Let’s face it. I live in the South-Eastern US. The capital of everything fried, breaded, and covered in white sauces (cheese, gravy, sour cream – it’s crazy!). And most of these are not on my menu. Why? Well, fried foods are not so great for your arteries AND most of these are breaded and egg-washed aka not vegan or gluten-free. So I usually just refrain with no problem.
But then I saw these lovelies at the farmers market. 
They were firm, green, and calling my name.
They must have known about my recent addiction to heirloom tomatoes!
I think I'm addicted to beets and heirloom tomatoes. What are your healthy food addictions?#beets #heirloomtomatoes #healthfoodobsession
— Jessi Andricks (@househealthy) September 8, 2013
So I purchased them, brought them home, and thought up a much healthier way to make these southern-fried goodies.
How? Olive oil – not deep-fried. No egg wash – I used chia seeds! And no gluten – these babies were breaded in almond flour and spices.
And my first attempt EVER at making fried greens was pretty tasty. I even topped them off with a little cashew cream. And the good news is – you can make these too!
DIY Fried Green Heirloom Tomatoes:
2 green heirloom tomatoes
1-2 cups almond flour (depends on the size of your tomatoes)
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 chia eggs (2 tbsp chia seeds with 6 tbsp water)
olive oil for you pan – about 2 tbsp each tomato
Prepare your chia egg. Slice your green tomatoes into thick slices. Mix together almond flour, salt, cayenne, and garlic powder and spread onto a plate or large bowl.
Heat half of you olive oil on high. You’ll want the oil to coat the pan, but not pool – this will make the tomatoes soggy.
Dip the slices from one tomato in the chia egg mixture. Then dip in the almond flour mixture, coating each side. Transfer to the pan and cook until golden brown on each side – anywhere from 2-5 minutes.
It’s just that simple.
Transfer to a dish and repeat with the other tomato. Serve with a side of greens (we had a kale salad – recipe coming next week!) and top with cashew cream.
What is your favorite sinful-food-gone-healthy?
Peace and Love,
Jessi
PS Did you catch the first installment of the Barre series? If not, catch up here and get ready for the next installment coming on Wednesday!
