Courtesy of Elaine Magee

Question: Dear Recipe Doctor, one of my favorite summer side dishes is fried green tomatoes. Is there a way to make these so they aren’t so high in fat and calories?

Answer: We can make “crispy on the outside and moist on the inside” light fried green tomatoes by pan-frying them in a nonstick frying pan with a small amount of canola oil. It really works! We coat the tomato slices in flour, and then dip them in a mixture of higher omega-3 egg and fat-free half-and-half before dredging them in a mixture of cornmeal and breadcrumbs.

Instead of deep-frying the breaded slices, we are controlling the amount of oil absorbed by the tomato slices by browning them in a small amount of canola oil and using a nonstick pan and some canola cooking spray for the tops. It makes a big difference in calories and fat grams. We save at least 100 calories and 15 grams fat per serving making them this way.

The original recipe contains 305 calories and 21 grams fat per serving.

2 large green tomatoes (if you can’t find green tomatoes, you can use firm, not-quite-ripe red tomatoes)

1 large egg, higher omega-3 if available

1/4 cup fat-free half-and-half (low-fat milk can be substituted)

1/2 cup unbleached white flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 plain or Italian bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons canola oil

Canola cooking spray

Directions

1. Slice tomatoes 1/3 inch thick. Discard the ends.
2. In small bowl, whisk together the egg and fat-free half-and-half. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Combine the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper in another shallow bowl. Dip the tomato slices into flour and coat well. Then dip the tomato slices into the egg mixture and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture to completely coat.
3. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and coat the bottom evenly with 2 teaspoons canola oil. Place tomatoes into the frying pan and coat the tops with canola cooking spray. When the undersides are browned (about 3 minutes), flip and cook the other side until browned (about 3 minutes more). Remove to serving plate and enjoy!