vegan french toast

It's hard to believe, but it's been over three years since I've had French toast (which used to be one of my favorite brunch time foods).  Most of the gluten-free breads I tried over the years just did not taste very good, so I basically gave up on bread altogether.  This was until Andrew and I went to Seattle.  We went to a fabulous vegan restaurant that served one of the most amazing gluten-free buns I had ever tasted.  Of course I had to ask the waiter what company made this bread and it turned out to be a place in Seattle.  I looked up their Website and found that not only was their bread gluten-free and vegan, but it was also soy free!  The only ingredient I did not particularly like on the list was xanthan gum, but luckily I did not have any reactions to it like I had in the past.  I found a retailer and bought many loaves, which I carried back on the plane with me - there was no way I was going to take a chance of anything happening to my precious bread.  

Unfortunately I have already run out of my many loaves experimenting with different recipes, but a little birdie told me the company will soon be stocking their food items in Whole Foods Stores.  The company is called Olivia Superfree (formerly known as Wheatless in Seattle) and I hope to have a chance to sample their bread again soon...

ingredients

1 1/2 cups almond milk or other milk of your choice
1 teaspoon white chia seeds (black will work, too)
2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg
a dash of salt (optional)
coconut oil or other oil of your choice for the pan
1 loaf of vegan, gluten-free bread (I used a sourdough bread) or other bread of your choice

In a small bowl add the chia seeds and water and stir.  In another larger bowl add the milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. After the chia seed mixture has set for approximately 5 minutes, add it to the larger bowl and whisk until everything is well combined.

Next add a tablespoon of oil to your frying pan and turn the heat to medium high.  Take a piece of bread and place it into the milk mixture (make sure to flip, so both sides are completely coated).  Add the bread to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes per side.

Remove from the pan to a plate then drizzle a little maple syrup over the toast and sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top.  You can also garnish with fresh fruit, too.

Olivia Superfree's Sourdough Bread

French toast - le pain perdu, "lost bread"