Day 6 brings us to Appetite for Reduction's (a fave cookbook of ours!) recipes for OMG Oven Baked Onion Rings & Chipotle Lentil Burgers. Mmmm!
RECIPES:
OMG Oven-Baked Onion Rings:
2 vidalia or other sweet (e.g. Walla Walla) onions
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup cold almond milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (we used stale homemade bread we made earlier in the week)
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. olive oil
Slice onions into 3/4" thick rings. Separate rings & place in bowl. Cover with kitchen towel to keep oinioniness out of your eyes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed 12x18" baking sheet with parchment paper, spray with cooking, & set aside.
Into 1 shallow wide bowl dump flour & cornstarch. Add 1/2 of almond milk & stir vigorously with fork to dissolve. Add remaining almond milk & apple cider vinegar, stir to incorporate. In another shallow bowl mix together bread crumbs & salt. Drizzle in oil & mix well.
Dip each onion slice into flour mix, then coat with bread crumbs, then place on parchment paper. Remember use one hand for each bowl so as to avoid the dreaded club hand (or do what Joe & I do & use 2 people!). Spray rings with nonstick cooking spray & bake for 8 minutes. The rings should be varying shades of brown & crisp. Taste to check for doneness. Serve as a side to the burgers below!
Chipotle Lentil Burgers:
1 tsp. olive oil
1 small red onion, cut in medium dice
1/2 lb. zucchini, halved lengthwise & sliced 1/2" thick
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped (Stems & Leaves)
1 (15oz.) can cooked lentils, drained & rinsed (1 1/4 cups) [note: we used a cooked lentil package from Trader Joe's]
1 cup bread crumbs, divided
1/4 cup chipotles, seeds removed, with adobe sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp smoked paprika
In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions for 3 miinutes, then add zucchini, garlic, cilantro and a pinch of salt. Saute for 10 more minutes, until zucchini is soft.
Put all the veggies in a food processor, chipotle, soy sauce, vinegar and 1/2 cup of bread crumbs. ONLY 1/2. Pulse until mostly smooth, but retaining some texture. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the rest of the bread crumbs and mix by hand to combine. Form the mixture into 6 equal size patties.
Preheat a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Cook the patties for 12 minutes, flipping often until nicely browned on both sides. You may need to add more cooking spray/oil if the pan looks too dry.
REVIEW:
Alex: I love this meal! The burgers can get a bit salty though so be careful. I like to load my burger up with avocado slices, onion, lettuce, and pickles. It's a great spin on a classic burger & rings meal. :D
Joe: I would say they are pretty delicious but I would leave the seeds in the next time I make this as I like my s**t spicy! Overall, a great meal.
