savory waffles

Blood Orange Scented Cornmeal Vegan Waffles are easy to whip up, fluffy, and full of flavor.  Non-vegans won’t even know they are missing anything!

Diet Deets

I am actually a pescetarian, which means my husband and I eat a small amount of fish and seafood, mostly when we’re out.  At home, we are almost 100% vegetarian.  But after I had my baby last year, I was full on vegan for awhile because I was nursing and we thought he was reacting to the dairy in my diet.

I obviously love to cook, but at that time I had a tiny newborn, was getting sleep in 30-45 minute stretches, and couldn’t be as creative in the kitchen as I normally am.  We obviously figured out all was fine, and dairy returned to my diet, but I spent a month eating vegan, and it was an interesting experiment.

Fast forward to this past week when my two besties come for a visit for my birthday.  One of them because vegan just a few weeks prior to visiting, and messaged me asking if she needed to bring anything special.

Of course not!  I enjoy a challenge 😉

Anything for a Friend

It may seem easy to go vegan when you’re already vegetarian, but it isn’t.  For me, particularly, I LOVE cheese and runny eggs.  I don’t ever plan to go fully vegan by choice, but I enjoy eating that way frequently.

And I was more than happy to make some lovely treats for a friend I too rarely get to see now. We had vegan Phad Thai, vegan baked gnocchi, and vegan biscuits with my vegan sweet potato gravy.

And because I love (LOVE) a good, long, lingering breakfast, I also made these vegan waffles.

Where do Waffles Come From Anyhow?

According to Jeff Wells in an article for Mental Floss entitled “From Wafel Wafers to Belgian Breakfasts: A Brief History of Waffles” waffles originated:

Food historians trace the waffle’s DNA back to ancient Greece, when cooks roasted flat cakes between two metal plates attached to a long wooden handle. Obelios, as the cakes were called, weren’t particularly sweet or decadent, but their design evolved over time as people began customizing the plates.

According to Wells, innovations in waffle irons, and presses, in the early twentieth century helped speed the rise and popularity of the waffle.  And further, he adds that “In the convenience-obsessed ’50s, when women began leaving the household and taking jobs, being able to save time in the mornings was a big sales-driver.”

And As for the Waffle that Is Belgian…

I know I grew up eating frozen waffles, but I would almost always prefer pancakes.  And  once I had a real, pressed, Belgian waffle I was ruined for all commercially made frozen waffles.  Julie R Thompson, in an article for The Huffington Post called “The History of the Belgian Waffle, Which Apparently We’ve Been Eating All Wrong” points out:

The irony of the Belgian waffle’s popularity in the U.S…. is that the large, heavily loaded breakfast item that graces so many of our morning menus has little resemblance to the original waffle that hails from Belgium. Actually, the American breakfast version pales in comparison to the waffle sold all over Belgium, where it is a traditional street food eaten with your hands (not a calorie-laden meal served with gallons of syrup). In Belgium, the treat is the waffle itself because they’re so well made; they aren’t just a vehicle for toppings.

The first time I had the real thing, though, I confess it was NOT in the US but it WAS topped with ice cream (#sorrynotsorry).  Thompson is right though – it didn’t need that scoop of vanilla, strawberries, or whipped cream.  It was delicious all on its own.

Convenience

Truly, waffles, even vegan waffles, are EASY to make, and they DO freeze well, but freezing your own is so much better than the packaged product!  One batch of batter for this recipe makes four full waffles.  I like to split them apart, though, so that everyone can have just as much as they want.

Also, split apart waffles freeze easier.  So I can make a batch or two of these vegan waffles this week and freeze them for us to eat over the next month or so.

If they last that long.  Like I said – these vegan waffles are THAT good!

Why Cornmeal?

I actually love cornmeal waffles, and have had them in many non-vegan savory waffle preparations.  This time the cornmeal came of necessity.  I have been making so much pastry of late that I only had enough flour left for about a half batch of vegan waffles.  But I also had some lovely White Lily fine cornmeal, and I blended regular all purpose flour and cornmeal together.

The result was vegan waffles that are light, crispy, and smelled ever so faintly of toasted corn, or popcorn!  Basically, the house smelled exactly like you want your house to smell when company is over; warm, nutty, sweet, and inviting.

I want my girls to want to come back and visit me again, ya know? Winky emoji.

Why Blood Orange?

Honestly, almost every recipe like this calls for vanilla, which I find so boring!  I like to chang eit up, like here in my homemade whipped cream.  And I actually just purchased some Solerno Blood Orange Liquer.  I thought, why not try it instead of whipped cream?

And oh my, did that experiment every pay off!

These waffles are not exactly citrusy, but the Solerno does give them a bright, fresh taste.  We served some roasted peaches and blackberries over them, but they would also be good with just maple syrup and butter.

Variations

I also used some leftover waffles in a savory preparation too.  I put some freshly roasted tomatoes on top with some whipped goat cheese and balsamic, and the result was lip smacking good!

And I plan on making these again when blood oranges are in season.  I think topped with some blood orange curd, or even candied slices of blood oranges would be ah-mazing!