Category Archives: Gluten-Free

Low-Carb Bacon Guac Bites

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Best bacon...EVER.

Best bacon…EVER.

Right before the holidays, I received a box full of bacon.  Literally.  And not just any bacon, y’all.  This was compliments of Cliff Caldwell and Burgers’ Smokehouse bacon and it might be my favorite gift of all time.  Send this girl a box of clothes?  Meh.  Send this girl a box of brownies?   Sniff.  But send this girl a box of bacon?  Happy Dance!!!!  With visions of bacon studded delish dancing in her head……

So here’s the lowdown.  I was thrilled to sample an assortment of Burgers’ Smokehouse Bacon. Ermahgaaaahd.  GetinmymouthRAWTnow.

The next 3 days, I will be dedicating my favorite bacon recipes with my bacon box.  I’m now totally regretting letting a couple of my coworkers take a package home with them.  It would have meant more for me to hoard for myself sample.  Um, the bacon box is empty.  *Sad face.*

Let’s start with a quick review of the different bacon styles.

Bacon Steak Cuts Peppered

Bacon Steak Cuts Peppered

Bacon Steak Cuts seasoned on the edges with pepper.  This is like the filet mignon of bacon.  WHOAH. Normally, I avoid buying thick cut bacon because it doesn’t get super crispy, which I prefer.  But this bacon cooked up beautifully, crisping up along the edges, but the bite was meaty and tender with an amazing peppery finish.  Hands down, my favorite.  For another twist on the bacon steak, I added a little more kick with some chopped jalapeños on top and it was divine.

Bacon with a kick

Bacon with a kick

Then, there’s the variety of country bacon:  Original Country Bacon, Cajun Style Country Bacon and Pepper Coated Country Bacon.  My favorite of those was the Cajun Style– and I hate admitting that JP and I polished it off so fast, I never got an actual picture of cooking with it!  The saltiest of the bunch was the Original Country Bacon which tastes best combined with something else…Like guacamole.  Who needs tortilla chips when you can make low-carb delish with some Country Bacon?  Haaaaaaaay!!!  Meet the love child of bacon and guac.

More bacon recipes tomorrow and Saturday.  You’re welcome.

This is not a sponsored post, meaning I was not given monetary compensation to write it. I was sent product at no charge to review honestly, and was under no obligation to say anything positive about the product or the company. The photographs, recipe, and opinions are 100% my own.

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Bacon Guac Bites

Bacon Guac Bites

Ingredients

  • 8 slices of Burger's Smokehouse Original Country Bacon
  • 4 avocados
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • Palmful of fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 diced jalapeño (no seeds)
  • Juice of one lime squeezed
  • 1 tomato chopped
  • Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

    For the guacamole
  1. Mash avocados with lime juice and fold in rest of ingredients.
    2. For the bacon
  2. Preheat oven to 400
  3. Line bacon on a rimmed sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until crispy.
  4. Break bacon into 2 inch pieces and sandwich it with guacamole.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/01/low-carb-bacon-guac-bites/

 

 

Low-Carb Sugar Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombs

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombs

These are little morsels of heaven.  It’s like a homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter cup without all the crapola.  Coconut oil has made a resurgence in the health world because it’s a fat that doesn’t go straight to your ass.  Seriously, y’all.

According to Wikipedia: “Medium Chain Triglycerides are generally considered a good biologically inert source of energy that is easy to metabolize. Some studies have shown that MCT’s can help in the process of excess calorie burning, and thus weight loss.”

Here are some more scientific details.  Parker translation: It’ll keep you in your skinny jeans!

This is a big favorite in the Low-Carb High-Fat (LCHF) community, often called Fat Bombs. For me, it’s the perfect snack when that mid-afternoon craving for sweets hits.  It also doubles as a healthy dessert.

You can modify it any way you like– sometimes I use almond extract and stuff it with coconut. You can pop in a few espresso beans for a little caffeine kick which is scrumptiously delish.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombs

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombs

Ingredients

  • 4 Tb refined coconut oil
  • 4 Tb dark chocolate cocoa
  • 3 tsp Truvia
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Peanut butter
  • Sea salt

Instructions

  1. Melt coconut oil in microwave for 45 seconds (I prefer using refined coconut oil because it does not have the strong coconut taste that unrefined coconut oil does.)
  2. Stir in cocoa, Truvia, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Pour chocolate mixture into mini silicone cups and spoon a small bit of peanut butter into each cup. Sprinkle with sea salt.
  3. Freeze for 20 minutes. Enjoy!
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/01/low-carb-sugar-free-chocolate-peanut-butter-bombs/

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombs Finished

No Bake Cranberry Grand Marnier Cheesecake

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Creamy cranberry delish...

Creamy cranberry delish…(Photo by KLC Studios)

Wondering what to do with the cranberries you have leftover from the holidays?  Look no further!  This recipe is one of my favorite desserts year round.  Bonus– no sugar and no gluten… Just don’t call it a “diet dessert” cuz it doesn’t taste like one!

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Low-carb Cranberry Cheesecake

Low-carb Cranberry Cheesecake

Ingredients

    For the crust
  • 2 c. almonds
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
    • For the filling
  • 1 8 oz. package of full-fat cream cheese
  • 1 medium tub sugar-free Cool Whip
  • ¼ c. Truvia
  • ½ tsp. almond extract
  • 1 tbsp. Grand Marnier liqueur
    • For the cranberry topping
  • 1 c. water
  • ¼ c. Grand Marnier
  • 12 oz. fresh cranberries
  • Juice from ½ lemon
  • Juice from ½ orange
  • ½ c. Truvia
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. cloves

Instructions

    For the crust
  1. Place almonds in a food processor for about 1 minute until ground.
  2. Melt butter and combine with ground almonds and cinnamon.
  3. Press into a springform pan or pie plate. (Optional: If you prefer toasted almonds, bake crust at 350° for 10 minutes.)
    4. For the filling
  4. In a mixer, blend cream cheese and Cool Whip.
  5. Bring both to room temperature and mix with Truvia, almond extract, and Grand Marnier.
  6. Spoon into pie crust. (Keep refrigerated until ready to serve, or keep in the freezer and take out an hour before serving.)
    7. For the cranberry topping
  7. Bring water and Grand Marnier to a boil with cranberries. Add lemon and orange juices, Truvia, and spices.
  8. Simmer on low until reduced by about half (15-20 minutes).
  9. Put cranberry mixture in fridge to thicken (about 30 minutes).
  10. Top onto cheesecake.
  11. Grab a fork and dig in!
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/01/no-bake-cranberry-grand-marnier-cheesecake/

ParkersPlate-1-17 (2)

Photo by KLC Studios

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Best Damn Meatloaf Ever

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Not your Mama's meatloaf

Not your Mama’s meatloaf

NO!  Not meatloaf again!

That’s NOT going to be an ish once you dive into this meaty delish.  I had some leftover andouille sausage that I needed to cook and got the idea to combine it with a classic pork/beef meatloaf mixture.  And then I thought, “Well, let’s go crazy and add bacon.”  Bam.

It’s freaking awesome. Dude Food at it’s finest.  My man is not a meatloaf fan, but he ate the entire pan in one sitting.  No joke.

But this isn’t just a meathead loaf, y’all.  There’s fresh sage, apricots and crushed pistachios. And NO breadcrumbs, so it’s a low-carb shmorgishborg of scrumptious.  All that spicy beef yummyness is tempered with texture and savory flavor.  Instead of a classic chili sauce or ketchup glaze, I opted to combine Sriracha with Grade B maple syrup.  That shiznittabam should be bottled and sold– sooooooo good.  Throw this bad boy on a sandwich the next day— doneski.

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Best Damn Meatloaf Ever

Best Damn Meatloaf Ever

Ingredients

    Meatloaf
  • 1 pound Andouille sausage
  • 1.5 pound beef and pork mix
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 Tb soy sauce
  • 1 Tb Worcestershire
  • 1 Tb red wine vinegar
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • ¼ cup apricots chopped fine
  • 4 pieces uncooked bacon
  • ¼ cup sage chopped
  • ¼ cup crushed pistachios
  • 1 Tb garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
  • 1 tsp pepper
    • Spicy Maple Glaze
  • ½ cup sriracha sauce
  • 2 Tb Grade B maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Take sausage out of casing and combine with bacon in the food processor—pulse for about 30 seconds.
  3. In a large bowl combine the ground sausage and bacon with all of the meatloaf ingredients—don’t overwork it, but make sure it’s mixed up well.
  4. Line a bread pan with parchment paper, put meat mixture into pan and press down meat so it’s packed in.
  5. Turn pan upside down on a greased sheet pan and lift up so loaf is upright.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes at 350.
  7. Brush glaze on and continue baking for another 30 minutes.
  8. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2014/01/best-damn-meatloaf-ever/

 

New Year’s Eve “Must. Eat. Now.” Stuffed Mushrooms

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Best. Appetizer. Ever.

Best. Appetizer. Ever.

I’m totes making these for the New Year’s Eve party I’m going to tonight.  They’re an easy, savory, low-carb mouthful of delish!  Guests always ask for this recipe and it’s been a favorite from my cookbook, “Eat Rich, Stay Skinny: A Girl’s Guide to Holiday Feasting,” (still available on Amazon, by the way!)

The cream cheese (always use full-fat because low-fat gets watery) gives it that melt-in-your-mouth quality, the spicy sausage lends a kick and the tarragon imparts a really bright but subtle anise flavor.  Bring it to the party, serve it at the party, be the star of your party.

I’m personally ready to par-take in the par-tay (and the low-carb, gluten-free delish!)

Be safe, lovelies, and kisses at midnight!

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New Year’s Eve “Must. Eat. Now.” Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

  • 1 onion chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 25 button mushrooms
  • 1 (16 oz.) package spicy sausage
  • 1 (8 o.z) package full fat cream cheese
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
  • 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 °F. Pop off mushroom stems and scoop out mushroom gills.
  2. Chop stems and gills and set aside.
  3. Place scooped out mushrooms on a sheet pan, upright. Bake for 10 minutes. This will sweat the mushroom and fill the scooped out part with water. (Soggy mushrooms are not awesome.) Drain mushrooms and set aside.
  4. Sauté sausage in a frying pan until browned and then drain. Put sausage aside.
  5. Sauté onions and chopped stems and gills in butter on medium heat until liquid is cooked down, about 15 minutes.
  6. Add in cream cheese, parsley, tarragon and cooked sausage. Warm in pan until cream cheese is combined and melted.
  7. Stuff this filling into mushroom caps. Top with Parmesan.
  8. Place on a greased sheet pan and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/new-years-eve-must-eat-now-stuffed-mushrooms/

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Low-carb Delish

Low-carb Delish

 

Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Kahlua Cheesecake

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Light and fluffy, like a mousse

Light and fluffy, like a mousse

I’ve been on a cheesecake kick lately and when I had some extra Kahlua, it got me thinking about all sorts of cheesecake food porn delish.  I decided to go the healthier route and make it low-carb AND gluten-free.  The consistency is more of a mousse cake– really light and fluffy, not as dense as classic cheesecake. I loved it!  In the past when I’ve made cheesecake, I’ve avoided the high maintenance “water bath” that most chefs suggest using.  This time, I went for it, and the results were superb.  It’s worth the extra step!  Enjoy….

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Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Kahlua Cheesecake

Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Kahlua Cheesecake

Ingredients

    For the Crust:
  • 2 cups pecans
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 stick butter
    • For the Ganache:
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 Tb Kahlua
  • 1 Tb truvia
  • pinch of kosher salt
    • For the Filling:
  • 3 (8oz each) packages of full fat cream cheese
  • 1 pint sour cream
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 4 tsp instant coffee (sugar free)
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup truvia
  • 1/4 cup kahlua

Instructions

    For the Crust:
  1. Grind up pecans in food processor until they are fine crumbs.
  2. Melt the stick of butter and combine with pecan crumbs and cinnamon. Press into the bottom of a springform pan.
    3. For the Ganache:
  3. Bring cream to a boil on stovetop in a small saucepan. Stir in bakers chocolate and vanilla, Kahlua, truvia and the pinch of salt.
  4. Stir until smooth and glossy. Spread over pecan crust.
    5. For the Filling:
  5. Bring cream cheese to room temperature and combine in standing mixer with all the ingredients. Beat until smooth.
  6. Pour over ganache and pecan crust.
  7. Put tin foil around entire springform pan and bring a large pasta pot of water to a boil. Put the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan. (The tin foil will prevent the water from seeping in.)
  8. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Cool for 30 minutes, then chill in fridge for atleast 2 hours before serving.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/low-carb-gluten-free-kahlua-cheesecake/

 

Spread ganache over pecan crust

Spread ganache over pecan crust

 

Wrap the unbaked cheesecake pan in foil and place in a roasting pan. Pour boiling water in around cheesecake.

Wrap the unbaked cheesecake pan in foil and place in a roasting pan. Pour boiling water in around cheesecake.

Double the ganache recipe so you have more to decorate the top of the cheesecake

Use extra ganache to decorate the top of the cheesecake

 

 

Cornmeal Encrusted Catfish with Cajun Remoulade

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Buttermilk soaked, cornmeal encrusted catfish

Buttermilk soaked, cornmeal encrusted catfish

It’s Southern fried, y’all!  After 7 years down here in Hotlanta, it’s been kind of by osmosis that I’ve learned some secrets of Southern cooking.  #1: Buttermilk is one of the best marinades for fish and chicken.  It tenderizes whatever the protein is it’s soaking in and lends a rich buttery texture to the meat or fish.  A lot of people complain about catfish because they’re bottom feeders– but with the right seasoning, you’ll be looking to “top” off your meal with a second helping.

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Cornmeal Encrusted Catfish with Cajun Remoulade

Cornmeal Encrusted Catfish with Cajun Remoulade

Ingredients

    Catfish
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 4 catfish filets
  • kosher salt
  • cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 cup cornmeal (finely ground, not course)
  • canola oil
    • Remoulade
  • 1/4 cup full fat mayo
  • 1 Tb sriracha sauce
  • 1 tsp honey or agave
  • 1 Tb fresh lemon juice

Instructions

    For the Catfish:
  1. Marinate catfish in buttermilk for 20 minutes. Dredge in cornmeal. Sprinkle fish with cayenne on both sides.
  2. Heat up canola oil in large rimmed frying pan on medium high heat– about 2 inches high in pan. When oil sizzles, put fish in pan and turn down heat to medium. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side until done.
    3. For the Remoulade:
  3. Stir to combine ingredients. Top onto fish or serve on the side.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/cornmeal-encrusted-catfish-with-cajun-remoulade/

The cajun remoulade is super easy and packs some majah Flavah!

I served the fish with my all-time fave veggie combo– cannelini beans, roasted red  pepper, spinach, onions and garlic, aka Tuscan beans and Spinach.  (Oh yeah, and some spicy sausage!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuscan Beans and Spinach

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Hearty, earthy delish

Hearty, earthy delish

I came up with this recipe when I was working as a personal chef and was trying to think of alternatives to rice and potato sides.  It’s inspired by a Giada salad recipe that combines cannelini beans with parmesan cheese. And for all you veg heads, you can make it vegetarian by simply leaving out the sausage!  (Why you would want to is beyond me, but just giving you options!)

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Tuscan Beans and Spinach

Tuscan Beans and Spinach

Ingredients

  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves diced
  • 1 Tb olive oil
  • 1 Tb butter
  • 1 large roasted red pepper (about 1/4 cup chopped up)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 4 oz spicy sausage sliced (or pancetta)
  • 1 can drained cannelini beans
  • 1/2 bag of spinach (about 4 large handfuls)
  • 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
  • kosher salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Saute onion and sausage on medium heat in butter and oil until sausage is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add beans, roasted red pepper and garlic powder. Stir to combine and let simmer on low/medium heat for another 5 minutes.
  2. Add spinach about 5 minutes before you're ready to serve and sprinkle with parmesan. Stir together to melt cheese.
  3. I love serving this dish with my cornmeal encrusted catfish-- perfect flavor combo!
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/tuscan-beans-and-spinach/

 

Coconut Curry Mussels

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even better than the dish I used to order at THAT restaurant that stopped serving it....

even better than the dish I used to order at THAT restaurant that stopped serving it….

Aaaaahhhh muscles.  I love them rippling on my man’s beefcake bod…(see yummy pic below!)

Muscles..mmmmm.

Muscles..mmmmm.

Oh wait, I mean, MUSSELS.  And for cake, well, uh, check the dessert section of this site!  I got distracted.

Where were we?  Oh yeah, MUSSELS.  One of my favorite meals at one of my (formerly) favorite restaurants is no longer available…after a few disappointing meals in recent months,  it’s no longer my go-to spot and shall remain nameless.  But, they used to serve an absolutely decadent dish of juicy mussels bathed in a slightly sweet and spicy curried coconut milk.  I thought I’d try to recreate it since I no longer have the luxury of ordering it!

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Coconut Curry Mussels

Coconut Curry Mussels

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds cleaned mussels (toss any with shells that aren't tightly shut)
  • 1 Tb butter
  • 1 Tb olive oil
  • 1 Tb chili paste
  • 4 garlic cloves diced
  • 1 large shallot diced
  • 2 cans full fat coconut milk
  • juice from 1/2 lime
  • 1 Tb curry powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 2 Tb honey
  • 1 Tb fresh ginger
  • 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  • chopped cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan (use one that has a lid), saute chopped garlic and shallot in butter and olive oil on medium heat until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add in the 1 Tb of chili paste and stir until fragrant, about a minute. Make sure chopped shallots and garlic are coated with the chili paste. Add in the rest of the ingredients until combined.
  2. Put mussels in the coconut milk broth, cover the pan and cook on medium heat for 5-8 minutes, until all the mussels are opened. (Discard any that don't open).
  3. Garnish with some chopped cilantro and serve with crusty bread or coconut rice.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/coconut-curry-mussels/

Now it’s time to return focus to the muscles and the beef(cake).

Meaty Monday: Jalapeño Bison Burger with Low-Carb Fried Onions

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Jalapeño and garlic stuffed burger topped with crispy crunchy onions

Jalapeño and garlic stuffed burger topped with blue cheese and crispy, crunchy onions

This is the first time I’ve not only eaten a bison burger, but cooked one.  I may not go back to beef for a while!  It was so juicy and tender (and lean!)  Because it is such an un-fatty cut, you need to add a punch of flavor and texture, in my humble opinion.  I roasted 2 jalapeños and chopped them up (with the seeds) into the ground bison as well as a few chopped garlic cloves.

While burgers are cooking, fry up your onions.  I have a bad ass fried onion recipe with 2 parts buttermilk, 1 part flour, but it is definitely not gluten free or low carb.  I think it’s the wet batter that makes them so rich, so I decided to experiment with a gluten free/low carb version.  It took twice as much liquid to create the same consistency when using coconut flour as the base…but it worked!  And JP said he might like these better than the real deal….not bad, eh?

I put some crumbled blue cheese on the burgers and then topped with the fried onion rings…DIVINE.

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Meaty Monday: Jalapeño Bison Burger with Low-Carb Fried Onions

Meaty Monday: Jalapeño Bison Burger with Low-Carb Fried Onions

Ingredients

    Bison Burgers
  • 1.5 pounds ground bison
  • 2 jalapeños roasted and chopped up (I drizzled with a bit of olive oil and roasted them on high broil until blistered on all sides (about 5-7 minutes total)
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • a few grinds of black pepper
  • 2 Tb butter
  • 1 Tb olive oil
    • Onion Rings
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • canola or corn oil

Instructions

    For the Bison Burgers:
  1. Mix the garlic and roasted jalapeños into the meat.
  2. Shape into patties and heat up a grill pan with the butter and oil.
  3. When butter gets bubbly, add burgers and cook until medium rare, about 4 minutes on each side.
    4. For the Onion Rings
  4. Heat up 2-3 inches of oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven on medium high heat. When oil sizzles, onions are ready to fry.
  5. Mix wet and dry ingredients until batter is smooth. Dip onions in batter and pop into the oil. Turn over with tongs and fry until crispy on all sides.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2013/12/meaty-monday-jalapeno-bison-burger-with-low-carb-fried-onions/