Blast a Bad Day with Nutty French Toast & Fruit

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

“I went to a cafe that advertised breakfast anytime, so I ordered French Toast during the Rennasiance."--Stephen Wright

Ever have one of those bad days that you wish you could blast off and/or take a shuttle to another planet? Yeah, raising my hand here. Marking today on my calendar: December 17. Not my choice of fave days. At all. Sure, it could have been worse. But everything that could have gone wrong did. The highlight of the day was when a key came off my laptop computer and it took an hour to find it. That was fun. Imagine with a flashlight in hand, lifting the couch, loveseat, coffee table, treadmill, and looking at my youngest Brittany, Seth (he still holds that young, innocent look), to see if he pulled a Marley--and ate it. Nah, the little key was under the recliner chair. It didn't go far. But hey, the silver lining is that now I have a thoroughly cleaned living room. When I'm feeling down I'm not one to eat for comfort--but I am human and fueling up is part of life--bumps or no bumps. So, tonight I created a quick grown-up style comforting dish that can come to the rescue anytime...

Enter: French toast. (The recipe in the link gets a B-grade. But I use some other goodies that might make it a B or B+.) This time around I tried making it with earthy spices, fresh fruit, and chopped nuts. (Bananas are mood boosters and more.) Yes, it was just what I needed. So, if you ever feel stressed out or want some comfort food day or night, try this recipe.

Nutty French Toast
* * *
2 slices whole wheat sourdough bread
1 brown egg
1/2 -3/4 cup 2% organic low-fat milk
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
confectioner's sugar
1/2 banana
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons premium gourmet maple syrup
1 tablespoon butter (or extra virgin olive oil)

Combine milk and egg into a bowl. Add spices. Dip two large pieces of bread into the mixture. Keep dogs away. Put into a hot skillet on medium heat. Use butter or EVOO. Turn over a couple of times till crispy brown. Place on dish and cut in two triangles. Dust with confectioner's sugar. Top with sliced bananas and pecans. Drizzle syrup on French toast. Serves two. (Pair it with orange juice; vitamin C is a great for stress, right?)
This easy does it recipe can be whipped up anytime and takes less than five minutes to prepare and doesn't break the bank. But it hits the spots--body and spirit. It was light, sweet, and friendly. Banana, eggs, milk, nuts, whole wheat bread are all good for you foods. Plus the different textures are a nice mix. I needed the crunch to destress. And the gourmet syrup soothed those frazzled nerves.
Actually, I feel frizzled frazzled because I'm waiting for my new book The Healing Powers of Chocolate (Kensington) to be released in about two weeks. I guess it's kind of like being 8 1/2 months pregnant. "Will my baby be healthy?" Or, it could be similar to watching and waiting for the film 8 1/2 Weeks to end. "Will she get a hint?" Either way, I'm as nervous as a cat. Ironically, my kitty is laid-back in his catnapper. Tomorrow I think I will go live at the swimming pool, underwater--before the tourists invade the town next week. But hey, in the morning--a brand new day full of more twists and turns--I can wake up to the other piece of French toast. This time around it will be more gourmet-ish, different fruit and hold the nuts.