By Marjorie Watkins and Suzanna Leigh
(Updated and expanded from Loop article Dec 5, 2013)
Some people can get by without eating breakfast. Not me. I wouldn’t last until ten o’clock without. My usual breakfast starts with a small orange and continues with granola and fresh fruit topped with whole milk yogurt. Sometimes I raise the protein level 3.5 grams by stirring in a tablespoon of Adams natural peanut butter.
My son John chooses a high-protein breakfast of a slice of ham, a scrambled egg, toast with cherry preserves or marmalade, and coffee. When we have overnight guests, we often make waffles or crepes and serve them with cottage cheese or ricotta, and peach or cherry preserves. We choose whole fruit over juices. It tastes better to us and still has its fiber.
Here is a favorite waffle recipe, adapted from my sister-in-law Jean Hall’s Oat Nut Waffles. Try them on a weekend morning when you have time to make them, and when your kids or working family members have time to enjoy them. This recipe is in my book “Wholegrain and Gluten Free,” soon to be available again on Amazon and from DragonRider Press.
Gluten-Free Oat Nut Waffles
2 1/4 cup water
1 ½ cups Bob’s Red Mill guaranteed gluten-free rolled oats
½ cup raw cashew nuts, sliced almonds, or almond nut butter
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until light and foamy, about ½ minute. Spray cold waffle iron with olive oil. Let batter rest while waffle iron is heating. The batter will thicken as it stands, and the dry ingredients will absorb liquid. Blend again briefly.
Bake in hot waffle iron for 8-10 minutes. Set the timer. Waffles should be brown and crisp and easily come out of the waffle iron. If the waffle is reluctant to leave the waffler, give it another minute or two to cook.
If using a Belgian waffler, spray it with oil while cold as above, and heat it until the dial in the little round window reads: Cook. Ladle in enough batter to almost fill all the deep squares. It will spread as it begins to cook. Bake 3 minutes. Turn the waffler over and bake another two minutes.
Eat with yogurt and fruit in season.
Suzanna makes her own yogurt. She says, “I got tired of all those yogurt containers going either to recycle or to the landfill. It just seemed like such a waste!”
Homemade yogurt
Makes two quarts
Heat half a gallon of whole or 2% milk to 185 degrees, or just below boiling. This changes the protein so that it makes better yogurt. Let the milk cool to lukewarm or to about 120 degrees. Stir in ¼ cup plain yogurt with live bacterial culture. (Read the label when you buy it; not everything called yogurt has live yogurt bacteria in it).
Put in clean glass quart jars. Wrap with towels to insulate and keep it warm so that the little yogurt beasties can make the yogurt. You want a folded towel to set the jars on, several layers of towel around the jars, and a towel over the jars to keep in the heat. Let set overnight. Voila! Yogurt for breakfast!
Other uses for your yogurt:
It is really yummy with a little maple syrup!
Blend with blueberries to make a breakfast smoothie.
Make tzatziki (cold cucumber yogurt soup)
Use as a base for salad dressings
Use in baking
Keeps well refrigerated for a week or so.
