Brunch Sandwich

If I ever open a restaurant, it will be called Brunch.

And I will serve only brunch.

And this sandwich will be the signature item on the menu.

It sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is.

Let's break it down:

• First you'll need to roast one large portabella per sandwich you intend to make. (You can find some handy instructions in this post all about the merits of mushrooms for runners.)
• You'll need slices of tomato and avocado, too. As well as some cream cheese or Tofutti, which is what we had in the fridge.
• The french toast is just slices of sourdough bread soaked in an egg mixture and then cooked over medium-high heat on both sides until browned.
• = 2 whole eggs + 1 tablespoons Chipotle Vegenaise + 1-3 tablespoons almond milk. Whisked.
• (That should be enough to soak 6 to 8 slices of bread or make 3 to 4 sandwiches.) 

Sandwich assembly is quite easy.

Slice everything up nice + thin, then pile on to your liking.

Fold into a sandwich and cut.

You may remember back in my last waffle post that I had intended to give you a waffle sandwich recipe that was of the savory variety. Well, yes. But I never took photos. Anyway, this is pretty much THAT sandwich.

But there's more sandwich deliciousness where this came from.

Stay tuned . . .

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French Toast and Avocado Butter

If this recipe looks familiar, it's because it IS familiar. Last year, we made up some tasty Basil Pesto French Toast. We haven't made it since, but when we found ourselves with almost all the ingredients . . .

. . . it was a no-brainer.


So, there's no need for actual pesto if you have basil and garlic. I imagine you could add Parmesan cheese for some extra flair. No need for fancy herbed bread either. Plain wheat does the job just fine.

I know it's only Monday. File this recipe under "weekend - must-try."


GARLIC-BASIL FRENCH TOAST

What you'll need . . .

• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup almond milk or milk
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Handful basil leaves, minced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 slices of wheat bread

Method . . .

1. Whisk together the milk, eggs, and pepper. Add in the minced garlic and basil.
2. Pour mixture into shallow dish.
3. Heat a pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly oil.
4. Dip a piece of bread into the egg mixture. Then turn over to coat both sides.
5. Place bread on the pan and cook until both sides are browned.
6. Continue process with all pieces of bread.

Dreamy . . .


But I made it even better!


AVOCADO BUTTER

What you'll need . . .

• 4 tablespoons avocado
• 4 teaspoons Earth Balance or butter

Method . . .

1. Mash together the avocado and butter until smooth.
2. Makes four servings.

I haven't thought of it much until recently, but brunch is my favorite meal. I may have written that before, now that I think of it. Seriously, though. I love the combination of sweet and savory. I love eggs and egg-bakes. Pancakes, crispy hash-browns, waffles, and mimosas.

Most of all, I love French toast, particularly this recipe.


And even though the toast wasn't exactly begging for it, I drowned it in maple syrup. Avocado goes with pretty much everything, right?

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Our Recipes: Pancakes, French Toast, Etc.

PANCAKES, FRENCH TOAST, ETC.:

• Green Banana Scramble*
• Banana-Walnut Muffin Tops*
• Vegan Whole Wheat-Apple Pancakes*
• Hearty Pecan-Chip Micro-Muffins*
• Father's Day Whole Wheat Pancakes*
• Simple Breakfast Burrito
• Summer Squash (Savory) Pancakes
• Use-It-Up Egg Bake
• Basil Pesto French Toast
• Mighty Micro Muffins*
• Leafy Green Pancakes*
• Banana-Stuffed Faux Crepes*
• Greek Yogurt and Pumpkin Pancakes
• Wheat and Oat Pancakes*
• Flax and Oat Pancakes*
• Carob Chip "Ovencakes"*
• Double-Dipped Vegan French Toast*
• Orange Chocolate Chip Pancakes*
• Chocolate Chip Pancakes*
• Banana Scramble*
• Vegan Crepes*
• Tangerine Breakfast Cookies*
• Basic Vegan French Toast*
• Poached Eggs
• Challah French Toast
• Muffin Tops*

* means VEGAN

BACK TO ALL RECIPES >>>

OR BROWSE BY CATEGORY:

GRANOLA & OATS	PANCAKES, ETC.	SMOOTHIES
SPREAD, SAUCES, DIPS	SALADS	SOUPS & STEWS
SNACKS & STARTERS	SANDWICHES & BURGERS	PIZZA, ETC.
STIR-FRIES, ETC.	OTHER MEALS	BREADS
CAKES & CUPCAKES	COOKIES & BROWNIES	PIES & TARTS
ICE CREAM & PUDDING	DRINKS	CONVERSIONS

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Basil Pesto French Toast

Hello, 700th post! And h.e.l.l.o. to a breakfast that will blow your mind. First, the back story: Our all-time favorite bakery bread is the Rosemary-Salt loaf from Wegmans. We pick one up almost every Friday night and make sandwiches.

(Like this new version of THE LOVER sandwich that's drenched in pesto.)

Thing is -- no matter how much we eat on Friday night, we're always left with scraps of bread the next day. Several tablespoons of condiments, too. We usually just snack on them around lunch time. Not this weekend, though.

I got this crazy idea to make french toast.


Though it even sounded strange to me at first . . . those thoughts quickly disappeared when I tasted all the herbs, maple syrup, and Parmesan. The first time I tried it, I made enough just for me. One thick slice. Stephen sneaked a taste and begged me to make it again on Sunday.

I happily obliged.


BASIL PESTO FRENCH TOAST

What you'll need . . .

• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons pesto
• 6 tablespoons milk or almond milk
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 to 6 thick slices of soft bread, preferably some herbed variety

Method . . .

1. Crack your eggs into a small bowl.
2. Add in the pesto, milk, and honey.
3. Whisk until well combined.
4. Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Spritz generously with canola oil.
5. Soak bread slices in the egg mixture until well saturated.
6. Cook as you would "normal" french toast. Flipping until set in the middle and well browned.
7. Serve with maple syrup and butter.

Before no time at all, you'll have consumed every bite. It's one of those "trust me" moments. TRUST ME that the combo of pesto and french toast is a winner. This recipe would be perfect for a brunch with friends. Definitely a conversation starter!

Do you have a great pesto recipe? Or know where to find one? We bought our pesto at Wegmans, but would love to learn to make our own! Too, we'd love to try a vegan version of this recipe -- so if you have ideas, just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Fast and Easy Vegan French Toast

Breakfast is fast becoming my favorite meal of the day. Unfortunately, right before work is when I have the least time (getting up, running, getting ready, blogging, etc.). With a little planning, though, I find I can squeeze in a Sunday-brunch worthy breakfast in less than 15 minutes. If I don't have time to eat at my dining room table, I grab a to-go container and bring it with me to work.

The best days start this way.

The No-Knead Chocolate-Walnut Bread works well for this easy vegan french toast recipe. For some extra fancy-ness, add in cocoa extract (vanilla would also work just fine). Add your favorite fresh fruit. Add some maple syrup. Top with chocolate chips. Whatever you do, make it your favorite combination of flavors.



Mashed banana acts a lot like egg, which is why this the end result is so successful. Even if you aren't vegan, consider trying this method out. It's a way to get some extra fruit (potassium) in your day if you don't typically like the texture of bananas.

What you'll need . . .

• Bread (again -- I suggest making some no-knead chocolate-walnut bread), sliced
• 1 medium banana
• 2/3 cup almond or soy milk
• 1 tablespoon coconut flakes
• 1 teaspoon cocoa extract (or vanilla would work just fine)
• Fresh fruit, maple syrup, and whatever else you'd like to top it with

Method . . .

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, use the paddle attachment to mash together the banana, the almond or soy milk, coconut flakes, and cocoa extract. It's helpful to put the banana in first, mash it until "eggy" -- basically with no lumps. I actually did this part with a fork -- no fancy techno-gadgets required!
2. Slice your bread (this recipe makes enough mixture to coat about 6 small slices). Then pour the "egg" mixture into a shallow bowl and start dipping your slices in it.
3. Put a medium to large pan over medium heat on the stove. Use a little canola or sunflower oil to grease. Then continue dipping your french toast and cooking in the pan like you would for "normal" French toast.
4. Top with your fruit and other toppings. Make over and over and over again.

What are your favorite (and fast) breakfast recipes? We'd love to hear 'em. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Double-Dipped Vegan French Toast

Stephen and I joined friends at two brunches this weekend. The first was at this waffle joint that has replaced the coffee shop where Stephen and I first met. The second was at a diner we know and love that has an absolutely overwhelming menu. Ashley (over at Edible Perspective -- one of my favorite blogs) recently divulged to her readers that breakfast is her favorite meal of the day. I'm going to have to second this declaration -- but maybe I'll make mine brunch. That's right: There's nothing better than a good brunch.

And no brunch is complete without French toast. Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of the kind you can get at most diners or other eating establishments. It's not that I don't eat eggs, but I'd just prefer to make mine vegan. As you'll discover below, vegan french toast is a healthy and I'd argue even tastier version of the brunch favorite. If you do it up right, you can enjoy it every single day without all the fat and extra calories.

How? Watch your portion sizes -- you know, the "everything in moderation" rule. To make sure I don't eat far too much (because I could pack away an entire loaf of bread, no joke), I use English muffins. One muffin packs just 130 calories, versus two slices of bread, where I believe each slice is that much alone. This recipe makes enough of the "egg" dip for 3 double-dipped English muffins. I'd say it serves two.


What you'll need . . .

• 2 to 3 whole wheat English muffins, halved
• 1 large banana
• 1/2 cup soy or almond milk
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds (Angela @ Oh She Glows summarizes the nutritional benefits here)
• Strawberries
• Cacao nibs
• Maple syrup

Method . . .

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, use the paddle attachment to mash together 1/2 of the banana, the soy milk, cinnamon, chia seeds, and vanilla extract. It's helpful to put the banana in first, mash it until "eggy" -- basically with no lumps.
2. Separate all English muffins into the halves. Then pour the "egg" mixture into a shallow bowl and start dipping your slices in it.
3. Put a medium to large pan over medium heat on the stove. Use a little canola or sunflower oil to grease. Then continue dipping your french toast and cooking in the pan like you would for "normal" French toast.
4. Here's the double dipped part: When your slices start to brown, dip them back into the mixture to let them soak up more flavor. (When the English muffins get warmer, they absorb more "egg" mixture.)
5. Top with the remaining 1/2 of the banana (sliced), strawberry slices, cacao nibs, etc. And, of course, enjoy.

Also, be sure to check out Ashley's recipe for "Oatterific Banana Scramble" -- she took our scrambled banana sandwich to a delicious new level. It's amazing. And we're in love with it

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Challah French Toast

Among many other things you can do with the challah bread recipe I posted yesterday, you can make this immensely decedent challah French toast. (Please note that this recipe isn't vegan, but it's definitely possible to make it so -- just follow these steps -- I have successfully made some amazing vegan French toast in my 26 years on this planet.) But what's interesting about me is that prior to this past Sunday, I had never, ever made "regular" French toast.

Basically: I wanted to give it a try. With eggs.

What you'll need . . . (to make four heaping helpings)

• Challah bread (recipe here)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk or soy milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Butter or Earth Balance

Method . . .

1. Slice challah into eight thick pieces. Set aside. Save the rest for other delicious creations (stay tuned for super easy grilled peanut butter and honey sandwich recipe).
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Pour into a shallow container.
3. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, drop a teaspoon or so amount of butter and heat until it sizzles.
4. Place three or four slices of challah bread in the egg mixture and let sit for about 1 minute. Then flip over a repeat on the other side.
5. Transfer gooey bread slices to pan and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned & cooked through.
6. Repeat with remaining slices. You may need to add more butter to the pan between batches.
7. Top with maple syrup, confectioners' sugar, and walnuts. Or anything, really.

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