A friend at work brought me her Weight Watchers Cookbook last week to flip through, and I found dozens of recipes I wanted to try – in fact, I found so many that I plan to just go out and buy the book sometime soon. In the meantime, however, I made plans to try a few new ideas, including Mulligatawny with Naan (Indian soup with bread), Stuffed Peppers, and Chicken With Feta Sauce. Since we have the day off for Labor Day today, I wanted to try the French Toast recipe. My husband is what I would call a French Toast “connoisseur,” so I knew this dish had to hit it out of the park in order to fly with him. Luckily it did! In fact, we were both so hungry to eat it by the time it was done, I didn’t get to take a picture! My only complaint is that it takes a little over half an hour to bake – the recipe suggests making the bread mixture in advance and refridgerating overnight to save time – I’ll have to try that the next time I make it. This recipe makes four servings, so we each will have breakfast waiting for us tomorrow, too! I served the slices warm, topped with a little honey, alongside a fruit salad (strawberries and bananas) and two pieces of turkey bacon.
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup fat-free milk
- 3 tbs. packed dark brown sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 4 slices whole-wheat bread, cubed
- 2 small apples, peeled, cored, and diced (I used one large Granny Smith apple)
- 3 tbs. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp reduced-calorie margarine (I didn’t realize I forgot this ingredient until just now, as I typed it up! I wondered why the topping didn’t stick. Not to worry – it still tasted great!)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 5×3 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray (I used one metal 8.5″ loaf pan). In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs; blend in the milk, 1 tbs. of the brown sugar, and 1 tsp. of the cinnamon. Add the bread cubes and apples, stirring gently; let stand until the bread absorbs all the liquid, 2-3 minutes (a quick way to do this is to cube the bread first and add to the egg mixture while you dice the apples – by the time the apples are done, all you have to do is stir a bit, because the bread has already soaked up the mixture).
To make the topping, in a small bowl, combine with a fork the flour, the remaining 2 tbs. of brown sugar, the margarine, and the remaining 1/4 tsp. of the cinnamon.
Divide the bread mixture between the loaf pans; sprinkle with the topping. Bake until golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm.
Nutritional Facts (per serving): 223 calories, 5g fat, 8g protein. 4 Weight Watchers points.
Aspiring Gourmet 