Pecan-Crusted French Toast

It's important to me to make a special breakfast for my guys on the weekends. They are important to me and this is one way that I try to show that to them. The catch is that in my household, we have a omnivore, a vegetarian (me) and a vegan, so breakfast can get a little tricky.

Recently I came across this vegan French Toast recipe and thought I'd give it a try. It was a hit! The vegan of the house gave it a 4.1 rating and the carnivore of the house rated it at a 4.8 and said it was "The best French toast I've ever eaten." (scale is 1-5, with 1 being the most disgusting food you've ever eaten and 5 being that you'd like to eat it as often as possible).

The only change I would make to the recipe would be that I would add vanilla extract - something I always add to pancakes or French toast. :)

Here it is......

Pecan-Crusted French Toast:

1-1/2 cups soy or rice milk
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons chickpea flour or brown rice flour (found in the natural foods section - good source of protein)
1 cup finely chopped pecans
6 to 8 slices vegan whole wheat or whole wheat raisin bread
Maple syrup for topping

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy or rice milk, corn starch and cinnamon. Whisk in the chickpea or brown rice flour. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl. Place the pecans in another shallow bowl.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tbsp canola oil to pan. One slice at a time, dip the bread in the milk mixture, turning to soak both sides. Dip one side in the pecans, pressing to coat. Arrange the bread in the skillet (you might have to do more than one batch), pecan side down. Cook 2-3 minutes, until the pecans are well-browned. Carefully turn the bread, and continue cooking until the second side is browned, 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately with maple syrup.

I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine did!