Tasty Bites: Kicked-Up Fried Green Tomatoes

By Candy, RN (Steele the Day)

There’s really only one reason I plan tomatoes in the spring – as much as I love a juicy ripe red tomato, I love fried green tomatoes even more. They have a great “tomatoey” flavor and I like to keep the breading light but spicy to really make the flavor pop. The coating for these is so simple because I always have the two main ingredients on hand, and never have to run to the store – whole wheat bread crumbs and my favorite seasoning!

What? You don’t keep crumbs in your freezer? We don’t eat the “heels” of the bread, but instead save them in a separate bag in the freezer. When I have several collected, I put them on the counter to dry out overnight or dry them out in a low oven. When they are good and dry, pulse in the food processor until finely crumbled. They keep for a very long time stored in freezer bags in your freezer.

I’ve mentioned before that I make up batches of Emeril’s Essence seasoning. You can buy it in the store, but I’ve found it much less expensive to purchase the separate spices on sale and make my own to keep on hand for meats, fish, and vegetables. Just store it in an air-tight container right by your stove.

Green tomatoes are loaded with healthy phytochemicals! They are a good source of dietary fiber, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, and a very good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, pantothenic acid, potassium and manganese.

Whole grains, fresh vegetables, and cooked in a healthy fat – bet you can’t eat just one!

Kicked-up Fried Green Tomatoes

2 large green tomatoes (no signs of ripening)

1 ½ cups whole wheat bread crumbs

1 ½ teaspoons Emeril’s Essence

2 eggs

1 tablespoon water

Extra virgin olive oil for frying

Pour olive oil about ¼ inch deep in large skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Slice tomatoes about ¼ inch thick. Beat egg in small bowl with water. Mix bread crumbs and Essence with a fork until well blended.

Dip tomato slices in egg mixture, then pat in crumbs until thoroughly coated. Fry on each side until golden brown and serve.

Candy Steele is a registered nurse who has worked with cardiac patients for over thirty years. “Functional foods” have become her passion, and she enjoys sharing her love of cooking, a random life and a faithful Jesus with her friends at Steele (the Day). She is blessed with three grown children, a new daughter-in-law, and a kind and patient husband who only knows how to fix popcorn (but she’s OK with that).