Pain Perdu

There has been many a time, at brunch, that I have watched my non-vegan boyfriend order the French Toast with envy - beautiful slices of baguette with fresh fruit, powdered sugar... but alas, with milk, eggs, butter. Then I discovered this recipe to make my own at home. Use day-old baguette for this recipe - pain perdu, which literally means "lost bread", was precisely that; bread too stale to be eaten by itself, but delicious when toasted up into French Toast as we know it. Although you could certainly make this for breakfast or brunch, I am of the firm opinion that sometimes breakfast is best eaten for dinner.

In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup plain soy milk (such as Silk), the equivalent of 3 eggs using egg replacer (such as Ener-G - about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of powder whisked into 6 tablespoons water), 2 tablespoons raw sugar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/8 tsp. salt and 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract. Stir well with a whisk.

Arrange 8 (1-inch) slices of French bread baguette in a single layer in a shallow dish. Pour the soy milk mixture over the bread, and let stand 2 minutes - not all of the liquid will be absorbed, so discard any extra.

While the mixture absorbs, melt 2 tablespoons vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread slices and toast 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet but keep warm.

Meanwhile, combine 1 cup water, 1/4 cup dry white wine, 2 more tablespoons raw sugar and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch in a saucepan; bring to a boil, then cook for about 5 minutes until reduced to 1/2 a cup. Add in 1 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup blackberries and 1/4 cup halved strawberries, and stir until combined.

Serve 2 slices of bread with 1/2 a cup of sauce on each of 4 plates. Sprinkle the portions evenly with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar - look for an organic brand such as Whole Foods' 365 organic.

For the wine, I stuck with the French theme by choosing a crisp, mineral-y Sancerre - look for organic or unfiltered if you're concerned that a particular wine isn't vegan.

Each serving is 270 calories. I call that bread that is no longer lost!

Cost:
plain soymilk $2.39
baguette $1.29
white wine $19.99
raspberries $4.99
blueberries $2.99
blackberries $2.99
strawberries $3.99