Cinnamon French Toast & Potato Shallot Frittata

How do we do it, moms? Day in, day out, we are master jugglers, keeping things running (relatively) smoothly. Can you imagine if we took a few days off? I mean completely off? Result: sheer mayhem!

Well, we can at least take time off for Mother’s Day. I plan to do so! Other years, I’ve continued to carry on with most of the things I need to do in a day. This past year I’ve learned to treat myself better. Whether that means spending a little money on myself, or spending a little time with myself. It also includes being aware when I jump in to fix or take care of something, or checking in when I’m feeling unnecessary guilt.

In our home on mother’s day, I don’t care about breakfast in bed – I just don’t want the regular chores. Someone else can do the laundry, vaccuum, and clean the kitchen 3-5 times a day!

While I’m not one for the mom’s day brunch, I know many of you do love it… so this post is for you. I have two recipes that are delicious – and also wholesome.

For those that enjoy a sweeter breakfast, I’m sharing my Cinnamon French Toast recipe from Plant-Powered Families. If you prefer a savory breakfast, you’ll enjoy this Potato Shallot Frittata from Let Them Eat Vegan.

If you like a bit of sweet and savory… get your order into the kitchen. I say you deserve both.

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Cinnamon French Toast

I remember French toast fondly from childhood. 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.

Course Breakfast, brunch

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 1-2 tbsp 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 (whole-grain, gluten-free, etc) see note

Instructions

• 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.

Notes

• Serving Idea: 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).

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Potato Shallot Frittata

This might better be named ‘Frit-not-ta’, since this quiche-like dish contains no eggs, yet has a great texture from the cashews and tofu. The oat bran topping lends a slight crunchy texture.

Course Breakfast, brunch, lunch

Ingredients

For sauté:

• 1-2 tbsp water
• ¾ cup shallots chopped
• 2 cups red or Yukon gold potato cut in small cubes (peeling optional)
• ¼ tsp sea salt Pinch black pepper
• 1 – 1 1/4 cups combination of red yellow, or orange bell pepper, chopped

Base mix:

• ½ cup raw cashews
• 3/4 cup plain unsweetened non-dairy milk almond or soy preferred (+ another 1-2 tbsp to reserve)
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large clove garlic
• 2 tsp brown rice miso or other mild miso
• ½ tsp ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp (little scant) sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 12 oz / 350g pkg extra-firm tofu
• 1/4 tsp dill seeds
• ½ tsp agar powder
• 2 tsp fresh thyme or oregano chopped

Topping:

• ¼ cup oat bran use gf certified for gluten-free option, or substitute gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• Couple pinches sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375. In a skillet over medium heat, add the water shallots, potatoes, sea salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked through and golden, about 15-20 minutes (add a teaspoon or two of water if potatoes are sticking, to deglaze the pan). Add the bell pepper and cook through for another couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a blender (see note), add the cashews, milk, lemon juice, garlic, miso, ground mustard, salt and pepper, tofu, dill seeds, and agar. Blend until smooth and creamy. Once vegetables are cooked, transfer to a bowl and stir in the tofu mixture (scrape out as much of the tofu batter as possible, and use another 1-2 tbsp of milk if needed to help loosen the mixture), as well as the fresh thyme/oregano. Transfer mixture to a lightly oiled glass pie plate (or other baking dish), and smooth out.  In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over top of fritatta.  Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, then set oven to broil and cook for another couple of minutes to crisp up the topping slightly. Remove from oven and let cool about 10-15 minutes, then cut in wedges or scoop portions to serve. Serves 4-6.

Notes

Note: I use a Blendtec for the pureeing, and so it easily and quickly smooths out the tofu along with the cashews and other ingredients. If you don’t have a Blendtec, you will need to first blend the cashews with the milk and lemon juice until smooth, using an immersion blender or standard blender. Then, add the tofu and remaining ingredients to the blender (or food processor, if having trouble smoothing with the blender) and blend until very smooth.

Do you have a favorite Mother’s Day recipe or food tradition? Please share!

p.s. I have a VERY special Mother’s Day giveaway coming up next week. Hint: Both these recipes use a ! A new fancy appliance for mom’s day would be awesome, huh? 

If you need ideas for mom’s day gifts, maybe consider a little plant-powered love, or cookbook.

Happy Mother’s Day!

x Dreena

photo credit thanks to: Nicole Axworthy