Reader Recipe Friday - Waffles

First of all, I apologize for the lack of photographic evidence, but these waffles are seriously off-the-charts divine. Actually, the missing photo is BECAUSE they are so good. We eat them so quickly, there is no time for taking pictures.

Second of all, I know you probably all know this recipe by now. It's been around for a long time. But I have "cleaned" it up a bit, just to get rid of some of the less-than-perfect ingredients. And it is no worse for the wear! It tastes exactly the same. Now I don't know about you, but THAT is how I like my healthy recipes: tasting exactly the same as the unhealthy ones.

Third of all, here's the recipe:

Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes (yield: 6 large waffles)
1 C. wheat *
1 1/2 C. milk, divided
3 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1/2 C. coconut oil (melt it on low in the microwave while you blend the wheat)
1 tsp. salt
1 TBSP honey

Combine wheat and 1 C. of the milk in blender. Blend on high for 3 minutes. Add the rest of the milk (1/2 C. if you weren't keeping track) and blend 1 minute more. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until mixed. Let it sit for a couple minutes while your waffle iron warms up, as it will thicken. Cook.

*I have substituted already-ground whole wheat when I didn't want to wake someone up who was sleeping (grinding the wheat for 4 minutes is really loud, as you can imagine), and it worked just fine, so that's an option. Just play with the amount a little - I think I used more than a cup. It's not AS good, but it works. Also, if for some reason the batter ends up really runny (like mine did this morning - probably because I 1-and-a-half timesed the recipe), add some whole wheat flour until it's the desired consistency. Basically, you can't go wrong.

Fourth of all, this morning I topped my waffle with peanut butter, maple syrup and blueberries. DEeeelicious!

Reader Recipes - Sandwiches

I chose Sandwiches as the Friday theme, because I need recipes! I want to incorporate more of them into my menus, but have a hard time getting excited about them. You know how Merica feels about fish? Well, take that aversion, square it, and you'll have my opinion of sandwiches. I just can't stand them. Which has made lunch a dreaded affair in my life since Elementary School.

It doesn't make sense. My favorite food item is the hamburger, which is just a glorified sandwich, right?
Same goes for Mexican food - it's all just a tortilla sandwich. And I can eat Quizno's subs all day long. Or chicken salad on croissants. Or Thanksgiving turkey on left-over crescent rolls.

So, I guess what my problem is, is sliced bread. It just wasn't meant for anything but toast! I finally realized that as long as my sliced bread is toasted, I really enjoy a good sandwich. Oh, and the filling has to be greater than or equal to the volume of the bread (more filling than bread).

That, combined with a heavy dose of lazy, is why I made a few modifications to this recipe for California Sandwich:

Filling (combine the following):
1 avocado, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 cucumber (I use half a really big English cucumber), diced
squeeze of lime juice
2 TB. chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Toast your bread (I find that the recipe makes three generous sandwiches, so I make one for me, one for my husband, and then I have enough left over for another sandwich - for me - the next day)
Spread it with mayonnaise.
Sprinkle it with garlic salt.
Add the filling on top of one slice.
Pile on lots of alfalfa sprouts.
Slap on a slice of pepper jack cheese (has to be pepper jack - that's what makes the sandwich).
Top with second slice of toast.

It is really delicious. We have been partaking for a couple weeks now, and even my husband (I pack his toast and filling separately, to be assembled @ lunch time, so as not to get soggy) can't get enough of it; the same husband who hates the following items:

avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cilantro.

That's why I call it the Magic Sandwich.

(also, it is just fine without the tomato, if you happen to think you have some and then find that you don't - like I did yesterday)

Reader Recipes - Salads

In case you forgot, today is Friday. Which means it is Reader Recipe Day around here. Which means we set a theme, and you share your favorite recipe in that category. Today's theme is

Salads.

Here is Merica's:

Cobb Salad With Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

(This is a hearty salad full of flavor. Perfect for those of us with a bottomless pit for a stomach. And feel free to trade something you don't like for something you do or add to it. But this is how I like it)

romaine, baby spinach, or mixed greens (your preference)

cut up ham or turkey

hard boiled egg chopped

(place fresh egg in small sauce pan and fill with water until egg is covered. Place on stove top and bring to boil. Once it hits a boil, keep it boiling for 8 minutes. And then you're done)

chopped up avocado

tomatoes 

blue cheese

green or red onions - optional

Buttermilk Ranch (makes 1 quart)

(This is the recipe out of the book Country Beans. Instead of buttermilk, I measure 1 TBSP lemon juice per cup of milk, and fill the rest of the measuring cup with milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Also, I add a little extra garlic, onion powder and salt to taste. So make it, taste it, and add what you think it needs. I would also half this recipe the first time you make it. It makes plenty. put the rest in the fridge and use it throughout the week.)

2 cups mayonnaise (Country Beans also has a mayonnaise recipe I haven't tried yet)

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp dried onion flakes

2 T parsley flakes

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

Combine ingredients and whisk until smooth (I use a blender).

Got that? Yum. I am planning to make that one this weekend. I LOVE Cobb salad cause it doesn't really taste like salad - it tastes like a meal. And who doesn't adore ranch dressing (besides my youngest child)? 

My recipe for today is similar, in that it is a filling-meal salad, and you'll need to make Merica's ranch dressing recipe for it:

Crispy Ranch Chicken Salad

(adapted from a pampered chef recipe, I believe)

Chicken: 

1/4 C. ranch dressing

4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

3/4 C. dry bread crumbs (just make your own out of whole wheat bread - it's so simple: put some bread out on the counter overnight to get stale. Then bake in an even layer at 200 degrees for 1-2 hours. Grind up in a food processor. Freeze so you'll have them when you need them)

*you can add parmesan cheese to the bread crumbs if you have some

Salad:
1 C. shredded cheddar
2 C. grape tomatoes
1/2 C. sliced olives
1/4 C. red onion, sliced thin
8 C. torn romaine lettuce
3/4 C. ranch dressing
*I like to add sliced hard-boiled eggs, and any other vegetables that sound good and are about to go bad if we don't hurry and use them.


Preheat oven to 425.
For salad: toss everything together except cheese.
For chicken: rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Brush chicken with ranch and coat with bread crumbs. Arrange evenly on a cookie sheet (or pizza stone). Bake 20-25 minutes or until it's no longer pink in the center. Cut crosswise into slices. Arrange over salad. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve with ranch dressing.


The first time I made it, my kids and husband thought it was kind of weird to have the hot chicken on the cold salad, so I keep the chicken separate for them now, but I love the contrast of temperatures. I make extra chicken so I can chunk it and toss it in salads during the rest of the week. 

So, now we want you to link or share your favorite salad recipe in the comments.

Ready, Gesset, GO!