I remember French toast fondly from childhood—and so does hubby. It was the
“treat” breakfast we had as kids, probably far easier for our parents to make than
pancakes, and a great way to use up odds and ends of bread. This version is much
healthier than what I ate as a kid, and I tell you our girls love it just the same.
Serves 3–4
1 cup plus 1–2
tablespoons plain or
vanilla unsweetened
nondairy milk
1 tablespoon white chia
seeds
1/3 cup soaked and
drained cashews (see
note for nut-free option)
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4–1/2 teaspoon pure
vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Sliced bread of choice
(s e e note)
In a blender or using a handheld blender, puree the milk (starting
with 1 cup; see note), chia, cashews, cinnamon, vanilla extract,and sea salt until very smooth and thick (it will get thicker as it
sits a little while and the chia swells). Prepare a nonstick skillet by wiping over with a touch of oil(you need a nonstick skillet, or this will be a sticky event!). Turn heat to high for a few minutes to heat up the pan, then reduce
to medium/medium-high. Dip a slice of bread into the batter. Turn over and let it sit in the chia mixture for a few moments
to soak, then remove and place in the skillet. Repeat with other slices, frying 2–3 pieces or more at a time, depending on the
size of your skillet. Fry for 3–5 minutes on each side, until light brown. Keep the heat high enough to get a good sear/crust on
the bread, but reduce if it’s scorching. Note that the slices will be sticky until they are ready to be flipped, so be patient. Repeat
until all bread is used. Serve with fresh fruit and pure maple syrup. Another fun serving idea is to make sandwiches out of the
French toast, slathering some nut butter between two slices, then serving with maple syrup.
Nut-Free Option: Replace 1/3 cup of cashews with 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds.
Bread Note: You may use 6–10 slices of bread, depending on the size of the slices.
Milk Note: After the batter sits for a few minutes it can become quite thick. You can stir through another 1–2 tablespoons of
milk if it has gotten too thick with standing (if you have less than half the batter left, use just 1 tablespoon).
