Rocco DiSpiritos Faux Onion Rings with Smoky Mayonnaise

Im sure youve all seen Rocco DiSpirito on one talk show or another recently.  Hes been everywhere promoting his new book, Now Eat This, 150 of Americas Favorite Comfort Foods all under 350 Calories.  Not that I mind, Rocco is pretty easy on the eyes as Im sure you would agree.  Anyway, when Steve and I watched him promote his new healthy cookbook on Rachael Ray, Steve commented on these onion rings and said that I should try them.  They looked great and since they were healthy they sounded like the perfect addition to my not very healthy Steakhouse themed dinner. 

My review of this recipe is completely honest so please read through to the very end.  The recipe isnt hard to make at all and had I not been rushing I think they would have come out better.  First let me just say that finding whole wheat panko is not easy.  I found one small package and paid about $4 for it.  Seems like a lot for breadcrumbs.  That being said, I will try them with regular panko bread crumbs because I think they will still be healthy.  They are baked not fried, made with egg whites instead of whole eggs, and whole wheat flour is used over white.  Correct me if Im wrong but wont regular white panko bread crumbs be just as good?  Ive even seen seasoned panko and I think that would really up the flavor here.  The onion rings definitely had crunch and texture which is what I really liked.  I didnt like the dryness of all that wheat.  Maybe its my fault, maybe I overcooked them, it certainly wouldnt be the first time I messed up.  I know the other problem was that I completely forgot to spray them with cooking spray and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  That was a huge mistake because the outside had no taste at all.  Thats what happens when youre chit chatting , running late, and trying to cook a new recipe at the same time.  The next day I experimented with the leftovers and sprayed them with cooking spray and seasoned them with salt.  To be honest, they werent bad for leftovers.  These arent the kind of things that are better the next day but they were so much more edible with that little bit of oil and salt.  So, I think that when I try it again (and I will), I will use seasoned panko, spray them with oil and make sure I dont forget the salt.

Sorry this is post is so long, Ill try to wrap it up.  Roccos seasoned mayo called for liquid smoke.  I didnt feel compelled to buy it for this recipe so I added, smoked paprika, bbq spice, salt and hot sauce to a little mayo.  It was tasty and it had to have been better than Roccos because smoked paprika has a ton of flavor and the color made it very appealing.

So even though I had some issues I would try this again.  If you try them let me know what you think and if you follow the recipe exactly or with any changes.

Rocco DiSpiritos Faux Onion Rings with Smoky Mayonnaise
as seen here on Rachael Rays Daytime show.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 large Vidalia onions, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

2 cups skim milk
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
4 large egg whites
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup Rocco’s Magnificent Mayonnaise or store- bought reduced- fat mayonnaise such as Hellmann’s Low- Fat Mayonnaise Dressing
1 tablespoon liquid smoke, such as Stubs’s
Tabasco sauce

Directions:

Separate the onions into individual rings. Use only the larger rings for this recipe; reserve the smaller rings for another use. You should have 20 rings total. Lay the rings in a single layer in a large rectangular baking dish. Pour the milk over the rings and allow them to soak for about 20 minutes, turning them once so that all surfaces of the onion rings have been exposed to the milk.


Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Place wire baking racks on each of two foil- lined baking sheets, and set them aside.

Put the flour in a shallow dish. Put the panko in a small dish.In a large bowl, whip the egg whites with a whisk until they are extremely foamy but not quite holding peaks.

Working in batches, remove the onion rings from the milk and dredge them in the flour, shaking off any excess. Add the rings to the egg whites and toss to coat completely. Add the rings, a few pieces at a time, to the panko and coat completely.

Spread the onion rings out on the wire racks. Season the rings generously with salt and pepper, and spray them lightly with cooking spray. Bake until the panko is golden brown and crispy and the onions are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and the liquid smoke. Season to taste with Tabasco.

Serve the onion rings with the mayonnaise for dipping.


Click here for a printable recipe for Roccos Faux Onion Rings.

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Fish Cake or Faux Crab Cake

Where have I been? Eating my way around Vancouver, B.C. the past few days. I love that city so much; the weather was beautiful, the people were nice, and oh the food. It almost feels like home away from home but Seattle will always hold a special place in my heart. Im still a little tired so just a short recipe today of something I made before I left for my trip. Actually there are so many photos and recipes in my "to post" folder, I call it my "blog clog." One of these days Im going to have to sit down and publish everything *gulp*.

Anyway onto these yummy fish cakes. Steven said, "Hmm... these cakes remind me of something." Couldnt quite put his finger on it but eventually we figured out that the texture of pollock was reminiscent of crab leg meat. These fish cakes are essentially faux crab cakes! (Faux crab cake sounds a lot better than imitation crab cake, which sounds distressingly fake and rubbery with a hint of artificial pink.) You can substitute another white fish for pollock, like cod or tilapia, but the texture wont be the same.

First the fish is cooked through by steaming with salt, pepper, lemon juice and white wine. You can also poach or roast the fish but I chose to steam it because I felt like it would prevent the fish from drying out without leeching out flavor. When making Chinese steamed whole fish, I add a little rice wine to cut the fishiness, so this is why I added a little white wine to the fish in this recipe. I love the airy crunchiness of panko bread crumbs so much that they have replaced regular dried bread crumbs in every application. So in goes some panko. Only the green parts of the scallions are used because the green top is milder and can be used more like an herb, whereas the white bottom is more like an onion, and the stronger flavor would be too overwhelming. After adding the rest of the ingredients, the cakes are chilled to prevent them from falling apart while cooking. Finally, they are dredged in flour and pan fried to a beautifully browned and crisp crust.

Fish Cake or Faux Crab Cake
1 lb pollock (or another white fish)
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice (juice from half a lemon)
2 tbsp white wine
1/4 C chopped scallions (green part only)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, beaten
1/4 C mayo
1/4 C panko, or more if needed
1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning (optional)
1/4 C flour
3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Tartar sauce for serving (optional)

Salt and pepper the fish, drizzle with lemon juice and steam until the fish is throughly cooked and flakes easily, about 5 - 10 minutes.

Drain the liquid. Break up the fish, leaving some large clumps and wait for the fish to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile in a small bowl mix the egg and mayo.

Once the fish has cooled, add the chopped scallion and parsley, panko, Old Bay (if using) and the mayo-egg mixture, and gently fold everything together. If the mixture looks too wet, add a little more panko.

Divide the mix into 4 portions and form into thick cakes. Cover and chill for 30 minutes or overnight.

After the chill, add the flour to a plate and dredge both sides of the cakes with flour. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook the cakes until the outsides are crisp and browned, about 4 - 5 minutes per side.

Serve with tartar sauce if youd like.


Variation:
Replace the fish for lump crab meat and voila! you have a (real) crab cake.

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