In the Kitchen // Vegan Protein Waffles

Hey, friends! So, here's that waffle recipe I've been promising for a few days. I've written about my love for Kodiak Protein Waffle mix, but the $5 price tag (about 50 cents per waffle)? I didn't love that so much.With our new budget stuff on the horizon, I figured I should figure out something homemade.

But how to get 14 grams of protein into delicious waffles?

Well, you can see how I figured it out -- in a vegan recipe with no protein powder!

 

INSTRUCTIONS 

To make 4 waffles . . . 

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup peanut butter powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or plain sugar)
• 1 tablespoon cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk all ingredients together in an airtight container for storage.  

You can easily double this recipe to make 8 waffles.

And all you need to do to make the waffles is combine a half cup of mix with a half cup of either soy milk or water -- whisking works best. Then fire up your waffle maker* on its higher setting, spritz with just a little cooking spray, cook, and you're done. That's all.

* I have a ceramic Oster Belgian waffle maker -- it was less than $25 and I end up using it daily either for waffles or pressed sandwiches (grilled cheese!). You definitely don't need to go fancy with this appliance. And when you're cooking these waffles, even if the green light turns on indicating it's "done" cooking, I like to wait another full minute to get it a bit crisper.

BTW: These waffles end up being 7 Weight Watchers points if you use unsweetened soy milk. (You can also use water if you don't care as much about hitting 14.5 grams -- the mix alone has 11-ish grams.)

And I broke out how much these waffles cost each and it's about 40 cents. No, that's not a HUGE savings on the Kodiak mix (and the cost would be lower if I used plain sugar and cocoa powder), but if you consider I eat one of these waffles almost daily, that's 10 cents a day or the potential savings of $36 a year.

That's a month of internet (at least after yesterday's switch).

Every little bit counts!

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Biscuit Waffles, Two Ways

Throughout the last couple years, I’ve seen people making all sorts of things in the waffle maker. Brownies. Cake. Pizza. Eggs. Falafel. S’mores. The list goes on (and on). So, slowly I’ve started to try out some of these recipes, and I’m definitely hooked. Baking stuff in my waffle maker is both easy and completely, amazingly satisfying.

I’ve now made several savory waffle recipes using this exact biscuit crust as my base. And if you eat dairy, I highly recommend using real butter and real milk. The flavor and texture -- oh, the texture -- are out of this world. That being said, Earth Balance and soy or almond or coconut milk make a wonderful waffle as well. Maybe just not as flaky.

Crunch.

(Sorry! Sometimes I’d rather eat than take gorgeous photos.)

BASIC BISCUITS

You can also make this recipe and use as drop biscuits!

What you’ll need . . . 

• 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 stick cold butter (or 1/2 cup Earth Balance)
• 1-1/4 cups milk (or substitute)
• pinch salt

Method . . .

1. Whisk the dry ingredients together. Then toss in the butter -- but in pieces throughout.
2. Mix with your hands until the “dough” resembles a coarse meal texture. You might need to pinch and crumble the flour and butter together a little. 
3. Preheat your waffle maker. Lightly grease with more butter or Earth Balance.
4. Then pour in the milk and stir until everything is just moistened. Spoon out in portions that make sense for your waffle maker. For ours, 1/2 cup fills it up.
5. Bake until done, then set on a cooling rack to avoid sogginess.
6. If you want to make these guys as drop biscuits, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Then drop dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 14 minutes, until golden.

BRUNCH GRAVY BISCUITS

For this deliciousness, you’ll want to whisk up some Mushroom Gravy. Then just make your waffles, poach (here’s how) or soft boil (here’s how) or fry a few eggs, and assemble with a little spinach or other greens. Very easy, but it’s an amazingly tasty breakfast for those of you who don’t like to start the day on the sweet side.

PIZZA WAFFLES

I mentioned these guys (thanks, Ashley!) the other day in my Weekend Things post, and since then . . . we’ve made them twice more. I originally just used Pumpkin Pizza Dough in my waffle maker, but there wasn’t as much taste. When I used this biscuit waffle as a base, the resulting “pizza” reminded me of some of the great pan pizzas I’ve had. Thick, buttery crust. I broiled Pepper Jack cheese onto the tops until bubbly and chose to leave the sauce off and dunk instead.

So, there you go. Biscuit waffles, two ways!

I have already asked Stephen for a new, round waffle maker as one of my Christmas gifts. Our current one was a $10 find, and it’s done quite well but seems to be a little over-loved these days. We’ll see. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a s’mores waffle recipe to drool over.

MORE WAFFLES!

Peanut Butter + Banana Waffles
CSA Market Waffles
Green Waffles, Two Ways
Zucchini + Carrot Waffles
Homemade Freezer Waffles

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Sweet + Savory

So, the other day I said those Summer Market Waffles could go either way. Sweet or savory. To use up our mega-stores of squash, we ate the waffles each morning this week. It was a grand week, I must say. And guess what I found out? You don't have to choose just one direction for breakfast to go on the flavor spectrum.

See what I mean?

I'm not the type to go nuts and give a gazillion variations on the same recipe. But I'd say this change up (however slight) on the waffle recipe was a huge winner. So much so, I felt compelled to give it to you TODAY so you'd have it in time for weekend brunch. (I hope you all have at least a little time for a weekend brunch.)

This version two point zero is heartier, more flavorful. Just . . . different. So, give it -- and the original, yellow squash + basil filled Summer Market Waffles -- a try!

ZUCCHINI + CARROT WAFFLES
still vegan, still great topped with syrup or eggs

What you'll need . . .

• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• pinch salt
• splash vanilla extract

// Mix everything together, scoop into your waffle maker, and cook as directed.


I was all set to have my sweet breakfast drippy with maple syrup goodness . . . when Stephen motioned over to the stove. He had made surprise tofu scramble! I noticed immediately it wasn't the usual recipe we use (that curried masterpiece is here), but instead a sort of hack -- a shortcut -- with only a few simple ingredients.

TOFU SCRAMBLE HACK

What you'll need . . . 

• 1 block tofu, crumbled
• good pinch salt + pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

// Stephen actually crumbled the tofu the night before (I had no idea!) and mixed in the seasonings to let sit overnight. Then this morning he put a fry pan over medium-high heat with a bit of olive oil and cooked until browned on all sides. I imagine you could just put everything together in the moment, though.

Now that we have his + her breakfasts . . .


Here's what he + she will be reading at the beach in the next couple weeks. What are you guys reading? Any suggestions? I'm thinking Under the Dome will keep Stephen occupied for a while, but I'll likely breeze through Cinderella Ate My Daughter.

And don't forget to enter the Mighty Leaf iced tea GIVEAWAY!

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Summer Market Waffles

Quick recipe today. We haven't had waffles in a while, so I've been itching to get out the maker again and mix up a batch. I don't know about you, but this time of year our fridge is bursting with local yellow squash and leafy green basil from our CSA share.

You see where this is going.

SUMMER MARKET WAFFLES 
vegan + veggie-filled; makes enough for 2-4 people, depending on hunger status

What you'll need . . . 

• 1 cup shredded summer squash
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch salt

Method . . . 

1. Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then add the squash, basil, and liquid ingredients. Mix until fully combined, but do not over-mix. 
2. Preheat your waffle maker. When it's ready, generously grease the top and bottom with Earth Balance or spray oil. Then scoop heaping 1/4 to 1/3 cupfuls and cook as directed. 
3. Eat immediately or follow the instructions in this post storage.

Sweet? Savory? So, here's the best part: This waffle can go either way, depending on your mood. Top it with peppery fried eggs + hot sauce, like Stephen did. Or some Earth Balance + maple syrup like I did. Both were absolutely appropriate and fantastic at the same time.

I love when recipes turn out to be so customizable!

Don't have a waffle maker? No problem. This recipe would work well for pancakes, too. You can get an adequate waffle machine for under $20, scratch that, under $10. It may not be fancy, but it does the job!

MORE WAFFLE GOODNESS

Homemade Applesauce Freezer Waffles
Green Egg-Topped Waffles
Gluten-Free Waffles
Peanut Butter + Banana Waffles

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Gluten-Free Waffles + Nayonaise Giveaway

When I went gluten free for 28 days, I missed a lot of breakfast foods like french toast, pancakes, etc. I tried various homemade flour mixtures to try and make a suitable waffle, for example. And, though I know it can certainly be done + will continue tooling around, my favorite attempt was with gluten free all purpose flour.

But we'll get to that in another post because I have a savory sandwich -- that's right, a waffle SANDWICH, people! -- version of these guys that's to DIE for. Maybe Friday or early next week?

Till then, breakfast!

BASIC GLUTEN-FREE WAFFLES
(adapted from this recipe on Bob's Red Mill)

What you'll need . . . 

• 1-1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour
• 2 tablespoons cane sugar
• 1 tablepoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon flax meal
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 2 teaspoons vinegar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

 Method . . . 

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder + soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a small dish, combine the flax meal, hot water, and vinegar. Let sit for a couple minutes.
3. Then add the flax mixture along with the rest of the ingredients into the bowl with the flour mixture. Mix until well combined.
4. Let sit for a few minutes while you preheat your waffle maker.
5. Then cook as directed, dividing the recipe into about three parts, as -- at least for our waffle maker -- this recipe makes 3 sheets . . . or 6 total . . . waffles.
6. Serve immediately with the following toppings or freeze them for up to a few months.

// Grill slices of an apple on the stove over medium heat until browned on both sides.. If you have a grilling pan, that is. If not, you can just pan cook them with a bit of Earth Balance until browned. There's no real science to this.

// What makes this combo so special is the sauce . . .


It's a mixture of peanut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and a "secret" ingredient. Oh, I'll just tell you. Nasoya recently sent me some of their Nayonaise to try out, and I couldn't resist trying to make something a little different with it -- we use vegan mayo on almost all our sandwiches, too.

For those of you unfamiliar, Nayonaise is a vegan alternative to mayonnaise. It's made from expeller pressed oil, it's cholesterol-free, and it's a good source of vitamin B12 and Omega-3 ALA.

MAPLE + PEANUT BUTTER SAUCE
makes enough to generously top two waffles or six, if you're less indulgent

Combine the following in a small bowl.

• 3 tablespoons Nayonaise
• 1 (heaping) tablespoon crunchy peanut butter
• 2 to 3 teaspoons maple syrup
• dash or two cinnamon

You could also just use plain peanut butter instead of a sauce, but where's the fun in that?

/// \\\ /// \\\ GIVEAWAY /// \\\ /// \\\

The folks at Nasoya have been generous enough to giveaway some free Nayonaise to one of you as well! Just leave a comment with the word "YUMMY!" below to be entered. Make sure there's some way to contact you, too.

I'll choose a winner Friday morning (4/19/13).

And if you're in the mood for more waffles:

Peanut Butter + Banana Waffles
Green Egg-Topped Waffles
Applesauce Freezer Waffles

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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Peanut Butter + Banana Waffles

I've not posted much food in the past two weeks. So, I'm going to save the running in NYC post for next Monday. Hope that's alright with you. I received such a wonderful response to yesterday's No-Bake Layer Bar recipe, I thought keeping the flavor train moving was what we all needed.

I am (way) behind on meal preparation after our trip, which means I don't have the usual stuff -- like freezer waffles -- for Ada's breakfasts. We're also out of eggs, which is Ada's daily go-to for the AM meal, so I needed to improvise this morning.

What could I give her with some added protein?

PEANUT BUTTER + BANANA WAFFLES
6-8 waffles, vegan recipe for kids and adults alike!

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup white flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 large ripe banana
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• 1-1/4 cups almond milk
• 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
• 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter*
• 1 tablespoon ground flax meal

* I'm sure smooth peanut butter and/or almond, sunflower, etc. butter would work great, too.


Method . . .

1. In a large bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients. Set aside. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mash your banana with the paddle attachment on low. Then add the rest of the ingredients on the list (not the dry yet, though!). You may also use a food processor or even just mash and mix by hand, for that matter. 
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. 
4. Preheat your waffle iron, then make sure you grease it up well with oil or butter or Earth Balance and make waffles as directed. 
5. Feel free to add-in chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or whatever else floats your boat.

Don't have a waffle maker? No problem. This recipe would work well for pancakes, too. You can get an adequate waffle machine for under $20, scratch that, under $10. It may not be fancy, but it does the job for us every Sunday.

Want to save some for later? Just follow the instructions in this Homemade Freezer Waffles post for how to freeze/store waffles.  

Toppings suggestions? I actually ate them dry because I added chocolate chips (Ada's were plain, though). But I'm sure maple syrup or even more peanut butter would taste delicious.

I had planned to freeze these to toast tomorrow, but -- alas -- I didn't plan my lunch EITHER so, down the hatch three more went. I know it's always a matter of preference, but I think they were even better frozen and then toasted. A crisper texture is always my favorite.

Make them this weekend, please! Or maybe these Green Egg-Topped Waffles are more your speed.

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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