One Herbivore's Dilemma

Hey everyone! I have not written in a couple weeks, mostly because I was in Florida for a week and a half, and then when I came home, I didn’t really cook anything right away. I have a number of backlogged entries to post, including strawberry jam and a review of restaurants in Florida, so I will be writing a lot in the near future to catch up.

However, here is tonight’s dinner: “Fried” Green Tomatoes with Remoulade Sauce and Vegetarian Gumbo over Rice, followed by Fresh Peaches with Ice Cream

The appetizer and main course

I love fried green tomatoes, and so does Ian, but taking a perfectly good vegetable, breading it, and frying it is not necessarily the healthiest thing to do. So I went online to find a healthier alternative, which I did. I read a bunch of different recipes for breaded but baked green tomatoes, along with eggplant and other vegetables, so I could get an idea for what to do.

The Recipe

• 2 green tomatoes, sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick
• 1/8 cup fat free 99% egg product (or 1 egg, beaten)
• 1/2 cup corn flour
• Cajun flavored seasoned salt
  

  My particular brand of Cajun seasoned salt

• Fresh black pepper
• Parmesan Cheese (0ptional)
• Cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a foil lined baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix the corn flour, seasoned salt, pepper, and cheese together in a shallow bowl. Pour the eggs into a similar bowl.
   

   Eggs...mmm

   

   The flour mixture

3. Dredge the tomatoes in the eggs, and then the flour, then lay on the baking sheet.
   

   Ready to be cooked

4. Spray the tops of the tomatoes with cooking spray.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until they start to brown. If parts still look a little “dusty” spray them a little more and then cook for 5 more minutes. Then flip, spray the other side, and bake for about 5 more minutes.

The finished product (I'm not sure why the pic is so small)

I served these on lettuce leaves with a remoulade sauce. The lettuce leaves were not purely decorative; while Ian did not eat them, I wrapped one of my tomatoes with one, and I thought the fresh, crisp taste was a good addition. The verdict: while not as amazingly delicious as regular fried green tomatoes, these were a good substitute for everyday occasions, especially with the remoulade. I see a sandwich in my near future.

The Recipe

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp prepared horseradish
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp spicy mustard
• 2 tsp chopped capers
• 1 smallish garlic clove, minced
• salt
• pepper
• juice of 1/3 lemon or so

All the ingredients, before mixing

Mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Just a dollop

Note: This is just my remoulade, mixed up with whatever I had on hand, and is not a definitive recipe.

Originally, I was going to write up the whole dinner in one post, but I am tired now, so I will leave the rest until tomorrow…