Keep your diamonds, I have ONION rings!

My inner fat girl is VERY excited to tell you all about the onion rings I made tonight.  These started as a special request from a friend and reader who said jokingly that onion rings were the only vegetables she could get her husband to consume; specifically the "blooming onion" from an unnamed chain steakhouse. I also figured with the Super Bowl on the horizon, that it might be delightful to be able to nosh on onion rings without hardly any guilt.

Since I don't think I have the surgical prowess to cut the onion into an actual "flower" shape nor do I have one of those fancy onion cutters, I opted for onion rings.  And of course, in the spirit of lightening things up in the interest of trim waist lines and over all health, I had to put my own spin on these.  These were oven baked on a rack instead of fried in order to produce a crispy end result and to eliminate the need for ANY oil.

I also tried to replicate a dipping sauce for the rings, and instead of using a ton of sour cream, I opted for plain Greek yogurt; jazzed up with spices.

Here is the recipe:

Better Than Diamond Onion Rings

Ingredients: ( serves 2 very generously)

- 2 large yellow onions
-2 cups Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
-1 cup beer of your choice ( I used Sierra Nevada Pale Ale I found in the fridge)
-2 egg whites and 1 yolk
-2 tsp Cayenne pepper
-Salt
-Pepper

For the dipping sauce:
-1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil Mayonnaise or Vegenaise
-1 TBSP onion powder
-2 tsp Cayenne ( or more if you like it spicier)
-2 tsp Paprika
-Salt & pepper to taste

To begin, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Find a wire rack and place it into a baking sheet.  This method allows the air to circulate around the onion to make it crispy without frying.  Cut the onion into rings about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick and set aside.  Find 3 shallow dishes; in the first, add the flour. In the second dish, beat the eggs and add the beer, and finally in the third dish, add your bread crumbs and seasonings.
To proceed, keep your three dishes in that order; flour; liquid and bread crumbs. Keep your baking sheet/rack right near by.  Start by dredging the rings ( I found that single or double rings were best) in the flour, next coat thoroughly in the liquid, and finally coat in bread crumbs.  Gently shake off excess and arrange on rack.  Cook these for about 12-15 minutes. They should be golden and crispy when you remove from the oven.

While they are baking, assemble your sauce. Mix together yogurt and mayo/vegenaise and all spices until you achieve a flavor and seasoning level you enjoy.

Finally, the moment we've all been waiting for...CRUNCH!

Enjoy these with a great deal less guilt than the fried, greasy alternative!

Cheers!

Until next time,

xo