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.



 

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

 I love salads that are born out of "kitchen sink" items that turn out spectacular!

This is what happened with this salad.  A little rummaging through the refrigerator and I came up with some leftover cooked green beans, a sweet potato, and some carrots.

So let's make a salad!  But this one is special.  Why?  The roasted, caramelized sweet potatoes lend such a great warm comforting feeling to this salad.  Not to mention the wonderful sweetness!  I used an actual sweet potato, which you will notice is more of a white color.  You could use a yam, which are orange fleshed.  That would certainly make the color pop, but the taste will be the same.  

The green beans were leftovers, which I kept at room temperature for this salad, giving a nice crunch.

So taking simple ingredients that are fresh, make for a spectacular salad!  Topped with a simple yogurt dressing that is tangy, yet light.  The perfect lunch if I do say so. 

I hope you find this inspiring enough to make your own comforting salad.  Please come back and let me know what you think of it once you try it.

Enjoy!


Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

serves 4

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1" chunks
8 oz of green beans, cooked and chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 c shredded carrots
mixed spring greens

Dressing:

1 c plain low fat yogurt
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place potato chunks on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat.
Spread potatoes in a flat layer.  Roast for 20 minutes, stirring half way through.

Meanwhile, prepare dressing in a small bowl or mason jar.  Add all ingredients and shake until thoroughly combined.  Set aside.

Assemble salad by placing  equal parts lettuce on each plate.  Top with potatoes, green beans and carrots.  Drizzle with dressing.  Serve.

Chicken, Brussels Sprouts, and Noodle Stir Fry

How are everyone's New Year's Resolutions doing?

I always vow to eat healthier in the new year and I think each year I get better at it!  It's certainly not easy when it's cold outside and all you want is some comfort food.

So, the other day I treated my self to one of my small vices.  Buying a cookbook!  My new thing is to go to the bookstore and browse through the Special Interest Publications in the the magazine section that are filled with recipes...no adds. Yeah!

I'm really loving these lately.  It gives me my recipe fix without buying a whole book, although I must say I'm getting quite a collection of them.

The one I picked up was BHG's Eat Well, Lose Weight.  Sounds good right?  Just in time for my resolutions. So I spotted a recipe for a Brussels Sprouts stir fry with noodles and got inspired to create my own stir fry.  I rarely use noodles in my dish, but thought, why not?  I like them, they're easy, and they absorb flavor well so they taste great.  You can break up spaghetti in to 1 inch pieces, or you might just find some already broken sold in the pasta aisle, like I did.  How easy is that?

I had left over chicken breasts which I shredded and added to the stir fry of veggies.  I also added some cashews for crunch.  All in all this was a wonderful dish that both MGG and I enjoyed very much.  You get lots of veggies in this dish that are great for you.

Another satisfying dish to stay on track this coming year.  I will make this over and over again!

Enjoy!


Chicken, Brussels Sprouts, and Noodle Stir Fry 

adapted from BHG's Eat Well, Lose Weight

serves 4-6

3 ounces thin spaghetti

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red onion, fine dice

3 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast

¼ cup cashews

1/4 crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup shredded carrots

Garnish with chopped cilantro

Break spaghetti into 1-inch pieces.  Cook according to package directions and drain.  Return to the hot pan, keep warm.  

  

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium high heat, add oil.   Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.  Add the Brussels sprouts, ginger, chicken, cashews and red pepper flakes.  Cook, stirring for about 3 minutes.  Add the broth and soy sauce.  Allow to boil and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes (stirring occasionally). Remove from heat. 

Stir in cooked spaghetti and carrots, stirring to combine.  Top with cilantro before serving.