Bread pudding is one of those traditional desserts that can comfort your soul on the harshest of days. It's so simple, usually made of day-old bread, cream, eggs, sugar and butter. It is delicious. But my question is this: Dessert...or breakfast?
I mean, it's sweet, so I get that a lot of people would say dessert. But it also has eggs, bread, and milk...making this a potential breakfast dish! Oh the dilemma...
I recently went to a friend's house where she made us the most scrumptious bread pudding. It was fresh out of the oven, and I could've eaten it until it was completely gone. But it did get me thinking...could I make a healthier version (or as my husband would say: "Ruin it")?
My version is NOT RUINED...in fact, it's equally creamy and will fill you up and have you guessing the ingredients! Lactose-Intolerant friends rejoice! We can all enjoy this treat together!
I still use eggs in my recipe because I love eggs. But I do swap out the cream for almond milk, bringing the fat and calorie content WAY down. Another switch I made was using the whole grain bread I had leftover. Once my daughter discovered it had seeds in it...well, that was the end of that. Bread pudding is an awesome recipe for leftover bread because really, who makes croutons anymore?
And you're probably wondering about the sugar! Usually recipes will have at least one cup of refined white sugar but I use only 1/3 cup of maple syrup in this entire recipe. It's really all it needs! The almond milk sweetened up the entire recipe without the added sugar.
So, breakfast? Maple Pecan is one of my favourite flavour combos and it's found in a ton of breakfast items.
Or dessert? My kids ate this for dessert and there were no questions. They were A-OK with this being a dessert item. Although if I offered it for breakfast, I don't think they would complain. Let's just say there's no leftovers of the leftover bread.
So what are you waiting for? You can make this today! You can decide for yourself. And if you're NOT lactose intolerant...I'm sure this would be really good with ice cream.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease a small, deep baking dish with coconut oil. I used a 9x6 dish with tall sides.
Cut day-old whole grain bread into cubes. Place in a large bowl.
In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla and salt.
Pour over bread and mix. Wait five minutes.
Pour into greased dish and top with pecans. Drizzle a little more maple syrup if you'd like.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Let cool for ten minutes and eat!
This dish is so simple to make, it's perfect for those guests that drop in last minute or when you just want to make dinner (or breakfast) extra special. Enjoy!
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My family doesn't eat take-out food very often but when we do, it's almost ALWAYS Chinese food. I ADORE Chinese food and we have our favourites.
One of those favourites (along with I think 99% of the world's Chinese take-out eaters) is fried rice. You can get chicken fried rice, shrimp fried rice, veggie fried rice, the list goes on and on. It's versatile, delicious and typically a family favourite. But the downside of fried rice is the oil and salt and possible MSG. I know-take-out is a treat...but still. I can't help how I feel after eating it...and it's not a good feeling. Bleh.
So surprise!! I've good a wicked recipe for you to make at home. No tipping at the door required.
BUT SEANNA! It's not going to taste the same!! I hear you, and don't worry, this recipe will blow your mind because it truly tastes JUST LIKE TAKE-OUT. No joke. Try it for yourself!
If it looks like there are a lot of ingredients, there are. Don't panic. You probably have at least 90% of them in your fridge right now. And it comes together lickety-split! Especially with leftover rice. Try to use brown rice, you'll get more fibre and your body will digest this more slowly, keeping blood sugar levels (and bleh feelings) low.
Ingredients
Directions
Over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp of coconut oil and add red pepper, garlic and ginger.
Cook until pepper softens and garlic and ginger fill the room with fragrance.
Add pineapple chunks and cook until they begin to brown.
Set this mixture aside and add eggs to pan. Mix them up, and break them into tiny pieces. Add to bowl with pineapple mixture.
Add remaining 1 tbsp coconut oil to pan. Add rice, peas, spinach, broccoli and cook until heated through. Add pineapple mixture back in and combine.
Add soy sauce and sriracha and mix well. Squeeze lime over top. Let cook for 2-3 more minutes and add in green onions and cashews at the last second.
Close your eyes and imagine you've just opened a greasy bag of take-out and enjoy. If you want to get fancy, you can add some chicken, shrimp or just try to eat this with chopsticks. I think it's so good, I basically use a shovel. Can't get it in my belly fast enough! Nom nom.
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