Cornmeal Waffles

This recipe captured my attention when I saw it sitting lazily on my mom's kitchen counter, half-hidden beneath a stack of magazines. I admittedly got a little excited upon perusal of said recipe and declared to Eileigh that we were having waffles for breakfast the next morning. The commitment might as well have been set in stone at that point. No turning back now! My go-to waffle recipe is light and tasty but it does require a little extra effort, what with the separating of the eggs and the scourging of the egg whites until they can't possibly get any stiffer. Happy to announce this is officially my new go-to since it is supremely easy, healthy and delicious (of course). It's different than your typical waffle in that it does have a somewhat grainy texture (which I love) but it's still light- not a heavy, intense lump of bread-brick like whole grains can sometimes be. Eileigh preferred hers with peanut butter and maple syrup while I swooned over the combo of homemade yogurt cheese (like cream cheese only made with yogurt) and blueberry syrup.

Cornmeal Waffles

3 c. buttermilk (I almost always just use 1 Tblsp. vinegar and fill up with milk to equal 1 c.)
2 eggs
6 Tblsp. butter, melted
2 c. yellow cornmeal
1 c. rye flour
1/4 c. evaporated cane juice crystals (I used Rapadura)
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. kosher or sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Whisk together buttermilk, eggs and butter. In another bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients. Gently blend wet and dry ingredients together and let dough sit 10 minutes before using. Batter will be thick. Will keep for a week in the refrigerator and can thin with milk or additional buttermilk if desired.

Yogurt Cheese (cream cheese)

Whole plain organic yogurt

Line strainer with cheese cloth or flour sack/dishtowel and set over large bowl. Place yogurt in lined strainer and allow to sit for several hours to let the whey drip out. Don't squeeze the cloth. Yogurt will have texture of cream cheese when finished. Save the whey and use to soak your grains! I use it most often to soak our oats overnight for a fast breakfast in the morning.