Faux Fried Onions and Jalepenos

From http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1397
Stacked & Flavor-Packed

There's no excuse for super-greasy deep-fried foods when you've got a box of Fiber One and a blender handy. Thanks to HG subscriber Linda for inspiring us with her easy onion-string idea -- you rock, L!

Ingredients:
1 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original)
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt (like the kind by Lawry's)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 jumbo sweet onion
5 fresh jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
3 tbsp. fat-free ranch dressing
3 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. green pepper sauce (like the kind by Tabasco)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a blender or food processor, grind cereal to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Pour crumbs into a plastic container with an airtight lid or a large sealable plastic bag. Add seasoned salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Cover container/seal bag and shake to mix thoroughly. Set aside.

Slice the ends off the onion and remove the outer layer. Cut onion in half, and slice into very thin strips. Separate individual pieces and place in a large bowl. Set aside.

Handling the jalapenos carefully (wash your hands often -- or wear gloves -- and don't touch your eyes), slice off the tops. Cut jalapenos into rings, and then remove the seeds (or don't, if you like things really spicy).

Add jalapenos to the bowl with the onion, and cover the veggies with egg substitute. Toss to coat, and then drain excess egg substitute.

Transfer the eggy veggies to the container/bag with the cereal crumbs. Cover/seal and shake until veggies are coated with the crumb mixture. (They may not be perfectly coated -- this is OK.)

Spray a large baking sheet (use two, if needed) with nonstick spray, and spread out crumb-coated veggies on the sheet. Mist the veggies with nonstick spray.

Bake in the oven until crispy, about 17 - 20 minutes, and then allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile, combine ranch dressing, sour cream, and green pepper sauce in a small bowl, and mix well.

Plate your crunchy goodies and dunk them into the creamy sauce. YUM!

MAKES 3 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1/3rd of recipe (1 1/3 cups crispy veggies plus 2 tbsp. sauce)
Calories: 175
Fat: 1.25g
Sodium: 612mg
Carbs: 43g
Fiber: 12g
Sugars: 11.5g
Protein: 8.5g

PointsPlus® value 5*

Compares to Chili's version

Serving Size: 1/3rd of an order
Calories: 343
Fat: 29g
Sodium: 596mg
Carbs: 16g
Fiber: 2g
Sugars: n.a.
Protein: 2.5g

PointsPlus® value 9*