Vegan French Toast

A few months ago I felt overwhelmed, over tired and just flat-out over it. I flopped into a spa whose brochure promised Reiki and yoga and a fully stocked bar. Three days later, I was twinkly again. But folks, it was the food that pulled me together. Some was vegan. Some was raw. All of it was fresh and light and full of “super food” ingredients. With a kale smoothie surging through my veins, I declared that my family would only eat spa food. We would throw away our microwave and stack wheat-grass sprouters on the countertop instead. Spirulina would be our new BFF. After my children rolled their eyes and tossed Doritos into each other’s mouths, I realized it’d be easier to overhaul our food one meal at a time. Since breakfast is yummy for any meal, I tackled vegan French toast. A quick Google search yielded multiple ideas for vegan egg substitutes. My grocery list is often limited to what I can grab at Target, so ground flaxseed wasn’t gonna happen. But other substitutes – bananas, tofu, applesauce – seemed totally doable. My bananas were taking up valuable sprouter space. I threw them in the blender, along with coconut shavings and enough almond milk to make it as thin as a traditional egg-and-milk batter. Blend. Dip. Fry. Wow. Delicious vegan French toast that tasted like warm, sweet banana bread. If there’s a way to sneak extra protein into a meal, I’m all for it. My second batter mixed silken tofu, coconut milk and ginger. Blend. Dip. Fry. Meh. It was bland. I could do better. Not giving up on the extra protein, I started over with soy yogurt and added applesauce, since fruit had made my first batter a hit. Blend. Dip. Fry. Home run. This combination tasted like baked apples. The soy wasn’t noticeable, but the yogurt added a tangy je ne sais quoi. To make your vegan French toast look pretty, you could add fresh fruit slices or dollops of vegan whipped cream. But honestly, you can eat it plain and feel happy. These recipes aren’t just good for you; they’re actually really good.