herbs.

French fries with a spoonful of oil

As we said, you can cook many dishes with minimal oil, even French fries, because the Philips Combi Multicooker uses only hot air to cook. And it only takes 10 minutes to cook crispy, flavorful fries in the multicooker.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 800 g potatoes
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1 pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into equal 1 cm thick slices.
2. Cover the chopped potatoes with water and leave for at least half an hour. Then drain and dry the potatoes thoroughly on paper towels.
3. Place the potatoes in a large bowl, drizzle with oil and mix thoroughly to coat each piece. Now, place the potatoes in the multicooker and select the appropriate program Homemde Fries.
4. After a few minutes, remove the basket and shake the potatoes. Put the basket back into the multicooker. Shake the basket at least one more time before the program ends. You can set the number of shakes yourself in the app.
5. Take out the fries, season with salt and serve on a plate.

Lemon and ricotta cheesecake

Serve the dessert with a sprinkle of cookie crumble on top. Thanks to the circulation of hot air in the multicooker, the cheesecake will take only 50 minutes to cook instead of 1.2 hours in the oven.

Ingredients:

• 500 g of ricotta
• 150 g of sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp of lemon zest
• 3 medium-sized eggs
• 3 tbsp. cornstarch

Preparation:

1. Combine ricotta, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest in a bowl. Stir until smooth.
2. Add eggs one by one, stirring well. Add cornstarch too.
3. Grease a baking dish and pour the mixture into it. Insert the pan into the multicooker and select the Cheesecake program.
4. When the program is finished, remove the cheesecake from the pan and place it on a wire rack. Wait for it to cool completely.

Gluten-free vegetable lasagna with mushrooms and peas

Delicious and easy-to-make lasagna with gluten-free sheets. Compared to a conventional oven, the Philips multicooker makes cooking much faster: juicy lasagna is ready in 30 minutes instead of an hour and a half.

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 200 g of mushrooms
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp of sunflower oil
• 650 g of tomato sauce
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 130 g of lasagna sheets
• 80 g of frozen green peas
• 100 g of low-fat cream cheese
• 40 g of basil pesto
• 50 g grated Gouda cheese

Preparation:

1. Cut the mushrooms into slices, peel and chop the onion finely. Lightly fry in a pan in sunflower oil. Heat the tomato sauce and add salt and pepper.
2. Layer the tomato sauce with basil, lasagna sheets, mushrooms, onions, and peas in the baking dish so that the tomato sauce is on top.
3. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and basil pesto sauce and spread on top of the lasagna. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
4. Put the baking dish into the multicooker and bake until the lasagna sheets are well baked. It will take 30 minutes or a little longer depending on the density of the dish in the baking dish.

Spicy chicken drumsticks

Whether you're having a family dinner or watching a football game with friends, chicken drumsticks are the perfect dish. And thanks to the spacious XXL basket with a 2 kg/ 8.3 l capacity, the Philips Combi multicooker can serve more than 7 people.

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 head of garlic
• ½ tbsp. mustard
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground red pepper

• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 4 chicken drumsticks

Preparation:

1. Peel and chop the garlic. Put in a bowl, add mustard, brown sugar, chili powder, salt and freshly ground pepper. Add oil and mix well.
2. Brush the chicken drumsticks with this marinade on all sides and leave for 20 minutes.
3. Place the drumsticks in the multicooker basket and switch on the Chicken Drumsticks program.
4. Adjust the shaking to ensure that any pieces that might be sticking together too tightly are separated during cooking for better air movement. If you are cooking more than 2 servings, we recommend setting 1 or 2 shakings.
5. When the program is finished, remove the drumsticks from the multicooker.

And if cooking is less of a problem for you than washing up after a delicious dinner, the Philips Combi has another advantage: the removable parts are dishwasher-safe. There's no need to think about how to clean the non-removable parts either as the Combi multicooker will show you an animated care guide after each cooking session.

If you're looking for a smart kitchen appliance and you value the ability to cook varied, tasty, healthy and, last but not least, fast and easy, the Philips Combi multicooker is the right choice for you.