Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes a wonderful Southern appetizer or side dish.

Ingredients:
2 large green tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cornmeal (I use coarse ground)
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Slice tomatoes 1/3 inch thick. Discard the ends.
2. Lay the sliced tomatoes on a cooling rack or on your counter and sprinkle each slice (both sides) with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Let them be for at least 10 minutes. The tomatoes will start to sweat liquid, this is what is supposed to happen.
3. In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil to a depth of 1/8 inch, then add the butter and heat over medium heat.
4. Put flour into a bowl. Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs, salt and pepper in another bowl. You should have three separate bowls, 1 with flour, 1 with the egg and milk mixture and 1 with the breadcrumb and cornmeal mixture.
5. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into egg and milk mixture. Then dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.
6. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. This should take 3-4 minutes on each side.
7. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fried green tomatoes to a plate that has been lined with paper towels. Do not cover or stack the tomatoes. Doing so will cause your batter to soften and become soggy. Wait at least 10 minutes after draining on the paper towels to stack.
8. Wait a minute for the oil to return to temperature, then put in another batch of battered green tomatoes.
9. Once done frying all the battered tomatoes, serve.

Fried green tomatoes are such a delicious appetizer or side dish. The tomatoes are cooked perfectly and the batter has just the right amount of crunch from the panko bread crumbs, which I love using. The sugar used prior to adding the batter helps the tomatoes sweat their own juices and helps the batter to stick to the tomatoes. I love eating these by themselves but you could also serve these with a gravy or ranch dressing.

*Camala*

Tilapia with Tomatoe-Olive-Cilantro

 

This is an easy and healthy dish.   Tilapia is an inexpensive fish with a mild flavor that that I love.  These flavors blend well together and I will definitely make this again…

Ingrediants:
4 Tilapia Filets
1/3 cup sliced olives
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic–chopped
2 Plum tomatoes (chopped)
1 Tablespoon chopped Cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime 
Olive Oil for saute
salt, pepper,  spike seasoning (optional)

Start by preparing sauce;
To small frying pan add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil the onion, garlic and olives.
Saute for about 2 minutes then add tomatoes and cilantro.
cook about 15 to 20 minutes.
Add lime juice at the end right before fish is done

Salt and pepper Tilapia and place in pan with enough Olive Oil to coat the bottom. Saute on both sides about 10 minutes or until fish is opaque white.
Remove from pan spoon sauce over fish and serve.
Deee licious!!!
*Christine*