Whole roasted cauliflower has, for me anyway, transcended its fad stage, remaining a go-to for an impressive weeknight dinner. Its relatively bland flavor is a perfect canvas for strong, bold additions, like this Caesar salad dressing–inspired marinade. Made with Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and garlic, it hits all the flavor notes you want in a Caesar salad, but without the lettuce.

Since the air fryer cooks potatoes exceptionally well, rendering the skins uber crispy, Hasselback potatoes are a natural for the machine. The slices of potato cook up like a standing potato gratin, with plenty of grooves to absorb the sharp chive pesto and dollops of sour cream. It’s like an old-school baked potato dressed up in way less time than ever before

Some people may scoff at making a mole in less than 10 minutes—and I’m by no means comparing this one to the slow-simmered, traditional moles of Puebla—but for a weeknight meal, it hits all the right spicy-sweet-nutty notes that you’d want from a mole sauce. The cauliflower gets a head start in the air fryer to make sure the florets are tender by the time the sauce comes into play, then it’s only 5 minutes more until dinner. Serve this with cooked rice and additions like avocado, rice and beans, and sour cream for a burrito bowl or divided between tortillas for tacos.

Chewy quinoa is transformed into crisp, crunchy bits in the air fryer. They pair perfectly with tender mushrooms, chopped Asian pear, and hearty herbs like mint and sage, which all make this a decidedly wintery salad, perfect as a side dish, or light salad for lunch. As with all grains that you want to fry, make sure they are cooled and dried thoroughly before frying to ensure they get as crispy as possible.

Fried rice is the quintessential leftovers dish, but sometimes you don’t want to handle the wok and all the prep and dishes that come with it. The air fryer still gives you exceptionally crispy rice, but without all the stirring, flipping, and heating up your kitchen with a high-heat flame. The rice and broccoli toast up super crunchy and then get drizzled with a quick General Tso’s–style sauce. Use the leftover sauce as a condiment on sandwiches or as a dip for fried chicken and french fries.

Fish sticks are a fried classic, but they’re often not made with the best fish. Making your own (admit it, you love ’em) in the air fryer allows you to control the quality of the fish and make them healthier in the process. I like trout for their clean flavor and small size, but feel free to use any white-fleshed fish you want, such as catfish, tilapia, or even swordfish. If the fish can be cut into a finger shape, it works here.

Inspired by a recipe from Madhur Jaffrey, an Indian cookbook legend, salmon fillets are rubbed in fragrant, warming tandoori spices, a perfect match for the fish’s rich flavor. The salmon is then roasted atop fingerling potatoes, and thanks to the efficiency of the air fryer, they’ll be ready at the same time. It’s the perfect one–air fryer meal.

When I was growing up in the South in the ’90s, blackened red snapper was the trendy fish preparation, especially in and around New Orleans, where it was popularized by the legendary chef Paul Prudhomme. Most everyone used Chef Paul’s store-bought, premade blackening seasoning, and it’s good, but it never hurts to have a from-scratch recipe ready to go for when you want to control the type and amount of spices. This is my take, put to good use in this air-fried version, which cooks up moist and is enjoyed with a cooling, tangy rémoulade sauce. Serve it up over cooked grits or roasted potatoes for a simple take on this old-school NOLA classic.

I love Chinese takeout just as much as the next person, but sometimes it’s nice to prepare the dish at home to make it healthier, which allows me to eat more of it! My favorite combination is tender strips of beef coated in a sweet, slightly bitter orange sauce. The Chinese take-out versions often use orange extract to drive home the orange flavor, but here, I lean on orange marmalade, orange zest, and orange juice to imbue the beef with their bright flavors. The beef cooks up in the sauce until it’s reduced and glazed all over—the perfect quick weeknight meal to serve over rice.

This recipe is, perhaps, the one I’m most proud of because it’s so impressive. Instead of spending hours in an oven, air fry a sirloin roast, here crusted in crushed coriander seeds and black peppercorns, and have perfectly cooked roast beef ready for guests in about an hour. Even better, save the whole roast or any leftovers for later to make deli-style roast beef sandwiches (it’s much easier to get thin slices once the beef is chilled).