The little people I love so dearly, don’t always love vegetables as dearly as I would desire them to. I had tried to figure out ways that I could slip veggies into their favorite foods and WAFFLES was an easy solution. I don’t think there are many people in this world that don’t love waffles. Am I right?
I remember when I was living in Brazil, about the time I was 18 years old, and I was in charge of putting together an activity for a group of Brazilians in church. The activity was for a Wednesday night and happened weekly for this group. I had heard through the grapevine, that they were excited to learn about American culture and wanted to try “waffles” for the first time. I LOVE planning parties and activities so I was set on fire to create an extraordinary experience for these Brazilians. We put together some really fun minute-to-win-it games, like moving a cookie from your forehead to your mouth and others. I also did a funny skit with my grandfather in which we had beforehand cut holes out of a sheet; one large enough for his head to poke through, and a hole on either side for hands to be exposed. Pinned to the front side of the sheet was his shirt and a pair of pants, positioned to look like he was sitting. To shoes were threaded through the legs of the jeans by poles to look like he is sitting.
The catch here is, while it is his head poked through the sheet, I was standing behind him and MY hands were the ones exposed for the audience to see, as if they were his hands. For the skit, we then proceeded to show a normal morning routine, with my grandpa getting ready for the day. So with my hands, he himself acting as if they were his own, I rubbed his eyes, washed his face, “shaved” (with whipped cream and a bladeless razor) his face, fed him breakfast, etc. From the audience’s perspective it just looked like he was indeed the responsible man for making a fool of himself, however, they quickly caught onto the fact that the hands were not his own. It was a real hoot!
To finish off the entertaining evening, we ate my waffles. Most of the Brazilians had never eaten waffles before and were enamored by them. They all wanted the recipe! Unfortunately, it was EXTREMELY difficult to find and purchase waffle makers in Brazil and so the probability of our friends making their own waffles was very unlikely. This was a once in a lifetime experience for many of these dear friends and a night they’d always remember.
Think of that! Something we eat so commonly and regularly is a rare delicacy for some! Man, I love waffles. I don’t think a week goes by in our household without at least one day featuring waffles. They are a favorite amongst us for sure! So, I reckoned, if my family is eating these on the regular, a regular way to add in vegetables to their diet is simply to add it into the waffle batter itself! And, you know, it worked!
I’ve tried everything from collard greens and spinach to carrots and beets and it is a hit every time! This recipe allows for some creativity, so feel free to experiment with other vegetables too!
Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour (unbleached)
1 3/4 cup milk
3 Tbsp coconut oil
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
about 1/2 cup vegetable of choice:
collard greens (about 2-3 whole leaves)
or 1/2 cup steamed
or pan roasted sweet potatoes
or 1-2 large carrots
or 1/2 sliced and steamed beet
spinach, kale, etc…
Directions:
Blend vegetable of choice with milk in a Vitamix blender (or other similar blender of food processor) until smooth. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.
Pour into waffle maker and allow to cook until golden brown or fully cooked through.
Enjoy!
Can’t wait to see how you all customize these waffles and experiment with different vegetables! Let me know in comments!
These keep well in the FREEZER in groups of 3-4 in a small ziplock bag. Reheat by placing in the microwave on the defrost setting for about 30-45 seconds. You MUST place on defrost setting otherwise the waffles get ROCK HARD. They can stay in a well closed container in the fridge as well for about 3 days. We prefer the freezer method, however, as the waffles are much more soft this way.