vegan blueberry cornmeal waffles

sometimes vegan recipes get a bad wrap.  i have run into lots of people who assume that anything labeled vegan must be dull, tasteless, and boring, but that's not the case at all.  the truth is, vegan recipes can be just as great and often even more flavorful compared to their non-vegan counterparts.  take this waffle recipe for example . . .

these insanely gorgeous and decadently delicious blueberry cornmeal waffles are vegan you would absolutely never know it by looking at them or by tasting them.  they're vegan because they do not have any eggs, milk, or butter in them.  instead of eggs, ground flaxseeds do the trick to act as a binder.  almond milk substitutes for dairy milk, coconut oil takes the place of butter, and the batter is sweetened with pure maple syrup.

we have incorporated cornmeal into our pancake and waffle batters before, and let me tell you, cornmeal makes these waffles insane!  they are like the waffle version of cornbread.  the cornmeal gives them an awesome texture.  they have a great crisp outside and the beautiful blueberries give them a nice pop of extra flavor too!

vegan blueberry cornmeal waffles
prep time: 10 minutes
cooking time: 10 minutes
yields: 3 servings
adapted from one ingredient chef

ingredients:
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons water
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 cups almond milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted to a liquid state
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup blueberries

directions:
preheat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.  in a small bowl, combine the ground flaxseed with the water.  stir and then set aside until the flax has just about absorbed the water and turned into a gel (about 5 minutes).  meanwhile, in a larger bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder.  in a separate bowl, combine the almond milk, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla.  whisk together to combine.  add the flaxseed gel to the wet ingredients and stir.  add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.  gently fold in the blueberries.  pour enough batter into the waffle iron to just barely cover the waffle grid.  cook 4-5 minutes, or until the waffles are golden brown.  once cooked, transfer the waffles to a cooling rack while you prepare the remaining waffles.  serve warm, topped with warm maple syrup.

enjoy!

love, laurie

cheddar and honey cornbread biscuits with parsley and chives

over the weekend, we made a batch of our vegetarian qunioa chili recipe so that we would have it to eat for dinner this week.  we love cooking on the weekends and then having the leftovers for dinner all week.  it makes dinner time so easy when all we have to do is walk in the door after work and heat something up.

whenever we make chili, we always love to make our favorite cornbread recipe to go along with it.  however, we wanted to change it up a bit this time.  instead of making traditional cornbread, we made cornbread biscuits.

these biscuits turned out so good!  they taste like cornbread because of the cornmeal in them, but they also have a little bit of sweetness thanks to the honey, and a great rich flavor thanks to the cheddar cheese.  the chives and parsley sprinkled throughout the dough gives them fun green speckles too.

instead of cutting the biscuits into circles, i cut them into triangles (so they looked like scones).  if you are a traditionalist, feel free to use a biscuit cutter to make perfect circles.  i was simply too lazy to dig our round biscuit cutter out of the basement, and the pizza cutter was closer, so there you have it . .  triangular biscuits.

regardless of their shape, these cheddar and honey cornbread biscuits are delicious.  they are best served warm, and they are a great compliment to a warm bowl of chili.

cheddar cornmeal biscuits with parsley and chives
prep time: 5-10 minutes
baking time: 15 minutes
yields: 8 biscuits

ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons salted butter, cold
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

directions:
preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  in a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda.  dice the cold butter into small cubes and add it to the dry ingredients.  use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.  in a separate bowl whisk together the egg, milk, and honey.  use a spatula to mix in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  fold in the shredded cheese along with the chives and parsley.

dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 1 minute until it is all combined and the cheese is well distributed.  roll the dough out into a disk (about 3/4 inch thick) and cut into eight even triangles with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife.  place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  bake for 15 minutes, until the outsides are crusty and the insides are light and fluffy.  serve warm.

enjoy!

love, laurie

individual cornbread squares

cornbread is a traditional favorite, so we decided to make cornbread as a side dish for our father's day cookout over the weekend.

this cornbread recipe has become our go-to recipe for when we want to make cornbread muffins to go alongside a bowl of warm chili during the cooler months . . . but cornbread shouldn't be forgotten in the warmer months.  it's a great addition to any bbq or picnic.

this cornbread is light and moist.  we also love that it's not too sweet.

instead of making cornbread muffins or a loaf of cornbread, we used our brownie pan to make individual cornbread squares.  they turned out so cute!  the individual cornbread squares were the perfect size for our cookout.

individual cornbread squares
prep time: 5-10 minutes
baking time: 18-20 minutes
yields: 24 cornbread squares
adapted from the complete magnolia bakery cookbook

ingredients:
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups all-purpose four
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, melted

directions:
preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, and baking powder.  in a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and milk.  add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat to combine.  mix in the cooled melted butter.

spoon the batter (approximately 3 tablespoons of batter for each square) into the wells of a greased brownie pan.  bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cornbread squares comes out clean.  do not over bake.  once baked, allow the cornbread squares to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan and transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

enjoy!

love, laurie