Baklava for Breakfast

This blog post is sponsored by iHerb but as always, the opinions and experiences expressed in this post are my own.

My dad is a tough one to spoil. He never asks for anything, rarely complains, and never seems to want anything beyond his means. Gracefully, graciously, he’ll accept gifts when the occasion mandates such an exchange, but he genuinely means it when he says, “you shouldn’t have.” For a man who deserves so much, he sure is impossible to shop for.

The best presents come from the heart, of course, and that’s synonymous with the kitchen, as far as I’m concerned. My dad would never turn down any of my crazy creations, no matter his preferences or appetite, but for Father’s Day, I wanted to make something he would genuinely enjoy.

Further complicating matters, grocery shopping just isn’t what it used to be. Gone are the carefree days of popping into the nearest store to pick up a few things. If it can’t be ordered online, it pretty much can’t be on the menu. Thank goodness for iHerb, supplying both the basics and more specialized superfoods and delicacies.

It’s one-stop shopping for all things vegan and beyond. Unlike other online marketplaces, iHerb clearly labels and categorizes all of their goods by dietary needs, so you can search specifically for items that are plant-based, gluten-free, soy-free, and so much more, separately or all together if needed! Considering that there are literally thousands of vegan products to choose from, that eliminates the typical search frustration of scrolling through blurry pictures of labels, giving you exactly what you need. Orders are shipped to over 150 countries straight from climate-controlled distribution centers, ensuring the quality of their products. You’ll never receive expired goods, in sharp contrast to the gamble you sometimes take when purchasing from massive, multichannel online retailers. If there are ever any concerns, you can email or chat online with a real person 24 hours a day 7 days a week, speaking 10 different languages, too!

In case you forgot about Father’s Day until the last minute, don’t panic. You can get next-day, no-contact delivery without sweating over shortages or strange substitutions. iHerb even has the accoutrements covered; buy yourself some extra time by brewing up a quick beverage to slowly sip, savoring the company of The World’s Best Dad while breakfast is cooking. For me, that means instant iced coffee using Mount Hagen for a quick fix, and Twinings Cold Brewed Peach Iced Tea for him.

Recalling lazy weekends and leisurely mornings, the ultimate breakfast treat was a plateful of fluffy waffles, lavished with enough maple syrup to make a sapling weep. Only Real, Organic, Grade A Maple Syrup would make the cut here, because that quality makes a difference you can taste. Sticky and satisfied, we’d roll away from the table ready to take on the day.

Folding those memories into an even more decadent treat, such a celebration calls for something even more special. Flaky pastry meets the resounding crunch of crisp Eden Foods Pistachios and Bergin Fruit and Nut Company Almonds in my dad’s favorite dessert, baklava, now fit for “the most important meal of the day.” Sandwiched between two slabs of puff pastry, the nutty mixture is perfumed with aromatic Simply Organic Celyon Cinnamon and enriched with  Nutiva Butter-Flavored Coconut Oil, a thousand gossamer-thin layers rising to the occasion not in the oven, but in the waffle iron.

These delicate, shatteringly crisp sheets are designed to hold onto golden, honeyed syrup, infused with floral essence of Heritage Rosewater and subtly acidic edge of True Lemon Crystals. Each pocket unleashes a river of the sweet stuff, sure to appease even the most extreme nectarous cravings.

While you could serve baklava waffles for dessert instead, why not indulge a little bit? If your dad is even half as supportive, patient, loving, and good natured as mine, surely, he deserves it.

To you and yours, from me and mine, Happy Father’s Day!

Continue reading “Baklava for Breakfast”

Last-Minute Love Notes

It’s never too late to say I love you, especially when you can whip up an edible valentine that will make anyone swoon. That’s the beauty of Real Food, Really Fast. Designed to solve everyday mealtime dilemmas, it’s also a treasure trove of almost instant recipes, capable of creating last-minute romantic meals for two. If your love knows no bounds, there are plenty of sweet treats suitable for sharing with all of your crushes, too. For something truly special though, my thoughts drift to a surprise breakfast in bed.

Even without any advanced planning, you can rise to the occasion with a wake-up call sure to exceed your beau’s wildest dreams.

Photo by Robin Means of Vegan Dollhouse

As written in the book, the Hash Brown Waffles are already pretty special; combining the irresistibly crispy form of a waffle with the savory comfort of shredded potatoes, the quick cooking time was just a side benefit to this unconventional approach. Robin Means of Vegan Dollhouse turned this delicious flirtation into a burning hot passion by making hers in a heart shaped waffle iron, which struck me as an ideal presentation for today. She even went through the extra effort of grating fresh potatoes, boldly adding an extra minute of prep work- Now that’s true love, folks. Check her blog for that easy adaptation, or for all you procrastinators still figuring out your game plan, continue on for the original quick-fix formula.

Hash Brown Waffles

From Real Food, Really Fast by Hannah Kaminsky

Little more than piles of shredded potatoes, what separates superlative hash browns from the merely adequate hash browns all comes down to texture. Shatteringly crisp on the outside yet tender, even borderline creamy on the inside, it’s a fine balance that’s difficult to strike. Using a waffle iron instead of a standard frying pan maximizes the surface contact for a far more satisfying crunchy crust, while the enclosure allows the spuds to essentially steam from within, ensuring perfectly tender bites through and through.

1 Pound Frozen Shredded Potatoes*, Thawed
1 1/2 Tablespoons Vegan Butter or Coconut Oil, Melted
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Before doing anything else, begin preheating your waffle iron. All models work differently so yours may take more or less time to reach a suitable temperature.
Squeeze any excess water out of the shredded potatoes if necessary before tossing them into a large bowl. Mix in the melted vegan butter or oil, salt, and pepper, stirring thoroughly to incorporate. Make sure that the shreds are all evenly coated before proceeding.

Lightly grease the waffle maker. Distribute the potato mixture equally between four waffle squares, covering the surface as evenly as possible while packing it in firmly. Close the lid and make sure that it locks to ensure full contact with the hash browns. Cook on medium-high for 5 – 8 minutes, until golden brown all over. Serve right away, while still hot and crisp!

Makes 4 Waffles

*You can also find ready-to-cook shredded potatoes in the refrigerated sections of some grocery stores, alongside prepared and packaged side dishes

Printable Recipe

Another Iron in the Fire

Holiday shopping mania is predictably growing to a fever pitch yet again, making expeditions into any store a veritable mine field of aggressive sales pitches and tempting impulse buys. Shiny new toys beckon to both young and old, crowding out more rational thoughts of measured resistance. It’s easy to get sucked in, especially when deeper discounts promise “the best deals of the season!” no matter how many times the price is still sure to drop. Though I’m far from immune from this siren song, and probably the worst person to consult about saving vs. splurging, it’s simply become too much to stomach. Tired of watching every outing turn into yet another spending opportunity, I’m ready to swear off the stores and start shopping through my own dusty shelves instead.

There’s a whole trove of rarely used culinary treasures stashed away in kitchen cabinets and buried under the everyday staples. Move aside the gently warped sheet pans and cake tins flecked with faint patina, and once prized possessions suddenly come back into sharp focus. Humble, common, and yet so rarely employed, it’s the waffle maker that sits at the bottom of the stack, one of the oldest kitchen residents aside from the storage unit itself.

A victim of dish washing aversion, it’s not the usage, but the cleanup afterward that prevents me from plugging in and firing the iron up. Once silly excuses can be put aside, that small inconvenience is quickly forgotten by the ease of preparation. Putting it into perspective, such hassle is on par with managing mini muffin pans and their many crumb-filled crevasses that must be addressed. That’s a small price to pay for breakfast bliss, especially compared to the price tag of yet another superfluous gadget.

As for the waffles themselves, you truly can’t go wrong no matter what flavor adventure you embark upon. Basic batters tend to get a more appreciative reception around here, so I kept mix-ins to a minimum while infusing a pronounced pomegranate taste into every bite. If it were just me eating, I would toss in a generous handful of arils without a second thought, but that uniquely crunchy texture can be rather polarizing, as I’ve found with my typical panel of taste-testers. Regardless, the pomegranate molasses is not optional or replaceable, since nothing else will deliver the same deep, tangy, and slightly earthy punch.

Should that secret ingredient prove to be elusive, don’t let that become another excuse to let your waffle iron remain cold for another season! Consider the recipe below merely a template for crispy yet fluffy waffles of any flavor, given a few quick swaps. Use any fruit juice or even plain old water instead of pomegranate, lose the cinnamon or add more spices to the party, and consider maple syrup, agave nectar, or standard molasses instead of the pomegranate molasses. Once you start waffling again, you’ll wonder why you ever stopped in the first place.

Yield: 4 – 6 Large or 8 – 12 Small Waffles

Pomegranate Waffles

Pomegranate Waffles

Pomegranate molasses gives these crispy yet fluffy waffles a deep, tangy, and slightly earthy punch.

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 Cup White Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Cups 100% Pomegranate Juice
  • 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
  • 1/4 Cup Pomegranate Molasses

Instructions

  1. Begin by heating up your waffle iron so that it’s ready to go as soon as the batter is, too.
  2. Combine all the dry ingredients and then add in the wet. Stir to incorporate, but don’t over do it; a few remaining lumps are just fine!
  3. Once your iron is nice and hot, grease with cooking spray and ladle a healthy portion of batter on top. It really depends on the size of your waffle iron, so don’t be discouraged if your first couple are a little bit funny looking.
  4. Cook for about 4 – 6 minutes or until golden brown all over and serve immediately.

Notes

If you’d like to save them for later, allow the waffles to cool for completely on a wire rack. Wrap them tightly in a clean plastic bag and stash them in the freezer for up to 3 months.


Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 734Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 479mgCarbohydrates: 111gFiber: 5gSugar: 41gProtein: 11g

A Sweet Start to Spring

There may be a fresh coat of snow on the ground, but here’s some news that will surely put a spring in your step: The spring 2013 issue of Allergic Living Magazine has been been unleashed! Even if the weather doesn’t cooperate with our calendar-assigned seasonal switch, a responsible publication will always follow the rules. Like clockwork, the latest quarterly will hit newsstands near you well before the flowers bloom.

It was my pleasure to work with the incomparable Alisa Fleming once more, illustrating her latest batch of tempting recipes. For this issue, it was all about bringing a bit of sweetness to the early hours of the day, all without any gluten or dairy, and easy options to accommodate any dietary restrictions.

Crisp on the outside but light and fluffy within, Strawberry Shortcake Waffles are sure to pull anyone out of even the deepest winter funk. Softly whipped coconut cream tops off each ridged breakfast cake, complete with gently macerated and fork-tender ripe strawberries. It’s the complete package for anyone who’s craving a bit of decadence first thing in the morning.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes were clearly designed with the voracious sweet tooth in mind, satisfying that sugar craving without starting the day in a sugar coma. Luscious ripples of brown sugar and cinnamon are swirled throughout each and every flapjack, perfectly fitting their namesakes both in taste and appearance. The whole short stack wouldn’t be complete without a light drizzle of icing, of course.

Recipes this good really shouldn’t be relegated only to the morning’s first meals… Either of them are more than worthy of a dessert or after dinner treat, too!

Waffle Waffle!

What, I ask you, could be a more welcoming sight in the morning than luscious vegan waffles, with their deep indentations just waiting to overflow with golden maple syrup?

… Yeah, that’s what I thought.

My sister just came home from college this past weekend, and I wanted to do something special for her arrival. I know that she loves frozen waffles for breakfast, but those trans-fatty, prepackaged store brands really gross me out. A lot of what she eats honestly disturbs me! We even had a conversation about how you could possibly make macaroni and cheese that isn’t from a box, let alone vegan. Perhaps I could help her eat some real food, at least while she’s home?

These are wonderful to make when you get a spare moment, easily frozen and then defrosted in a snap to create satisfying breakfasts all week long. I still plan on experimenting and tweaking a few things, because they were slightly denser than what my sister had grown accustomed to, but these are still damned good waffles.

Yield: 4 - 8 Servings

Whole Wheat Waffles

Whole Wheat Waffles

Simple, satisfying whole grain waffles are mere minutes away with this basic formula.

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups White Whole Wheat Flour
  • 2 1/2 Cups Plain Non-Dairy Milk
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Instructions

  1. It's really a very simple procedure to make lovely, puffy waffles. Begin by heating up your waffle iron so it's ready to receive batter. Combine all the dry ingredients, and add in the wet. Stir to incorporate, but don't over do it; a few lumps are just fine!
  2. Once your iron is nice and hot, lightly grease with cooking spray and ladle a healthy portion of batter on top. It really depends on the size of your waffle iron, so don't be discouraged if your first couple are a little bit funny looking. Cook for about 4-6 minutes or so, and serve hot. If, however you'd like to save them for later like I do, allow them to cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack. Wrap them up in a clean plastic bag, and just throw them in the freezer!
  3. Repeat until all the batter is used up.
  4. Serve hot, with any sort of sweet or savory toppings your heart desires.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 327Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 166mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 9gSugar: 10gProtein: 14g