Hotty Totty Fried Green Tomatoes

My sister went to college at Ole Miss, and while in Oxford, Mississippi she picked up the taste for great Southern food. Of course, like most of us, she is watching her girlish figure so she doesn't eat it often. When I saw green tomatoes at the farmer's market, I knew I not only had to buy them, but that I had to find a light, or at least lighter, way to prepare them.

When in doubt, I turn to one of my favorite cookbooks, Great Good Food by Julee Russo. I love this cookbook because it is organized by season (much like this blog) and has very flavorful recipes that are low-fat and calorie conscious - but the taste comes first. Seriously, order it now.

And of course, Julee did not let me down. She offers several Green Tomato recipes including Fried Green Tomatoes. This recipe has 90 calories per serving, which is about 2-3 slices, depending on the size of the tomato.

Make sure your oil is hot and serve them immediately so they don't get soggy and ENJOY!

(By the way, Hotty Totty is part of the Ole Miss fight song, in case you were wondering where I got that from...)

Fried Green Tomatoes
Serves 8

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp freshly ground sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsps cold skim milk
3 tbsps olive oil
4 green tomatoes,sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup minced fresh dill, chives or basil
2 lemons, cut into wedges

In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Pour the skim milk into another small bowl.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.

Dip each tomato slice into the milk and then the flour. Fry the slices in HOT oil until golden, about 5 minutes, turning once or twice. Drain on paper towels.

Garnish with the herbs and serve immediately with lemon.