Cinnamon Cocoa French Toast

Happy Finals Week!

Today's recipe is a collegiate adaptation made to de-stress my floormate Emma after a long 8am final :)

The beauty of the end of the semester means having to empty one's room of all edible articles. For me, this includes an entire freezer full of bagels. So when Emma requested french toast, I decided to explore the different types of bread that can make french toast...aka all the breads.

The Recipe: Cinnamon Cocoa French Toast

• 1 Panera Bread Cinnamon Crunch Bagel
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup Fat Free Milk
• 1 tsp Canola Oil (in the mix)
• 1 tbsp Canola Oil (on the pan)
• 1/2 package of Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Powder

The Process: 

1. Slice the bagel to desired thickness. I went with 1/2-3/4 inch slices. 
2. Break an egg into any container that is at least as deep as the bagel slices are thick. 
3. Add the milk, oil, and hot cocoa. 
4. Whisk completely with a fork. 
5. Allow bagel slices to soak in the mixture, flipping once one side is saturated. When you are done, the entire mixture should be essentially inside the bagel slices. 
6. Heat a pan with oil until the oil spreads out across the surface of the pan. 
7. On medium heat, cook soaked bagel slices on the pan for a few minutes. Watch for the edges of the french toast to begin to bubble and brown. With a spatula, feel free to check the french toast. An easy way to tell if they are close to done without turning them over is by nudging them slightly; if they slide easily across the pan, they are most likely close to done. If they stick to the pan, they are not ready to be flipped. 
8. Once they are ready to be flipped, simply allow the entire batch to slide onto another pan (in my case a pie tin) and then flip this dish over onto the first pan so that the french toast is flipped. 
9. Allow this side to cook. 
10. Once they are done, remove from the pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar. 
11. Enjoy :)

The Calories: 

Bagel: 420 calories

Egg: 78 calories

Milk: 21 calories

Oil: 160 calories (if all oil is used, however much of it will remain in the pan)

Cocoa Powder: 45 calories

________________________

TOTAL: 724 calories

Okay, so this isn't the most healthy recipe, but as I'm constantly reminded, "It's finals season! All bets are off." It's one thing to eat this way constantly, but it's another to treat yo' self after a stressful final. 

What went right: 

          I was told that it tasted very very good and did not even need syrup (yay, because I didn't have any!). Usually, I would take this with a grain of salt because friends are usually going to tell you that they like something you've done even if it's not that amazing. However, psychology has taught me that when something tastes good, each bite spends less time in our mouths, and this dish was polished off in a mere few minutes :) 

          Speaking of only a few minutes, from start to finish, this recipe probably took 20 minutes, about half of which was waiting time while the bagel soaked, which can always be used for other productive endeavors like paper writing ;) Super doable for the time-crunched college student! The short cooking time made it easy to not feel stressed about losing time, and because I love cooking it was also a flow activity that helped me de-stress in preparation for my final last night. 

What went wrong: 

            I'd go with nothing on this one. It wasn't as healthy as I hoped it would be, but it was definitely more healthy than it could have been by using only one egg, low fat milk, and cooking it in oil instead of butter. As we've discussed previously, while both oil and butter are composed entirely of fats (lipids), butter is primarily composed of saturated fats, which allows it to remain solid at room temperature, and oils are primarily composed of unsaturated fats, which makes them more fluid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats, in moderation of course, are healthier than saturated fats. 

Would I do it again?: 

           Definitely. And I probably will before all is said and done this semester. 

What would I do differently: 

           It would be fun to play with toppings and fillings, like nutella, peanut butter, jams/jellies...I think all of the above would bode well :) 

Overall, a great recipe that I'm very glad I made for my friend :) While college teaches us to look out for ourselves and our own needs, it also teaches us the importance of supporting one another. Personally, I always look out for those who look out for me, and genuinely believe that it has been a major source of my success. Look out, T3...lots of food to come your way <3 

The workout: 

Even though this was more healthy than most french toast, it still needs a workout. Emma and I often work out together at the WoodPEC, usually burning 300-400 calories in a short elliptical workout. This is enough to offset the calorie amount of this meal to a normal caloric intake for a brunch meal. 

In theory, the portion I made is enough for two people to share as a single meal, which would bring the calories per serving down to 362. 

Pizza Bagels

Hello and welcome!

I'm sure you're looking at "Pizza Bagels" and wondering where the fitness comes into play. Fitness is determined by a lot of factors, and sometimes, it is good for your body to eat the healthier version of something entirely "normal" rather than deprived of one ingredient or another. In the long run, as long as you don't overeat, you can really eat whatever you want.

That said, this recipe is one I made with a friend yesterday. We are on fall break now, which means the cafeteria is closed, so cooking is a must if you plan to eat and not go broke. Fortunately for me, cooking is no problem! Especially with a recipe that is so quick and easy.

The bagels for these pizza bagels were originally from Panera Bread, but I kept them in my freezer for a  few weeks and thawed them out for an hour or so before cooking. Thank you to my grandmother for that bread-saving tip!

The Recipe: Pizza Bagels

• Three bagels (of any kind), sliced in half
• Prego Traditional Pasta Sauce (amount to your liking, I used about 1 TBSP per 1/2 bagel)
• Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese

The Process:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Thaw bagels if necessary.
3. Spread sauce on inner face of each bagel half. 
4. Sprinkle shredded cheese on inner face of bagel half. 
5. Bake for about 10 minutes (depending on your oven). 
6. Enjoy! 

The Calories:

1/2 Bagel: 105 calories

1 TBSP Sauce: 10 calories

1 TBSP Mozzarella: 50 calories

______________________________________

TOTAL: 165 calories

Not bad!! This is about as filling as a slice of pizza, but much lighter and more healthy. There is far less butter involved in bagels compared to pizza crusts. My friend and I each ate three, making our total consumption 495 calories. 

What went right: 

          The bagels came out nicely, they were cooked for the right amount of time to allow the sauce to soak into the bread. Additionally, we used a plain, whole wheat, and cranberry raisin bagel, and all three had a completely unique but amazing taste. The cranberry raisin was the best in my opinion. 

What went wrong: 

          While I thought there was plenty of sauce, my friend felt there was not enough. Because sauce is a matter of personal preference, it is best to apply the sauce yourself so you know how much looks like a good amount to you. I think he thought there was not enough because, as pasta sauce rather than pizza sauce, the sauce that remained on top of the bagel rather than soaked into it was not still liquid like pizza sauce, but firmly attached to the bread the way baked pasta sauce soaks into pasta. I might try this again with pizza sauce instead, to see if there is a difference. 

Would I do this again?:

           Yes! I loved these and will definitely be making more pizza bagels in the future. Look out for Pizza Bagel Sandwiches, which will happen after I acquire toppings to put in the middle of two Pizza Bagel slices. 

Overall, a fun, easy meal to make. It was healthy and satisfying, and clean up was not very labor intensive. A perfect college meal if I do say so myself!