Fried Green Tomatoes [Easy & Vegan]

Fried Green Tomatoes: if you've never had this dish before, it probably sounds a little bit strange. Even if you're not a huge fan of tomatoes (or fried things), this treat deserves to be tried at least once.

A quintessential summer food, fried green tomatoes easily accommodate a vegan diet with a couple of quick substitutions. Read on to find out what you'll need for this simple—and obscenely delicious—dish.

‍

• 1 tablespoon Refined coconut oil
• 3 whole green tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon flax meal
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup flour of choice (regular unbleached or Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free is best)
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup white cornmeal

1. Slice green tomatoes in wedges about 1/2 inch thick. Salt both sides and set aside on a paper towel to drain. Prepare your "buttermilk" by combining 1/2 cup of almond milk with a tablespoon of white vinegar. Whisk in sea salt, then set aside for about 5 minutes. Prepare your flax egg by whisking 1 tablespoon of flax meal with 3 tablespoons of boiling water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
2. While your "buttermilk" and flax egg are sitting, whisk flour in a shallow bowl with salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, pour your cornmeal for breading. Once the five minutes are up, whisk buttermilk and flax egg together in a third shallow bowl to create an "egg wash."
3. In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt refined coconut oil down so that it covers the bottom of the pan and stands about 1/2 inch deep (est. 1/4 - 1/2 cup of coconut oil, depending on the pan). While oil comes to temperature, prepare fried green tomatoes. Coat each tomato slice evenly in flour mixture, dip in "egg wash," and follow with a coating of cornmeal.
   
4. Once coconut oil is hot, place tomato slices in skillet (oil should sizzle) and turn once golden, roughly 4 minutes each side (please note: the time may run up to a minute shorter or longer). Remove from oil and sprinkle both sides generously with salt before draining on a paper towel.

‍