Do I Want or Need a Tefal Actifry Plus?

As many of you will know if you follow me across social media as well as read the blog two thing about me are fairly obvious:

1)     I love to cook and especially love my kitchen gadgetry

2)     I attend Slimming World and have done on and off for the past thirteen years.

The burning question which I’m asking myself at the moment is “should I get an Actifry”? Many people at the group swear by them as they apparently allow you to make pretty much anything with very little effort and even better (from a slimming point of view) little to no fat.

I currently have an air fryer from another brand which is great however I’m not convinced that it will last the long haul, especially now the free warranty has ended (sods law and all that!). I have to say that anything that allows you to make Slimming World KFC chicken without any syns is worth its weight in gold and of course with this model being 1.2kg in capacity it seems to be the much more family-friendly as well as slimming friendly option.

kfcchicken

KFC Chicken Slimming World style – a huge hit in our house and one of the many reasons I’m considering a Tefal Actifry Plus, primarily so that I can make larger portions as well as save time!

The thing that has me pausing is the price. These are not £20 kitchen gadgets; they are often priced at over £100. That said I’ve read so many reviews that say that buying an Actifry has been a lifesaver and that the oven is rarely used anymore (mine is a Rangemaster and eats gas and electricity). I wouldn’t pay full price (the frugal fan / tight cow in me wouldn’t allow it) however using shopping comparison sites such as  http://www.dontbuy4more.co.uk/ I should help narrow down the best prices and save me spending more than I need to.

What I’m asking you all today is what you think of the Tefal Actifry Plus? Do you have one? Is it as useful and used as often as you thought it would be? What is your favourite recipe? Help me out here as I’m seriously toying with the idea of getting one (or Roy getting one for me as a Christmas present) and want to make an informed choice!

Chicken, Ginger and Green Bean Hotpot

Anyone who knows me knows that I love my food; not just eating (!) but playing with recipes, experimenting and creating new meals for my family.

The inspiration for tonight’s meal came from an old BBC Good Food magazine that a friend gave me which I tweaked slightly so that it would also be suitable for me to eat on the Slimming World plan too. This was a meal that went down brilliantly with everyone, even the husband who gave it 10/10 (a score that has only once been given before and that was for my slow cooked lasagne).

Chicken, Ginger and Green Bean Hotpot served with rice, cabbage and leeks.
(Delicious and syn-free).

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For the hot pot (Served 4 – two being children)

Ingredients
6 Skinless chicken thigh fillets, all fat trimmed
Vegetable Oil (SW Frylight)
2cm piece of ginger, finely grated, or the equivalent of ground ginger
1/2 tbsp brown sugar (SW a little sweetener)
1 minced garlic clove
1.5 tbsp fish sauce
100g green beans
150g chicken stock
200g mushrooms

Method
1. Heat a pan (medium heat), add or oil or Frylight as preferred and then gently stir-fry the garlic, onion and ginger for five minutes or until golden.
2. Add the fish sauce, stock, sugar (or alternative) and the chicken thighs and then cook on medium with the lid on for 15 minutes. * I pre-cooked the thighs in my Philips Air Fryer to cook through and get rid of any excess fat, making this recipe more SW friendly however this is not essential.
3. 3-4 minutes before the end of cooking stir, coating the chicken with sauce and add the green beans and sliced mushrooms.
4. Serve!

Mmmm