Comunidad Health Foods

I have temporarily traded in my apple hat for a pumpkin hat, in order to share with you a healthy but decadent recipe appropriate, in my book, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even dessert. Here's what you do: you take yogurt, pumpkin, and some syrup and spices, and you slather them between two pieces of deliciously, perfectly cooked french toast, and you let the pumpkin filling melt and warm just a little bit before slicing the whole thing in half and enjoying it immensely. The inspiration for this little gem of a sandwich came in stages: first, I really wanted to make some brinner (breakfast for dinner), but omelets are an all-too-common lunch item for me and pancakes are a little labor intensive/difficult to cut into small servings; second, I wanted to do something fall-festive, as usual; third, I was shockingly interested in venturing away from the world of apples. And so, there you have it: pumpkin-stuffed french toast, one of the few things in this world that are both saintly and heavenly (re: indulgent) at the same time.

Now, of course, I'm not ready to write this down on a recipe card just yet and sticking it into my recipe box for good. It's rare that I'm satisfied with anything, even a recipe borrowed from an already-perfected-elsewhere, on the first go-around. I added too much cinnamon, though I combated that a little bit by upping some sweetness (maple syrup) and pumpkin puree. Also, if you want this to be for a dessert or you just like things really sweet, you might be disappointed in the sugar level of this. I found it to be excellent for dinner, but my sweet tooth was still yearning for a little bit more simple carbohydrates in that meal. As it was, it was mildly sweet and very pumpkiny, and extraordinarily creamy. Be sure not to overcook the french toast - for me, this is critical for anything french toast related, and especially so for something like this. I briefly considered added some apple to the sandwich (ha! You thought I was over that!) but had just eaten an apple earlier in the day and didn't really feel like another one. Plus, it was nice to have just the pumpkin in there. Something like raisins might be nice, though, even just as a topping.

Pumpkin-Stuffed French Toast
Yield: 1 Sandwich, plus extra filling (trust me, you'll be thankful for this)
The Ingredients - The French Toast
1/2 C egg whites
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
2 slices bread (I used whole grain oatmeal bread, and loved the delicateness - yes, I'm using the word delicate to describe a whole grain - of the oatmeal component; it was a very soft bread)
butter, for cooking (1/2 Tbsp. or less)
The Ingredients - The Filling
6oz. plain greek yogurt (you could also use vanilla, or even regular yogurt - though it might be less creamy with the latter)
3/4C pumpkin puree
1 tsp. cinnamon (1/2 - 3/4 tsp. might have been more appropriate)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. apple cider
1 tsp. brown sugar

The Method
1. Combine all of the filling ingredients in a small dish or bowl, and set aside.
2. Combine the egg whites, cinnamon, milk, syrup, and pumpkin puree in a shallow dish (like a pie plate), and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a skillet, preferably big enough for two slices of bread to fit side by side. Keep the heat fairly low - no higher than medium.
4. Dip each piece of bread into the egg dip, letting both sides soak up the liquid, and place onto the skillet. Cook for around 2 minutes; the bottom should be a nice golden brown. Flip over, and place about 1/3 of the filling onto one half. Cook open-faced until the piece without the filling is cooked on both sides.
5. Place the "empty" piece of bread on top of the one with the filling, and cook for a little bit longer; this whole process from the time you flip the pieces of bread to the time it's all finished should only take another 2 minutes or so.
6. Plate, cut in half, and enjoy!

This is one sandwich you'll want to eat with a fork and a knife, and you can certainly enjoy it open-faced if you want a smaller meal.

As for all of that pumpkin-yogurt filling you'll have left-over...well, okay, you could keep the filling the same and make 2 more sandwiches, and then you wouldn't have any extras. However, I would highly recommend keeping some of this in the refrigerator - use it as a parfait with granola and dried fruit, add it to some oatmeal (more on that later!), use it as a dip for - you guessed it - apples, it really is versatile. Plus, it doesn't use the whole can of pumpkin puree, so you have extra of that to do with as you wish, too. If you're worried about not using it all at once, freeze it in 2 Tbsp. portions so that you can pull some out as you need/want it (ice cube trays are great for this).

So, you see, I am capable of making a fall dish without apple in it! I also have a lot of recipes saved to share that are not fall-themed, but since it's getting to be close to Thanksgiving and once that comes, it won't even be November anymore, I figured I should cram them in while I still can.

I disappeared on you for a while in order to camp out (okay, not literally) at the beach, but I did whole heaps of cooking while I was there. I went with L, and our goal was to create a menu that was cheap, quick, somewhat portable (for some meals), and required as few ingredients as possible. I have to say, I think we did pretty well with a few tweaks to recipes and a little bit of creativity. Our first meal was this simple Vanilla-Almond French Toast, which we paired with some fresh, sliced strawberries.

Now, this was a gamble. You see, L is in love with his mom's French Toast, so my attempt to make it for him means that I was up against some pretty stiff competition. The pressure was on! It all came together quickly, but I'm a little bit disappointed in the flavor profile. That is to say, I didn't notice too much, and I actually found myself reaching for the syrup.

This never happens.

Okay, it happens more with French Toast than, say, waffles or pancakes, since I tend to find the former on the dryer side, but I still try to avoid it. All of that high fructose poison and sugar and whatnot. So anyway, I'll post the recipe along with the small changes I made, and then I'll let you know how I might do it differently next time. Granted, L said he liked it just the way it was, but he's a good sport and is very polite about food that is put in front of him.

Almond Vanilla French Toast, courtesy of $5 Dinners
Yield: 4 servings*
The Ingredients
4 eggs
2/3 C milk
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (omitted - forgotten, oops)
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/3 C ground almonds (I had L place sliced almonds in a ziplock and smash them up)
12 slices of bread
(1/4 tsp. cinnamon) (1/4 tsp. orange peel)
Fresh fruit

The Method
1. In mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla and ground almonds.
2. Dip the bread into the mixture on each side, taking care to re-stir the mixture between dippings to prevent the almonds from settling on the bottom.
3. Place the dipped bread onto a pre-heated griddle or pan (300 degrees for the griddle or around medium for the pan - I used the pan and added some butter).
4. Cook to perfection! (I know, a little vague, but just cook until they're slightly browned on each side.)
5. Serve alongside fruit and sprinkle with a little extra almond slices.

*Note: I halved the bread but found that I needed the same amount of egg mixture.

I liked the recipe, but found it to be lacking. It could have been my use of whole wheat bread - I like my usual challah french toast, and would imagine that something like an oatmeal bread (also whole grain) would be lighter and better for this. I'd prefer more vanilla flavor and more citrus, as well as maybe some powdered sugar for dusting. It's a good, simple base, and I'd love to hear from anyone who has tried this recipe with different bread.

Also, does anyone else have a tried-and-true french toast recipe? I'd love to hear it. You know me, always on a quest to find The Perfect Recipe for everything.

You should be hearing from me again relatively soon; coming up, I have chicken chili verde, lime honey chicken tacos, a light apple and spinach salad, and even a batch of chocolate chip cookies that I'm hoping to bake for my friend, who just landed herself in a big 'ole cast. Chocolate chip cookies cure all ailments, right?

Of course right.