Sometimes it’s all about brunch. Yes, mis amigos, if you’re a brunch lover, you know exactly what I mean!
As a little girl, I was lucky enough to have lots of French toast on my Sundays. In fact, though my Brighton Beach-based grandma didn’t cook, she could make a mean French toast. And in Westchester, my mom continued the tradition (and her repertoire was a lot more expansive!), and today, at least in my New Rochelle home, my husband is the French toast guy. Unless, of course, we’re making it with a Latin twist. In that case, it’s my turn. And so, my friends, I present to you one of my favorite brunch creations: Plantain Stuffed French Toast.
What’s the key to this one? Basically, as always, excellent ingredients. And though they’re not too numerous in this recipe, you want to find a baguette that has a bit of heft and not not too airy. Also, and as always, you can vary the cinnamon and honey depending on your/your family’s preferences! Of course I would love to hear your French toast favorites. In the meantime, ¡Buen provecho! Enjoy!
A recipe for hummus using fresh dandelion greens.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup minced green garlic (bulbs and pale green parts)
- 2 cups coarsely chopped dandelion greens (about 6 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 11/2 cups of cooked chickpeas (try to cook your own)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/3 cup of tahini
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup ice cubes
- Extra olive oil, Sumac, Pine nuts and Smoked Paprika for finishing
Instructions
- Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add in the green garlic and the dandelion greens and cook for about 1 or two minutes until the leaves wilt.
- Place in a food processor with the salt, chickpeas, garlic clove, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, ice cubes and 1/3 cup water and process until smooth. It is ok for the hummus to have a little texture, most traditional recipes do.
- Remove and place in a serving dish.
- Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle and finish with sumac, pine nuts and smoked Paprika.
Plantain Stuffed French Toast
Serves 5
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 baguette
Butter for frying
2 ripe plantains, sliced on an angle and baked and/or fried (note: you can buy them frozen!) or fry them as indicated below*
Instructions:
Combine the milk, eggs, cinnamon, honey, vanilla, and salt, and mix well.
Cut the bread on a bias.
Add it to the liquid mixture and let it absorb for about 15 minutes.
Cook the French toast until it’s golden, about two to three minutes on each side.
Heat a bit of butter in a sauté pan.
Flatten the sweet plantains and assemble them onto five pieces of French toast and press down with a flat spatula or the back of a spoon. Place the remaining five pieces of French toast on top of the sweet plantains and place in the center of a preheated oven until ready to serve.
*To fry the sweet plantains: Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Fry the plantains until golden on both sides, about five minutes per side.Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
