Breakfast For Dinner: Waffle Edition
While doing my weekly meal planning on Sunday, I asked my boyfriend if he had any ideas. I’ve pretty much been living out of my America’s Test Kitchen vegetarian cookbook lately, so I decided to branch out for a night. And what does he suggest? Waffles! I love waffles as much as the next person, but since this was going to be dinner, I wanted to make them a little more substantial. I set out to do some Googling and, lo and behold, I stumbled upon some Greek yogurt waffles! Only 1 tablespoon of sweetener and ground oats (whoo-hoo, a whole grain!) instead of white flour. I made a few adjustments due to personal preference and what I had on hand. Overall, they are much more filling than your typical waffle. They have a pleasantly chewy, slightly grainy texture. Although they were a tad on the dry side for my preference, it didn’t matter once I had my way with the toppings! Don’t let the photo deceive you, I smeared Greek yogurt and strawberries ALL over that thing. I even ate one cold with my tea the next day for my mid-morning snack! 😉 You can also add extra milk or Greek yogurt if you prefer more moisture.
The fun thing about waffles is that you can dress them up or you can dress them down. What are your favorite topping combos? Some of my go-to’s are berries with Greek yogurt, peanut butter with a splash of maple syrup, and ricotta cheese with fresh figs. For a savory twist, try topping with a poached or fried egg, slice of tomato, smear of avocado, and a dash of hot sauce! Tip: Freeze fresh berries in the summer, so you can have delicious berries year-round! I like to microwave frozen strawberries for about 1 minute to put on my waffles because they get a little soft and warm and the juice is perfect for drizzling on top of your creation!
Note: When dressing up breakfast items like waffles and pancakes, it’s easy to rack up the sugar. Try to stick to plain yogurt, unsweetened nut butters, and limit the amount of syrup and sugar you use. Fruit is an excellent way to sweeten the deal without processed sweeteners.
GREEK YOGURT WAFFLES
Recipe adapted from Bob Harper’s Greek Yogurt Waffles
Ingredients:
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 3/4 cup nonfat milk
- 1/4 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted (or any mild flavored oil, if you don’t like coconut)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (plus an extra splash for good measure)
Directions:
- Turn on waffle iron.
- Process oats in food processor until finely ground, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add salt, baking soda, and cinnamon and pulse to combine.
- Whisk remaining ingredients in separate bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until combined.
- Grease waffle iron (this is very important!). Pour 1/3 cup batter into waffle iron and cook according to waffle iron instructions or about 4-5 minutes.
- Top with whatever your heart (or stomach) desires!
Bon appetit!
