Apple Crisp French Toast

Lonnie Spin knew that her experiment of French toast with peanut butter and yogurt was one ingredient shy of a culinary breakthrough. "I kept saying, 'You know what this needs - it needs apple.'" Sure enough, apples, grown by her uncle and thinly sliced, turned the dish into a family hit.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1  cup  low-fat or nonfat milk
• 4  large eggs
• 2  teaspoons  firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/4  teaspoon  vanilla
• 1  Granny Smith apple (about 1/2 lb.)
• About 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• About 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 12  slices egg or white bread (about 1 lb. total)
• 2/3  cup  maple syrup
• 1/2  cup  vanilla-flavor nonfat yogurt
• 1/2  cup  smooth peanut butter
• 1/2  cup  granola

Preparation

1. In a shallow pan such as a 8- or 9-inch pie pan, whisk to blend milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.

2. Rinse apple, core, and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices. In a small bowl, mix apple slices with lemon juice.

3. In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Dip 1 bread slice at a time in milk mixture, turn over, and transfer to frying pan without crowding. Cook each batch, turning to brown both sides, about 6 minutes total. As done, set in a single layer on a 14- by 17-inch baking sheet and keep warm in a 200° oven. Add remaining butter to frying pan as needed to cook successive batches.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup maple syrup with yogurt.

5. Also, in a 1-cup glass measure, mix remaining 1/3 cup maple syrup and peanut butter. Heat in a microwave oven at full power (100%) until warm, about 30 seconds, stirring once or twice.

6. Place 2 slices of French toast on each plate. Drain apple slices and lay fruit equally onto toast; sprinkle with granola. Spoon maple-yogurt and peanut butter sauces equally onto portions.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

626 (36% from fat)

Protein:

21g

Fat:

25g (sat 7.7)

Carbohydrate:

82g

Fiber:

4.5g

Sodium:

596mg

Cholesterol:

193mg