Banana Nut French Toast

I love weekends. And I really love cooking on weekends. Just so happens I also love a big breakfast on the weekend. Most weekends I’ll make my famous pancakes. That recipe is top secret. I toss in some chocolate chips for the kids, and bacon and pecans for the wife. I prefer my pancakes plain. With a fried egg in between. So good.

But since the first of the year, the family is on a healthy lifestyle program (aka diet). What I like about that is it challenges me to find new foods that are filling, but not fattening. And they really need to taste good. This one is really good. Peggy tells me it’s too good to be healthy.  The trick is to find a dense bread. We love the Tuscan loaf. I buy it at SuperTarget, but I have seen it at several places. Another nice thing is if you have an overripe banana, what do you do with it? Not enough for banana bread, right? Here’s a healthier option. If you try it, let me know what you think.

Banana Nut French Toast

Serves 2

1 banana (ripe)

1 packet sweetener (optional)

1 egg

2 egg whites

¼ cup skim milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 slices Tuscan bread (28 g per slice)

2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Mash the banana and mix in sweetener until mushy (that’s a technical cooking term).

Whip the eggs until frothy. Add milk, continue to whip.  Add banana mixture and vanilla and mix well (I use a hand blender at each step).

Dip bread into egg mixture, soaking both sides, and place in hot, preheated skillet coated with non-stick spray. While in the skillet, sprinkle pecans on top of the uncooked side of the bread.  Cook until each side is golden brown.

Serve with light maple syrup. Two slices (one serving) is only 290 calories, without the syrup.