I know, I've been talking a lot lately about my local produce box that I've been getting weekly. But, I just have so much fun with it. I get a lot of fresh ingredients that I normally wouldn't think to cook with, so it really stretches my cooking muscles and pushes me outside my usual box.
This week I got some lovely green tomatoes. Green tomatoes? What's that? Basically it's an unripe tomato. Nothing fancy here. They are firmer and more tart than their ripened brethren. They are definitely one of those simple things that you just can't seem to find at the grocery store often (if ever at all.) Needless to say, I was pretty excited to get my hands on these green beauties finally!
Now, what do you do with unripe tomatoes? Well, in the south... we fry them. Since I don't like to fry anything though, I'm doing a lighter take on that. After all, I've made Faux Fried Tomatoes before; a great starting point.
I wanted to make a fun take on a traditional BLT, but with my lovely fried green tomatoes. What a twist! Can I just tell you that this sandwich was stellar? I mean, it was out of this world amazing.
One of the first things that I wanted to do to lighten this sandwich up was to hollow out the center of the bread. Why would I do a crazy thing like that? Well, it can save you about 100 calories! I got this ingenious idea from a local sandwich shop that I often swing by for a 'fast food' fix in the summer. A sandwich is about as 'fast food' as I get. I always order my sandwich 'skinny', which means they do what I've done here; hollow out the center part of the sandwich bread.
The best part, outside of the 'fried' green tomatoes here is that spicy mayo. Such a simple condiment can make a world of difference - so don't leave that out!
Yep. Good stuff here. If I had green tomatoes readily at my disposal, I may likely have this sandwich in regular rotation on my meal plan.
Sad face. I'll just have to go with it as often as I can get my little hands on those 'matoes.
Skinny 'Fried' Green Tomato BLT
TheSkinnyFork.com
The Skinny:
Please note that I only accounted for 2 buns to more accurately represent hollowed out buns.
Servings: 4 • Size: 1 Sandwich • Calories: 228.1 • Fat: 5.3 g • Carb: 28.9 g • Fiber: 1.9 g • Protein: 8.3 g • Sugar: 3.1 g • Sodium: 385.4 mg
Ingredients:
'Fried' Green Tomatoes:
2 Tbsp. Whole Wheat White Flour
2 Tbsp.. Grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp.. Cornmeal
1 Tbsp. Panko
1 Tbsp. Whole Wheat Plain Breadcrumbs
1/8 Tsp. Cayenne
1/8 Tsp. Smoked Paprika
Salt & Pepper to Taste
1 Whole Large Egg
1 Large Egg White
2 Medium Green Tomatoes, Sliced 1/4" Thick
Spicy Mayo:
2 Tbsp. Light Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Sriracha
4 Sandwich Buns, Center Hollowed Out
4 Slices Low Sodium Center Cut Bacon, Cooked & Crisp
4 Large Lettuce Leaves or Greens
Directions:
Combine the flour, parmesan, corn meal, panko, bread crumbs, cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl until well blended.
In a small separate bowl, whisk the egg and egg white together.
Set up your mini dredging station and dip the tomato slices into the egg mixture to coat evenly.
Place the egg covered tomato slices into the breading mixture and press to coat evenly on both sides.
Lightly coat a skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium heat.
Carefully transfer the tomato slices into the skillet and cook on each side until browned and the breading is starting to crisp; about ## minutes per side.
You could also bake these, but... I don't want to heat up the kitchen or the house today!
While your tomatoes are cooking, mix together the spicy mayo by combining the mayo and Sriracha together in a small bowl.
When the tomatoes are done, assemble your sandwich with the tomatoes, lettuce/greens, bacon, and the spicy mayo mixture over the 'skinny' sandwich buns.
Yep, scooping that middle breading out can save you 100+ calories!
Enjoy right away!
