Creating Balance
… any way we can!
That’s the goal right? To regain and maintain balance in your life. To be well rounded. Fair, equal, composed.. sane. Well these waffles turned out to be a recipe for all of that. Maple Miso Pumpkin Waffles. They are sweet. They are salty & they have that full on comforting fall vibe. Maybe waffles & mental well being don’t feel analogous to you but personally I consider waffles to be one of my love languages & these definitely taste like love & sanity to me. Feeding myself well is my daily love letter to me. It tells my body that I love it & I want it to stick around. It says “Hey babe, you are welcome here. Sit with us and pass the maple syrup.” On top of being nutrient dense they have plenty of fiber, potassium, vitamin A & B6 (a water soluble vitamin that booze leeches from our bodies). Both pumpkin & miso are fiber rich. The sweetness comes naturally from the roasted pumpkin & maple syrup. The two pair famously & you get a little zinc boost from the maple syrup. Zinc was all over the news when the pandemic hit. Suddenly getting its 15 minutes of fame for its antiviral properties but it is fantastic for our thyroid function as well. Anywho, the saltiness in this recipe comes entirely from the miso - my favorite fermented condiment that doesn’t find its way into my breakfast often enough. So without further ado… Let’s make some waffles!.
Maple Miso Pumpkin Waffles (topped with butter, pears, pumpkin seeds & maple syrup)
1 1⁄2 cups all purpose flour (you could do this with gf or almond flour but you’ll have to play around with it)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tbsp miso
2 Tspn maple syrup
2 eggs
1/4 cup cane sugar (or alternative sugar)
1 cup pumpkin purée (canned or make your own - see below)
1 2/3 cup oat milk (or whatever milk feels good for you, I would have used coconut milk if I hadn’t run out)
4 tablespoons butter, melted & cooled
Whisk all your dry ingredients together. Separately whisk all your wet ingredients & then combine them. It’s that simple. grease your waffle iron & drop a 1/3 cup of batter into the iron at a time. I made 11 large waffles with this recipe. I ate two, plated up a few for the neighbors & then froze the rest for future toaster waffle bliss. Highly recommended.
*You can garnish your waffles with fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, whatever YOU like. Being inspired by fall flavors I went with pears & pumpkin seeds.
To make your own pumpkin puree simply chop your pumpkin in half, spoon out the seeds, drizzle with olive oil, roast at 325 for 30 or so minutes, until soft & golden. The kitchen will smell like pumpkin when it’s getting about time to pull them. Cool for a bit, chop it down to fit in your food processor to blend. I added a little coconut oil as I was blending it down to smooth it out & help the purée move in the processor. Just eye ball it & add it slowly. The amount of oil you need will depend on how much pumpkin you have. I trust that you can do this! You want it to look smooth & silky. Then.. voila! You’ve got pumpkin purée for your waffles OR breads, pies, soups, hummus, mousse, ravioli filling.. the possibilities are truly endless! You can save the leftovers in the freezer for future fun.
P.S. Don’t forget to save the seeds & roast them 🙏
