Fabulously Fluffy French Toast

Happy Father’s Day to all those Papas out there! I hope you’re being spoiled with love, affection, gifts and great food today.

While my husband and I aren’t having children any time soon, that does not mean that we can’t eat in celebratory style today. For me, that means making something fluffy, sweet and filling. While pancakes typically play a huge part in our breakfast repertoire, I wanted something a little different. Why not French toast?

My grandma used to make French toast for her grandkids practically every time that we slept over. Not that we complained; hers was the best French toast, beating out our mothers’ attempts.

Now, I’m happy to have found a recipe that marries her sweet recipe with something that you’d expect to find at a restaurant. I hope you enjoy!

Fabulously Fluffy French Toast

Ingredients

 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

 1 cup milk

 1 pinch salt

 3 eggs

 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or a scant ¼ teaspoon allspice)

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1 tablespoon white sugar

 12 thick slices bread

butter or butter spread, for cooking

Directions

• Measure flour into a large mixing bowl that is deep enough to dredge your bread in. Slowly whisk in the milk. 

• Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.

• Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat. While it gets to the right temperature, soak your bread slices in the mixture until saturated. You may need to flip the bread once in order to soak it completely.

•  Cook bread on each side until golden brown with a pat of butter or cooking oil. 

• Serve hot.

Don't forget to add your favorite toppings, like butter, syrup, fruit and powdered sugar!

15-minute Mexican Breakfast: Cheesy Chilaquiles

I don't remember if I've mentioned this, but I'm a total breakfast person. If I could make breakfast every morning (or have someone make it for me), I'd be the happiest person in the world. I love sweet, salty, and savory breakfasts. I love fancy ones. I love simple home-style breakfasts. I'll eat them all with a smile and a cup of coffee. 

With that said, I don't get to eat a nice, home-cooked breakfast unless I have loads of time and fresh ingredients at hand. So I generally have to make do with something fast, like toast and coffee.

This weekend kicked of my spring break. THANK GOD. I need a week of sleeping in, overeating and going out with my husband, who's also taken off most of the week. We began our relaxation with something delicious, comforting and flavorful: chilaquiles.

If you've never had the pleasure, you don't know what you're missing. Chilaquiles are considered a comfort food to Mexicans. You can spice them up, smother them with cheese, and even cover them with chicken, guacamole, or sour cream for additional decadence. They're crispy, but soft because of the egg. They're spicy, but the cheese adds richness. I love them.

I like these because they're so simple to make, and you don't need to have tons of ingredients to go make them. The main ingredient is stale tortillas. If you're planning on making them, just leave some tortillas out for a night or two. Then you'll be well on your way to a great breakfast. 

Cheesy Chilaquiles 

Ingredients
12 stale corn tortillas (if they're fresh, leave them out overnight. Otherwise, your frying time will be extended)
Cooking oil
1 (7.75 oz) can El Pato, a spicy Mexican tomato sauce (If you have fresh salsa, 1 cup can be substituted)
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice
4 eggs
1/4 cup white onion, roughly chopped
Seasoned salt

• Cut your tortillas into fourths. My tortillas were very dry, so I simply broke them into pieces.

•  Generously pour your cooking oil into a large sauté pan. Turn your heat to medium high. Once your oil is hot, add the tortillas. You’ll want to be able to coat the tortillas, but not completely submerge them.

• Fry your tortillas until they are a nice golden brown, which should take about 5 minutes. 

Turn them every minute or so to keep everything from burning.

• Remove tortillas and place them a paper towel-lined plate to soak up any excess oil, then remove the majority of your oil and any excess tortilla pieces left in your pan. There is no need to clean it. 

• Re-add your tortillas and onion in the pan, and pour the tomato sauce onto your tortillas. Toss the tortillas to coat them completely, and set your heat to medium-low. Season your sauce covered tortillas with your seasoned salt.

Your onion will cook as the food is tossed and mixed.

• Add your eggs to the pan, and gently toss the tortillas. Continue to cook and mix your tortillas until the "wetness" from the egg is mostly removed, which should be five minutes. Your eggs will take on the appearance of scrambled eggs. Season once again, if necessary.

• Sprinkle the mixture with cheese, and cover your chilaquiles with the pot lid to allow for the cheese to melt. 

• Serve immediately with additional salsa, refried beans, sour cream or guacamole. Enjoy!