Name: Faux-Fried Onion Rings with Smoky Mayonnaise
Yield: 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, such as Ian's All-Natural; 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 Stubb's; Tabasco sauce

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Faux-Fried Onion Rings with Smoky MayonnaiseCookbook cover image courtesy of Random House

Giving foods that glorious crispy- crunchy texture without a deep fryer isn't easy. The best way to healthfully approximate the deep- fried experience is to use panko breadcrumbs, a mist of cooking spray, and a hot oven. Panko is a Japanese ingredient that used to be found only in Asian supermarkets and health- food stores but is now available everywhere. The crumbs are made from crustless bread, so they're lighter and crunchier than traditional breadcrumbs.

Recipe notes

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