Parmesan French Toast Sticks

Who says you can’t have savory French toast? This makes lovely little appetizer sticks (or pair with a salad for a great vegetarian meal) with a crunchy, cheesy outside and soft, pillowy inside. Even better, these go together in a flash.

Ingredients:

Fresh sauce:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 clove of garlic, smashed

1 t sea salt

A few good turns of freshly cracked pepper

3 or 4 basil leaves, chopped

Parmesan Toasts:

½ loaf stale French bread, cut into ½ inch slices, and then each slice cut into three fingers (I had 18 sticks)

½ cup egg substitute

¾ low fat milk

1 teaspoon Greek seasoning (use whatever seasoning blend you like)

2 cups grated parmesan cheese (not shredded)

2 or 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

For sauce, mix all ingredients in a bowl, stir and set aside at room temperature until the sticks are done. Gather two large, flat bowls and a 12 inch nonstick skillet. In the first bowl, mix the egg substitute, milk and seasoning. In the second bowl, pour your grated parmesan (de-lump it, ok?). Spray the skillet with cooking spray and then add the extra virgin olive oil. Heat to medium low. Place the bread sticks into the egg mixture, turning to coat and then let the excess drip off. Place the sticks in the cheese and turn to coat well. Then, place them right into the skillet. Cook on each side until nice and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the cooked sticks and repeat with remaining sticks (you may need to add a bit more olive oil to the pan). These are great at room temperature, but if you want to keep them warm, just place on a cookie sheet and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve. Me, I remove the crushed garlic before I eat the sauce, but you can leave it in if you want.

Get creative on me:  I happen to know some folks who would love some dried red chile flake in the egg mixture and even in the sauce. Maybe some garlic salt?  So try it, already!