It took me a while to get on the waffle train. Give me a hefty stack of pancakes any day but I never got the fuss about waffles…weren’t they just like breadier pancakes, except NOT fried in butter? What was the point?
Once I got a waffle maker of my own, however, I didn’t just get on the train – I may have taken a turn in the driver’s seat! I think I made a different type of waffle every day for the first week – cornmeal, raspberry-chocolate chip … if you can think it, I probably made it. What makes them so satisfying? It’s hard to say. My waffle maker makes ginormous waffles – like seriously colossal – which definitely helps: sitting down to a gorgeous piece of bready goodness that takes up your whole plate certainly makes for a dramatic meal. Unlike pancakes, waffles also have this fantastic crispy-on-the-outside (if I let them cook a tiny bit past the “ready” light on my machine) soft-and-fluffy-on-the-inside thing going on. And one of the best things about waffles, in my humble opinion, is that you don’t have to stand by the stove frying them OR worry about making them come out the same size and shape. With a waffle, everything goes right into your handy dandy waffle maker, and they are guaranteed to come out beautifully cooked and perfectly shaped every time.
I was so waffle-happy, in fact, that I decided to create a savory waffle that wouldn’t be confined to just breakfast. Don’t get me wrong: these waffles do make a fantastic breakfast, but they are equally lovely for lunch, dinner, afternoon snack, late-night snack, you name it. They will dress up each and every occasion to put food in your mouth, period. The mix of teff, sorghum, and millet flours gives them a hefty dose of protein and whole-grain goodness as well as a wonderful flavor that I’ve spiked with thyme, herbes de provence, and parmesan: think pizza goldfish but swap out the mass production and junk food aspects with artisan bakeries and a dose of elegance and you’ll be halfway there. (I know that’s weird but you’ll see what I’m talking about when you make them!)
You can top these beauties with any number of delicious toppings, but my favorite is the caramelized cabbage in this recipe (which you should really make even if you have no intention of making waffles – it is seriously the best way to eat cabbage!) along with a poached egg. The cabbage is oh-so-buttery and sweet, delicately spiced with dill, paprika, and just a touch of allspice. And when you cut into the whole ensemble, that egg yolk will run all over your waffle and form the perfect sauce.
A couple notes about the recipe:
-These waffles are best fresh from the waffle maker. They are soft, light, fluffy, and delicious. As they cool down, they will get a tad dryer. You can restore any leftovers to their original moist and fluffy state by heating briefly in a toaster oven.
-This batter yields enough for three colossal waffles using this waffle maker. I’m not sure what the yield is in other waffle makers.
-The lightness of these waffles comes from letting the wet ingredients sit while you measure out and combine the dry ingredients. The apple cider vinegar will basically turn the wet ingredients into a frothy buttermilk that, when it hits the baking soda, gives the waffles their lift, moisture, and lightness.
– For Low FODMAP, stick to about 1/3 cup of the cabbage topping per sitting.
Savory Waffles with Caramelized Cabbage
Savory Waffles:
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk (For nut-free, sub a different milk)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup sour cream (lactose-free for Low FODMAP)
- ¾ cup teff flour
- ¾ cup sorghum flour
- 1/3 cup millet flour
- 1/3 cup arrowroot starch
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan or romano cheese
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried herbes de provence
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon melted red palm oil (measured after melting)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
Directions:
Whisk almond milk, vinegar, and sour cream together. Let stand at least 15 minutes, while you measure out and combine the teff, sorghum, millet, arrowroot, parmesan, baking soda, thyme, herbes de provence, and salt. Stir the melted red palm oil into the dry ingredients – there won’t be enough to make a batter. Then stir in the sour cream mixture and mix until well-combined; this will take a couple minutes. Finally, add the eggs. If the batter seems thin, let it stand for a couple minutes. Cook according to the directions on your waffle maker.
Caramelized Cabbage
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 25 ounces purple cabbage (about 8 cups shredded)
- ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 3/8 teaspoon allspice
- 3/8 teaspoon hot paprika
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Directions:
Heat the butter in a large wide-bottomed heavy skillet. Add cabbage; stir to coat in the butter. After a couple minutes, add salt and spices. Continue cooking, stirring very frequently. After 8-10 minutes, add the olive oil. Caramelize until the cabbage is very soft and sweet, about 10 minutes more. The cabbage will have shrunken down from 8 cups to about 2½. Then deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired (I usually add a tiny little extra sprinkling of salt at this point) and serve immediately.
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