I created this recipe for a dear friend of mine. She’s headed off to USC this summer, and French Toast is her favorite food. I bring you a yummy, crunchy and super healthy French Toast recipe that you’ll want to eat at all hours (it’s just too good to reserve for just mornings). Cacao nibs are full of iron and magnesium and add a nice bitter crunch to just about anything. ZSweet is a granulated zero-calorie sugar that Dr. Weil endorses. Dr.Andrew Weil, a leading proponent of holistic medicine, is one of the critics of artificial sweeteners. In the past, he has consistently argued against their use. However, a relatively new product, ZSweet, has Dr. Weil’s stamp of approval. In the October 20, 2007, issue of Self Healing, Dr. Weil discusses ZSweet: “This natural, calorie-free sweetener appears safe, and I think it’s a better substitute for baking and flavoring than sucralose (Splenda) and other artificial sweeteners, which I don’t recommend using.” To me, there’s no stevia aftertaste and it bakes beautifully. Feel free to use your sweetener of choice though. ENJOY!
INGREDIENTS:
2 slices Julian’s Carb Zero Bread (35 calories per slice)
1/2 cup liquid egg whites
1/4 cup, plus 3 tablespoons 45-calorie coconut almond milk (reserve the 3 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon chia seeds
4 drops liquid stevia (vanilla flavor)
1 tablespoon chocolate protein powder
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
1 teaspoon flax, chia, cocoa, coconut blend
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cacao nibs
1 teaspoon cashew butter
1 tablespoon shredded, low-fat, unsweetened coconut
1 tablespoon Z Sweet
DIRECTIONS:
In a rectangular Tupperware, stir together egg whites, milk, chia seeds, stevia, protein powder, cocoa powder, flax and cinnamon. Dredge the bread in the batter one at a time, coating both. Leave in the container for several hours or overnight, turning once or twice. Heat a non-stick pan and spray with Pam. Lay each bread piece on the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes and flip. If the egg mixture didn’t soak in entirely, spoon a little on top. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together the cacao nibs, cashew butter, shredded coconut and reserved milk. You want it the consistency of yogurt, so add more milk if needed. Add the Z Sweet to taste, reserving a little to sprinkle on top. Lay one piece of toast down and top with half of your coconut-cashew topping. Repeat with other slice. You can garnish with a few cacao nibs, if you like. Calories: 265. Protein: 26, Carbs: 23, Fat: 14
