MAKES: 4 SERVINGS (5 ONION RINGS PER SERVING) • DIFFICULTY: moderate
Onion rings were a favorite of mine growing up, but I thankfully (and heartfully) gave up my taste for those greasy, oily, deep-fried, fatty monstrosities. The onion rings in this recipe come out pretty close to perfection. Try them with Black Bean Burgers and Beet Burgers.
1 large red onion, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
⅔ cup oat flour
¼ cup chickpea flour
1 cup Almond Milk
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
⅓ cup cornmeal
¾ cup 100% whole-grain salt-free bread crumbs
⅓ cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons Savory Spice Blend
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set aside. Separate the onion slices into rings. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In a shallow bowl, combine the oat flour, chickpea flour, Almond Milk, and vinegar, stirring to blend well.
In a separate shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, Savory Spice Blend, and paprika, mixing well.
In a row, line up the bowls of onion rings, batter, and breading mixture, and the prepared baking sheet. Dip an onion ring into the batter, coating it all over. Transfer the onion ring to the breading, tossing to coat. Use a clean, dry hand to sprinkle the breading onto the onion as needed. Place the coated onion ring on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ingredients, arranging the rings in a single layer. Use a second baking sheet, if needed. You should have enough batter and breading for about twenty onion rings. Bake for 10 minutes; then remove from the oven and carefully turn over the rings. Bake for about 10 minutes longer, or until crisp and nicely browned. Serve hot.
Colorectal cancer starts out as a polyp, which grows from the inner surface of the colon. A 2006 study found that six months of consuming a phytonutrient called quercetin, which is found in vegetables such as red onions, along with curcumin, an active ingredient of the spice turmeric, were found to decrease the number and size of polyps by more than half among patients with a hereditary form of colorectal cancer.133 Eating onion along with garlic has also been associated with a significantly lower risk of prostate enlargement (known as BPH).134