National Oatmeal Nut Waffle Day

So today’s question really is:

How healthy do you want your food to be?

I can tell you friends, I have the best intentions. I signed up for National Oatmeal Nut Waffle Day with the true intention of bringing a yummy, healthy version of a waffle to the masses (or to the 50 odd people a day who read this blog!). Add some roughage (oatmeal), add some protein (nuts), top with some healthy apple sauce (no refined sugar for this girl!) and Voila! a delicious meal my naturopath can be proud of.

I my path towards this health conscious nirvana took this recipe:

1-1/2 cups whole grain buckwheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten (I used egg replacer)
2 cups milk (I used nut milk)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2cup chopped nuts

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Combine eggs, milk, oil; stir into dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in oats and nuts. Bake in a preheated waffle iron until golden brown.

The result?

*drumroll please*

I invented edible cardboard!

Yes, all that fiber, none of that butter and sugar, came together in some kind of synergistic way to make a truly dense and unappetizing waffle. I mean, it hadn’t even occurred to me that you could make a bad waffle, much less an offensive one.

So what’s the health conscious girl to do when faced with such a calamity in the kitchen?

(1) Smother said offensive waffle with brie. There, I can’t see it.

(2) Now dose with maple syrup… that about covers the worst of it.

(3) Tuck in… and promise myself I’ll go for a long walk in the morning to atone for my sins…

National Cashew Day

Five Random Factoids About Cashews

1. The Cashew plant is native to northeastern Brazil. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. [Thank you, Wikipedia!]
2. Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense the fruit of the cashew is a seed. The seed is surrounded by a double shell containing a  a potent skin irritant chemically related the toxin found in poison ivy. This caustic resin is actually used in industry to make varnishes and insecticides!
3. In Malaysia, the young leaves of the plant are often eaten raw as salad or with sambal belacan (shrimp paste mixed with chili and lime).
4. Although cashews may be labeled as raw, they are never completely raw since heat is a necessity during the shelling and cleaning process. (I learned this earlier today from my very smart friend Lindsay!)
5. Cashews are delicious when eaten in a Cashew apple curry on jasmine rice*.

Deanna

*No, I didn’t make this myself. It came from a far far better place: Devour. If you’re not already familiar with it, Devour is a teeny tiny restaurant on Broughton St. in Victoria. Everyday the women who own it make about six entirely original dishes, and every day, each and every one is delicious. I can say this with authority, as I have now eaten there dozens of times, and have never had a bad meal. I have however, for slightly more than the price of a Big Mac meal, had a lunch that made me nearly weep with pleasure, and has caused me to immediately scuttle back to the office to email all my fellow office dwellers in an effort of exhort them to not miss the lamb shank/crab salad/tortiere/casoulet with duck confit etc. Go soon, go often.