French Toast with Asparagus

Topped with an

Orange Beurre Blanc

For the Orange Beurre Blanc:

1 1/2 cups white wine

½ cup orange juice

1 small onion, fine chopped

½ cup cream

1 ½ sticks butter, small pieces

1 t orange zest

S&P, to taste

For the Asparagus:

1 pound asparagus, cut diagonally, 1” pieces

2t olive oil

S&P, to taste

For the French toast:

4 large eggs

1-cup heavy cream

1 t orange zest

½ salt

½ t ground pepper

4 one-inch thick sliced wheat bread

½ stick butter

Make the Asparagus: Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss asparagus in olive oil, spread on sheet pan and sprinkle with S&P.  Place in oven for about 15 minute or until tender and golden brown.

Start the orange beurre blanc: Bring the wine and orange juice and onion to a boil, cook on medium, stirring occasionally until it has reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Whisk in cream and reduce again to about ¾, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add butter 1 piece at a time slowly and stir each piece until melted.  Add 2 T orange juice and orange zest.  Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Make the French toast:  Whisk together eggs, cream, zest and S&P in a large bowl.  Pour mixture in a flat bottom dish; soak bread in mixture about 1 minute per side.  Have griddle or pan hot with butter sizzling.  Cook each side about 4 minutes each or until golden brown.

To Serve:

Place French toast on plate top with roast asparagus and drizzle orange beurre blanc over the top and serve immediately.

What a wonderful way to introduce asparagus to your kids or spend the morning with friends, ending with this wonderful brunch.  That is exactly what I am going to do.  I love rainy days and friends.  We are going to relax, talk and paint wooden eggs in preparation for Easter.  I find that in the hustle and bustle of my days, I rarely have time to just talk, talk about things or nothing, but just talk and visit with my friends and I miss not being able to do just that.  So, for this to happen, you have to set a date and follow through.  If you don’t, and say, let’s get together sometime, it will never happen. 

It is much the same for the family table; you have to make it a priority.

According to the 2009 study done by the National Center on Addition and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA), compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (5-7 per week) children who ate dinner with their families infrequently (3 or fewer per week) are twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana and more than one and a half times likelier to have used alcohol.

I know we all love our families, so let’s make them a priority.  It takes a little planning and it takes a little just doing it, but very quickly it will become the routine and will seem to be easier than going through the drive-thru.

Please enjoy!!!