French Toast Bites
by Missy Chase Lapine
When you think of healthy foods, cheese Danishes don’t usually come to mind, but these stuffed French toast bites have the familiar taste and feel of a Danish without the gut-stuffing rich ingredients. Let the kids help out with this fun treat. Mine love to roll out the bread and paint on the secret cheese mixture (they don’t have to know you mixed in tofu first!).
Makes 2 servings (12 two-bite pieces)
4 slices whole grain bread (cinnamon raisin bread works well)
1⁄4 cup (1⁄8 of a 14-ounce block) firm tofu, mashed well or pureed in a food processor
1⁄4 cup part-skim or fat-free ricotta cheese
4 egg whites
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon canola oil
Cinnamon sugar, for dusting
Use a rolling pin to roll out each slice of bread on a cutting board until flattened. In a small bowl, mix the tofu with the ricotta cheese. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the tofu-ricotta mixture on each flattened slice of bread, keeping about 1⁄4 inch away from the edges. Roll up each slice of bread, pressing to seal the edges, and cut each roll into 3 horizontal pieces.
In a large shallow baking dish, whisk together the egg whites, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Dip each piece in the egg mixture until saturated on all sides, then cook in a well-greased skillet over moderate heat, turning to brown each side. Remove from heat and lightly dust each piece with cinnamon sugar before serving.
Missy Chase Lapine is the former publisher of Eating Well magazine. A mother of two young daughters, she knows how picky kids can be—and she’s got the kitchen experiments to prove it! She is on the Culinary Arts facility of The New School, in New York City, and also gives cooking classes and coaching to busy families hoping to learn how to eat healthier. Her book, The Sneaky Chef, is published by Running Press. Her next book The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen) will be out in April 2008. You can learn more about Missy at her website, www.thesneakychef.com
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