Low Carbon French Toast

Low-carbon recipes are mindful of the energy and resources that go into producing, packaging, and transporting food.

Choosing local and in-season produce wherever possible is a good way to reduce the distance your food had to travel to get to you. Where your food comes from is one factor to consider, especially when looking at the bigger picture (ethical, sustainable, responsible farming practices and labour), but the most effective way to reduce the carbon footprint of your food is to focus on what you are eating.

As a general rule of thumb, plant-based dishes require less energy.

For this recipe we are providing both plant-based and not plant-based options. If you are using eggs to buy local farm eggs

Ingredients

2 tbsp. vegan egg powder mixed with ½ cup of cold water (plant-based option). We recommend Follow Your Heart vegan egg replacer, which can be purchased locally in Ottawa at Herb and Spice Food Shop, Market Organics, and Metro in the Glebe. More on Follow Your Heart’s sustainability practices here (including non-GMO, USDA organic certified, solar-powered facility, and zero-waste certified)

OR

1 local farm egg (non plant-based option)

4 slices of sourdough bread or any kind of sturdy bread (buy locally if you can, or make your own – see the recipe below!)

¼ cup of oat milk (Canada is a large producer of oat milk and it requires much less water and land compared to other non-dairy milks)

2 tbsp. of vegan butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

Instructions

Step 1

If you are making sourdough bread, make that first! If not, slice 4 slices of sturdy bread.

Step 2

Get your most bread-shaped container so that it’s easy to dip the bread in the mixture.

For the plant-based option: whisk together vegan egg powder with cold water. Add the oat milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg and whisk until it’s combined.

If you are using eggs: whisk your egg together with the the oat milk, cinnamon and nutmeg until it’s combined.

Step 3

Melt 2 tbsp. of vegan butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat.

Dip your sliced bread in the French Toast mixture, flip over and soak the other side, and place in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 6-7 minutes each side or until it’s golden brown (add more vegan butter if your pan gets too dry).

Serve with locally-bought maple syrup (if that’s your jam), or really whatever you want!

Enjoy!

Sourdough Bread Recipe

5 tbsp. sourdough bread starter (some local companies like Corner Peach are selling theirs!)

1.5 cups of room temperature water

3 cups of flour

1 tbsp. salt

Combine the sourdough bread starter with the water until it is mixed together and cloudy. Mix in the flour with a fork until it starts to come together, and switch to clean hands to complete the stirring. Let the mixture stand for 30-40 minutes in your mixing bowl, with a tea towel laid over top. Add the salt, and combine – notice the change in texture as you mix it in with your hands.

For between 3 and 6 hours, knead the dough in the bowl every half an hour by pulling up sections from the outside edge, and pushing them into the middle.

Take the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. Knead the dough on your floured surface for a minute or so. Form the dough into a round and place upside down in a floured bowl or basket, cover with a tea towel and let stand for 1.5 hours.

Heat up your dutch oven to 500 degrees in your oven. When the dough is ready, place it on a silicone mat and place it in the dutch oven. Decrease the temperature to 450 degrees and cook for 25 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid, and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let stand for at least an hour – the cooking process continues even after it’s removed from the oven.

Slice and enjoy!