A Southern favorite gets a makeover

Q: One of my favorite summer sides dishes is fried green tomatoes. Is there a way to make these so they aren't so high in fat and calories?

A: We can make “crispy on the outside and moist on the inside” fried green tomatoes by pan-frying them in a non-stick frying pan in small amount of canola oil. First we coat the tomato slices in flour then dip them in a mixture of higher omega-3 egg and fat-free half-and-half and lastly 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 using a non-stick pan and some canola cooking spray for the tops. We save at least 100 calories and 15 grams of fat per serving.

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

Light Fried Green Tomatoes

Makes 2 servings

4 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 egg substitute

1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half (low-fat milk can be substituted)

1 cup unbleached white flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup plain or Italian breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 teaspoons canola oil

Canola cooking spray

Slice tomatoes 1/3-inch thick. Discard the ends.

In small-sized bowl, whisk together the egg, egg substitute and fat-free half-and-half.

Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Combine the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in another shallow bowl. One slice by one slice, dip a tomato slice into flour and coat well. Then dip the tomato slice into the egg mixture and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture to completely coat. Repeat with remaining tomatoes.

Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and coat the bottom evenly with 2 teaspoons canola oil. When the oil is nice and hot, place half of the 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 browned tomatoes to serving plate and repeat the frying process with the remaining canola oil and tomatoes.

Per serving: 196 calories, 6.5 g protein, 29 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 3.2 g monounsaturated fat, 1.7 g polyunsaturated fat, 27 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 251 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 28 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids = 0.5 g, Omega-6 fatty acids = 1.2 g. Weight Watchers POINTS = 4