Cheesy Onion Rings - Soooooo GOOD!!!

[RawKnitster]

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/RawKnitster/CheezyOnionRings.jpg

This is my recipe and I'm happy to share. It uses my cheesy kale chip sauce.

Slice the onion rings (1/3 to 1/2 inch thick) and prepare by putting the rings in a large bowl and covering with filtered water. Add 4 Tablespoons of sea salt or pink salt and the juice of a lemon. Stir and let soak for 1-2 hours. Drain. Let sit a few minutes to get as much water as possible drained out.

To make the cheesy sauce, seed and chop one large red bell pepper. Put the chopped pepper in the blender with the juice of 1/2 of a lemon, 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon pink crystal salt. Blend until liquified. Add one cup of raw cashews that has been soaked in filtered water for 1-2 hours and drained. Blend until smooth.

Pour the cheesy sauce over the rings, stir to coat. Lay the rings on Paraflexx dehydrator screens. Save the leftover sauce and store in the fridge. Dehydrate the sauce coated rings at 115 degrees for about 10-12 hours. Flip onto mesh screens. Paint the saved sauce onto the top of the rings. Continue dehydrating to desired texture. A couple hours for soft rings, longer for crispy rings.

I made two trays to take to a party. I'm rethinking that. These puppies may be gone before I get there.

[joliepolie]

making these tomorrow!!!

[DebB]

Wow!! I've got a bunch of bell peppers in the fridge, I should try these out! They look delicious RawKnitster, yum! *Ü*

[maria84]

These look amazing

[ArcturusXIV]

I am not sure I believe in nutritional yeast. It is cooked, and a fungi. How do you guys respond to nutritional yeast??

Also, I'm very concerned about people's opinions on spicy food & mushrooms, I have heard various things from raw foodists concerning their toxicity. What are your opinions on this?? I know spices found in peppers are used as a protective agent, so people don't eat them. And mushrooms are more closely related to animals than plants. Most things that are vibrant colours in nature...are toxic. You are not supposed to eat them. Opinions!??

As far as that recipe, I would use fermented nut butters instead of nutritional yeast. Victoria Boutenko has a nice recipe for fermented almonds, or her brother, I forget which. Might work as a better nut cheese!

[JCB44]

They look wonderful. Might have to try these.

[RawKnitster]

I am not sure I believe in nutritional yeast. It is cooked, and a fungi. How do you guys respond to nutritional yeast??

Also, I'm very concerned about people's opinions on spicy food & mushrooms, I have heard various things from raw foodists concerning their toxicity. What are your opinions on this?? I know spices found in peppers are used as a protective agent, so people don't eat them. And mushrooms are more closely related to animals than plants. Most things that are vibrant colours in nature...are toxic. You are not supposed to eat them. Opinions!??

As far as that recipe, I would use fermented nut butters instead of nutritional yeast. Victoria Boutenko has a nice recipe for fermented almonds, or her brother, I forget which. Might work as a better nut cheese!

:) I understand your concerns about nutritional yeast. I'm okay with it. I use a high quality yeast without additives from Premier Research Labs called "Quantum Nutritional Flakes". Selling points are it is a primary nutritional yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) that does not encourage candida or other yeast growth. It is grown on molasses and is packaged in non-toxic light blocking container. (Unlike other nutritional yeasts that may be grown on petrochemical sludge or refined sugar, and further degraded by exposure to air and light, especially yeast sold in bulk bins.)

Two Tablespoons contains 10 grams of bioavailable protein and a rich supply of B vitamin complex.

All that said, leave out the nutritional and these onion rings are still going to be delicious. :D

As for the other items you mention; peppers and mushrooms. I don't have a problem with those either. Picking mushrooms in the wild scares me, but cremini, shitake, or portabellas from PCC Grocers, I'm good with that. I reserve mushrooms for special recipes, not everyday use. I do use a blend of 17 mushroom powders from Host Defense as a supplement in the herbal elixirs I drink several times a week.

As for fermented nut butters and cheeses, my stomach can't handle those. :( I've been trying to get adjusted to fermented foods by eating a small servings of sauerkraut or pickles. Not there yet. Someday.

:)

[maria84]

o ya, getting on fermented foods slowly is the way to go.
when i started drinking water kefir it was only a tablespoon a day, otherwise, well, i was in the bathroom a lot.

so does nutritional yeast contain glutimate or glutimate in the isolated form, monosodium glutimate? i know that tomatoes and mushrooms contain a high amount of glutimate but those foods aren't generally eaten in high quantities. if glutimate is but one of the many amino acids found in a food, are you good, and is that the case for nutritional yeast?

[RawKnitster]

so does nutritional yeast contain glutimate or glutimate in the isolated form, monosodium glutimate? i know that tomatoes and mushrooms contain a high amount of glutimate but those foods aren't generally eaten in high quantities. if glutimate is but one of the many amino acids found in a food, are you good, and is that the case for nutritional yeast?

Interesting. Glutamic acid is one of the 18 amino acids profiled in nutritional yeast. I didn't know that is where the excitotoxin MSG comes from. While I'm certainly not good with MSG, it doesn't seem that Glutamic acid is a problem, at least not as part of a wider array of amino acids, and in small quantities.

I used to enjoy salads with a liberal dose of nutritional yeast sprinkled on, but I have lost the taste for it. Funny, I can say the exact same thing about mushrooms and tomatoes. I don't like those on my salads anymore, either.

[laura-jane]

OMG those look delish!!

[RawKnitster]

The onion used in the picture was from a friend's garden. The rings were VERY thick. That is what made them soooo good!

I tried it again with store bought onions that were much thinner. They dried up quickly, got very chewy. I ate too many and tooted up a storm, if you know what I mean. ;)

I like the soft, thick rings best, especially fresh and warm from the dehydrator.

[siren]

I have all the ingredients because I was making cheesy kale chips today! Can't wait to try this with my extra cheese :)

[blizzardfrisbee]

Tried them and they are delicious!

[GlimR]

These look great..on my list!!:D

[betty boop]

The onion rings look and sound fabulous - I am making some today - thank you for sharing!!

[DawnD]

Today I vowed to make something different and spend time in the kitchen. (We have been remodeling the kitchen for the last 6 weeks...eternity) Well I made cheesy onion rings, cheesy kale chips, and snicker bites. WOW! Just tasted a warm fresh onion ring and those are a must to try! Kale chips are a hit as are the snicker bites. I just feel like a RAWK STAR! HaHa. Thanks Rawknitster! Oh! and the sauce resembles pimento cheese flavor. I had it on flax crackers for lunch. Very delicious.

[JCB44]

these look so good, I will have to try them. Thanks for the post, Rawknitster

[Maintime]

I just got done a batch of these... DEE licious!

[Stina]

o ya, getting on fermented foods slowly is the way to go.
when i started drinking water kefir it was only a tablespoon a day, otherwise, well, i was in the bathroom a lot.

so does nutritional yeast contain glutimate or glutimate in the isolated form, monosodium glutimate? i know that tomatoes and mushrooms contain a high amount of glutimate but those foods aren't generally eaten in high quantities. if glutimate is but one of the many amino acids found in a food, are you good, and is that the case for nutritional yeast?

I read in a newsletter published by a M.D. who resesrches Parkinsons that the tomatoes are a much bigger problem with that issue when they are turned into a liquid because of adsorption issues. Since I work with the elderly and see what a beast of a disease it is, I just eat my tomatoes and I make an effort to eat organic, but really anything is game in moderation. And that looks like an amazing recipe, maybe one of the first dehydrator recipes of the autumn for me.

[maria84]

hi stina, so tomatoes are worse for you than nutritional yeast? i'd like to try nutritional yeast. it sounds good. especially since i have the tendency to eat cheese every once in a while, which i would like to avoid

[Stina]

hi stina, so tomatoes are worse for you than nutritional yeast? i'd like to try nutritional yeast. it sounds good. especially since i have the tendency to eat cheese every once in a while, which i would like to avoid

No, I think some of us are sensitive to natural forms of msg, which occur more readily when tomatoes are absorbed in liquid form.

[Bookish Lass]

Wow, tried a little piece before dehydration. They're awesome now :)

[Stina]

hi stina, so tomatoes are worse for you than nutritional yeast? i'd like to try nutritional yeast. it sounds good. especially since i have the tendency to eat cheese every once in a while, which i would like to avoid

I vote to get some of the good quality nutritional yeast and go to town enjoying yourself! I love making jicama chips with olive oil and nut yeast and maybe garlic powder and a tiny bit of cayenne.

[Moretta]

OMG they look delish. Have to try them real soon.

What kind of onion did you use? Vidalia, sweet onion etc.

[RawKnitster]

Sweet onions for sure. I'm not sure what kind of onion that was in the pic. It was a huge onion that came from a friend's garden, I will ask her. Since then I've used several types, mostly Walla Walla. I can't remember which was best, but I do know that a sweet onion with thick rings is the best.

[blizzardfrisbee]

I've ried these--very very good!

[lafsalot]

Made these the other night and they were absolutely delicious! This recipe is definitely a keeper!

[imaquillen]

I've made these twice and sweet onions are the best used in this recipe. I used regular onions the first time and they were good, but I dehydrated them longer and the onions weren't so strong. These don't last long at my place, even though it's only me and my dog eating them--she loves them as much as I do!
Amber

[garden granny]

Sounds good! I'll make these this weekend. Thank you.