i'm having a hard time coming to terms with the end of summer; just that lazy, easy-breeziness of it all seems to move in a direction of rigidity and schedules as fall approaches. but on the up side, the humidity has faded and the weather has been significantly cooler the past few days, allowing for the consumption of hot beverages and baking with the air conditioner off! it's also reawakened an eagerness to get outside, and breath in some fresh air. i've never been a runner/jogger - more of a yoga/pilates enthusiast - and i suppose i blame my elementary school gym teacher who made us do laps around the track; and long story short, i wound up in the nurses office sick, lightheaded, and on the verge of passing out. that memory alone was traumatic enough for me stay away from running as a sport. but i've had this vision in my head of a long distance run, where my body feels strong and capable; that's it's able to endure any bad mental inhibitions, and just go for it! i've been a few days in using a training app on my phone (thank you Sarah for putting me on to this!), that provides some much needed structure and guidance for getting started. besides my legs being absolutely sore/jelly, i'm feeling super strong and steady taking on this personal endeavor!
since burning up more calories each day than i'm used to, i now feel a lot more hungry! this is where these waffles come in! since seeing this recipe, all i've had on my brain was savory waffles; and since i also love utilizing garbanzo bean flour in just about everything, i thought that it would make be an awesome base for the waffles i had in mind. i really love using chickpea flour mainly for its unique flavor, but also because it's an awesome source of protein, carbs, vitamins, and fiber - something i don't generally think of when i eat waffles, so i wanted that to change! here, i added zucchini to the batter, because i still have a bunch leftover from last weekend, along with some fresh basil, leftover fennel fronds, and a healthy amount of garlic. i topped them with a simple tomato and shaved fennel salad just to lighten it up and add some crunch. these waffles can certainly be adapted to your liking and can be served with just about anything : )
zucchini-basil chickpea waffles w/ tomato + shaved fennel salad (gluten + dairy free)
| makes 8 waffles |
ingredients
- 2 cups garbanzo bean flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 free range eggs
- 1 zucchini, grated using the course holes on a box grater
- 1 cup + 1-2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
tomato + shaved fennel salad
- 2-3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- 1 small fennel bulb, shaved on a mandolin or sliced thin
- dozen whole small basil leaves
- a couple sprigs fennel fronds, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt + pepper
instructions
tomato + fennel salad
- place tomato, fennel, basil, and fronds in a medium bowl and season with salt + pepper. in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and oil until fully incorporated. a little at a time, add lemon and oil mix over the salad, taste and adjust seasonings. set aside
chickpea waffles
- in a large bowl, combine garbanzo bean flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. in another large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, zucchini, almond milk, olive oil, garlic, basil, and chopped fronds
- at this point, heat your waffle maker on medium-high (my waffle maker has a heat setting from 1-5 - 1 being the lowest - so i turn mine to about a 4 1/2)
- prepare a baking sheet with parchment and preheat oven to warm or 200°. mix the wet ingredients into the dry, and combine until fully mixed. once your waffle iron reaches desired heat, spoon about 3 tablespoons worth of batter onto your iron and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes. transfer waffle to baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. repeat with remaining batter
- remove waffles from oven and top with tomato + fennel salad, garnish with extra fennel fronds or leftover basil
enjoy!