Valentine’s Day Breakfast in Bed

This may make me sound like the anti-woman, but Valentine’s Day has never been a big deal  to me. I do however, like to try to find some time to do something special to spend extra time with my man.

Tom works extremely long, hard hours all year-round, so for this Valentine’s Day, I decided to treat him to a little breakfast in bed – or perhaps – breakfast on the couch while watching SportsCenter. With a few cheap (and reusable!) touches from Target, I’ve put together a delectable Cinnamon French Toast with Cranberry Orange Chutney.

Ingredients (for 2):

• 4 thick slices of brioche*
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 TBSP cinnamon
• non-stick cooking spray
• 2 C fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 TBSP orange zest
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

For Cranberry Orange Chutney:

In a medium sauce plan, mix cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, 1 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes or until cranberries begin to pop. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

For the Cinnamon French Toast:

Preheat griddle. Whisk eggs and milk together in shallow bowl. Add vanilla and cinnamon. Soak each piece of bread for 15 seconds on each side. Spray griddle (set at medium-high) with non-stick cooking spray. Place the bread on the griddle and cook about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown (time will vary based on the type and temperature of your griddle).

Place french toast on a plate and top it with a spoonful of chutney. Don’t overdo the chutney, you do not want to take away the flavor of the french toast. Or, if you don’t like the taste of cranberries, simply serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and some warm maple syrup. This dish tastes great with an Orange Strawberry Banana Smoothie or a homemade latte.

*A note on bread:  I usually make french toast with whatever bread I have around the house. But if you are looking for the diner taste, go with a loaf of brioche. I picked mine up at Breadsmith. You can also go for challah or a country loaf cut into thick slices. The thicker and denser the bread, the better it soaks up all the good stuff and creates a moist and savory french toast!

Happy Valentine’s Day!