Mother's Day Recipes: Cinnamon French Toast and Potato Shallot Frittata (2024)

• 1 cup + 1-2 tbsp plain or vanilla unsweetened nondairy milk
• 1 tablespoon white chia seeds
• 1/3 cup soaked and drained cashews see note for nut-free option
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• Sliced bread of choice (whole-grain, gluten-free, etc) see note

• In a blender or using a handheld blender, puree the milk (starting with 1 cup; see note), chia, cashews, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and sea salt until very smooth and thick (it will get thicker as it sits a little while and the chia swells). Prepare a nonstick skillet by wiping over with a touch of oil (you need a nonstick skillet, or this will be a sticky event!). Turn heat to high for a few minutes to heat up the pan, then reduce to medium/medium-high. Dip a slice of bread into the batter. Turn over and let it sit in the chia mixture for a few moments to soak, then remove and place in the skillet. Repeat with other slices, frying 2–3 pieces or more at a time, depending on the size of your skillet. Fry for 3–5 minutes on each side, until light brown. Keep the heat high enough to get a good sear/crust on the bread, but reduce if it’s scorching. Note that the slices will be sticky until they are ready to be flipped, so be patient. Repeat until all bread is used. Serve with fresh fruit and pure maple syrup.

• Serving Idea: Another fun serving idea is to make sandwiches out of the French toast, slathering some nut butter between two slices, then serving with maple syrup.
• Nut-Free Option: Replace 1/3 cup of cashews with 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds. Bread Note: You may use 6–10 slices of bread, depending on the size of the slices.
• Milk Note: After the batter sits for a few minutes it can become quite thick. You can stir through another 1–2 tablespoons of milk if it has gotten too thick with standing (if you have less than half the batter left, use just 1 tablespoon).

For sauté:

• 1-2 tbsp water
• ¾ cup shallots chopped
• 2 cups red or Yukon gold potato cut in small cubes (peeling optional)
• ¼ tsp sea salt Pinch black pepper
• 1 – 1 1/4 cups combination of red yellow, or orange bell pepper, chopped

Base mix:

• ½ cup raw cashews
• 3/4 cup plain unsweetened non-dairy milk almond or soy preferred (+ another 1-2 tbsp to reserve)
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large clove garlic
• 2 tsp brown rice miso or other mild miso
• ½ tsp ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp (little scant) sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 12 oz / 350g pkg extra-firm tofu
• 1/4 tsp dill seeds
• ½ tsp agar powder
• 2 tsp fresh thyme or oregano chopped

Topping:

• ¼ cup oat bran use gf certified for gluten-free option, or substitute gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• Couple pinches sea salt

• Preheat oven to 375. In a skillet over medium heat, add the watershallots, potatoes, sea salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked through and golden, about 15-20 minutes (add a teaspoon or two of water if potatoes are sticking, to deglaze the pan). Add the bell pepper and cook through for another couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a blender (see note), add the cashews, milk, lemon juice, garlic, miso, ground mustard, salt and pepper, tofu, dill seeds, and agar. Blend until smooth and creamy. Once vegetables are cooked, transfer to a bowl and stir in the tofu mixture (scrape out as much of the tofu batter as possible, and use another 1-2 tbsp of milk if needed to help loosen the mixture), as well as the fresh thyme/oregano. Transfer mixture to a lightly oiled glass pie plate (or other baking dish), and smooth out. In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over top of fritatta. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, then set oven to broil and cook for another couple of minutes to crisp up the topping slightly. Remove from oven and let cool about 10-15 minutes, then cut in wedges or scoop portions to serve. Serves 4-6.