Simple Almond Flour Waffles

This tuly simple waffle recipe is great for folks on gluten free diets and can be made Paleo in a pinch. It’s also super tasty for folks who simply enjoy waffles!

I admit I found it on the internet and decided to give it a try. The ingredients listed below are what I actually use at home.

Simple Almond Flour Waffles 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Yield: 4-6 waffles

 

Almond flour is creamier in color than wheat flour and has a coarser texture.

Ingredients 
1-1/2 cups almond flour
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon honey
oil for brushing waffle iron (if needed)

 

 

 

Hot waffle iron treated with olive oil spray.

Preheat a waffle iron to medium. Spray or brush with oil if needed just before adding batter.

 

 

 

 

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Push dry ingredients more to the sides, creating a ‘well’. This will allow wet ingredients to be mixed in more readily.

Note the difference in color and texture of each of the dry ingredients. Arrowroot is white (left), baking soda is a brighter white (far right), and the salt is a greyer white (left side of right-hand photo. These small differences can help you keep track of added ingredients.

Add eggs, milk and honey to bowl and mix until well blended. The mixture will come out similar to cookie dough, though not as visually smooth due to the almond flour.

 

 

 

 

 

Drop approximately 1/2-3/4 cup batter into the waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.

 

 

Serve hot with butter and/or syrup as desired.

 

Large waffle still on the griddle (left), and a smaller waffle on a salad plate (right).

To make these waffles Paleo friendly, use pure honey or maple syrup (not the stuff that’s full of preservatives or cut with high fructose corn syrup) and a non-dairy milk product. Also be sure to use a fine ground sea salt.

If you prefer not to use honey, an equal amount of molasses, maple or another syrup may be used instead.

While arrowroot is easy for me to find locally, you may substitute an equal amount of tapioca starch or coconut flour.

“Oh, holy low carb, Batman!”
– Me, excited about being able to eat waffles again.

This recipe came out right the first time for us. Tasty, fluffy, though obviously with the
slightly grainy texture of almond flour. Even after they have cooled off, they were delicious
and went outstandingly well with fried chicken tenders.

Chicken and Waffles!

— Ann Cathey

Food Porn – Episode 8

Writing about food can work up a great appetite, but looking at food can make your stomach complain that you are not paying it proper attention.

Being a photographer as well as I writer, I am often confronted with photos that I have taken that don’t quite make the grade as stock photography, but are too good to be wasted. They get lonely when they are simply  archived.

Rather than let these photos sit, allow me to share these tasty items with everyone. Enjoy!

Hearty Homemade Stew – looks like dog food, tastes amazing over fresh cornbread.

Apple Bacon Honey appetizer.

Hot Layered Dip – this was a recipe form ALDI featured earlier on this blog.

Savory Mince Meat – scratch made mince meat from a Viking period recipe.

Cured Salmon with Dill

Half-pound Burgers

Burgers and home-made sausage links on the grill.

Holiday Appetizers

Appetizers range from the simple to the decadent. They can act as snack food during the day, a lovely start to a meal, and finger foods for next day brunch.

Veggie Tray
A super simple and elegant snack offering takes a little effort and a decorative touch to sparkle during your holiday gatherings. Pick up a pre-made veggie or cheese tray. Simply lay out the veggies or cheeses on an attractive tray. Place a dip for the veggies or a mustard for the cheeses in a glass bowl in the middle of the tray. Using your own serving platter rather than the black plastic that usually comes with the party tray will have your guests thinking you went to more trouble on their behalf.

Simple Salads
Any salad that can be tossed together the day of your event is a quick addition to your meal plan. A harvest salad is a twist on the traditional green salad that is sure to delight. Toss together baby Romaine and spinach, dried cranberries, diced roasted butternut squash, thin slices of radish. This salad lends itself to the maple vinaigrette below. Prep everything the day before if you prefer and toss the salad with a dressing just before serving.

Maple Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together all ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use and refrigerate any leftovers.

Warm Chicken Salad
This appetizer or brunch offering is a warm and cozy touch of fall for your guests. As an appetizer, use chicken and apple. If you are serving this later in the weekend, you  might consider turkey and pear as a variation. Prepare your chicken salad as you usually do. Add a hint of Dijon mustard. Mix in chopped apple or sliced seedless grapes, broken walnuts and a drop of honey. For the turkey variation, use pear and pecan. Toast slices of baguette and top with a piece of lettuce. Add a scoop of the salad and serve.

Hope you all enjoy these these little suggestions on making your holiday gatherings more enjoyable for everyone.

–Ann Cathey

 

 

Perking Up the Holidays

Every family has their traditions and traditional dishes. Food doesn’t need a major change to bring something new to the table. Subtle changes work wonders for brightening up the expected fare.

For example, buttery yeast rolls pair well with almost every savory dish. From the bread service at Thanksgiving to the making of slider sized sandwiches over the rest of the weekend. these rolls are a treat for many of us. A simple cinnamon honey butter will spice them up with a slightly sweeter take on the traditional butter, and stay in keeping with the scents and sensations of the season.

Cinnamon Honey Butter
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey (agave also works well)
1tsp ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Store in an airtight container until it’s time to serve. May also be kept frozen for up to 1 month.

For a sweeter blend, add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar to the mix.

 

Speaking of sweet accents, if you are serving desserts and want a whipped topping but are tired of the stuff available in the grocery coolers, try making your own.

Vanilla Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat cream, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until firm peaks form. Seal in airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Stir before serving.

Variations on this theme include adding a bit of pumpkin pie spice, just cinnamon, or any of a number of extracts like orange, lemon, maple, or rum.

 

Nuts, be they raw, candied, in stuffing, or in pie, are a staple ingredient for many holiday feasts. With the popularity of spicy dishes on the rise, adding a kick to candied pecans or almonds is popular. They can be served as a snack, a salad accent, or added to various other dishes such as yams or pie.

Spicy Candied Pecans
Ingredients:
3 tbsp corn syrup
2-1/4 tsp cinnamon
2-1/4 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper (to taste)
1-1/2 cups whole pecans

Combine corn syrup and spices in a medium bowl. Gently fold in nuts, continuing until well coated. Transfer to parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread evenly. Bake at 325F for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a foil sheet and separate while still warm. Allow to cool thoroughly and transfer to an airtight container. Nuts keep for about 3 weeks.

The spiciness of this treat can be revved up or down according to the tastes of your family. Pumpkin pie spices also make a tasty variation!

 

Pumpkins are good for more than just jack-o-lanterns and cooking. This quick arrangement is useful on the table and in the kitchen.

Pumpkin Table Accent
Ingredients:
1 medium pumpkin
1 bunch of flowers (seasonal bouquets, mums, or carnations all work well)

Cut the top of your pumpkin around the stem, making a hole large enough to be able to scrape out the inside. Remove the seeds and reserve them for roasting. Scrape out the pumpkin meat in strips, reserving for later cooking. Don’t make the walls of the gourd too thin, or they may not last as long as you would prefer. Insert a plastic cup with water for the flowers. Arrange the flowers to please the eye and viola! You have an accent or centerpiece for your holiday entertaining.

The seeds may be roasted for snacking as with the nut recipe shown above. The pumpkin meat should be rendered and used in muffins, pies, or whatever you like using pumpkin for, or frozen for later use. Pumpkin will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

 

I hope these suggestions help to make your holidays a little more interesting!

–Ann Cathey