Vegan Diner (7 page)

For cinnamon-sugar donuts:
In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Dip hot donuts in cinnamon sugar and roll to coat completely. Place sugared donuts on a rack or plate until ready to serve.

Tip:
If you don't have soymilk powder, you can substitute 1 cup of soymilk for the 1 cup of room temperature water, and omit the powder. This recipe gives you a choice of finishes for the donuts; you can roll them in cinnamon sugar or dip them in a glaze. Feel free to do some of each.

The secret ingredient here is the crispy rice cereal,
which give the waffles a little extra crunch. With a light banana flavor and a hint of cinnamon, it's hard to stop reaching for more.

MAKES ABOUT 11 BELGIAN-STYLE WAFFLES

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

½
cup crispy rice cereal

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛
teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup puréed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)

1 cup soymilk or almond milk, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat waffle iron, and mist with nonstick spray, or alternatively, use a pastry brush to lightly coat with oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, crispy rice cereal, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

Add the banana, soymilk, and canola oil to flour mixture, whisking just until mixed. If mixture is too thick, add another tablespoon or two of soymilk as needed.

Scoop batter with a
⅓
cup measure (or smaller, depending on your waffle iron) onto the iron, and cook according to manufacturer's directions. Repeat with remaining batter and serve.

Tip:
The large yield here is great for those feeding a hungry family or crowd. Not to worry though: the waffles freeze really well, perfect for popping into the toaster on harried mornings.

Cornmeal gives these waffles a deliciously buttery flavor
and a nice and crunchy texture. They are delicious topped with strawberry sauce or agave nectar and whipped Earth Balance or any vegan margarine.

MAKES ABOUT 8 BELGIAN-STYLE WAFFLES

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

¾
cup yellow cornmeal

¼
cup yellow corn flour (not cornstarch)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

⅛
teaspoon fine sea salt

¾
cup orange juice, preferably fresh-squeezed

¾
cup soymilk

1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat waffle iron, and mist with nonstick spray, or alternatively, use a pastry brush to lightly coat with oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, corn flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together orange juice, soymilk, and canola oil, and add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

Scoop batter with a
⅓
cup measure (or smaller, depending on your waffle iron) onto the iron, and cook according to manufacturer's directions. Repeat with remaining batter and serve.

Variation:
For a savory waffle, substitute
¾
cup plain soymilk for the orange juice, and plain soymilk for the vanilla.

Tip:
I use a corn flour available from Bob's Red Mill. It contains all the bran and germ from whole corn kernels, making it super-nutritious.

Remember to spoon
your flour into your dry measuring cup, scraping the top with a knife or a skewer. Never scoop your flour directly from the canister, as you can wind up with much more flour than you need.

Malt has often been a traditional ingredient in diner waffles
and pancakes, but in the form of malted milk powder. For this waffle recipe, it dawned on me that powdered barley malt extract would deliver a nice malted flavor, without the dairy. These waffles are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

MAKES ABOUT 8 BELGIAN-STYLE WAFFLES

1
½
cups all-purpose flour

¾
cup quick oats

½
cup powdered barley malt extract

4 teaspoons baking powder Pinch sea salt

1
½
cups soymilk or almond milk, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon canola oil

Preheat waffle iron, and mist with nonstick spray, or alternatively, use a pastry brush to lightly coat with oil.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, malt extract, baking powder, and salt.

Mix together soymilk and oil, and add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Let batter stand for 5 minutes. If the batter gets too thick, add an additional tablespoon or two of milk as needed.

Scoop batter with a
⅓
cup measure (or smaller, depending on your waffle iron) onto the iron, and cook according to manufacturer's directions. Repeat with remaining batter and serve.

Powdered malt extract
is a non-diastatic barley malt, which is made from the evaporated concentrate of barley malt (check the packaging for the correct variety). The malt extract can also be used as a natural sweetener. Look for it in natural foods stores and online.

This is a perfect fall breakfast, rich with the
flavors of pumpkin and spice. Pumpkin has loads of beta carotene too, so you can feel good about loading up your plate with these babies.

MAKES ABOUT 7 TO 8 PANCAKES