Bryanna Clark Grogan’s Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 23rd Century Table

I meant to post this recipe for Valentine's Day, but it didn't happen!  But, better late than never-- these beauties would be delicious any time of the year.  I based them on the white bean/oat waffles that I developed for the first version of Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes-- low in fat; high in protein, fiber and other nutrients.  They also just happen to be gluten-free.

My two 12-year-old granddaughters ate quite a few of these for brunch this last Sunday after a sleep-over at our house.  They were quite surprised when I revealed the "secret ingredient", white beans, but that didn't deter them from eating more!

Don't be put off by having to put the beans in water to soak the night before. This takes just minutes before you retire for the night and then, in the morning, the batter is quickly made in the blender while the waffle iron heats up. They can be reheated quickly in a very hot oven for a short time (you just want to crisp and heat them, not dry them out), or in a toaster. Keep some ready-made in the freezer for quick toaster snacks-- they are great eaten out of hand with a little low-sugar jam.

NOTE: Use only dried white navy beans or Great Northern beans or split (white) urad dal for making white bean flour, or purchase bean flour made from only one of those varieties. (Chickpea flour is fine, too.)  
DO NOT use cannellini beans, red or white kidney beans, butter beans, broad beans or lima beans for making flour; nor should you use those 6 varieties of beans whole, soaked (but raw) and blended into recipes to be cooked or baked. Those 6 varieties of beans all need to be soaked for at least 5 hours, water discarded, and then boiled in fresh water for 10 to 15 minutes before simmering until tender before eating.  This eliminates toxic lectins which can cause all sorts of digestive distress in some people.  
And be advised that slow-cookers do not always get hot enough to get rid of the toxin, so soak and boil as advised above before finishing in a slow-cooker.  If using a pressure cooker to cook kidney beans or the other 4 varieties mentioned as problematic, you do not need to pre-boil for 10 minutes as the very high temperatures reached inside the pressure cooker are adequate to destroy the toxin, but definitely soak first and discard the water. (Info from this article.)
The toxin in white kidney beans at about 1/3rd the concentration of red kidney beans, and broad (fava) beans, butter beans and lima beans at about 5 to 10%. 

Don't panic about lectins, but be informed-- see https://authoritynutrition.com/dietary-lectins/  and http://www.medic8.com/healthguide/food-poisoning/red-kidney-bean-toxins.html

NOTE: Okara is the Japanese term for the pulp leftover from pressing cooked soybeans and water for  soymilk or tofu.  If you don't make your own soymilk or tofu, but you live near a tofu shop, you might be able to purchase it fresh. There are some ideas for subs in the recipe.


A FB friend requested yesterday: "Can you point me to a fail-proof recipe for some kind of waffle using fresh okara??? ty ~"  As I have said before, I only create recipes on request if they really interest me!  Another requirement is that I have the ingredients on hand, and I did happen to have some fresh okara in my fridge. I'm always up for improving on a vegan waffle (without adding a whole lot of oil!), making it healthier, or crispier, or using interesting ingredients.  Examples?  Vegan Waffles Made with Seltzer Water! , vegan whole grain sourdough waffles, and Orange-Pecan Cornmeal Waffles (made with beans!).  Okara waffles sounded good to me. (Okara is the pulp left over from making soy milk or tofu.)

All of the above waffle recipes are good, BTW. I have several versions of the bean waffle recipe, and that is my favorite because it's easy, light and crisp, and totally made from whole grains!  My first instinct was to start with that type of recipe, since it seems to be very accommodating. So I tried the simplest version, made with oatmeal (the recipe is in my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook").  I substituted 1 cup okara for the 1/2 cup dry beans used in the original recipe.  (These are soaked overnight.)  The batter was quite thin and the waffles were tasty, but not very substantial, and not as crispy as the bean waffles.  I tried them with more oats, and then more okara, but ended up ditching that experiment.

I had developed a recipe for a light, crisp vegan "buttermilk" waffle for my now-defunct Vegan Feast newsletter some years ago, and haven't published it anywhere else yet. I worked on this recipe for many weeks.  I was aiming at a more traditional recipe, veganized, which would include at least some whole grain flour and less fat than usual.  One vegan recipe I saw contained cornstarch for crispness (and 6 tablespoons of oil for 5 four-inch waffles), but cornstarch isn't very nutritious, so I tried using some corn flour instead, which worked well.  Then I looked at the labels of some pancake/waffle mixes and saw that they include corn flour and rice flour!  So I added some brown rice flour, too. This worked very well, and the recipe turned out to be very versatile as far as using various whole grain flours.  Anyway, I digress.

I decided to re-work this recipe to see if I could add fresh okara to it.  This took some "finagling", as my mother used to say, due to the liquid content of the okara, but the final result was excellent! Now I have another way to use okara-- thank you, Angela!


NOTE: I use a round Cuisinart Traditional waffle iron (pictured above), NOT a Belgian waffle maker. Other waffles irons recommended by Cooks Illustrated magazine are:  Chef’s Choice WafflePro Express; Cloer Double Waffle Maker; Cuisinart 6-Slice Traditional Waffle Iron.
Printable Recipe

I like Cooks' Illustrated magazine. I know that it's not even vegetarian, and can be quite meat-centered, but they have good reporting on the food science of their recipes. In their latest issue, they had a recipe and article about waffles. Their challenge was to make buttermilk waffles that come out light and fluffy on the inside, and crisp on the outside every time, with no beating of egg whites.

Now, I love my bean waffles-- they are crispy every time and nutritious as well! But I like to try different recipes for common foods, and this one sounded easy and intriguing. Of course, I wasn't going to use eggs or buttermilk in my version, but the use of seltzer water (club soda) for lightness, as in some tempura batters, made sense. They also found out the following: "After some experimentation, we found that waffles made with oil stayed significantly crispier than those made with melted butter, which is partly water." Good for vegans to know!

Long story short, I made a vegan version of their recipe, with half unbleached and half whole wheat flour instead of all white. It turned out very well! My husband and granddaughter loved them! I'm not giving up my bean waffles, but these are great for a spur-of-the-moment meal!

***Update November 10, 2011: I have updated this recipe to use more accessible ingredients, less oil, and all whole grain flour, OR a gluten-free flour mix.  Here is the new recipe and, below that is my original one.



BRYANNA'S UPDATED VEGAN SELTZER WAFFLES
Servings: 4   (can be GF and/or SF)
Yield: eight 7-inch round waffles
See Notes in the original recipe below for info about waffle irons.

DRY MIX:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (OR use your favorite gluten-free flour mix, along with 1 tsp. xanthan gum and 1/4 tsp. more salt)
1/4 cup chickpea flour or soy flour
1 tablespoon organic granulated sugar, or other sweetener of choice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
WET MIX:
Flax Seed "Glop":
1/2 cup nondairy milk (So Delicious® Coconut Milk Beverage, Original is excellent in this recipe)
2 tablespoons golden flax seeds (if using ground flax, use 1/4 cup)Additional Wet Ingredients:
7/8 cup nondairy milk (So Delicious® Coconut Milk Beverage, Original is excellent in this recipe)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
SELTZER WATER:
1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) club soda (unflavored seltzer water)
OPTIONAL:
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

If you are going to eat the waffles immediately after cooking, adjust your oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 250º F. Set a wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place the baking sheet in oven.  If they are to be eaten later, simply have some cake racks ready on your counter..

Whisk the Dry Mix ingredients together in large bowl to combine.

In a blender, whiz together the 1/2 cup nondairy milk and flax seeds until the mixture is fluffy, white and "gloppy" like lightly beaten egg whites. Add the Additional Wet Ingredients and blend briefly to mix well. Turn the blender OFF, remove the container from the machine and, with a slim spatula, gently stir in the club soda (or alternate).

Immediately make a well in center of Dry Mix ingredients and pour in the combined Wet Mix and club soda. Using a rubber, gently stir until just combined. The batter should remain slightly lumpy with streaks of flour.

Heat your waffle iron, spray with oil from a pump sprayer (or rub with a little non-hydrogenated shortening), and bake each waffle according to manufacturer’s instructions (for a 7-inch round waffle I used 1/2 cup batter and cooked). In my Cuisinart Traditional waffle iron, I cooked them on the #4 setting until the steam stopped pouring from the iron, which took about 4 minutes.

Transfer waffles to to rack in warm oven and hold for up to 10 minutes before serving. Or, if they are to be reheated later in the day, place them on cake racks on the counter to cool. To reheat the waffles, place them on racks on top of baking sheets in a 350ºF oven for a few minutes, until hot and crisp. Any leftover waffles can be frozen in zipper-lock bags to use as toaster waffles.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 2 waffles): 358.9 calories; 30% calories from fat; 12.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 539.3mg sodium; 369.8mg potassium; 54.8g carbohydrates; 9.6g fiber; 6.2g sugar; 45.2g net carbs; 11.0g protein; 7.4 points.

THE ORIGINAL RECIPE:

BRYANNA'S (ORIGINAL) VEGAN VERSION OF SELTZER WAFFLES
Makes about eight 7-inch round waffles.

I used a regular waffle irons, not the Belgian type that makes thicker waffles. I cooked them until the steam stopped pouring from the iron. They recommend a nonstick iron. A good one is the round Cuisinart Traditional.  Other waffles irons recommended by Cooks Illustrated are:  Chef’s Choice WafflePro Express; Cloer Double Waffle Maker; Cuisinart 6-Slice Traditional Waffle Iron.

1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (5 ounces) wholewheat flour (regular, not pastry)
1 tablespoon organic granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon table salt (sea salt)
1/4 cup Better than Milk beverage mix powder or soymilk powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons golden flaxseed
1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer Powder (or Orgran brand)
1/2 cup unflavored soy yogurt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (omit for savory waffle toppings)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups unflavored seltzer water (also known as club soda)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees F. Set a wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place baking sheet in oven.

Whisk the flours, sugar, salt, Better than Milk powder, and baking soda in large bowl to combine.

In a blender, whiz together the water and flaxseeds until the mixture is fluffy and white. Add the egg replacer powder and whiz again until thick.

Whisk together the blender mixture, soy yogurt, vinegar, vanilla, and oil in medium bowl to combine. Gently stir the seltzer water into the wet ingredients. Make a well in center of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Using a silcone spatula, gently stir until just combined. The batter should remain slightly lumpy with streaks of flour.

Heat your waffle irons, spray with oil from a pump sprayer, and bake waffles according to manufacturer’s instructions (use about 1/2 cup batter for 7-inch round iron). Transfer waffles to rack in warm oven and hold for up to 10 minutes before serving with warm maple syrup.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 440.9 calories; 34% calories from fat; 17.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 579.8mg sodium; 326.9mg potassium; 61.3g carbohydrates; 6.3g fiber; 8.5g sugar; 55.0g net carbs; 12.3g protein; 9.4 points.


Enjoy!

After vegan cappuccinos, I'll continue the breakfast theme with waffles. This recipe is a variation on a recipe from one of my books. I love the combination of orange, pecan and cornmeal-- seems very Southern to me, and it's always delicious. I decided to use this flavor combo in my bean-based waffles, which I usually make with oats. These waffles are high in protein and fiber and great for anyone with allergies. Hope you like 'em!

PS: These bean waffles do not work for me in a Belgian waffle iron (the thicker kind), so use a good nonstick traditional type.  A good one is the round Cuisinart Traditional.  Other waffles irons recommended by Cooks Illustrated are:  Chef’s Choice WafflePro Express; Cloer Double Waffle Maker; Cuisinart 6-Slice Traditional Waffle Iron.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S CRISPY VEGAN ORANGE PECAN CORNMEAL WAFFLES
makes 8-9/ 4” waffles   (wheat-free and can be soy-free)
Adapted from a recipe in my book “The Fiber for Life Cookbook”

Don’t be put off by having to put the beans on to soak the night before. This takes just minutes before you retire for the night and then, in the morning, the batter is quickly made in the blender while the waffle iron heats up.

These waffles take a little longer to bake than ordinary waffles (about 7-8 minutes), so you might want to make them ahead of time, or have two waffle irons going at the same time. They can be reheated quickly in a very hot oven for a short time (you just want to crisp and heat them, not dry them out), or in a toaster.NOTE: And, don’t worry, no one will suspect that there are beans in these waffles!

THE NIGHT BEFORE:
1/3 c. dried Great Northern beans OR chickpeas
(If you use other beans, be sure to see the Important Update at this post.)
Plenty of water to cover
IN THE MORNING:
1 1/2 c. fresh water
1/3 c. orange juice concentrate
1 c. cornmeal
2 T. oat bran (or you could use rice bran or wheat bran instead)
4 tsp. organic sugar or other sweetener
2 T. ground golden flaxseed (measure after grinding)
1 T. grated (organic) orange zest (see below)
1/2 T. baking powder
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. finely chopped toasted pecans

The night before:
Soak the beans in plenty of water to cover, with a few inches of water above the beans-. The beans can soak in water in the refrigerator for up to a week with no fermentation, if you aren’t sure when you’ll make the waffles.

In the morning:
Drain the beans. Place them in the blender along with all of the other ingredients. Blend until smooth and light and foamy. This may take several minutes.

Let the batter stand while you heat up your NONSTICK waffle iron.  

NOTE: USE A REGULAR WAFFLE MAKER, NOT A BELGIAN WAFFLE MAKER-- THE BELGIAN WAFFLE IS TOO THICK AND DOESN'T COOK PROPERLY WITH THIS BATTER! See recommended waffle irons above.).

NOTE: Even if you have a non-stick iron, this recipe will work better if you spray the grids with oil from a pump-sprayer.

When the iron is hot, pour on about a heaping 1/3 c. of batter for each 4” square waffle . Close the iron and set the timer for 7 minutes. Don’t check before 7 minutes is up. If the iron is hard to open, let it cook a couple of more minutes.

If the batter gets thicker on standing, add a LITTLE water, just until it’s the consistency you started out with.

The waffle should be brown and crispy. Serve immediately, or let cool on cake racks. When they are cool, they can be frozen in plastic bags or rigid containers. Serve with your favorite toppings.

If you don’t use up all of the batter, and you don’t want to cook the waffles ahead of time and freeze them, just refrigerate the batter in the blender with the lid on. You can re-blend the batter (adding a tiny bit more water if the batter has become too thick) just before cooking the waffles.

COOKING NOTE: If you don't have one of those microplane zesters yet, for citrus zest (and fresh ginger) use a little tiny box grater about 2 1/2" high. it works just beautifully and cost about $1.50 Cnd!






Enjoy!