Veggie Quesadillas

It has been quite a while since I posted last...pregnancy has played quite a roll in my lack of attendance in the kitchen. First it was the 4 months straight of morning sickness, now its the sore back, tailbone, and swollen feet from standing too long. Its a little detouring, but I'll make it back eventually. For now I'm all for quick and easy meals. Ones that don't require too much effort - or at least standing over a hot stove. Tonight I made veggie quesadillas. This is one of those recipes that I make when I have to just make due with what I might have in the kitchen...or when I'm feeling lazy...both of which are the case tonight. You really can add whatever you want to these. I don't think I've ever made it exactly the same every time.

• Flour tortillas
• Bell peppers, julienned
• Grated cheese (preferably Monterey Jack, but mozzarella or cheddar work too)
• Corn (canned, fresh or frozen)
• Black beans
• Lime Juice
• Olive oil
• Cayenne Pepper

Heat oil in pan. Add bell peppers and cook until soft. Add black beans, corn, lime juice, and cayenne pepper (all to taste). Simmer until heated through. Brush one side of tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Top with another tortilla, facing the oil side up (away from the mixture). Cook until browned on each side and cheese has melted.

Vegan Chocolate Balsamic Cookies

I don't know what really possessed, inspired, caused me to make these cookies. I'm not a Vegan. Heck, I'm not even a Vegetarian. Although I really don't eat all that much meat on a regular basis and my hubby and I did go through a faze of our lives where we stuck to tofu, ate no red meat, and drank soy milk. We're still not big meat eaters, but really, I could NEVER give up my dairy! This was another one of my Tasty Kitchen finds. I guess I was just curious as to what they'd taste like. They were surprisingly good. The balsamic vinegar gave it somewhat of a fruity taste to it. I would be lying if I said they were the best cookies I've ever tasted, but I really do think I will make these again. I think next time, though, I might add a touch of cinnamon...that would kick it up a notch! I just gave my 6 year old one and he came back and snuck 3 more...he loved them!

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup chopped walnut or other nut, optional (I don't like nuts in my food, so I skipped this!)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil or coconut oil (I used coconut)
• 2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp milk substitute (I used vanilla soy milk)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, flax meal, cocoa powder, nuts (optional), and baking soda in one bowl and the sugar, oil, vinegar, vanilla, and milk substitute in another. Combine the two; mix well. Dough should be slightly dry (mine wasn't, so I added about a Tbsp more of sugar and flour). Roll dough into small balls and then flatten. Place on cookie sheet (line with parchment paper if you'd like). Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes. Let cool.

Only makes about 1 dozen medium-sized cookies.

An Amazing Quesadilla

I just finished an absolutely delicious quesadilla. I couldn't even wait to blog about it! This is one of the new recipes I found on Tasty Kitchen. Its from Red Velvet. Red Velvet, you're the best! Wow, it was good. It has caramelized onions, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, and goat cheese...whats not to love? The sweetness of the onions and the tartness of the goat cheese & tomatoes go so great together. And the spinach I didn't even notice, but I know its doing my body good. :) My little sister kringed when I told her I was gonna try it...I'm SO glad I listened to my stomach and not you! Just a little forewarning - be careful when you flip your quesadilla...I almost lost my innards to the frying pan. For those of you who know your kids won't eat it, I just made a plain ol' boring quesadilla for my 6 year old...my 2 year old LOVED it!

• 2 whole tortillas (fat free if desired)
• 1/2 whole sweet onion
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• Few handfuls fresh baby spinach
• 3 Tbsp goat cheese (give or take)
• Cooking spray, olive oil, or butter (depends on how healthy you wanna get)

Slice the onion into long, thin strips. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray (or olive oil, or butter). Add onion and saute until lightly browned (about 10 minutes).

While onions are cooking, spread goat cheese on each tortilla in an even layer.

When done, remove onions from pan. Put onions on top of goat cheese on one tortilla. Add layer of sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Place over tortilla on top (goat cheese facing in). Add more cooking spray to pan (I used the olive oil spray). Put quesadilla in saute pan over medium heat and warm through (about 2-3 minutes per side). Cut into small wedges and enjoy (and boy did I!)!

Makes 1 quesadilla.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Yay, I'm back online! I apologize for the great lack of posts, but my internet has been down for way too long and I FINALLY have it all sorted out and back up and running again...hip-hip-horray! I'll try to back track and see if there's anything new and delicious I've made in the past few months, so we'll start with this one. It is (again, I know, I know) a Pioneer Woman masterpiece (I can't help it...her stuff is awesome, but I do have to add that my husband has decided he needs to hire her as one of his chefs when he becomes uber rich...but in the mean time I've had to put a limit on PW recipes - 1 a week - our hearts can't handle too much more than that!). So on to the recipes.

I love roasted peppers...my esophagus doesn't always love me for eating them (peppers give me crazy heart burn), but my taste buds rejoice. And of course you can't go wrong with cream, so naturally when I saw this recipe I knew I'd love it (the PW hasn't failed me yet!). I was right. I made it for my hubby for Father's Day 'cause I knew he'd like it too...and oh did he! This pasta has the yumminess of a cream sauce, but the tang and lightness of a red sauce. The only complaint I had was I didn't have orecchiette pasta on hand so I used a fusilli-type pasta which we both agreed was a little too heavy for the sauce...a little too much pasta that is. So next time I will most definitely hunt down some orecchiette. This sauce would even be great drizzled on fish or chicken or something. Try it...it's super yummy!

• 3 red bell peppers
• 2 Tbsp pine nuts (optional)
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Flat leaf parsley, finely minced
• Fresh Parmesan, shaved or grated
• 1/2 to 1 lb pasta (orecchiette, penne, fusilli, etc.)

Roast red peppers*. Whether its under the broiler or on the grill, you should blacken them for about ten minutes, then remove them and set them on a plate for a few minutes. Next, place them in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then remove seeds & stems. Set aside.

Lightly toast pine nuts in a skillet over medium-low heat for about five minutes. Keep them moving by jiggling the pan now and then. Set aside.

In a blender or food processor purée the peppers with pine nuts. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper purée and stir together. Add plenty of salt. Just cook the mixture over medium to medium-low heat while the pasta cooks, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn.

Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, then stir together. Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan.

*Click here if you'd like step-by-step photographic instructions

Green Smoothie Recipes

I thought I'd post a few our family-favorites! You may need to add less greens in the beginning (especially for the kiddos) and more fruit, but as you do this more and more, they will be able to drink more greens and like them! I sometimes sweeten their smoothies with a little agave nectar or raw honey. However, that's not really necessary if you use very ripe fruits. I hit the sales on super ripe bananas or day-old strawberries and freeze them in large batches. Frozen grapes are really good for smoothies too.

Smoothie #1

• 3 bananas
  
• 1 cup of papaya
  
• 4 big handfuls of baby spinach
  
• 2 cups of water
  

Smoothie #2 (similar to #1, but very still a hit)

• 3 bananas
  
• 3 huge handfuls of baby spinach
  
• 2 cups of water
  

Smoothie #3

• 2 bananas
  
• 6-7 strawberries
  
• juice from 2 oranges
  
• 2 handfuls of romaine
  
• 1 cup of water
  

Smoothie #4

• Half a head of green leaf lettuce
  
• 2 bananas
  
• juice from 2 tangelos
  
• 1/2 a bag of frozen mangoes
  
• 1 pear
  
• 1 cup of water
  

Smoothie #5

• 6 ounces of orange juice
  
• 1 cup of pineapple
  
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk (this is the best if you get a Thai coconut and use the water and meat, but the canned stuff works too)
  
• 2 handfuls of romaine
  

Smoothie #6

• 1 stalk of celery
  
• 2 cups of blueberries
  
• 1 banana
  
• 2 cups of water
  

Smoothie #7

• 6 to 7 romaine leaves
  
• 1 cup of red grapes
  
• 1 medium orange (peeled, but whole, not juiced)
  
• 1 banana
  
• 2 cups of water
  

Smoothie #8

• 2 large grapefruits- juiced
  
• 6-7 frozen strawberries
  
• 1 cup of peaches
  
• 2 handfuls of lettuce
  

Smoothie #9

• 4 ripe pears
  
• 4-5 kale leaves
  
• 1/2 bunch of mint
  
• 2 cups of water
  
• (I would add sweetener on this one!)
  

Smoothie #10

• 2 bananas
  
• 2 large collard or chard leaves
  
• 1/2 pack of Trader Joes frozen "Mangolicious" blend (has frozen mango, raspberries, and blueberries in it)
  
• 1-2 cups of water or orange juice
  

**You can substitute water with any juice you like. The amount you put in depends upon the consistency you like. My kids like it thick like ice cream...I like it almost as thin as juice.

The possibilities are endless really. You can add greens to any of your usual smoothie favorites. It will change the color, but if you do it in a small amount, it shouldn't take away from the flavor much. You can substitute in these recipes for any greens you like. The greens we use the most are kale, collard greens, chard, spinach, romaine, and bok choy. I try to use the dark leafy greens that my kids won't eat on their own, cooked or otherwise. I sometimes also add ground flax or nuts/nut butter for added protein. Most of these recipes will yield a quart of green smoothies (32 oz). Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Holli W.

Baked Asparagus

Asparagus, like eggplant and okra, is one of those vegetables that, as a child, was never introduced in my home. I never really tried until I was married. They're also those types of vegetables that if cooked right is absolutely delicious, but when done wrong, are absolutely disgusting (hence the reason why they weren't introduced in my family growing up)! I've been on somewhat of an asparagus kick lately. It seems to me that asparagus can be pricey - when this is the case or when its not in season, I turn to T.J.'s frozens. Last night we had fresh asparagus...mm, mm, mm! Frozen tastes good baked, but there is certainly nothing like fresh! Its so much crunchier! So I encourage you to try asparagus if you haven't already...I dare you!

• Asparagus
• Olive Oil
• Salt (or garlic salt if you'd like)

Preheat oven to 400°.  Wash asparagus.  Cut tips of ends off (on the non-leafy/flowery side).  Place in a large ziplock bag.  Drizzle with olive oil until lightly coated.  Sprinkle in some salt to your liking.  Close bag and toss.  Dump asparagus onto a baking sheet.  Spread out, making sure none are on top of each other (they can touch, just don't pile them).  Bake for about 10-12 minutes until cooked through to your liking (I like it crunchier, which takes 10 minutes, if you like them softer, leave in longer).  I usually like to flip them over 1/2 way through.  Cool slightly and enjoy!

Julie R.

Food Thats Oh So Good!

Its been a while since I have done a Good Food Review and there really is so much good food out there.  Here are a few of my favorite indulgences...mmm, makes my mouth water just thinking about them!  Now heed my warning, these are not low fat, low cal items, but every now and then its good to indulge your senses in something absolutely delicious!

Hummus & Tandoori Naan

Lets start with hummus. I had never heard of it until 8 years ago when I married my husband. Its a regular at his family's get togethers and it is good. You really have to have the right stuff, though. I've had brands that are flat out gross, but when its good, it is dang good! I like Trader Joes' original hummus. They have a bunch of other flavors - I've had garlic and tomato & basil (both good, but a bit stronger tasting), and I today I just bought Cilantro & Jalepano for my hubby to try - we'll see. I also like Athenos - my favorite is the roasted red pepper hummus and Sabras (you can buy a big batch, as well as individual serving size containers at Costco). Its good with veggies, on sandwiches, and my personal favorite, Tandoori Naan. Oh my goodness, this is one of my new favorites. I've only had naan (a bread from India) at Indian restaurants until now. My mother-in-law introduced me to T.J.'s. My hubby prefers garlic naan, I like their whole wheat. It is chewy and flavorful and full of yummy goodness. Dip it in some good hummus and I could eat all day long. Mmm!

Gnocchi Gorgonzola

For those of you who don't have a Trader Joes near you, I apologize on this one. I don't think there is a substitute anywhere for it. This is another hidden treasure of Trader Joes for sure! Its in the frozen foods section - it literally takes 7 minutes to whip up and it is delicious! We've hooked most of our family on it. I love this for a "I feel lazy, but want a good meal" kind of night. In fact I made it last night with some grilled chicken and cooked carrots. My husband LOVES it, my 5 year old downs more of this then probably anything else (except for the fish I made here), and I haven't seen my 1 year old eat so much for dinner in a LONG time! Yes, its good stuff!

Jalepano Smokehouse Almonds

Last, but certainly not least are my almonds (yes, MY almonds!). They're Blue Diamond's Bold Jalepano Smokehouse Almonds. These are so not me! I don't like very spicy, I'm not a huge nut fan, but WOW! I (or rather Santa) actually bought these for my husband's stocking, but when he opened them up, he said, you would love these. Boy was he right! He had about 5, then I took immediate ownership over the can. I've been in love ever since. I really have to hold restraint with these puppies...they're so not low fat (although almonds are the good fat, right? :) ) and they can give me heartburn, but every now and then its worth it for a few minutes of bliss!

Ode to Carrots!

The other day my son surprised me by saying, "Mom, can you buy me some carrots?  I want to bring some for snack at school...Did you know that carrots make you see in the dark?"  Well, how can I say no to a healthy snack?  Since I've been a slacker cooker lately (or rather I've only really made things I've already posted), I'm having to go to my old archives of favorites.  So to commemorate a joyous occasion (of my son requesting a healthy snack), here's 2 carrot recipes totally worth trying!

Cumin and Orange-Glazed Carrots

I think this may have originated from Gourmet Magazine, but I'm not really sure.

• 3 navel oranges
  
• 4 lb medium carrots, peeled
  
• 3 1/2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
  
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  
• 1 3/4 cup water
  
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 Tbsp sugar
  
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
  

Cut out round from parchment paper to fit just inside 12” heavy skillet, then set aside. Squeeze oranges until you get 1/2 cup juice. Cut 1” slices of carrots. Heat oil in skillet over moderate heat until hot, but not smoking, then add cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots, water, orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover carrots directly with parchment paper, then continue to simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Remove parchment paper, then continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until most of liquid is evaporated and carrots are tender and glazed, about 20 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with chopped orange (this is optional).

Serves 10. (can 1/2 the recipe if desired)

Vintage Press Carrots

The Vintage Press is the fanciest restaurant in the town where my husband grew up. Occasionally they have cooking classes where they teach you how to cook a meal, then feed it to you and send you home with the recipes (a great thing!).  My mother-in-law went to one and obtained this recipe. It is really easy, yummy and creamy (can you tell yet that my family and I like creamy?).

• 1 lb carrots, peeled & cut
  
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  
• salt & white pepper
  
• ground nutmeg
  
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
  

Cook carrots, drain. Combine ingredients in a blender. Serve immediately.

Julie R.

(Next time I make either of these I'll try to remember to take pictures)

Fresh Salsa

Our garden seems to have tomatoes growing in every direction, so today we decided to make some fresh salsa.  I didn't use a specific recipe and everything is pretty much "to taste," so you can make it to your liking.  Am I the only one who has a problem chopping cilantro?  Every time I do, my eyes tear all up and it kind of hinders my breathing - its worse then when I cut onions...am I just weird or is there someone else out there who has this problem, too?  Anyway, as I was making the salsa my son said "yuck, I hate salsa!"  When I was done, I was tasting it and he came over and said "mmm, that looks good."  He tried it, then took the bowl and bag of chips from me and scarfed it all down.  When he was done he said "that was so good I even drank the juice!"  It WAS good!

• Fresh tomatoes
• Sweet onion 
• Cilantro
• Garlic clove, minced
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Hot Sauce to taste (optional)

Chop tomatoes, onion, and cilantro;  place in a bowl (if you like juicy salsa like me, then include the tomato juice too).  Add minced garlic, salt and pepper.  If you'd like a little kick, add a few drops of hot sauce to taste.  Enjoy!

Julie R.

AG, CA

Spinach Salad

I'm still waiting for more of you to post YOUR recipes, but in the meantime I've had a request for some healthy recipes. I'm not always so good at deciphering if something is healthy, low fat, or low calories (usually when I cook what I cook, I have a little of that and a LOT of the veggies on the side, so I don't watch my calories and fat as well as I know I should), so if these aren't - sorry, I'll try better next time...if you have any, I would love for you to post them and share them with all of us!

• Bunch (or bag) of fresh spinach
• 2 green apples (sliced strawberries are also delicious)
• 2 pkg craisins
• 1 pkg shaved almonds
• Raspberry-Pecan Vinaigrette Dressing (or any other raspberry-like vinaigrette)

Toss all ingredients together.

Tofu Tacos

I know what you're thinking...not tofu!  But really if you cook tofu right, it's very tasty!  I found this recipe in a Sunset Magazine years ago when we were living in Palm Springs.  I've cooked the tofu all sorts of different ways for this - you can cook it as instructed below or you can chop it up so it looks like ground beef or bake it in thin strips (that's our favorite!).  Also if you want more spice/seasoning, you can double the marinade.

(Picture and recipe courtesy of Sunset)

• 12 ounces water- or vacuum-packed extra-firm tofu 
  
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 
  
• 1 tablespoon lime juice 
  
• 1 tablespoon chili powder 
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
  
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 
  
• 3 cups finely shredded cabbage 
  
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar 
  
• 8 corn tortillas (6 in. diameter) 
  
• About 1 cup tomato salsa (optional)
  
• About 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
• Queso Fresco cheese (optional, but VERY good, but not as low fat, I know!)

Rinse tofu, drain in a colander for about 5 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 1-inch cubes and lightly blot with more paper towels.

In a bowl, mix soy sauce, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne. Add tofu and mix gently to coat cubes completely. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix cabbage with vinegar. Stack tortillas and enclose in plastic wrap.

Thread tofu cubes equally onto four 8-inch wooden skewers (see notes). Set a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, lay skewers in pan and turn as needed to brown tofu on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to a serving platter. Mound cabbage mixture alongside.

Heat tortillas in a microwave oven at full power (100%) until hot and steamy, 30 to 45 seconds. Wrap in a towel. Serve with tofu and cabbage, salsa, and sour cream. Eat taco style, filling tortillas as desired.

Serves 3-4

Nutritional Facts:

CALORIES 246(12% from fat); FAT 3.3g (sat 0.2g); CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CARBOHYDRATE 39g; SODIUM 1198mg; PROTEIN 16g; FIBER 7.6g

Julie R.

AG, CA

Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

I made these tonight.  They're a good alternative to store bought ones full of corn syrup and junk.  Mine were kind of dry, but were great dipped in milk!  I also kind of messed them up, 'cause I baked them in an 8"x8" dish instead of the 9"x13" which made them thicker and kind of hard to bite, but my kids really liked them, so for that it was a success!

• 4 cups of quick cooking oats
  
• 1/3 cup canola oil
  
• 2/3 cup honey
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread oats into an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Allow oats to cool to room temperature. Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add cooled oats. Spread mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish that has been sprayed or oiled, pressing down hard to compact it.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Recipe adapted from Whole Foods.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Sweet Potato Fries

I know I already posted today, but we had these for dinner tonight and they were SO good I just had to share the recipe with you!  My mom introduced them to me a few months ago, but this is the first time I actually made them.  Every time I eat them I just can't stop!  They're a great healthy alternative to real fries or potato chips.

(photo courtesy of veganfamilyfavorites.com)

• Sweet potatoes
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Any other seasoning you might want to add (pepper, rosemary, cinnamon, etc.)

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Slice sweet potatoes into 1/4" thick strips like fries (you can buy them already sliced at Trader Joe's).  Place sliced sweet potatoes in large ziplock bag.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Seal bag and toss until coated.  Pour in single layer onto cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, flip fries and bake for 10 more minutes.  Enjoy!

Tomatoes, Tomatoes, and More Tomatoes

My father-in-law has the most amazing garden where one of the many things that he grows are the tastiest tomatoes you'll ever have...they're so good that you can eat them like apples.  We don't live too close, so when we see him, he stocks us up with a BIG supply, so we've had to get creative on how to eat them so we don't waste them.  If you don't like tomatoes, then you haven't had a good one!  Here are 5 of our favorite tomato recipes thus far.

Fresh Tomatoes & Cheese on Bread

This is my husband's favorite midnight snack.  The picture doesn't quite do it justice.

• Slice of bread (we like Trader Joe's' par baked Artisan bread, but French bread will do as well)
• Fresh tomatoes, sliced
• Fresh Mozzarella log, sliced
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt
• Fresh basil, optional

Place slice of bread on plate. Sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (or if you're like my husband, you might want to add the olive oil on top of the tomatoes instead).  Layer with tomato slices.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Layer with mozzarella slices.  If you'd like you can add a leaf or 2 of fresh basil.

Fresh Mozzarella Ball & Tomato Salad

• Fresh small Mozzarella balls, halved (or cubed fresh mozzarella log)
• Grape tomatoes, halved (or if you have Roma tomatoes from your garden, they're great sliced)
• Garlic salt, to taste
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• Olive oil, to taste
• Balsamic Vinegar, to taste
• Fresh basil, to taste

Mix all ingredients and serve.

Tomato Sandwich

I had one today and it was SO good!

• Bread, sliced
• Mayonnaise
• Mustard
• Fresh tomatoes, sliced
• Fresh mozzarella, sliced
• Avocado, sliced (optional)
• Fresh basil leaves (optional)
• Armenian cucumbers, sliced (optional, but gives a great crunch!)
• Sea salt
• Olive oil (optional)
• Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Spread mayonnaise and mustard on bread slices.  On one slice of bread, layer with sliced mozzarella.  If desired, layer with avocado, basil, and/or Armenian cucumber slices.  Layer with sliced tomatoes.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  If desired, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Top with remaining bread slice.  Eat with caution - it's delicious and messy!

Artichoke & Tomato Salad

• 1 can artichoke hearts in water, quartered
• Fresh tomatoes cut into bite size chunks
• Italian salad dressing

Mix all ingredients and enjoy!

Fried Green Tomatoes

These are great at the end of tomato season when the tomatoes just don't quite cut it.  Pick them before they turn red and they are delicious!  I had never heard of them before (just the movie), but my mother-in-law makes them and I could seriously eat an entire plate myself.

• Green tomatoes (unripe tomatoes), sliced
• Seasoned breadcrumbs
• Salt
• Pepper
• Eggs, beaten
• Cooking Oil (I prefer Olive Oil)

Mix breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper in pie dish (or any shallow dish).  In another shallow dish, beat eggs.  Warm up skillet with some oil.  Dip tomato slices in egg, then coat with breadcrumb mix.  Place in skillet.  Cook until both sides are golden brown and tomatoes have softened.  Serve warm.

Julie R.

AG, CA