Baked Onion Rings

Hello possibly imaginary readership! We are back from the beach, but Gabe is off visiting his family and friends before we leave for school so I haven't cooked anything fancy... plus it is pretty much too hot to do anything but sit in front of the fan naked. However, today I went nearly insane with boredom, so I decided it was time to cook. Ingredients here are highly limited vegetable-wise, and I have no car to get me to the market, so again I am making due with pantry stapes. Tonight it was frozen peas and onion rings... only I decided to make them in the oven to decrease the oil content as well as the kitchen heat. Could a baked onion ring be delicious? I was skeptical, but it was worth a shot.

Oven-Baked Onion Rings
Serves 2
2 medium onions
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup flour
1 cup bread crumbs (pre-seasoned or seasoned to taste with salt, pepper, and optionally herbs)
1 tbs oil

Heat your oven to 400 and grease your pan with the oil. Slice the onions into circles and separate the rings. Dip each ring in flour, followed by egg, followed by breadcrumbs. Bake for ~20 minutes, flipping halfway.

So how did the baked onion rings stack up against the deep-fried kind? While I wouldn't place them among the best I've had, they are definitely an acceptable substitute for when you get a craving but want to avoid the deep fryer. I do love the batter on traditional rings, and these are definitely a different, more crumbly mouth feel, but they still had the defining sweet-salty and crispy-soft contrasts that make onion rings delicious.

Roasted Red Peppers

Hello imaginary readers! Long time no post since we've been at the beach in SC, where Grandma provides the dinners and lunch is usually snacking. We still occasionally get the itch to cook, so we'll probably post a few more times. Today it's just some nice pictures of peppers that we roasted for sandwiches the other day.

ALSO we made the Half and Half Salsa again and took pictures this time, so that post is updated. Check it out. There are dinosaurs.



Roasted Red Peppers

Set the oven to broil on high (or 450 if it works that way). Move a rack to the highest possible place. Stick your peppers right on the rack with a roasting pan on the rack below them if you're clean-oven conscious (they get drippy). It is OK, though not preferable, if they touch the burners. Keep a close eye on them and rotate them when they've blackened on the top side. When they're blackened all around, move them to a bowl, cover it, and leave them alone for 20 minutes - the steam will keep cooking them slightly and make them collapse. Once they're collapsed (and cooled a bit), peel off the skins, rip/cut out the top and attached seeds, and pour the liquid from the inside into your bowl or a glass jar or whatever you want to keep them in. slice the peppers into strips - if there's any skin left you can scrape it off easily with your knife. Add a bit of olive oil, salt, and balsamic vinegar if you've got it to add flavor and make them last a little longer, but not necessary if you plan to eat them within a few days. Enjoy!