Sometimes things get weird when your job involves developing recipes. Consider the day last summer when I found myself playing mixologist at 10 in the morning because I needed to create a cocktail recipe. Or when I was working on the Sweets chapter of my cookbook and spent an entire workday eating nothing but chocolate pudding. Or last week when I cooked up a big batch of onion rings, something I’ve rarely eaten and never made, with nobody to share them with but myself. This fact, it turned out, was perfectly agreeable because THEY WERE DELICIOUS. And because they were a whole lot lighter on the palate and the waistline than the sort of onion rings you might find in the drive thru line.
Lighter Beer Batter Onion Rings are from a book that I’m pretty excited to sink my teeth into called Lighten Up, America by Allison Fishman Task. It’s a cooking road trip across the country and features some of our favorites from coast to coast. Because the book is published by Cooking Light, the recipes are all (you guessed it) lower in fat and calories than you might expect. I’ve already bookmarked a few: Texas Sheet Cake (hello!), Lobster Rolls (for Mr. Mom’s Kitchen), Magic Cookie Bars (for me the kids), and Five Layer Dip (for company).
Lighter Beer Batter Onion Rings
Ingredients
- 2 large onions , peeled (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 6 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/3 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup beer
- 2 large egg whites , lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons oil
- Cooking spray
- Ketchup (optional)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400°.
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Cut onion crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and separate into rings. Use 16 of the largest rings; reserve remaining onion for another use.
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Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl. Stir in beer and egg white (batter will be thick).
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Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip 5 onion rings in batter, letting excess drip off. Add onion rings to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Place onion rings on a jelly-roll pan. Repeat procedure of dipping onion rings in batter and cooking in remaining oil twice, ending with 6 rings.
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Coat onion rings with cooking spray.
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Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until crisp.
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Serve rings with ketchup, if desired.
Reprinted with permission from Lighten Up, America by Allison Fishman Task, Oxmoor House, 2013
Comments
10.27.2013 at8:36 PM #
Pam H
Loaded Potato Skins!
10.28.2013 at3:37 AM #
barbara n
My favorite classic American dish is potato salad!
10.28.2013 at3:55 AM #
Natalie
Hum I fess Mac and cheese
10.28.2013 at4:52 AM #
Nancy
I love a classic meatloaf!
10.28.2013 at5:29 AM #
Natasha
My favorite is Mac and Cheese!
10.28.2013 at5:30 AM #
Natasha
I follow you on Twitter! @wild4wednesdays
10.28.2013 at5:30 AM #
Natasha
I follow you on Pinterest! @Lana756
10.28.2013 at5:31 AM #
Natasha
I like you on FB!
10.28.2013 at6:19 AM #
Kathleen Kiley
POT ROAST…yum
10.28.2013 at6:19 AM #
Kathleen Kiley
I follow you on Facebook and twitter
kileywiley12@kiley
10.28.2013 at7:04 AM #
Mary Frances
Hmmm … that Five Layer Dip sounds wonderful! I choose that.
10.28.2013 at7:05 AM #
Murni Rovinsky
My favorite American dish is apple pie.
10.28.2013 at8:34 AM #
Emily
My favorite American dish is apple pie! I also follow you on Twitter @em1gem
10.28.2013 at8:35 AM #
Jennifer Conforti
How about apple or cherry pie! I was gonna say Mac n’ cheese, but several already mentioned it.
I follow you on Pinterest, too!
10.28.2013 at9:39 AM #
Lisa
Defnitely Mac and Cheese as well as mashed potatoes!
10.28.2013 at9:40 AM #
Lisa
Already a FB fan of you too!
10.28.2013 at10:00 AM #
Kristin Sims
my favorite american classic dish is chicken n dumplings! thank you!
i follow you on twitter @kristinsims8
i follow you on facebook janey cat
i follow you on pinterest janeycat1
thank you!!!
10.28.2013 at10:53 AM #
Jen
I grew up in the South so biscuits and gravy are a constant guilty craving. I like you on FB too!
10.28.2013 at12:22 PM #
Anne Mullen
Lots of American classics are favorites of mine: a good greasy hamburger is hard to beat, with mayo on the toasted bun, then topped with lettuce, tomato and dill pickle slices.
Blueberry pie is also a favorite because it’s delicious and so darn easy: no coring, pitting, pealing, slicing. Just dump them in a bowl with some sugar, a bit of flour, juice of half a lemon, toss into the pie shell, top with another and back. Served warm with vanilla ice cream? Gard to beat.
10.28.2013 at2:13 PM #
Kathleen
One of my favorite classic menu items is Shepherds Pie. It’s easy, yummy, and tummy filling, for a great Fall dish! Thanks for the giveaway!
10.28.2013 at2:13 PM #
Kathleen
I follow on Pinterest! THANKS! =)
10.28.2013 at3:49 PM #
Jennifer Dysart
I love good home-baked mac n cheese! And I love love meat casseroles, especially ones with cheese in them
10.28.2013 at3:50 PM #
Jennifer Dysart
extra entry–I follow on fb as Jennifer Dysart! (@jennifer.dysart.3)
10.28.2013 at3:50 PM #
Jennifer Dysart
extra entry: I also follow on pinterest as @thewhitefairy
10.28.2013 at3:54 PM #
Julie McDonough
Chicken and Dumplings, Country Fried Steak…I could go on and on. It’s hard to pick just one!
10.28.2013 at3:57 PM #
Julie McDonough
I follow on facebook.
10.28.2013 at3:58 PM #
Julie McDonough
I follow on twitter
10.28.2013 at3:58 PM #
Julie McDonough
I follow on pinterest.
10.28.2013 at4:34 PM #
Audrey
I like all of the above and I’ll add tuna melts.
10.28.2013 at5:13 PM #
In Write Field
Deviled eggs. I’m at my hairdresser’s right now, and we’ve spent the last 5 minutes talking about how much we love them, where you can find the best ones etc.
10.28.2013 at5:40 PM #
Ellen Bordman
PUMPKIN PIE!
10.28.2013 at6:04 PM #
TrishInFL
A good home baked mac and cheese!
10.28.2013 at6:05 PM #
TrishInFL
I follow you on Pinterest!
10.28.2013 at6:05 PM #
TrishInFL
I like you on FB.
10.28.2013 at6:16 PM #
Natalie
Chocolate chip cookies!!!!!!
10.28.2013 at6:54 PM #
Miranda
I love mac and cheese
10.28.2013 at6:54 PM #
Miranda
Fb follower
10.28.2013 at6:54 PM #
Miranda
twitter follower
10.28.2013 at6:54 PM #
Miranda
pinterest follower
10.28.2013 at6:55 PM #
Gary
I would never turn down a meatloaf
10.28.2013 at6:55 PM #
Gary
Like you on facebook
10.28.2013 at8:23 PM #
Kelley Green
A family favourite here is Mac and Cheese. I’ve been playing with it for years to try and keep the flavour while lowering the fat/calorie count.
10.29.2013 at1:31 PM #
Jane Pearl
I Love, a tender fall apart Pot Roast with Mashed potatoes, Yum!
10.30.2013 at2:29 PM #
Stevie Luplow
My favorite American Dish is Casseroles….I will make and eat just about any kind of casserole. I just made a Pizza Casserole and can not wait to make different varieties of it!
I also follow you on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest (all usernames are StevieLuplow)
10.30.2013 at6:43 PM #
Erin
Give me a juicy bacon cheeseburger any day!
10.31.2013 at1:06 AM #
Barb
Hot dogs, grilled while tailgating at the ball park.
10.31.2013 at7:43 PM #
maria
Love, love, love popcorn chicken: chicken chunks dipped into pancake batter and deep fried. Most of them end up in my mouth before hitting the dinner plate.
11.01.2013 at8:23 AM #
Tracy
I love chocolate chip cookies. Total comfort food for me.
11.06.2013 at8:17 PM #
Sally Maccoun
Hi Katie, I love deviled eggs and chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, and most everything.
11.06.2013 at8:17 PM #
Sally Maccoun
I follow you on twitter, facebook and pinterest.