Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Leftover Lovin': Stuffed French Toast

I hate when food goes to waste, even worse when it's really good food! It eats me up inside, and I feel guilty all week long knowing that good food had to go into the garbage. I consider this just about every time I cook or bake anything, doing whatever I can to incorporate whichever ingredients are nearing their final days into my meal. I also consider this while I'm cooking, making sure that I always have the right ratio of sauce to noodles so that none is left over without it's partner in crime, as well as my cheese blintzes, stuffing the crêpes so they're practically bursting at the seams thanks to the overload of stuffing. The problem with trying to use every single little bit of food up all the time, is that leftovers can often be the best inspiration for other meals. Take my cheese blintzes for instance, to be honest with you, I don't really like when my cheese blintzes are filled to the brim as I had been making them. I found when there was so much filling, it distracted from the delicate flavours and texture of the crêpe. So when I opted to stuff my blintzes less, I made sure to begin my leftover filling brainstorming right away to ensure that it would indeed get used up!

For years and years I have been wanting to make stuffed french toast, imaging the incredible contrast in both flavours and textures thanks to the addition of a creamy filling. As much as I wanted to try stuffed french toast, I really wanted someone else to make it for me. It looked like way too much work to have to make a filling from scratch, just to attempt to stuff it into a tiny crevice in the bread, that I believed would inevitably shred apart. With my leftover cheese blintz filling waiting patiently in my fridge, I had found my solution to making a stuffed french toast filling from scratch! With a few minor adjustments to sweeten up the already tangy filling, and add some more flavours and textures thanks to the addition of fresh strawberries and toasted almonds I had created my new favourite indulgent breakfast!

Tip: Be patient and gentle when stuffing the filling into the bread. Add a little bit at a time and you shouldn't come across any issues.

Note: I am fully aware of the many sexual innuendoes in this post, but it really couldn't have been written any other way! So laugh it up! I sure did!

Ingredients:
1 slice challah bread, thick-cut
1 egg, lightly beaten
splash of milk
2 shakes cinnamon
3 strawberries, finely chopped,
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
butter for frying
2 strawberries, sliced for garnish
handful of sliced almonds, lightly toasted
maple syrup, for serving

Directions:
1. Cut the thick slice of challah into halves, making two triangles. Using a small serrated knife, carefully cut a slit into the centre of each half, leaving a border around the edges so that the bread holds together. This is where you will be stuffing the filling. Set aside.

2. In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg, a splash of milk, and two shakes of cinnamon. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the leftover cheese blintz filling, the 3 finely chopped strawberries, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Using a small spoon, carefully and gently stuff the filling inside the slits in both halves of the challah bread. Once bread is stuffed, dip and coat both sides in egg mixture.

4. Melt butter in a skillet or griddle at medium heat. Add the stuffed french toast into the pan and cook until golden on both sides. Serve immediately garnished with the sliced strawberries, almonds, and maple syrup!

Listening To:
TV On The Radio - Will Do

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Click here for my cheese blintz recipe!!

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