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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Zesty Orange Ricotta Muffins, etc.

Our new favorite pizza topping is ricotta cheese. Thing is, we usually have quite a bit leftover after using only a few dollops . . . a couple nights a week. Anyway, I was making Ada chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast on Friday, it's sort of our tradition, and I got this idea to give them a dose of protein with ricotta.

I made myself a few, too, but added adult flair with orange zest and honey.

Whoa. Good decision.

We don't have time for pancakes everyday. So, with our Juice Pulp Muffins // Bread fresh in my mind, I experimented + discovered this recipe works very well as pancakes, waffles, and muffins. It just requires a simple tweak. More or less almond milk. More for thinner batter for pancakes, a moderate amount for thicker waffle batter, and less for these muffins.

Or, should I say, your new favorite muffins?


ZESTY ORANGE RICOTTA MUFFINS
Or pancakes. Or waffles. Best with dark chocolate chips.

What you'll need . . .

• 1-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 2 tablespoons honey 
• Zest one large orange 
• Juice of large orange (hand-squeezed works great)
• 1 tablespoon flax meal + 3 tablespoons hot water 
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
• 3/4 to 1 cup almond milk (or other milk)***
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• Handful or two chocolate chips, dark chocolate

Method . . .

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a standard muffin pan with oil or butter or substitute. Or line with muffin papers. Alternatively, skip this step if you want to make pancakes or waffles. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 
3. In another bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients (starting with 3/4 cup milk) -- except the chocolate chips. 
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until just  combined. Batter should be thick, but not like bread dough. Add more liquid, depending. 
5. Fold in chocolate chips + portion equally into the muffin tin.
6. Bake for between 18-22 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on a cooling rack to avoid sogginess.

*** To make pancakes or waffles, thin out batter with almond milk until familiar textures start to happen. Honestly, I'd make waffles with the muffin batter so they are extra thick. Pancakes tend to work better with a full cup of milk + be sure not to flatten while cooking.

ALSO: Make sure pan or waffle iron is well greased. And for pancakes, set heat to medium, as the juice and honey will tend to make them brown/burn a bit quicker.


The texture is almost like baked doughnuts. I was really surprised by all the airy lightness these guys pack. I'm not used to that happening when not using eggs. It was one of those lucky "mistakes" where -- instead of it being in the plan, it just happened that way. I'm pretty sure it's because I used just one flax egg. Or, again, just luck.

You may also substitute maple syrup in for the honey. You'll notice there isn't refined sugar in the recipe, as I'm trying to moderate how much gets in Ada's diet. It's funny how turning two opens up this new world of junk food, whether we intend for it to happen or not!

We do what we can.
We eat what we love.
It's a delicious balancing act.

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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!

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Homemade Freezer Waffles

I mentioned in my grocery budget post how we're resisting kid-specific foods because they can be ridiculously expensive. Part of Ada's standard breakfast each and every morning is a toaster waffle. We were buying the ones with Cookie Monster on the box -- blueberry minis by Earth's Best. One Sunday morning, something clicked.

You HAVE a waffle maker, Ashley. Why are you still buying frozen?

I've gone through various trials + tribulations trying to create a waffle recipe that is fluffy, doesn't stick to the maker, and freezes well in bulk. It features a mere 5 ingredients, too! I don't have an old box handy, but even with the "natural" label, I'm sure that beats Ada's old breakfast.

The added nutritional bonus of the applesauce in this recipe is awesome. The natural sugars help the waffles develop a golden brown crisp. And you can taste the sweetness without adding bucketfuls of the white stuff.


APPLESAUCE WAFFLES
vegan, kid-friendly, freezable, and only 5 ingredients

What you'll need . . . 

• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup applesauce (homemade or store-bought)
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or even water), possibly a few tablespoons more

Method . . .

1. Whisk togehter all ingredients in a small bowl. Batter should be thick, but not dough-like. 
2. NOTE: You may need to add a few more tablespoons of liquid depending. This morning I added 2 tablespoons. Another day, it was just one. It depends on the moisture content of your applesauce AND how much flour your "1 cup" really ends up being.
3. Feel free to double or even triple the recipe as desired, keeping in mind the note about the almond milk.
4. 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.
5. Eat immediately or follow the instructions below for storage.

STORAGE + RE-HEATING

• When making in bulk, it's helpful to let waffles rest on a drying rack so they don't get soggy while you're making the rest of your batch.
• One cooled slightly, arrange waffles flat on a baking sheet, preferably atop some parchment paper.
• Place in freezer for 1 hour. Till they are frozen. 
• Store them into a freezer bag + return to the freezer. 
• Treat like store-bought waffles. No need to thaw. Just pop into toaster.

Our cheap waffle maker has sure been earning its keep with this new project of mine. I'm hoping this weekend to make enough waffles for an entire month, among many other freeze-ahead foods. (And as I've told you before, you can get a decent waffle maker for under $20 and even under $10.)

What's your favorite vegetarian/vegan freezer meal? Stephen has a 4-day weekend, so I have lots of time to cook + I need ideas!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Treat Yourself: V-Day Gift List
Red Velvet Black Bean Brownies
We Heart Beet Burgers
DIY Pom Heart Art
DIY Stamped Arrow Shirt

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Green Breakfast, 2 Ways

I'm fanatical about using foods before the sell-by date. To a fault, I admit. I imagine much of what I toss is still perfectly OK -- and I really do hate wasting food. Still, if I see anything slimy in a package of greens + the date is yesterday or even TODAY, it's gone.

Unless Stephen eats it, which he usually does. Anyway, these green breakfast recipes started with a package of almost-expired spring mix.

GREEN WAFFLE/PANCAKE MIX

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup whole wheat flour 
• 2 cups spinach or spring mix 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder 
• 2 tablespoons flax meal 
• pinch salt

// Pulse all ingredients together in a food processor until fully combined. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.


Full disclosure: I originally intended to give you TWO waffle recipes, but what I ended up doing to the sweet version didn't jive so well with the waffle maker. These recipes are both vegan if you like, but vegan waffle making can be tricky, as I've discovered these past several weeks.

Also, if you don't have a waffle maker, you can certainly just do pancakes. But something I didn't know is that you can get an adequate waffle machine for under $20, scratch that, under $10. It may not be fancy, but it does the job every Sunday.

First, a savory recipe . . .


GREEN WAFFLES w/ EGGS, IF YOU LIKE

// Combine half the flour mixture with 3/4 to 1 cup almond milk. How much you use depends on the consistency. It should be thick, but not like pizza dough -- certainly not runny, though

// Preheat your waffle maker + when it's good, scoop onto it 1/3 to 1/2 cup batter (depending on the size of your maker). Cook as directed + serve with peppery fried eggs and oranges.

Now for something sweet . . .


GREEN PANCAKES w/ BLUEBERRIES

// Combine half the flour mixture with 1 small mashed banana + 1/2 cup almond milk and a tablespoon brown sugar. Add in 1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries.

// Heat a pan over medium-high heat and grease it a bit with some Earth Balance or olive oil. Scoop heaping 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto it and cook on each side until golden and the middles set.

(I think the reason this didn't work in the waffle maker is because there was too much moisture with the banana and blueberries. I might try it again without banana and substitute another 1/4 cup almond milk.)

MORE GREENS FOR BREAKFAST:

Leafy Green Pancakes
Green Eggs -- errr -- Banana Scramble
Avocado Green Smoothie
Not-So Green GREEN Smoothie
Protein-Packed Green Smoothie
Light on the Greens Smoothie

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