Cranberry Apple Pecan French Toast

Saute the apples

It was a little brisk out there this morning. I don't know why, but tasty aromas just smell different with a dip in air temperature.  Leaving yoga class this morning, I was overwhelmed by the need for some autumn flavors in my brunch. Inhaling the sweet and savory breakfast smells wafting from apartment windows and restaurants, I headed to my nearest market to pick up a few things to throw together. This time of year is so easy to convert classic dishes to a seasonal treat. With apples, pumpkins, cranberries, figs, pecans, concord grapes, walnuts, and spices a typical menu can make something basic into something really special.

Cook 3-4 minutes on each side

Today I decided to go with some French toast. Sometimes I use whole wheat challah, sliced thickly, for my French toast. Today, though, I was drawn to the 9-grain sliced loaf from The Baker. Adding some apple butter to the egg mix and doing a quick sauteed topping makes this classic breakfast a perfect cool weekend treat. I considered going with a pumpkin theme by using pureed pumpkin and spices with the egg mix, so if you are a pumpkin lover, that is a great variation to try. Use organic pastured butter to get your omega 3's!

Cranberry Apple Pecan French Toast

1 sliced Golden Delicous apple (with skin on, if organic)
2 T +1 T+ 3T organic unsalted butter, pastured if available
pinch of sea salt
dash of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
another dash of sea salt and cinnamon
1 tsp or so of honey

3 large eggs
1/2-2/3 cup oat milk, rice milk, or other preferred milk (I used sunflower seed milk)
2 dashes of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup apple butter
10 slices whole grain bread

real maple syrup for serving


In a saute pan, cook the sliced apple with 2 T butter, dash of salt, and dash of cinnamon over low heat for 15 minutes or so or until apples are nice and tender and beginning to caramelize. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Melt another tablespoon butter in the pan and cook pecans and dried cranberries over medium-low heat with a pinch of cinnamon and a dash of sea salt for about 10 minutes, stirring often until fragrant and pecans are just toasted. Finish with honey, stir honey in, and transfer to bowl with apples. Mix nuts and fruit together and cover.

Wash and dry the pan. and Melt some butter over low. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon, and apple butter. Raise heat in the pan to medium. Dip bread into egg mixture two slices at a time (or more if your pan is big), and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side.

Transfer to a warming plate and continue with remaining bread OR serve immediately by topping with apple cranberry pecan mixture and drizzling with real maple syrup. Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

'Chocolate by the Bald Man' and a Good Omelette

Max Brenner in NYC

Yesterday, I met a friend who was passing through the city for work at Max Brenner off of Union Square to say hello and catch a cup of coffee and some breakfast before me moved on with our own day's agendas.  I often pass by and wonder what the story is with a place whose subtitle is "Chocolate by the Bald Man" and it seemed it could be a great spot to meet a fellow adventurous foodie friend.  The fragrance of chocolate rolls out of the heavy wooden doors to the passers-by and the window displays are quirky.  Those things are enough to pique my curiosity but for some reason I had never gone in to check it out until yesterday.

A simple bowl of granola.

We walked in and were immediately enveloped in an invisible chocolate-scented cloud. Whoa.  We walked past big barrels of dark, milk, and white chocolate being mixed with a paddle.  There were brown pipes along the ceilings and walls and we wondered if there was actually chocolate flowing through them.  Probably not, but the effect was pure delight.  I commented at a point that I felt like I was in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.  Everyone was friendly and the pastry case was filled with everything from chocolate and roasted marshmallow dessert pizzas to big plastic syringes filled with their own house-made chocolate ganache made to be injected directly into a choco-holic's mouth (only $3.95, by the way!)  There were cookbooks, souvenirs, and assorted chocolate novelties, as well as serious and straightforward chocolate wares.

A light breakfast complete with chocolate

The novelty was entertaining but, both of us ended up ordering more practical fare, a spinach and goat cheese omelette for me, a bowl of fruit, granola, and yogurt for my friend.  When the food arrived, alas, there was a well-sugared biscuit with a bowl of chocolate dipping ganache next to my omelette.  The granola was placed before my friend in a huge stemmed chalice-type thing, complete with shaved chocolate all over the top and accompanied by a sugared biscotti.  This place was a crack-up! 
The food turned out to be pretty good, not the best I've ever had, but totally passable and the coffee was good.  Prices were very reasonable.  The place is definitely a novelty in which groups would have fun and it would be great for entertaining friends and family who are visiting from out of town.  This chocolate fantasy was definitely a perk in my quiet January week.  There are also locations in Las Vegas and Philly if you are interested in checking those out. 

Spinach and Chevre Omelette a la Max Brenner

What is unique about this omelette is that the eggs and chopped spinach were incorporated together and filled with creamy, delicious chevre (as opposed to the spinach as part of the filling and plain eggs.). I thought it was a nice variation.  Here is how they did it if you are interested in trying it out!

2 large eggs
1 cup minced spinach leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 T butter
3 T chevre

Whisk together the eggs, minced spinach, and salt and pepper.    Heat the butter in a non-stick pan and swirl pan to cover the bottom of the pan.  Pour egg mixture into pan and turn heat to medium-low. When egg is about halfway cooked, dot the chevre in the middle and fold the egg over.  Cover and cook 2-4 minutes, until eggs are cooked through and chevre is melty. 

(opt.) Serve with chocolate sauce and a biscuit for dipping...