It’s all about balance, right? Every now and then we’re ordering up that ultra-everything sundae – without the extra side of guilt. But what we love even more are recipes like this one that feel indulgent, but are actually healthy!
This adorable brunch recipes comes to us from nutritionista, Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, best known as resident nutrition expert at NBC’s the Today show. When she’s not found on set whipping up delicious dishes for Kathy and Hoda, she’s hard at work on books like this one, her brand new From Junk Food to Joy Food, which hits shelves February 23rd. In it she transforms our favorite calorie-filled junk foods into healthy meals that nourish. Quite the feat! This delicious remake of a breakfast favorite is a perfect example of what Joy does best…
French toast is totally scrumptious, and it should be: It’s thick bread dunked in an egg bath, fried in butter, then topped with even more butter and finished off with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar and a waterfall of syrup. This combo can pack more than 1,000 calories, which means you could easily polish off more than half your daily calories at your first meal of the day. Depressing, right? Or you could try making my fun spin on this breakfast classic and use up a mere 140 calories… including the syrup. Choose mine!
This twist on French toast is fun and delicious. Grilling the peach caramelizes its natural sugars for an extra hit of sweetness, while the vanilla and cinnamon infuse some extra yumminess. Whip this up for a special weekend brunch or a regular weekday treat.
Joy Bauer’s French Toast Kebabs
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients:
1 fresh peach
1 egg
1 egg white
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 slices reduced-calorie bread (with no more than 50 calories per slice)
2 tsp maple syrup
2 skewers
Directions:
Generously coat a skillet with nonstick oil spray and warm over medium heat.
Cut the peach into 8 slices and cook them until they look slightly charred but not burned, 1 to 2 minutes, flipping halfway through. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whip the egg, egg white, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Cut each slice of bread into 4 small squares (8 total). Dunk and coat the bread pieces in the egg mixture, and cook on the grill or skillet until they are golden brown, about 1 minute per side.
Divide the French toast squares and peach slices between 2 skewers, alternating toast and fruit, and drizzle each kebab with 1 teaspoon of maple syrup.
