Young cook likes quick dishes for breakfast

Dara Ann Kimura, 10, is a natural artist in the kitchen. Inquisitive about recipes and creative with ingredients, she ponders flavors and experiments with unlikely combinations.

Take her recipe for French toast. Adapted from her dad’s standard recipe, she adds in optional sprinkles plus a surprisingly sophisticated ingredient.

“My grandma once asked for French toast, so I searched her cabinet for some ideas. I found rosemary, and I thought that was interesting so I tried it. It gives the French toast a nice flavor,” said the ‘Iolani School fifth-grader.

She decided to share the recipe because it’s so easy, “anyone can make it.”

“When I look up French toast recipes, I mostly find difficult recipes,” Dara said. “You have to break the bread in half, add so many ingredients, and bake it.

“I’m not a big fan of baking for breakfast. That’s good only for stuff like banana bread that you can make in advance. If not, baking takes so long you might as well go out and buy breakfast.

“This recipe is fast and easy and good.”

French Toast Made Easy

• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups milk
• Dash cinnamon
• 3 to 4 heaping tablespoons sugar, to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( optional)
• 2 to 3 heaping teaspoons sprinkles (optional)
• Pinch rosemary (optional)
• 1 loaf bread, preferably sweet bread
• Oil or cooking spray, to grease pan
• Powdered sugar or maple syrup
• In large bowl, crack eggs and beat with fork. Incorporate enough milk to turn mixture a very light yellow, creamy color. Add cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, sprinkles and rosemary.

Heat pan on medium and grease with oil or cooking spray.

Dip bread into egg mixture. Fry until golden brown.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with syrup. Enjoy!

Nutritional information unavailable.