French Twist - breakfast food - Recipe

Vegetarian Times, Sept, 1999 by Janet Charatan

A classic breakfast treat gets a low-fat, dairy-free spin

French toast was originally created by thrifty cooks as a way to use up stale bread, and it's still a delicious way to salvage a leftover loaf (or make the most of a brand-new one). But like many favorite fried breakfast foods, French toast is high in fat and calories. Because the slices are dipped in a milk-and-egg batter, it's also off-limits to those who avoid eating dairy products. Yet with a few simple substitutions, French toast can become a smart breakfast or brunch choice for just about anyone, from waist watchers to vegans.

We reworked the traditional recipe by skipping the eggs and milk entirely and substituting pureed bananas and soy milk. The dipping mixture offers the same "eggy" richness but eliminates much of the fat content. We've also come up with a tasty variation for people who don't like bananas. Finally, by using a nonstick skillet, you can crisp the bread in much less oil than usual.

The choice of bread is yours, though whole wheat is more nutritious and provides healthful fiber. For best results, avoid dense whole-grain bread, which will not absorb the dipping mixture as well (whole-wheat Italian bread is a good choice, however). Experiment with different types until you find the one you like best.

Now, get cooking and make it a memorable morning.

Banana French Toast

4 SERVINGS DAIRY-FREE (30)

Our slimmed-down take on French toast looks and tastes almost like the real thing. We serve our version with sliced ripe mango, but you can Use any cut-up fresh fruit as a topping.

2 medium bananas, sliced
1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk
2 tsp. ground cinnamon or 1 1/2 tsp.
  ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 tsp.
  ground cardamom
1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil, plus more as
  needed
8 slices bread, preferably day-old
Mango slices and pure maple syrup
  for serving

IN BLENDER OR FOOD PROCESSOR, combine bananas, soy milk and cinnamon and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into shallow dish.

Brush large nonstick skillet or griddle with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil anal heat over medium heat. Dip bread in soy milk mixture, turning to coat both sides. Scrape off excess batter. Add several coated bread slices to pan and cook until nicely browned on bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook until second sides are browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Repeat with remaining bread slices, adding more oil to skillet as needed. Serve hot with mango slices and maple syrup.

PER SERVING: 278 CAL.; 9G PROT.; 5G TOTAL FAT ([is greater than] 1G SAT. FAT); 51G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 383MG SOD.; 4G FIBER

NO-BANANA VARIATION: In blender or food processor, combine 1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Blend until smooth. Proceed as directed in the recipe above.

Janet Charatan is recipe editor of Vegetarian Times.