So, I took a break last week–from blogging, that is. This pregnancy has progressed to the point where I feel huge, food doesn’t always look good anymore, and all I want is a clean house. I’m totally not complaining, because I was beginning to eat myself out of house and home anyway. PLUS, a little extra motivation to clean is never a bad thing, right?
I can barely see the outline of my toes now. She’s getting to be a big baby girl at 31 weeks.
Ahem! As I was saying…I’ve been doing more cleaning than cooking this week, which means that I didn’t post any weekly lunch ideas last Saturday night or any new recipes. Woops.
Instead, I cleaned out my refrigerator, organized my bathroom, and packed up some of little M’s winter clothes.
Here is my disastrously disgusting fridge. BEFORE. I know what you’re thinking. “Ewwwwwww!!” Yep, me too.
And here it is after an hour or two of scrubbing and organizing and tossing. You’ll have to admit that it looks way way way better. Yah?
To change the subject completely, have I ever told you that little M is an extremely picky eater? Well now you know.
Just the other day I made a creamy potato/corn soup, just for her. I was sure she would eat it.
Nope.
I managed to shove a few pieces of potatoes into her mouth, but if she ever found a corn kernel, it would most assuredly be returned to me in a half-chewed state. Forgive me if you just lost your appetite. Seriously, though, what toddler doesn’t like organic corn?? And potatoes?? In a creamy soup with blended-up cashews? I’m at my whit’s end.
And then, there were oatmeal waffles…
They were light, crispy on the edges, moist, and delicious. Little M won’t stop eating them–even without any peanut butter or syrup on them (SCORE!).
Okay, so Little M isn’t getting her green leafies in through these waffles, but hey, they’ve got oatmeal in them. Who can argue that oatmeal isn’t pretty good for you? I’m going to say that these waffles are healthy, easy, and apparently addictive (at least to my Little M).
Okay, ready for the recipe?
It comes as an adaptation from my beautiful friend Rebecca and her family–who first introduced me to oatmeal/cornmeal waffles while I was in early pregnancy with Baby #2. Nearly everything made me nauseated–except these waffles. I devoured them, and, pregnant or not, I think you will too.
Easy Vegan Oatmeal Waffles
Ingredients
- 6 cups quick oats Use gluten-free oats, if needed
- 1/4 cup raw cashews soaked in warm water, if you don't have a high-speed blender
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons flax meal
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil or oil of your choice, optional
- 10 cups very hot water divided
Instructions
- In a clean/dry blender, blend dry oats up into a coarse flour. You may need to divide oats into 2-3 batches. Place coarse oat flour into large mixing bowl.
- Preheat waffle iron.
- Blend raw cashews up with 2 cups water. Pour cashew mixture, along with cornmeal, salt, flax, and oil into your large mixing bowl.
- Now add your remaining 8 cups of water. You may start by adding only 6 cups, and add 2 more cups later as your batter sits and thickens. Your batter will seem WAY to runny and watery initially, but I promise as it sits in the bowl, it will thicken.
- Carefully pour it onto your waffle iron, and you will be amazed by how quickly it thickens up and becomes crispy. You don't want this batter to be as thick as traditional waffle batter, as your waffles will turn out too dense. As the oatmeal flour reacts with the hot water, your batter will gradually thicken.
- Cook waffles according to instructions on your waffle iron, or until the tops are golden and crispy. This may take more time than your waffle-iron timer indicates. My waffle-iron required about 10 minutes for the waffles to cook all the way through.
Notes
Nutrition
“Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.
“Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.”
Proverbs 15: 16-17 (New International Version)
I would say that oatmeal is a grain and not healthy. http://www.marksdailyapple.com. Grains are not meant to be consumed without a lot of processing time, which, if you are NOT consuming processed food, you wouldn’t even consider eating. That being said, I agree that some people need “cheats” every once in awhile, and if you subbed the sunflower oil for something more stable (avocado, coconut), this would be a rather innocuous “cheat”.
Thank you for sharing, can’t wait to try it.
I also differ on the notion that oats are not healthy … they are very healthy. It’s kind of dangerous to be telling people not to eat things that are good for cleaning out your arteries, helping reduce cholesterol, and overall promote good healthy energy. By the way, this is a fantastic recipe! I’ve made it with and without the oil.
Of course oats are healthy! Just another disagreeable comment to make. What I would say is that Oatmeal, or whole Oats, or porridge on it’s own it’s a lovely snack to have on a cold afternoon. I wouldn’t eat it as a breakfast cereal on it’s own, I would have to have berries, and some seeds with it, just to boost it up for a more heartier breakfast. I feel I would be missing out if I didn’t do this. I would have to have a slice of toast as well. I often will have a bowl of Oats on their own without added extras if I feel somewhat hungry in the afternoon. My dietician suggested I do this. So if a dietician suggests this is a good snack, then how can it be not good for us. Thanks as always Lyndsay for a wonderful site, and enjoy your new little bubby. I didn’t realise you were expecting.
I mega cheat when I make oatmeal waffles. I use day old leftover oatmeal and nothing else. I cook through 1 to 2 cycles longer on the waffle iron but they come out yummy.
So glad I found your site! I noticed in your fridge pic you had your sriracha in there……………….I just leave mine in the lazy susan, no refridgeration…………..is that bad?
haha! I don’t think so…I just leave everything in the fridge because I’m paranoid. :) I’m sure sriracha is fine on the counter. I’d have to check the bottle to be sure, though. I don’t have any sriracha at home to look at right now.