Naraya Cooking Health Recipe

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French toast, a classic breakfast or brunch food. But we know it's great any time of day. I love French toast and this does not disappoint. Did you know, according to wikipedia, the earliest reference of French toast dates back to the 4th or 5th century and mentions soaking in milk, no eggs were used. It is perfectly possible, as you see here, to have wonderful French toast without the eggs we have become so accustomed to. And as creative creatures we are, we have adopted different variations...like this Banana French Toast or this Orange-French Toast. I find this to be flavorful with great texture bite after bite. It uses healthy ingredients like banana, almond milk, cinnamon and vanilla. This is wonderfully egg and dairy free...nothing but goodness here!

Bananas are one of the most widely eaten fruits in the world. They are affordable and come in their own package making them ideal options. Bananas also carry many health benefits, like easing depression with their high level of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin (the good mood enhancer). Bananas also aid in digestion and are a great source of dietary fiber containing 16% of the recommended amount. They help against acid reflux, can help stabilize blood sugar in between meals and are a great source of vitamin B6. Find more about banana's from this article from Food Matters: 25 Powerful Reasons to Eat Bananas

Want to get more bananas into your life? Take a look at my Almond Chunky Monkey Ice Cream...it's raw, no ice cream maker needed and has only four ingredients! It would make for another great breakfast option. :)

When making my french toast, I love picking up a loaf of bread that I can slice into whatever thickness I want. You can leave it for a day or two before using or if using a fresh loaf cut the pieces and set them out in the air until ready to use. It's better when they are a bit stale and dry. I prefer my slices on the thicker side, leaving a soft pillowy center. I happen to use a sourdough loaf here which gave my french toast an extra tang that I really enjoyed. This recipe works great with whole grain artisan bread, cinnamon swirl bread or any of the usual breads you typically use to make your French toast.

Banana French Toast

Ingredients

1 ripe banana
3/4 cup almond milk, or milk of choice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
dash of nutmeg, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
coconut oil, for greasing
French or sourdough loaf cut into any size you like, or use any bread you like (6 slices)
pure maple syrup for serving

In a flat bottom, shallow medium size bowl mash the banana until creamy and fairly smooth. Add the cinnamon, vanilla and optional nutmeg, mix well. Lastly, add in the milk and stir until combined.

Heat your skillet or griddle on medium heat. While griddle is heating slice your bread and gather your serving items.

Using about 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, grease the griddle/skillet (do this each time you make add a new batch). Quickly dip bread into wet mixture and flip to coat the other side being not to not let the slices soak, or you may have soggy french toast. Place slices on griddle/skillet and cook about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden on both sides. If slicing into thick slices you may find that you'll need a little extra time to completely cook the center. Serve with pure maple syrup and fresh fruit of choice. Serves three.

Enjoy!

baked

fudgy raw brownies

2:13 PM

bell pepper

Spicy Stir-Fried Cabbage, Tofu and Red Pepper + Soy Awareness

4:20 PM

By learning you will teach. By teaching you will learn. ~ Latin Proverb

I'd like to go over the subject of soy and what forms of soy are good for you and which ones to avoid. There was a time when I avoided soy almost completely because I thought soy was bad. That is not the case and I was missing out on the very beneficial qualities that some soy products like tofu, tempeh, miso, tamari, soy sauce, whole soybeans and natto offer. These are the soy products that are good and can be eaten fairly freely within moderation. Tempeh, miso, natto and tamari are fermented soy. Fermenting soy creates good bacteria and health promoting probiotics to keep us well. It also reduces the estrogen content in soy foods. The soy to avoid is highly processed soy, especially soy isolate protein. Soy isolate protein has been linked to, some serious, and some not so serious, health issues. If possible please avoid soy milks (most), soy cheeses, soy powders (like soy baby formula and soy protein powders), soybean oil (often labeled as vegetable oil), packaged products that include soy ingredients, etc. Look for alternatives and stick with fermented soy products or buy tofu, whole soybeans and soy sauce as they are beneficial. And buying organic or at least non-GMO soy products is important as well. They do not cost much more and is well worth the few extra cents especially because soy can be very inexpensive...at least tofu is. So enjoy your crispy pan fried tofu or tofu scrambles, and use soft tofu in smoothies, cheeses, sauces and dressings....but do use it in moderation and not at every meal. Make your miso soup or use miso in dressings and enjoy the added benefits of vitamin B12, a good source for vegans, plus it's ability to aid the digestive tract.

Below are three articles that you can read at your leisure. They will explain much better than I can. I always recommend for you to do your own research. Everything is out there just waiting to be found and I want to pass along the information that I find in hopes that we can all create good healthy habits for ourselves and the world around us.

Soy Information Sources:

The Soy Controversy from the Huffington Post

The Evidence Against Soy from Dr. Mercola

Soy Alert from The Weston A. Price Foundation

So now let's enjoy this wonderful and flavorful tofu dish. I saw this recipe from the NY Times and thought it needed to be put into the recipe collection. I didn't go too far from the original recipe and only changed a few things while adding a little red pepper flakes because I love spiciness. Feel free to omit this if your not a fan of spice. This is an absolute fantastic tasting and quick meal. It can be ready in about 30 minutes or so making it a good go to recipe when you need something quick. Serve over rice, quinoa or noodles...or simply enjoy as is!

Cook up your tofu, stir-fry your veggies, combine it all together and done!

Seriously delicious!

Spicy Stir-Fried Cabbage, Tofu and Red Pepper

Ingredients

12 ounces firm or extra firm organic tofu, cut into dominoes
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
5 cups shredded cabbage or about 1/2 cabbage (red, green or both)
1 red bell pepper, julienned
3 green onions, sliced (reserve one green onion for garnish)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
pinch or two red pepper flakes
himalyan salt & cracked pepper to taste
sesame seeds as garnish
soba or ramen noodles or quinoa, basmati or jasmine rice, for serving

Start your quinoa or rice and set aside.

Cut the tofu into dominoes (mine are double domino size) and press between paper towels or dish cloth (there won't be too much water so this will go quick). In a small bowl or measuring cup combine the stock, 1 tablespoon tamari and rice wine vinegar.

Heat a large wok or large skillet over med. high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and swirl to coat, add tofu and stir-fry until golden, about 3 - 4 minutes on each side. Add remaining tablespoon tamari/soy sauce, toss together for a few seconds and transfer to a plate.

Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, add the garlic and ginger to the wok/skillet and stir-fry for a no longer than 10 seconds, you want to just start to smell the fragrance. Add red bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 - 2 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add cabbage, stir-fry for 1 minute, add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, stir-fry another 1 to 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Return the tofu and add 2/3 of the green onions to the vegetable mixture, stir in stock/tamari mixture and stir-fry for another minute or, until it has just about evaporated. Remove from heat and serve with quinoa, rice or noodles of choice. Garnish with sesame seeds, green onions and/or cilantro.

Serves 3 generously.

Notes:

If you don't have seasoned rice wine vinegar, simply add a pinch of sugar or teaspoon of maple syrup.

Enjoy!