Friday, March 1, 2013

Sweet Potato Waffles

It's no secret that I love breakfast food... I also have a child who is a carboholic. Thankfully, she sometimes cooperates with me when I feed her and therefore I try to pack in as much nutrition as possible. These waffles are pretty easy to make-- I try to keep some cooked sweet potatoes in the freezer for things like this. I made a batch of waffles and froze them for quick breakfasts too! 


Sweet Potato Waffles
Adapted from Mayo Clinic

1/3 cup cooked sweet potato, or 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat (whole-meal) flour
1/4 cup cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup plain almond milk (soy milk/ coconut milk etc)
2 tablespoons maple syrup or light brown sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg white
* chia seeds/ flaxseed meal/ wheat germ as desired *


Directions

In a small bowl, sift together the flours, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger (and any additives like chia seeds/ flaxseed meal/ wheat germ. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, sweet potato puree, olive oil and 2 tablespoons maple syrup (brown sugar). Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg white until stiff peaks form. Make sure that the mixing bowl and beaters are spotlessly clean and free of fat. Even a small amount of fat, such as egg yolk or oil, can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly. Once whipped, gently whisk 1/3 of the egg white into the batter to lighten it. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the remaining egg white into the batter, mixing just until incorporated.
Preheat a waffle iron. Spoon or ladle about 1/2 cup batter into the waffle iron, depending on the size of the iron. Spread evenly and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the batter thickens, thin with a little soy milk. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 6 waffles. Serve topped with the syrup. 


Monday, February 25, 2013

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Yes, I lied. I never really did get back to posting here. I have found a few recipes that I wanted to document so that I don't lose them and I can share them with people. My 17 month old daughter is dairy and soy free so it's been a little bit of a challenge to plan meals and find foods that she can eat.

My dear friend introduced me to this recipe and gets all the credit. She's done most of the playing around with it and was the one to rave about them. I just adapted it to work for our family being dairy/ soy free. This is a great recipe to get some veggies into your toddler and it's pretty quick to mix up! They are also easy to freeze and throw in a to-go container for on-the-go snacks! I have not made them egg-free but I'm pretty sure that they can be made by substituting the egg with flaxseed meal + water. 


Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
Adapted from Mayo Clinic

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup water
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup flour (I use white whole wheat but works well with all purpose as well)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 almond milk (or any milk alternative) OR 1/2 cup 1 percent low-fat milk + 1/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 banana, peeled and mashed 
1 egg, lightly beaten

* optional: ground flaxseed meal, wheat germ, shredded vegetables* (carrots, zucchini, broccoli), dried cranberries, chia seeds, mashed sweet potato, chocolate chips
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the oats and water. Microwave on high until the oats are creamy and tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and canola oil. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. Whisk to blend.
Add the milk/ yogurt and banana to the oats and stir until well blended. Beat in the egg. Add the flour mixture to the oat mixture and stir just until moistened.  Mix in an of the optional ingredients at this time. I add in about 1/2- 3/4 cup of shredded vegetables usually.  *works best if you squeeze excess water out of shredded vegetables.
Place a nonstick frying pan or griddle over medium heat. When a drop of water sizzles as it hits the pan, spoon 1/4 cup pancake batter into the pan. Cook until the top surface of the pancake is covered with bubbles and the edges are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook until the bottom is well browned and the pancake is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter.

update: I now cook them in a stainless steel pan coated with coconut oil and they cook up perfectly. I do find that the density of the batter can make them difficult to cook all the way thru, especially when shredded vegetables are added. I would add more milk if you find they aren't cooking through. 
This is a regular banana oatmeal pancake:

 And this is one with zucchini, broccoli, carrot, chia seeds, flaxseed meal and wheat germ: