Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes are one of my favorite fried foods and guilty pleasures. They are super easy to make and you definitely won't feel bad about the calories. At least I don't... Moderation, people.

Ingredients:

3-4 large green tomatoes, sliced
Kosher salt & pepper, light enough to season
2 teaspoons all-purpose seasoning (your choice!)
1 cup flour (gluten-free options below)
2 eggs, scrambled
1-2 cups bread crumbs (gluten-free options below)
2-3 cups canola or vegetable oil

Cooking Instructions:

The first step in this delicious process is to slice your tomatoes a 1/4 inch thick (see image for example). Lay sliced tomatoes on flat surface and season with kosher salt, freshly cracked pepper and all-purpose seasoning. Set aside.

Take out three medium bowls. In the first bowl, crack your eggs and scramble with a fork until well blended. Fill the other two bowls, fill one with flour and the other with bread crumbs. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pot, pour in 2-3 cups of canola or vegetable oil. Heat oil at medium heat. You'll know it's ready when you see small ripples in the oil.

While you're waiting for the oil to heat up, prepare your tomatoes! Dip your tomatoes in this order: flour, egg, bread crumbs. (Make sure to get all of the excess flour off of the tomato before dipping it into the egg!) Once they're all breaded, gently place 3-4 tomato sliced into the hot oil. They're done when each side turns medium brown in color. Place on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up extra oil and lightly toss a little kosher salt over them while they're still hot.

Ta-da! You did it! Enjoy your tomatoes solo or with a tasty sauce/dip of your choice! You can also make a sandwich, salad or (my most recent discovery!) in a quesadilla with a little cheddar cheese!

Gluten-Freebies

If you are totally in love with this recipe, but want to bypass the gluten, replace the flour with chickpea flour. I've substituted chickpea flour a lot recently and it works out perfectly as a base flour. You can also replace the bread crumbs with gluten-free bread crumbs. Gluten-free bread crumbs can be purchased or homemade with gluten-free bread. If you choose to make them yourself, just toast your bread and crumble it up in a food processor (or the old-fashioned way by using the best tool you have in the kitchen - YOUR HANDS!) Chickpea flour and gluten-free bread crumbs can be found at Whole Foods or your local health food store.