Easy air fryer recipes to get you started if you get one as a gift

If you received one of the hottest kitchen appliances of 2021 for Christmas, then these air fryer recipes are a tasty way to test your new gift out.

Coco Morante, author of "The Ultimate Air Fryer Oven Cookbook," shared two dinner ideas with "Good Morning America" to make the most of the hit kitchen item.

Miso-Glazed Salmon

Cook Time: 18 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

"Baking is one of the more foolproof ways to prepare salmon—it always comes out beautifully tender. Here, it’s topped with a savory-sweet miso glaze that bakes on during the last few minutes of cooking. For a light and nutritious dinner, serve this with quinoa or rice and a salad or slaw alongside."

Ingredients
2 (8-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets (1½- to 2-inches thick in the middle)
Olive oil, for spraying
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving

Miso glaze
1 tablespoon white miso
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed or grated on a Microplane
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon minced ginger root (from a ½- inch piece)
Pinch cayenne pepper

Directions

Preheat the air fryer on the "bake" setting at 350 F and set the cooking time for 18 minutes. Line the cooking pan with aluminum foil.

Place the salmon fillets skin side down on the lined cooking pan. Spray the fish lightly with oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Bake the salmon in the preheated oven.

While the salmon is baking, make the miso glaze: In a small bowl, stir together the miso, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger and cayenne.

When the “turn food” message comes on, wearing heat-resistant mitts, remove the cooking pan from the oven. Use a small spatula or spoon to spread the miso glaze over the fish. Return the salmon to the oven.

When the cooking program ends, use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the salmon. It should be at least 145 F in the thickest part of the fillet. If it is not, cook for a few more minutes.

Transfer the salmon to serving plates. Serve with lemon wedges.

Note: If the salmon fillets are thinner than 1½ inches, you may need to lower the cooking time. This will usually be the case for smaller varieties of salmon. If this is the case, you’ll still want to give the miso glaze ample time to bake. Spread it over thinner fillets after 5 minutes of cooking rather than waiting for the “turn food” message to come on, then bake until they reach 145°F in the thickest part of the fillet.

Japanese-Style Chicken Cutlets aka Katsu

Cook time: 18 minutes
Yield: 2 large cutlets, 4 servings

"Katsu is the Japanese term for breaded and fried cutlets. It’s one of my favorite preparations for chicken breasts, which stay tender and juicy when they’re pounded thin, covered in breadcrumbs and air fried. A little bit of miso in the egg wash gives them an extra-savory flavor."

Ingredients
For the cutlets
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 pound total)
1/2 cup flour
1 large egg
2 teaspoons white miso
2 teaspoons water
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Avocado oil or other neutral-flavored oil, for spraying

Katsu sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce

For serving
1/2 medium head green cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
3 cups cooked rice

Directions
Prepare the chicken: Sandwich each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet to pound out the breasts until they are about ½-inch thick.

Create a breading station with three shallow bowls: Add the flour to the first bowl. In the second bowl, whisk the egg, miso, and water until evenly combined and no streaks remain. Add the breadcrumbs to the third bowl.

Line the air frying basket with parchment paper. Place the black enamel cooking pan in the bottom oven rack position to catch any drips. Place the wire metal oven rack in the second highest position.

Dredge 1 chicken cutlet in the flour, then shake any excess flour back into the bowl. Next, dip the cutlet in the egg mixture, holding it over the bowl for a few seconds to let any excess egg drip back into the bowl. Finally, place the cutlet in the bowl of breadcrumbs, flipping it and pressing down firmly a few times to make sure it is well coated. Transfer the breaded chicken cutlet to the lined air frying basket. Repeat with the remaining chicken breast.

Preheat the air fryer on "air fry" at 350 F and set the cooking time for 18 minutes.

Spray the cutlet lightly with avocado oil.

Air fry the cutlets in the preheated oven. When the “turn food” message comes on, use tongs to flip the cutlets. Spray the second sides with the oil, then return them to the oven.

While the cutlets are cooking, make the katsu sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the Worcestershire, ketchup, sugar, and soy sauce.

When the cooking program ends, transfer the chicken cutlets to a cutting board. Slice them into ¾-inch strips.

Transfer the chicken to serving plates, drizzle with katsu sauce, and serve with the shredded cabbage, cherry tomatoes and rice.

Note: Some boneless skinless chicken breasts can weigh 14 ounces or more. For larger breasts, butterfly them before pounding, then cut them in half to make two cutlets each.

Excerpted from The Ultimate Air Fryer Oven Cookbook: Easy Recipes that Satisfy © 2021 by Coco Morante. Photography © 2021 by Katie Newburn. Reproduced by permission of Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.