Strawberry Vanilla Waffles with Yogurt

Yum

Like many of you our mornings are filled with rushing around getting ready, going to work, and we don't really have time to sit and have breakfast.  We just grab and go.

Oh, but the weekends are a different story!  MGG loves a big breakfast on the weekends.  Some hearty food to start the day off right.  A little leisurely time that we spend together before the demands of chores, exercising, and hopefully some playtime calls.

This past weekend was MLK holiday so we had an extra day off, which was wonderful!  The weather was in the 80's which is not typical of January in Southern California (who said there wasn't global warming with this wacky weather).  So I decided to make use of some fresh strawberries MGG brought home from Costco the other night and make Strawberry Vanilla Waffles with Yogurt.  A nice light springtime style dish to celebrate the nice weather.

STRAWBERRY VANILLA WAFFLES WITH YOGURT

These waffles are bursting with strawberries inside, along with a hint of vanilla.  When you place the strawberries inside the waffles you get the flavor of roasted strawberries, deep concentrated flavor and little more sweetness. Oh my, heaven in a waffle.  Then you top them with a creamy vanilla based yogurt and all is right on a beautiful morning!

Hope you enjoyed your weekend, and make sure to try the waffles to bring a touch of springtime to you winter.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Vanilla Waffles with Yogurt

1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup vanilla or plain yogurt

Preheat waffle iron. 

Wash and slice your fresh strawberries.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until fluffy. Add flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla.  Stir just until moistened.  Add in 1 cup of the sliced strawberries and fold into the batter. 

Spray the heated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown.

Remove from waffle iron and keep warm.  Continue making waffles until batter is gone.  To Serve:  Add a dollop of vanilla or plain yogurt and top with slice strawberries.  

Tip:  Flash freeze any leftovers, then store in a freezer bag up to 3 months.  To reheat, place frozen waffle in the toaster. Toast until thawed and heated through.

Mother's Day: Lemon Sour Cream Waffles

Yum

It's time to celebrate the Mother's in your life!

With Mother's Day coming up next weekend it's time to start planning.  How about a nice brunch or breakfast in bed?  I'm sure any mother would enjoy lazing around on a Sunday morning and getting up to a nice plate of waffles!

Not just any waffles though.  Let's bring the Spring citrus flavors into the mix and whip up some Lemon Sour Cream Waffles.  The lemon adds brightness and zing while the sour cream makes these waffles fluffy, light and a little tangy (like buttermilk would).  Who can resist this combination!  Pour over some hot maple syrup and your main dish is all set. 

This is the perfect choice for a celebration!

LEMON SOUR CREAM WAFFLES

The batter is easy to whip up and all you need is one bowl!  So Dad's and kids out there can get in the kitchen and find it easy to make Mom's day special by making these delectable waffles!  Why go out to eat when you make these at home surrounded by family.

Here's a couple of waffle makers that are inexpensive for you to choose from if you like:

Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle Maker

Hamilton Beach Belgiam Waffle Maker

Euro Cuisine Heart Shaped Waffle Maker

For fun try:

Disney Mickey Mouse Waffle Maker

I hope you all enjoy the holiday.  Oh! and remember waffles aren't only for Mother's Day.  These are perfect for any Sunday breakfast!

Enjoy!





Lemon Sour Cream Waffles


1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
zest from 2 lemons
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup sour cream
½ cup milk
Optional:  Hot maple syrup, powdered sugar

Preheat your waffle iron and spray with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl add all the ingredients and stir until combined.  Scoop batter into the iron (about 1/2 cup ) until the batter reaches the edge.  Put lid down and allow to cook until steaming has stopped. (Make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.)

Remove golden brown waffle and keep warm.  Repeat until all batter is used.  Serve with hot maple syrup or powdered sugar.

Tropical Coconut Lime Waffles

Yum

Memories of my mom making weekend breakfasts for me revolve around homemade Biscuits or Muffins.  Waffles were usually made only once in a while, and I can recall always wanting to order them when we went on trips.

To this day, a nice waffle is a treat for me when we go out to breakfast (which is rare) or we stop in a great restaurant on a road trip or vacation.  The last time I had waffles MGG and I were sitting in a quaint mariner style restaurant on the water in San Diego.  Sitting outside with a slight breeze blowing and a nice stack of steaming hot waffles arrive covered with berries.  Oh boy!  As I dig in the tenderness of the waffles melt in my mouth along with a burst of tart berries sprinkled with a little dusting of powdered sugar.  Heaven!

Lately, I've had wanderlust.  I've been dreaming of a tropical vacation with warm ocean breezes and the smell of flowers and suntan lotion in the air.  This constant dreaming inspired me to dig out my trusty waffle iron over the weekend and make some island inspired, Tropical Coconut Lime Waffles, until I can get to my dream destination. 

Waffles are really easy to make.  The mix up quickly with items that you usually have on hand.  To make this more tropical I added coconut milk, unsweetened coconut flakes, lime zest, and juice to my usual waffle recipe.  Just as I was finishing up MGG woke up and shuffled in from the bedroom to a plate of waffles and the smell of the tropics.  The waffles were so light and citrusy that you will be tempted to put them in your weekend breakfast rotation.

These are the perfect tender and fluffy waffles with a taste of the tropics folded in.  To make these more decadent sprinkle some shredded coconut on the outside and dust with powdered sugar, or some warm maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Tropical Coconut Lime Waffles

serves 4

2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
1 Tbls sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups coconut milk (from a can)
2 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tbls lime juice

1 Tbls lime zest
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Garnishes: shredded coconut, powdered sugar, maple syrup

Preheat waffle maker according to manufacturer's directions.

In a large bowl add flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, coconut milk, eggs, shredded coconut, lime zest and juice.  Stir together until combined. 

Coat waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray.  Add batter to the waffle iron and close the lid.  Cook until the escaping steam stops and the waffles are golden brown.  Remove from the waffle iron and keep warm.  Continue with the remaining portions until done. 

Serve warm.  You may sprinkle some shredded coconut over the top of the waffles and serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar or warm maple syrup.  

Chocolate Chip Pecan Waffles

Hope everyone had a perfect 4th of July yesterday!

One of my favorite holidays for sure.  We had a great time at the pool with friends, and then on to a delicious grill fest for dinner followed by magnificent fireworks.

Boy, I'm tired today.  I did all the prep work ahead so that my day was open to enjoy party.  Today is my day to relax, and catch up before heading back to work.  My lazy Sunday as I call it.

To start the day off right I whipped up MGG and I some wonderfully delicious waffles.  Something a little sweet to get us going.  Plus I get to break our my new waffle maker!  It's so much fun to get a new kitchen item.  I have this old beat up waffle maker for 100 year and it was on it's last leg.  It was huffing and puffing and I knew it was time to retire.  So I believe that a "test taste" is due, don't you?  

Oh my this recipe!  You will just love the addition of decadent chocolate chips and crunchy pecans.   They give it a hint of sweet along with a nice bit of crunch.  You can splurge every once in a while. Keeps you motivated, I say.  

I hope you enjoy these.  Give them a try for your next weekend breakfast and tell me what you think.

Kitchen Tip:  Freeze leftover waffles and toast them in the toaster for a quick weekday breakfast or snack.  




Chocolate Chip Pecan Waffles

serves 4-6

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
¼ cup sugar
⅔ cup finely chopped pecans
⅔ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 cup butter, melted 
2 ½ cups milk 
2 tsp vanilla 
Additional coarsely chopped pecans and miniature semisweet chocolate chips, if desired 

Heat your waffle maker according to manufacturer's directions. 

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, sugar, pecans and chocolate chips.  In a medium bowl, beat eggs, butter, milk and vanilla with whisk. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just until moistened. 

Pour batter onto waffle maker and bake about 5 minutes until steaming stops and waffles are deep golden brown. Remove to a tray and keep warm under foil or in a low temp oven. Repeat with remaining batter.  

Serve immediately with syrup and topped with additional pecans and chocolate chips if desired. Repeat with remaining batter.

Apple Cider Waffles with Cinnamon Honey Butter

Every year I buy a BIG jug of apple cider because I just love apples.

We have a wonderful local farm that presses their own apples and makes the most wonderful cider that I just can't resist.  We will have hot apple cider on cold nights with a cinnamon stick swizzle or cold cider for breakfast.  Just about any way we can get it.  The trick comes in when we haven't made a very large dent in the jug of cider! 

That's when I get creative and start dreaming up uses for it in other dishes.  I've tried a cider sauce with pork chops...yum!  Cider muffins with nice big apple chunks which were delishhh.  And today I'm making Apple Cider Waffles, a little jazzed up with a Cinnamon Honey Butter.  Ahhh! the flavors of apples, fall, and comfort food all rolled into one.

This was rather easy to do.  I just tweaked one of my favorite waffles recipes to include the apple cider and some fall spices.  Then I decided on a special butter, a compound butter.  Have you ever made one?  They sound complicated but trust me...they are not.  Simple to through together and any leftovers keep in the frig for quite awhile.  Doesn't get much better than that!

I hope you enjoy your weekend waffles.  Put a little apple in your life.  Oh! and make sure to come back and tell me how they turned out!

Apple Cider Waffles with Cinnamon Honey Butter

serves 4-6

Butter:

1/2 stick or 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 
1 tablespoons honey
a pinch of ground cinnamon 


Waffles:

1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup apple cider

Combine the butter, honey, and cinnamon, in a bowl. This may be served at room temperature. To save butter place on a piece of plastic wrap and shape in the form of a log rolling up the butter in the wrap. Twist both ends to tighten and continue to twist so that the butter compresses into a log. Butter may be stored in the refrigerator.

To make the waffles, preheat your waffle iron and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add the egg and apple cider and mix to combine.  Batter may be a little lumpy.  Pour batter into waffle iron and cook according to waffle iron manufacturers directions.  Remove from waffle iron and serve warm topped with cinnamon honey butter and syrup.



 

It's almost Mother's Day!

Time to honor all the Mother's.  They are amazing in their own right.  Able to care for the entire family, and yet still be her own woman.  

This post is in honor of my mom, whom I lost just two months ago.  My guiding light...

Always strong but soft.  A mix of oak wrapped in velvet.  Kind, generous, and loving....always there for support or to listen.  A great cook who taught me my love of food.  

Today's dish is just perfect for a Mother's Day Brunch or Breakfast.  One of my mom's favorite dishes was waffles.  Her favorite was pecan waffles.  (We say "Pe-con" not "Pe-can"! What do you say?)  But, today I'm making a healthier waffle with citrus flavors.  

Brunch always reminds me of waffles and spring is the perfect time to bring in some light and fruity flavors.  This dish is light, tasty and satisfying.   The presentation is just elegant.  See how pretty!

So make your precious mom a wonderful plate of waffles for breakfast this Sunday.  Or if a full brunch is in order I posted a wonder group of dishes titled Spring Brunch about a week ago.  Just put the key words "Spring Brunch" in the search bar above.  There's nothing better than great food along with fun family times.

Multi-Grain Citrus Waffles

adapted from BHG

Makes 6

3/4 c flour
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c oat flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t Splenda brown sugar blend
1/4 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
3/4 c low fat milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c canola oil
1 1/2 t orange zest
1/4 c low-sugar orange marmalade
3/4 c fresh blueberries and sliced strawberries

In a large bowl combine all flours, baking powder, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Make a well in center of flour mixture.

In a medium bowl combine milk, egg, oil, and orange zest. Add egg mixture to flour mixture all at once. Stir just until moistened. 

Pour batter onto preheated and prepared waffle maker and cook according to manufacturer's instructions.  Repeat with the remaining batter.

Meanwhile, for sauce, heat marmalade in a small saucepan, until melted. Stir in berries; heat through. Spoon sauce over warm waffles.

Eggnog Waffles

Happy New Year 2013!!

How exciting it is...a new year, new beginnings, and new food to try!

I hope all of you had a fun New Year's eve.  We did a little celebrating ourselves.  This year we went out to a favorite restaurant (Marmalade Cafe) close to the house. It's a wonderful warm and cozy intimate setting that reminds you of a Tuscan home.  The food is fresh, of high quality, and eclectic California inspired dishes.  Tuscan from steaks, tacos, pasta, chicken, to pot roast.  Excellent place to dine.  If you are in the LA area make sure to stop at one of their restaurants as the food is excellent.  (They have several in different areas in LA).

MGG ended up having the Seared Blackened Ahi  with Napa Slaw and I had a Pan Roasted Chicken Breast with Haricot Verts and Scalloped Potatoes.  Yum...a great way to ring in the New Year.

So it's the first day of 2013.  Time for some breakfast I think.  I had some leftover eggnog from the festivities and decided to put it to good use today.  Do you ever have leftover eggnog?  I always seem to.  MGG LOVES eggnog.  Me?  It's okay and I'll have a glass or two, but that's about it.  I do love the flavor though.  So I decided to use it in our waffles today, substituting the eggnog for the milk, and adding some of the spices that go along with the drink.  I tweaked a recipe I found on Pink Parsley.  Wonderful, wonderful blog!  Go say "Hi" to Josie and prepare to drool over her wonderful dishes!

The result...A complete hit.  Soft, moist, fluffy, and flavorful eggnog waffles!  You HAVE to try these.  If you love the flavor of eggnog, or just have leftovers like me then these are perfect.  Make sure to make the whole batch, you can always freeze any leftovers and pop them in the toaster for a quick breakfast on another day.

What a way to start the new year than with an excellent recipe and a wonderful breakfast.

Eggnog Waffles

adapted slightly from Pink Parsley 

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup eggnog (low-fat is fine)

1/3 cup canola oil

1 egg

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, soda, salt sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggnog, oil, and egg.   Add the dry to the wet, and stir until just combined.  

Allow the batter to sit for 30 minutes.  Preheat the waffle iron and cook the waffles according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Serve immediately with maple syrup or powdered sugar.