How to Make Healthy Onion Rings
Dehydrated Onion Rings
Growing up as a teenager in California during the 60’s, hanging out at the drive-in, cokes, burgers, shakes and yes, even onion rings were the food of choice for many of us. But when it came to deep fried or oven fried onion rings, that was something I never cared for. I always preferred a hot fudge sundae or shake.
Most likely, dehydrated onion rings were not even around back then.
Origin of Onion Rings
Though the exact origin is unclear, in John Mollard’s 1802 cookbook “The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined” (page 152), there is a recipe called “Fried Onions with Parmesan Cheese.” The recipe suggests cutting onions into rings, dipping them into a batter made of flour, cream, salt and pepper, and Parmesan cheese, and then deep frying them in “boiling” lard.
In 1933, a recipe for deep-fried onion rings appear in the New York Times Magazine.
No matter how you slice it, the method for making onions rings involves deep frying in oil – definitely not a health food, but rather a health hazard, since heating oil at high temperatures oxidizes it and can cause it to become carcinogenic.
If you’ve read my story, you know that I was a sugar-holic, and my former life, pre-age 37 years are over. I don’t drink cokes, burgers or shakes (at least not meat and dairy kinds), but I do enjoy these, ‘NON-deep fried’ onions rings, and I enjoy showing people how to make them – we’re talkin an easy onion rings recipe.
Recipe adapted from a recipe found in the Love on a Plate cook book.
Dehydrated Onion Rings Recipe
Equipment Needed: high speed blender (for cashew cream), small coffee grinder, dehydrator
Yield: Enough to enjoy and share with a friend for several days.
Ingredients:
- 1 onion, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices, separate rings
- 3/4 cup flax seeds, grind into flax meal using a small coffee grinder – will produce a little over 1 cup meal.
- 2 tablespoons seasoning of choice – I have used the 21 Seasoning Salute mix from Trader Joes, or use 1/2 teaspoon each of basil, celery seed, oregano, and thyme.
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: lemon zest
- 1/2 cup cashew cream recipe – this will be our onion ring batter
Preparation Steps:
1. Make cashew cream batter and place in bowl.
2. Combine seasonings with flax meal and place in a second bowl
3. Cut onion into slices and separate rings
4. Dip onion rings into batter, jiggle or shake to evenly coat, then lay on top of seasoning crumb mix, turn over to coat both sides, and place on a teflex sheet.
5. Repeat with remaining onion rings.
6. Dehydrate at 110 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 8 hours.
7. Store in sealed container in refrigerator.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, Dehydrated Onion Rings, leave a comment below:
David Cooley
Certified Health Consultant
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