Sweet Potato Blueberry Waffles with Lifeway Kefir (GF)

I first stumbled upon kefir just over a year ago. That's probably a bit embarrassing to admit, but I honestly had no idea what it was. I pretty much just thought it was yogurt that was a little less thick and a little more liquid-y. The general consistency isn't that far off, but kefir itself is SO much more than that! It is packed with probiotics which are great for gut health and immunity. You may have heard these terms a lot recently, but that is because they are truly so important. Gut health is everything! It literally effects your entire body and is so important when it comes to digestion. Beyond the probiotic aspect, kefir is also high in protein, calcium, and vitamin D just to name a few. 

I was recently introduced to Lifeway Kefir, a brand of a variety of different, delicious kefir, cheeses, and other probiotic products. They have everything from flavored kefir to frozen (dessert-like) kefir to supplements and obviously your standard, plain kefir which I just love! With all of these options, I knew that I needed to have some fun playing around in the kitchen.

I'm starting it off with a sweet potato and blueberry gluten free waffle using Lifeway's blueberry kefir. I know the combo might sound a little weird, but it is SO good! Seriously, you can't knock it until you try it. And the flavor of this kefir is so delicious, you'll never know that there aren't actual blueberries in it.

Here's What You'll Need:

-1/2 of a large sweet potato (or 1 small one)
-1/2 cup Blueberry Lifeway Kefir
-1/4 cup water
-1/4 cup quinoa flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 egg

Instructions:

1) Cook you sweet potato until it softens by either roasting it in the oven or poking holes in it with a fork and microwaving . I generally microwave it for about 2-3 minutes per side.
2) Remove the skin, and place the softened sweet potato in a mixing bowl.
3) Mash the sweet potato with a fork until smooth.
4) Add in the remaining ingredients and mix together thoroughly until ingredients are evenly distributed.
5) Preheat and spray your waffle maker. Add in the mixture, and cook according to your waffle maker's instructions.
6) Remove from the waffle maker, serve, and enjoy!

I topped mine with some chopped walnuts for a little crunch and a drizzle of maple syrup. I'd definitely recommend the combination but would also love hear how you enjoyed yours! Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Pumpkin Pecan Waffles (GF)

It's officially fall, and therefore, officially pumpkin season in my opinion. So get ready for all of the pumpkin recipes! 

I love pumpkin flavored everything pretty much. From coffee to pies to baked goods, it really never fails. So I thought I'd start it off with a very classic All Roads Lead to Healthy pumpkin-style recipe, pumpkin waffles. I decided to kick it up a notch and make it pumpkin pecan, and you guys, it's SO freakin' fall and so freakin' delicious!

Here's What You'll Need:

-1/2 cup quinoa flour
-1 scoop Vanilla Ka'Chava (you can use the code allroadshealthy10 for a $10 store credit)
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 tsp nutmeg
-1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
-1/2 cup organic canned pumpkin
-2 tbsp Purely Pecans pecan butter
-1 egg
-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
-1/4 cup water

Instructions:

1) Preheat your waffle maker.
2) Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.
3) Pour one half of the mix into the waffle maker and cook according to waffle maker instructions.
4) Remove, and repeat with the second half of the batter.
5) Remove, serve, and top each waffle with your favorite toppings.

I topped mine with some extra pecan butter, a little maple syrup, and some pumpkin seeds which I'd highly recommend. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Banana Nut Waffles

I recently had the pleasure of trying the new LARA branded nut butters, and let me tell you they are no joke! These delicious nut butters can be found exclusively at Costco in the Northeast and Bay Area, and they definitely live up to the LARA name. This banana nut cashew & almond butter is just so good that I obviously needed to make it the center point of a waffle recipe. It really turns the ordinary waffle into the perfect, better for you treat!

Here's What You'll Need:

-1.5 cups quinoa flour (or the flour of your choosing)
-1 cup unsweetened almond milk
-1/4 cup water
-1 egg
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp coconut oil, melted
-4 tbsp LARA banana nut cashew & almond butter
-Pinch of sea salt

Makes 2 waffles

Instructions:

1) Preheat your waffle makers and spray or coat it with the cooking oil of your choosing (I use melted coconut oil).
2) In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until smooth.
3) Pour half of the mix into the waffle maker, and cook according to waffle maker instructions.
4) Remove the waffle, and repeat with the second half of the mixture.
5) Remove the second waffle, add the toppings of your choosing, and enjoy!

I topped mine with a little extra nut butter, and fresh bananas would also make a great addition! Let me know how you had your waffle and what you think in the comments below!

Gluten Free Broccoli and Cheddar Waffles

If you haven't gathered this already, I love playing around with waffles. I especially love making out of the box, savory waffles. I was going through my fridge this week, and the broccoli and cheddar combo just popped. It's such a good combo in and of itself, so why not try it out in waffle form?

So that's what I did, and it did not disappoint! Dare I say that it might be my favorite savory waffle combo yet? I know that's a bold statement, but you should try it out for yourself and let me know where it stacks up for you!

Here's What You'll Need:

-1 cup quinoa flour (or the flour of your choosing)
-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
-1/2 cup water
-1 egg
-1 cup broccoli florets
-1/4 cup shredded organic cheddar
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp ghee (original or garlic), melted
-Pinch of sea salt

Makes 2 waffles

Instructions:

1) Heat your waffle maker according to its instructions.
2) Steam the broccoli florets on the stove top or in the microwave until cooked or just under cooked. I placed mine in a microwave safe bowl with a little water, topped with an offset plate to allow steam out, and microwaved the bowl for about 90 seconds. Strain the broccoli.
3) In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa flour, baking powder, water, almond milk, egg, salt, and ghee.
4) Add in the broccoli florets and cheddar, and mix to evenly distribute.
5) Spray or coat your waffle maker with the cooking oil of your choosing. I used a little bit of melted ghee.
6) Pour half of the mixture into the waffle maker, spread the broccoli and cheddar evenly through out.
7) Cook according to waffle maker instructions.
8) Repeat with second half of batter.
9) Serve, top with desired toppings, and enjoy!

Savory waffles are a bit harder to top, and to be honest, this waffle tastes great on its own. I topped mine with a runny egg which I would highly recommend, or adding a little extra melted ghee would be a great option!

If you don't have or aren't familiar with ghee, you can use coconut oil or grass fed butter. But I would definitely recommend checking ghee out! It has some great health benefits and tastes delicious!

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Vanilla Chai Protein Waffles

Coming off of the Newport Beach Cleanse this week, I was really excited for waffle Wednesday. I couldn't really think of a way to incorporate waffles, even spiralized ones, into the cleanse without using eggs (which weren't permitted) as a binding agent. But that gave me two full weeks to think of some new, delicious waffle combinations, and trust me they were brewing (see what I did there). 

Besides waffles, I was thinking about this Chai tea conentrate I received from Dona Chai, which inconveniently came right around the time I was starting the cleanse (and caffeine is not permitted). Chai is easily one of my favorite flavors. I'm not super into very sweet things, but give me something that's a spice-y sweet, and I am SO in! 

As I was really getting into the details, I thought, is there anything better than chai? Only vanilla chai. So why not add in a scoop of my favorite superfood powder, Ka'Chava and also keep it gluten free and protein packed by using Almond Pro almond flour. So it was pretty much all laid out in my mind, I followed it through, and the result is REALLY. FREAKIN. GOOD. So let's get into it.

Here's What You'll Need:

-1/2 cup Almond Pro almond flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 scoop vanilla Ka'Chava (you can use the code allroadshealthy10 for a $10 store credit)
-1/4 cup Dona Chai chai tea concentrate
-2/3 cup water
-1 egg
-Pinch sea salt
-1 tbsp coconut oil

Serves 2

Instructions:

1) Heat up your waffle maker. I also usually coat mine in a little coconut oil so that the waffle doesn't stick, but do whatever you normally do.
2) Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. Yes, it's that simple. I generally do the dry ingredients, and then add in the wet. But realistically, it's all going to the same bowl eventually.
3) Add half the mixture to the waffle maker, and cook according to your waffle maker's instructions.
4) Remove the cooked waffle, and repeat with the second half of the batter.
5) Serve, top with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

I cooked up some peaches in a little maple syrup and cinnamon to top mine, and I would definitely recommend the combo! But feel free to do whatever works for you. Let me know what you think in the comments below and what toppings you are going to add or have added to yours!