baked onion rings

Please vote for my cupcakes!

I was perusing blogs and came across a recipe for baked onion rings. What drew me to try them was that they really did look like the real deal, minus the hassle of frying. The coating evenly coated the onion rings and the mixture remained intact. After baking, the crunchy coating was evenly crisp with a perfectly cooked onion in the center. I was sold, and knew that the effort would pay off with crunchy deliciousness.

To start, you prepare a thick buttermilk mixture with flour and seasonings. You'll want to make sure this is properly seasoned since all the flavorings are mixed into the buttermilk mixture instead of the coating (which you can also jazz up with an herb blend, if desired).

For the coating, the directions call for cornflakes and bread crumbs, though I didn't have any. Rice Krispies make a good substitution, as well as bran flakes or any light, relatively flavorless cereal. I replaced a bit of the rice cereal with oatmeal ground to a powder. I liked the flavor it added, though the coating was a little mealy. Not enough to detract from the taste, so I might do it again.

A few pointers to ease the coating process:

• Make sure all excess buttermilk mixture has dripped off the onion rings, otherwise it'll leave to many clumps in the crumb mixture.


• Work with half the crumb mixture at a time, adding more when you get low. This will prevent more of the mixture from clumping.


• Use your other hand to coat the rings with the crumbs, preferably using a fork. The less you dip your fingers in the mixture, the less messy it'll be.

I found that the rings, once coated in both mixtures, can be left to air dry for a couple of minutes, or even up to an hour. You might then be able to freeze the rings and cook later. If you opt to try this out, freeze in a single layer on wax paper lined baking sheet. Transfer to a gallon size ziploc bag to freeze for up to a week.

To bake, a few tablespoons of oil are heated on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven before the rings are placed on the sheet. This most likely assures maximum crispiness and mimics the frying technique. It produces a very crisp ring with a light and crunchy coating. The flavor was great, and these make a nice addition to hot dog, sandwiches, and burgers as well as soups, or simply for general snacking. Serve alongside your favorite dipping sauce and you're good to go.

Recipe after jump.

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baked onion rings
Recipe from Martha Stewart

Serves 4

ingredients -

1 1/2 cups cornflakes
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt (I used around 3/4 teaspoon) and ground pepper
1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia (or 2 regular white onions), sliced crosswise into 1/4-1/2 inch slices and broken into rings (discard small center rings)
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

directions -

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, pulse cornflakes and breadcrumbs until fine crumbs form, then transfer half to a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, flour, and cayenne and season with salt and pepper.


2. Dip onion rings in egg mixture (letting excess drip off) and dredge in cornflake mixture (adding more when needed); place on a large plate. Rings can stand for up to an hour. Pour oil onto a rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven and heat 2 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and tilt to coat evenly with oil. Arrange onion rings on sheet. Bake, turning once, until onion rings are golden brown, about 16 minutes.

Palm Island Sea Salts Review + Butternut Squash Aioli on Blanched Asparagus

I received an assortment of Palm Island Premium Sea Salts from the company that I've been waiting to review. This is one of my favorite brands of sea salt ever since I first stumbled upon the salts in the grocery store a few months ago. I was excited because the flavors of the salts seemed unique compared to other varieties I know about.

Starting clockwise on the top left, we have Bamboo Jade sea salt. Certified organic bamboo-leaf extract is mixed with the salt and has one of the most unique scents and tastes available. The salt crystals are large in size and have a very pretty light green coloring. The suggested use is to enhance Asian recipes. I've sprinkled this salt on top of oatmeal cookies before being baked. Really lends a unique flavor that takes the cookie from typical to outstanding.

Next is White Silver, which is the base for all the other salts. The salt, which is harvested from the Molokai waters, is allowed to dry under Hawaii Kai's original "Solar Seal", their method of preserving the trace minerals present naturally in salt. The ingredients list goes, "Natural Pacific sea salt, premium Hawaiian sea salt, and Hawaii Kai Ocean Essence". The crystals are sparkly and the taste of this one is a bit saltier, but not tinny like most table salts.

Red Gold Sea Salt includes the White Silver mixed with rel alaea clay. The clay they select is purified and bonded with the White Silver. The texture is slightly clumpy when you pour the salt from the bag, but the taste is great. This is the salt featured in the recipe I used for the review.

Last is Black Lava. Hawaii Kai uses premium activated charcoal, which they say is an antitoxin and digestive aid, mixed with their White Silver. The presentation factor is outstanding with this alt. The flavor is deep and earthy and would be great as a finishing salt on meats. (That's how I've used it.)

Any of these salts can be used however you want as a finishing salt, you just need to match or contrast the flavors.

To feature the salt, I paired the Red Gold sea salt with a butternut squash aioli on top of blanched asparagus. I used the same recipe for aioli that I've used in the past, only I omitted the honey and stevia. I didn't have any lemon juice so I subbed white wine vinegar. Also, I doubled the garlic and added a little horseradish mustard. I seasoned lightly with regular flake kosher salt to bring out the flavors, knowing I'd be sprinkling the Palm Island salt on top later. Don't make it too salty!

To make this dish a bit more fall-centric, I roasted a butternut squash until tender, then scooped and mashed the flesh. I added 1/2 cup squash to the finished aioli. The light orange color is beautiful! The aioli can be prepared days ahead of time and stored, covered, in the fridge for a while. This is a great way to sneak in more vegetables into your diet as well as using what's in season. Just make sure the squash is roasted completely and mashed smoothly so it blends with the aioli. I always prick the squash with a fork, microwave on high for 5 minutes. This makes the squash easy to slice open. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stick in a hot oven (375° is what my oven was on) until the flesh can easily be stuck with a fork and scooped.

I saw these small, tender asparagus stalks at Martin's and knew that I wanted to do something with them. My goal was to keep prep minimal, so instead of roasting I opted to blanch. Blanching is the process of cooking whatever for a brief amount of time in boiling water, just until the color pops, then removing to a bowl of really cold or ice water to halt the cooking process. The result is tender vegetables that look beautiful and have a snap. Difficult to overcook, really. So I trimmed the asparagus, plopped in boiling water, and it was ready in no time. You want to make sure you pat the asparagus dry or else it'll make the aioli watery. All that remained was the finishing touch of the Red Gold Sea Salt, which clearly contrasts nicely against the subtle orange of the aioli.

If you see any of these salts at a grocery store near you, don's hesitate to purchase a bag. They're also available online.

Bossa Nova Juice Review and Recipe

Bossa Nova recently sent me some of their juices to review. The concept here is using superfruits, acai, mangosteen, acerola, and goji berry. Lightly sweetened with agave, these juices contain all natural and organic ingredients that contain nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins.

Bossa Nova offers a line of individual serving sizes a few different flavors (check the website to see them all). The goji berry with tart cherry was surprisingly pleasant with its smooth tartness. It was the least sweet of the four, but still very good. Both the mangosteen with passion fruit and mangosteen with dragon fruit were both slightly thicker in texture than the acai and goji berry. I really like the taste of the mangosteen with dragon fruit because it had a smooth, tropical flavor that I liked over the juice with passion fruit.

As seen in the first picture, there is also a line of 32 ounce bottles of juice in three flavors. The juices were all delicious and I liked tasting the blends from different fruit combinations. I'd definitely recommend looking for Bossa Nova juices in the store if you feel like grabbing something easy to consume and offers a sweet dose of healthy things to keep you feeling great.

While these would make a great juice addition to the fridge, you can also use the juices to make recipes, from cocktails to fruit punches, granita, and more. I decided to mix the acerola with mango into a recipe for miso vinaigrette, and use it on top of stir fried eggplant.

This is a really quick recipe to prepare, taking just around 15 minutes to cook the eggplant, though you'll need to prepare the vinaigrette first. I'll also be using the juices in another recipe, so stay tuned for that.

The miso vinaigrette is incredibly delicious and offers the benefits of miso in a light tasting, tangy dressing that can be used on salads, vegetables, to dip bread into, or even as a marinade.

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stir fried eggplant with Bossa Nova Acerola-Mango miso vinaigrette

Vinaigrette recipe ~
Recipe adapted from this link

ingredients ~

1/2 cup white vinegar (or lemon juice)
2 tablespoons sweet, white miso
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
2-3 tablespoons Bossa Nova Acerola-Mango juice, or water
1/4 cup fresh parsley, basil or chives
1 cup olive oil

directions ~

1. Whisk vinegar through parsley together in a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking quickly, until combined and mixture is emulsified. Set aside.

To prepare the eggplant ~

ingredients ~

2 pounds baby or Japanese/Chinese eggplant, sliced on the bias
A few slices sliced fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Coarse salt and pepper
Prepared vinaigrette

directions ~

1. Heat oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet with ginger for about 2 minutes, stirring the ginger so it won't stick to the bottom. Add eggplant and garlic, stirring to coat in oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir fry for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.


2. Lower heat to medium and pour in 1/2 cup vinaigrette. Stir to coat, then cover and let cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is softened but not mushy. Remove to a serving dish and drizzle with more vinaigrette if desired.

pasta with a pureed pea and cauliflower sauce

I'm not sure what this dish started off as being, but it ended up as a pasta recipe. Actually, I had intended to make pasta all along, though it was the sauce that I came up with as I went.

Tomato sauces get a bit old after a time, and I wanted something a bit richer than a simple olive oil-garlic sauce with add ins. I've really been enjoying recipes with the addition of pureed vegetables and I figured I'd turn that into a sauce.

Admittingly, I wasn't altogether sure of what I was doing, and the thought of split pea soup atop pasta didn't really sound very appetizing. Really, doe that sound appetizing? Anyway. I also added some cauliflower that wasn't really enough to use on its own, and I seasoned the sauce with thyme, paprika, and white pepper. The white pepper flavor ended up being my favorite part because it contrasted the pea taste quite nicely. So I ended up using a higher amount of it than I would normally, so the taste was the prominent flavor, but not overpowering. Adjust to suit your own taste, though.

Confession: I haven't really felt like blogging much. I don't really feel like composing the picture to photograph, to then edit to blog about. Maybe it's a lack of enthusiasm for the recipe, or maybe I just want to eat without thinking too much about it. Maybe I'm going through a moon cycle. So, this wasn't even going to make it to the blog until I decided right after I dished it out to take a picture. The recipe wasn't written down as I went, but I think I'm gotten it all down from memory.

Does anyone else go through phases with their blogging? Whenever this happens I try and at least get 2-3 posts up a week just to maintain a rhythm.

Recipe after the jump

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pasta with a pureed pea and cauliflower sauce
recipe by Christina Provo

ingredients ~

1 large onion, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 16 ounce pack of frozen peas
1 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2-1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus additional
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
16 ounces pasta
Mozzarella cheese

directions ~

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 2 teaspoons coarse salt.
   in a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cauliflower florets and stir to coat, followed by frozen peas (break up any chunks before adding). Stir in thyme, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, paprika and salt; saute for 4 minutes. Pour chicken broth over contents of skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until cauliflower can be pierced easily.


2. One cooked, puree pea mixture in batches in a blender. You will probably need to use more broth. Once mixture is all pureed, return to skillet and keep at a low simmer. Taste for seasoning, adjusting accordingly. Whisk in sour cream and parsley.


3. When water in pot has reached a boil, cook pasta for two minutes less than stated cooking time. Stir in 1 cup pasta water into pea sauce, then add drained pasta to sauce and continue cooking until al dente. Serve with mozzarella cheese.

dinner for breakfast ~ butternut squash mac & cheese

Most people know of the concept of eating breakfast for dinner. Who doesn't love a stack of pancakes in the PM, or a plate of piping hot waffles with craters of maple syrup. Don't forget the eggs and bacon!

Well, I like to reverse that concept and eat dinner for breakfast. Think of a plate of enchiladas with a poached egg on top, or the new concept of breakfast pizza that Jamie Oliver would probably not approve of (except that this version has eggs on top). So when I made Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese for dinner one night, I knew I really made it so I could have leftovers for breakfast.

This recipe features the traditional bechamel-type of white sauce with the addition of cheese whisked in. But what drew me in to this recipe in particular was the pureed butternut squash that is also in the sauce, giving it a unique taste that compliments the cheesiness. The squash, being the same orange hue as cheddar cheese, blends right in to create a creamy emulsion that's almost undetectable.

For breakfast, when I reheat pasta dishes I serve out my portion and sprinkle with some water. This helps separate the noodles, which tend to cling together once refrigerated. While this heats up, I simply poach an egg or two and plop it on top with extra salt, pepper, and finely chopped parsley.

That's all there is to it, and it makes a very tasty breakfast. Don't forget your coffee, or tea. Don't have a teapot? Head on over to the Bodum Tea Press Giveaway, why don't you, and don't forget your clean cup!

Foodbuzz Family Bites: Creamy Broccoli, Mushroom, and Spinach Soup

This recipe, filed under "lunch", is a quick, creamy vegetable soup that can be whipped up very quickly. The trio of vegetables in this soup is accented by white wine vinegar and white pepper, both adding a subtle taste that brightens the flavors along with the addition of lemon rind to finish.

Also, there is no cream here. The "creamy" texture is achieved by oatmeal being cooked with the simmering soup mixture before being pureed. I used a blender, but an immersion blender would speed the process up more. I did find that a dollop of sour cream stirred into each individual portion also added a nice smoothness to the soup, so adding about 1/4 cup to the entire soup would also work.

Recipe after jump

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Creamy Broccoli, Mushroom, and Spinach Soup
recipe by Christina Provo

A comforting soup that's packed full of healthy vegetables. While the soup contains no actual cream, the addition of oatmeal helps to bind the soup together after it’s pureed.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 35 minutes

Ingredients -

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water mixed with 2 teaspoons chicken or vegetable bouillon
3 cups water
2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups coarsely sliced portobello mushrooms
1 1/2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoons plus 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup oatmeal
3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Sour cream for serving
Finely grated lemon zest

Directions -

1. Bring chicken broth and water to a boil in a medium-sized pot on high heat. Once boiling, add broccoli and boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and maintain a rapid simmer.


2. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Once hot, add onion and saute for 1 minute. Stir in basil, white pepper, and salt. Add mushrooms, spinach, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil; saute for 2 minutes or until spinach has reduced and mushrooms have cooked down a little. Deglaze the skillet with white wine vinegar and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer content to the pot with broccoli and stir in oatmeal. Simmer on medium for 15 minutes.


3. Carefully ladle a third of the soup into a blender or food processor. Cover and puree until smooth, pouring the soup into a bowl. Repeat with remaining soup. (You can use an immersion blender instead, pureeing soup right in the pot until completely smooth.) Pour back into pot, taste for seasonings, and simmer until heated thoroughly. Serve with parsley, sour cream, and lemon zest.

baked chicken fingers with chili-garlic potatoes

This, I believe, was the second-to-last recipe I created for Family Bites. I wanted to create a healthier chicken and fries combination, and I think this hit the mark.

The chicken is marinated in an egg white-corn starch mix with some seasonings to tenderize the meat and keep it moist, then the strips are rolled in rice krispies and baked until crisp and cooked through. The coating remains crunchy while the chicken inside isn't dry at all.

My favorite way to make crispy baked potato wedges that mimic regular fries is to boil the potatoes briefly before baking. This sort of partially cooks the potatoes and takes away from the baking time. Make sure you pat them dry or else they'll end up steaming instead of roasting.
The next step is to toss them with only enough oil to coat the outsides. This kind of just helps the browning without the excess oil soaking in. To finish, you saute butter with garlic and chili powder and pour it over the finished potatoes.

Using Newman's Own Oil & Vinegar dressing, my mom suggested making a quick sticky sauce to dip the chicken strips and potatoes in. She got this idea from a sticky chicken recipe she makes, but instead of using it as a marinade-sauce, we just boiled the dressing, soy sauce, and sugar together until slightly thickened. Ours came out rather salty, but I think that's because of the soy sauce I used. It really added flavor to the chicken, though.

This was probably the longest recipe I created, but obviously it's more of an entire meal than just the entree. Looking at the other Family Bites recipes, it probably wasn't necessary to do this, though I had the idea and decided to go with it. Serve this with a salad for greenery.

Recipe after jump

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Baked Chicken Fingers and Sticky Soy Dipping Sauce
recipe by Christina Provo

Baked chicken fingers with a crispy rice cereal coating and roasted potato wedges. Served with sticky dipping sauce featuring Newman's Own Oil & Vinegar dressing.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients -

4 chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise into 4-5 strips
4 egg whites
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1/2-4 cups rice crisp cereal
2/3 cup Newman's Own Oil & Vinegar dressing, well shaken
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar

Directions -

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a medium bowl whisk egg whites until frothy. In separate, small bowl whisk cornstarch with salt, basil, and cayenne pepper. Whisk into egg whites until completely smooth and slightly thickened. Stir in chicken strips, making sure the egg white mixture coats chicken evenly, and marinate for 25 minutes.


2. While the chicken is marinating, whisk Newman's Own Oil & Vinegar dressing with soy sauce and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a steady boil for 6-7 minutes. Lower heat; cover and keep warm.


3. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread rice crisp cereal out in a pie dish and roll chicken strips in cereal, coating evenly. Place on baking sheet. Move sheet with potatoes onto lower oven rack and put sheet with chicken fingers on middle rack. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip chicken fingers over. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until the chicken fingers are a light golden brown.


4. During last 5 minutes, melt butter in a skillet. Saute garlic with chili powder for 2 minutes, being careful not to let it brown. Drizzle over potatoes on baking sheet with potato wedges and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley. Divide chicken fingers and potato wedges. Serve with sticky soy dipping sauce.

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Chili-Garlic Potato Wedges
Recipe by Christina Provo

Yields 4-5 servings

Ingredients -

2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley

Directions -

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil with 1 teaspoon salt.


2. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise, then each half into quarters or thirds depending on the size. Add half the potato wedges to the boiling water and boil for 1 minute 30 seconds. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon to a colander; pat dry with a paper towel and place on rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil over potatoes and sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt; toss to coat evenly. Roast for 30 minutes, turning potatoes over halfway through.


3. Decrease oven temperature to 400°. Move sheet with potatoes onto lower oven rack. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, then flip potatoes over. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.


4. During last 5 minutes, melt butter in a skillet. Saute garlic with chili powder for 2 minutes, being careful not to let it brown. Drizzle over potatoes on baking sheet with potato wedges and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley.