French Toast with Peach Syrup, Whipped Cream, and Home Fries

In my house, one big factor in eating plenty of vegetables is simply serving them. People tend to eat what is available rather than go hungry. So make fruits and vegetables available.

Overview

First priority is to get the potatoes frying since those will take the longest. Here is my method for home fries. Next is to start the peaches simmering. Then you will start the French toast. Last is to whip up the cream. 

I like this French toast recipe because it includes cinnamon and vanilla. Though I use a bit more milk -- about 1/2 cup milk for 4 eggs. If you use a nonstick skillet, you probably won't need the melted butter. I don't add any sugar or sweetener.

We will be making a peach syrup rather than using maple syrup to cut down on the sugar intake. If you are going to use maple syrup, go with the real stuff. If it isn't real, pure maple syrup, it is maple-flavored corn syrup.

It only takes a minute with a hand mixer to whip cream into whipped cream. Totally worth it!

30 minutes before serving

Wash the potatoes. One medium potato per person will likely leave you with some leftovers. Yum!

Cube the potatoes following the directions in the linked recipe. Put them in the hot skillet. 

Get out the saucepan for the peaches follow the recipe instructions through adding everything into the pot. Let them start simmering while you mix up French toast batter.

20 minutes before serving

Heat your skillet for cooking the French toast. This can be a stove top skillet or an electric skillet set to 350 F. Whisk together the ingredients for the French toast batter. Dip your bread and get them toasting. As they finish cooking, keep them warm in a basket lined with a kitchen towel, or in an oven on its lowest setting.

Don't forget to flip your potatoes and stir your peaches from time to time. When the peach syrup has thickened, turn off the burner.

5 minutes before serving

Pour 1 cup of whipping cream (or heavy cream) into a bowl that will hold at least 4 cups. Use a hand mixer to beat on high speed until the cream begins to thicken. Add 2 drops liquid stevia extract or 2 Tbsp powdered sugar. Add about 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Continue to beat on high speed until the cream has soft peaks. To check, turn off the mixer with the beaters still in the cream. Lift the whisks out. The cream should leave little peaks that flop over. 

Season the potatoes.

Serving

Plate a piece (or two) of French toast. Pour on a 1/4 cup or so of peach syrup and a dollop of whipped cream. Add a helping of crispy potatoes.

Peach Syrup

Time & Servings

• 15 minutes
• Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

• 3-4 fresh peaches or about 4 cups of frozen peach slices
• 1/4 cup water
• 6 drops pure stevia extract, more or less to taste
• Substitute 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or honey or granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon glucomannan powder
• Substitute about 1 teaspoon cornstarch or 2 teaspoons flour

Overview

For fresh peaches, slice them and discard the pits. Add the sweetener and thickener of your choice. Simmer until thickened and bubbly.

15 minutes before serving

Frozen peaches are easier to use for this. Fresh work just as well, though you will have the added step of slicing them first. You can remove the skins first if you don't want those in the syrup. 

To slice fresh peaches, I make a cut all the way around the peach, starting and ending at the stem end. This divides the peach in half, but it will still cling to its pit. So I make a second cut, again beginning and ending at the stem end, that cuts the peach into quarters. Now wiggle the quarters. They might be a little reluctant, but they'll come free with a little pressure and twist. 

10 minutes before serving

Put your peaches into a saucepan with the water. Stir in the sweetener and the thickener. Put the mixture over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. If the mixture really starts to boil, lower the heat. A soft simmer is perfect. A rolling boil risks burning since all the water will evaporate in a flash.

When the liquid in the pot has a syrupy consistency, turn off the heat. The syrup can sit in its pot until the rest of the meal's components are ready.

Stevia? Coconut sugar? Glucomannan?

Stevia, coconut sugar, honey, and maple syrup are the sweeteners I reach for first. If you are just beginning your whole foods journey, using unfamiliar sweeteners might be too much. That's okay. Making your own syrup from peaches is a big step up from buying maple-flavored corn syrup. Small, sustainable changes are more beneficial than huge, sweeping changes that you can't keep up. 

Glucomannan is a starch-free alternative to cornstarch or flour.

For more information on these and other foods, follow the above links or go to my Info Morsels page.