Banana-stuffed French toast

 Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. cream cheese
• 4 slices cinnamon-raisin bread
• 1 medium banana, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tsp. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup, warmed
• Berries of your choice

Makes 1 stuffed French toast with toppings per serving.

1. Spread the cream cheese on the bread. Divide the banana over 2 slices of the bread and top each with a slice of the remaining bread.
2. Combine the milk, egg, and vanilla in a small shallow bowl; beat lightly with a fork.
3. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Briefly dip the sandwiches, one at a time, into the egg mixture. Place both sandwiches in the skillet. Cook until golden brown, 3–4 minutes on each side. Place a stuffed French toast on each of 2 plates; top each with 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup and 3 of the sliced strawberries. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 12 pts. per serving

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. This delicious stuffed French toast is the best treat for breakfast, brunch or dinner. Whatever kind of bread you use, e, you can either remove the crusts or leave them on. Serve this hearty breakfast dish with a variety of your favorite fresh fruits alongside or on top. And to warm the maple syrup, place it in a small custard cup and microwave on High for about 20 seconds. For a creamier taste, you can substitute fat-free half-and-half for the milk if you like, which shouldn't affect the recipe's nutritional value.

Ricotta Pancakes with Berries

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups mixed berries

Makes 4 Servings

1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger,  and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk ricotta, egg, egg white, milk and vanilla together in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring together until blended.
2. Spray a large skillet or griddle with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Wet hot, drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto pan (work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan). Cook each until underside is browned and bubbles begin to form on top, 3-4 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook other sides. Repeat with remaining batter, making 8 pancakes. Serve with berries.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts. (2 pancakes and 1/2 cup berries per serving)

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Tastier than Takeout Cookbook. Who does not love pancakes? Once in a while, everyone deserves a guilty pleasure comfort food and pancakes are certainly a guilty pleasure comfort food that can be enjoyed for breakfast lunch, dinner or brunch. I was cleaning out the refrigerator and these pancakes looked to good to pass up. Pancakes made from ricotta cheese and some spices are absolutely delicious. They are nice and fluffy and they melt in your mouth along with the mixed berries. I also highly recommend adding a touch of cinnamon and /or nutmeg to these pancakes in your dry ingredients because cinnamon and nutmeg always make every sweet dish tastier. If you have any leftover pancakes, you can store them in the freezer and take them out when you feel like having your comfort food craving. 

Warm Buckwheat Crepes with Mixed Berries

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp buckwheat flour
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp warm water
• 1/2 tsp granular sugar substitute
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp grated lemon zest
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups mixed frozen mixed berries, thawed

Makes 6 Crepes

1. Puree Buckwheat and all-purpose flours, milk, egg, water, sugar substitute, cinnamon, zest and a pinch of salt in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place berries in a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until gently bubbling and warmed through. Remove from heat an cover pan to keep warm.
2. Lightly coat a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the batter, tilting the pan so that the batter forms an even, thin layer. Cook until bubbles form and edges begin to brown, about 1 minute. Using a spatula, carefully flip the crepe over and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute. Transfer crepe, golden side down, to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter, coating the pan with cooking spray after each crepe. Stack crepes as you go.
3. To serve, place 1 crepe, golden side down, on a plate. Place 2 tablespoons of berries in the center and roll crepe around berries. Spoon 2 more tablespoons of berries and some juices over the top. Repeat with the remaining crepes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
   

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt (per crepe)

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. Who doesn't love crepes once in a while? I've made fruit-flavored crepes in the past and they have always turned out delicous. I made buckwheat pancakes a while back and they were delicious. These buckwheat crepes were delicious with the warm mixed berries. You can have these crepes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch or dessert. You can also add sour cream, cottage or riccotta cheese or plain yogurt with these crepes but may effect the point value. Crepes can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored, tightly wrapped in a single pile in the refrigerator. Just gently reheat the crepes in a microwave on low for 15 seconds or in a warm oven and serve.
 

Mixed Berry French Toast

Ingredients:

• 
  
  2 cups mixed berries, such as rasberries, blueberries, blackberries and small strawberries, hulled
  
• 
  
  1 1/2 tbsp sugar
  
• 
  
  1 tsp grated orange zest
  
• 
  
  2 large eggs
  
• 
  
  1 egg white
  
• 
  
  1/4 cup skim milk
  
• 
  
  2 tbsp orange juice
  
• 
  
  4 slices whole wheat bread
  

Makes 2 Servings

1. 
   
   Combine the berries, sugar and orange zest in serving bowl.
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Beat the eggs, egg whites, milk and orange juice in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Add 1 slice of the bread to the egg mixture; let stand until the bread is evenly soaked, about 30 seconds on each side.Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining 3 slices of bread.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick sprat and set over medium-high heat. Add the soaked bread to the skillet, in batches if necessary, and cook until browned, 2-3 minutes on wach side. Put 2 slices of French toast on each of 2 plates and top with some berry mixture. Serve the remaining berry mixture alongside.
   
   
   WW Points Value: 7
   

Note: This recipe appear in the WW in 20 minutes Cookbook. I've cooked this recipe a few times and it's really nice. If you're in a hurry here's what  to do: use 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp fat-free egg substitute instead of cracking and separating the eggs.

Breakfast for dinner again? Of Course! Fruit-Filled Crepes with Brown Sugar Sour Cream

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup light sour cream (or cottage or ricotta cheese)
• 2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
• 12 starwberries hulled and halved
• 6-8 oz. mixed berries (blackberries, blueberries, rasberries)
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 4 (9-inch) ready-to-use crepes
• a pinch of cinnamon

Serves 4

1. Combine the sour cream and 1 tbsp of the brown sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Combine the strawberries, mixed berries, orange juice, lemon juice and the remaining 1 tbsp brown sugar in a medium nonstick skilletand set over high heat. Cook until berries are slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
3. Place 1 crepe on each of the four plates. Spoon 1/2 cup of the fruit mixture down the center of each crepe. Fold one edge of the crepe over the filling, then fold into the two opposite sides. Roll the crepe up jelly-roll style to enclose the filling. Top evenly with the remaining fruit mixture and 1 tbsp of the sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with a touch of cinnamon and enjoy!

Note: This recipe appears in the WW in 20 Minutes Cookbook. I've been dying to cook crepes for a long time and it was quite a fun challenge! I made my crepes before I made this crepe recipe. I used the Stonewall Kitchen Traditional Crepe Mix and a crepe maker to make my crepes. The sour cream looked questionable so I used cottage cheese instead. The brown sugar and cottage cheese topped with cinnamon was so delicious. I highly recommend making the crepes ahead of time and storing them when you have nothing to do because it can be time consuming. More Crepe recipes coming soon, I promise!