Easy Baked Onion Rings

I love me some fried food. French fries, fried chicken (especially Chinese food), fried seafood, and onion rings! However, I want to live past the age of 50 with some semblance of health, so I limit my intake of such foods. So, instead of living without all my favorites, I try to find healthier alternatives.

I've made a non-deep fried general tso, non-fried bang bang shrimp, kale chips, butternut squash fries, and now Baked Onion Ring!!!

Easy Baked Onion Rings
1 large onion (sweet, vadalia, or yellow)
1-2 cups milk (any kind... skim, half & half, buttermilk)
1-2 cups flour
2-3 cups bread crumbs (a combo of panko and seasoned is yummy)
salt
pepper
hot sauce (add to milk for a kick)

Preheat the oven to 450. Slice the onion is 1/2 in rounds and separate the rings (one onion makes plenty of rings... about two sheet pans worth). Dip the onion rings into the flour and place them on a cookie sheet. Put the cookie sheet into the freezer for about 15 minutes. Then, dip the frozen rings into the milk and then into the bread crumbs. Spray the rings with oil spray and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy with ketchup!

What are your favorite healthy swaps? Please share!

Stone Fruit Upside-Down Cake with Shout-out

One of my oldest and dearest friends, Analise, started her own food blog a few months ago. We have been friends since 3rd grade or so when we met in Girl Scouts (see my Samoa cake post) and we both share a love for strange nerdy humor and good food.

I enjoy her recipes, tips, advice, and wit so much and I think you will as well. So please, if you get a chance, check it out: www.galleykitchengal.com

This recipe is one of Analise's first posts. I have been using my own cast iron skillet for meats and frying but I had yet to use it for baking. This recipe, plus a bunch of overripe fruit, was the perfect excuse to give baking in my skillet a try.

I made this cake one afternoon and shortly thereafter took a bunch of it to the dog park to share with my friends, and then the next day to school. It was an overwhelming hit! The cake is buttery and light, with the sweet yet tart fruit on top. The best part of this cake is that you don't have to use certain fruits, just use whatever is on hand. I used a very overripe nectarine, a pear, a green apple, and some maraschino cherries.

Stone Fruit Upside-Down Cake
http://galleykitchengal.com/2012/06/23/iron-it-out-stone-fruit-upside-down-cake-in-a-cast-iron-skillet/

I'll let you check out her link for the recipe and I'll just give you my photos

Yummy late summer fruits

Sliced up, ready to go

Arranged all pretty (get creative!)

Golden and aromatic

Flipped out!

Check this out!

This cake get 5 stars for taste and 5 stars for easiness!!!

p.s. Please be careful with your skillet! They get very hot and its easy to forget that its hot and grab the handle. A good idea is to slip an oven mitt over the handle as soon as you take it out of the oven to protect yourself for a quick memory lapse. Don't ask me why I stress this...

p.s.s. Take care of your pan! Don't use soap on it and PLEASE don't put it in the dishwasher! Just scrub it with a little kosher salt, let it dry fully, and wipe it with oil before storing it. Keep your pan happy and you'll be happy!