Gluten-Free Persimmon Waffles

I’m busy getting Dots stuck between my teeth while Gene Wilder cracks boob innuendos (“NICE. KNOCKERS.”) in Young Frankenstein so… I’ll scurry. Today’s appropriately orange fare is one lightly spiced persimmon waffle, made from almond and oat flours out of deference to my xGFx friends. A waffle for persimmon lovers and persimmon ambivalents. A waffle that, to quip my mom, “could use some nuts.”

Consider this a final YAWP from my corner of the internet for MoFo 2012. Thanks for reading or enjoying or commenting or considering any of the three. I admittedly puttered out toward the end (thanks new job), but I plan on continuing to waffle through November.

Halloween, make yours candy-happy!

Takes 20-30 minutes
Makes 3 Belgian waffles

3/4 persimmon puree from 3-4 Fuyu persimmons
3/4 cup almond flour (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
3/4 cup oat flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill brand)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup coconut milk (the drinking kind) or other non-dairy milk
1/4 cup oil
2 T evaporated cane juice or other vegan sugar
3 tsp Ener-G egg replacer*
4 T water*

2. Make your persimmon puree first. Take your roughly chopped persimmons and commence persimmon v. food processor war. You are beating these fruits to a pulp, you culinary bully, you. I pureed 4 persimmons for a good 10-15 minutes, scraping the sides dutifully, until I was left with this virtually chunk-less puree.

Use leftover persimmon puree in oatmeal, smoothies, and cookies; I’ve found it subs well for pumpkin in baked goods.

1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flours, spices, and salt thoroughly. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk or vigorously “fork” together the coconut milk, canola oil, persimmon puree, and sugar. In an even smaller bowl, whisk together the Ener-G egg replacer with the water and mix into the other liquid ingredients. Add wet ingredients to the dry and combine gently.

2. Pour 3/4 to as much as 1 cup batter onto a pre-greased waffle iron. Cook according to your waffle iron’s instructions. I cooked mine a minute longer than my usual 5. Remove gently with a fork as these are ever so fragile! Serve with vegan butter, agave nectar, jam, or whatever you prefer to mingle with your waffles.

*Sub flax seed eggs for the 2 Ener-G eggs if it pleases you.

Eat your greens, Davie.

I eat a lot of salad during the summer, partially because summer produce rocks and partially because I can’t bring myself to turn on the oven–a.k.a the hellfire monster of heat–anymore. Kale has taken over my meals, making me a little green vegan kale monster. I was a doubter at first, but it’s now making regular appearances in my green smoothies, salads, and even sandwiches. These super-healthy greens may be a bitch to prepare, but it’s mucho worth it. It’s hard to complain with all those vitamins, yet only 36 calories per cup.

My basic salad most often includes: greens (*if using kale, marinated for a few hours in homemade vinaigrette), whatever veggies are in the fridge, sunflower seeds (for the crunch), and marinated tofu/tempeh. Here’s a few from the last two months that I’ve been meaning to blog.

Tempeh bacon (from Isa Chandra Moskowitz' Vegan Brunch), shaved carrots, and kale

Pretty enough for another picture, no?

This is a salad very loosely based on the BLT salad by Vegan Yum Yum, but I opted to make my own tempeh bacon, substitute extra-virgin olive oil for the Vegan mayo in the dressing, and add shaved carrot instead of icky cherry tomatoes. I mostly just used her method of cutting kale, which includes helpful, high-quality pictures of the process. And I have to say, my version was awesome! My mom said it tasted “gourmet,” whatever that means.

No dressing and still delicious

I’m quite proud of this veggie slaw, which consists of shaved carrot, shaved zucchini, boiled corn cut off-the-cob, and boiled edamame (a.k.a soy beans). Because I used no dressing, fresh, in-season corn is a must as it sweetens the entire salad. The zucchini shavings add moisture and the carrot shavings give crunch. This is one dish that proves less is more.

Made with love <3

Props to my mom who made this arugula salad (based off a Cooking Light recipe) with onions, white canellini beans, and finely chopped red peppers in a mustard vinaigrette. My parents never have any idea what to cook for me as a vegan, but this salad wasn’t half-bad. While arugula may not be my favorite and the sharp aftertaste of raw onions isn’t my thing, it’s the thought that counts. So thanks, Mom.

*It’s very important to marinate the kale for as long as possible–at least an hour–to allow the kale to soften and absorb the flavors of the vinaigrette. The longer it sits, the better it gets- trust me!

I’m not dead, promise!

If I had any regular readers since starting my blog, I’m sure I’ve all but lost them now. I am a lazy ass when it comes to blogging, not gonna lie. Ignoring my little MuffinTopped for a month… it’s pretty bad. I’ve just been crunched for time lately with school, travel plans, and work. Finals week has finally arrived. But really, I know that you don’t care about my excuses.

I must say, today has been simply splendid. I spent most of the morning sleeping in, which was a nice change. Finished my Statistics take-home final and spent some quality time with my friend Erika watching French movies and discussing our plans to visit Paris in Janury. Plus, this rain gives me a nice excuse to lounge around my apartment all day in my fuzzy sweats, drinking chai tea and watching The Office.

The cold weather lately has left me craving stew and other warm savory foods that stick to your ribs (in a good way). I’ve made this eggplant stew a few times, always altering it according to my fancy or what veggies/beans happen to be in the fridge at the time. The base is basically roasted eggplant, roasted garlic, and a little bit of veggie broth as needed. Then I add in whatever, this particular time sauteed carrots, potatoes, jalapenos, and bellpeppers; chickpeas; and lentils. Then I spice the hell out of it with tons of cumin and cayenne and anything else that looks good. It’s fairly simple to make, but extremely satisfying.

Not very pretty, but damn tasty.

Here’s some other food randoms I’ve photographed lately:

Basic pancakes with EB and (real) maple syrup. I made pumpkin pancakes the other day, but neglected to take pics.

Mmm look at that melty Earth Balance and maple syrup...

Finally… muffins! These little babies are Pumpkin Bran muffins w/added walnuts from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Vegan Brunch. Highly recommended book- everything I’ve made from it has turned out scrumptious and these muffins were no exception. My roommates loved them (“It’s like they’re from a bakery.”)

My apologies for the horrible pictures. No natural lighting is a problem.

A fairly simple teriyaki veggie stir fry with toasted sesame seeds on top. Lately I’ve been working on creating the perfect teriyaki and I think I’m getting close. More details when I’m finally happy with it…

A lemon poppyseed cookie that I always end up getting whenever I visit my local health food store (in the Orange Circle). I have no self-control when it comes to vegan cookies!

Hell yes.

I promise from now on to start blogging more regularly and to actually take pictures of my cooking adventures. Until next time, happy holidays!

My talented swap partner KatieUD made me this. Isn't it gorgeous?