February. Possibly the month I dislike the most. It just seems long and cold. My motivation to eat well and exercise wanes, as the morning darkness continues to dampen my running routine. Although I have to say the cold air can do wonders for you if you use it right. Our son came home from school the other day and was upset about some things that happened (Lord give all of us strength to make it through 7th grade!). He started on his homework but I could tell his head wasn’t really in the game as he continued to think about the events of the day. I’m not sure what made me think of it, but I suggested a walk in the brisk air to shake off the day and adjust our attitudes (I was deep in work myself and in need of a break). To my surprise he jumped at the idea and we quickly put on our coats and gloves. As we walked we talked about things that had nothing to do with school or homework, like the best vacations we’d ever taken and what the next one might be. We laughed at how silly we were to go for a walk in such freezing cold weather. By the time we got back we had successfully woken up our brains (it really was freezing) and had way better attitudes. We ended up finishing the things we needed to, had a great family dinner together and a nice quiet evening to end our day. So even though I am grateful there are only a few more days of it, I guess I should thank February after all, for turning our frowns upside down.

The recipe below should change February frowns to smiles too. Kevin made these onion rings a few weeks ago and we loved them! The one thing I hate about onion rings (besides the fat and calories) is on the first bite how the onion always comes out of the coating in one long string leaving you with the empty fried shell. Kevin marinated the onions overnight and it made the onions soft so they don’t do that! Hurray a solution to the world’s onion ring problem! These are also baked, not fried solving the other issue I had. The dipping sauce has next to no calories and fat so it’s totally worth it to make and tastes delicious!

Baked Onion Rings with Low-Fat Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

14 oz Buttermilk, reduced fat
1 tsp Garlic power
1large Sweet onion, sliced
1 1/2 tbsp Parsley flakes
1 1/4 cup Fat Free Croutons, ground
1 cup Wheat flour
4 Egg whites
1 1/2 tbsp Fat Free half & half
Olive oil cooking spray
Parchment paper or non-stick aluminum foil

Dipping sauce
4 oz Marinara sauce
4 oz Ranch dressing, fat free

How to make it!
Slice the onion into 1/2” rings.
Kevin’s Tip: Slicing the onion to a 1/2” size helps them cook evenly.
In a large zip lock bag, add the buttermilk, garlic powder and sliced onions.
Marinate the onions for a 4 to 6 hours if you can (over night is even better).

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Using 3 shallow bowls, place wheat flour in the first, the egg whites and half & half beaten together in the second, and the ground croutons and parsley flakes together in the third. Place parchment paper or non-stick aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Picking up one marinated onion ring at a time, coat each ring with the flour, then the egg wash and then the crouton mixture, coating each evenly and place them on the baking sheet. Using the olive oil spray, lightly spray each ring. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Flip the rings, spray the other side with the olive oil and bake for 15 more minutes until golden brown. These taste great by themselves but the dipping sauce takes these onion rings to another level of goodness.

Rings
Serving Size: 3 (1/3 Onion)
Fat 2g | Calories 338| Carbs 62g | Protein 19g | Fiber 6g
Sauce
Serving Size: 2
Fat 0g | Calories 35| Carbs 8g | Protein 0g | Fiber 0g