orangey whole wheat waffles + strawberry puree.

When I think of breakfast for dinner, I am transported to my seat at my sister's turquoise kitchen table. She is over the stove, creating some tasty dish, while her husband, Mark, is chopping red potatoes into impossibly small pieces, and nestling them into the oven to turn golden brown.

Or, it is Jeffrey and I in our small Gainesville kitchen, making a mile high stack of pancakes. My sister is sitting on the bright red stool in the corner and Mark is in the doorway. We're probably musing about Woody's good looks.

Breakfast for dinner is one of my fondest memories of my graduate work at the University of Florida. It just so happened that my sister lived a block away and we walked to each other's houses each week to enjoy some lovingly prepared dish — always breakfast for dinner, usually on a Thursday evening.

Breakfast is special, but breakfast for dinner is magical. It is especially magical when the company is good, the table is small, and the helpings are aplenty. While Jeffrey and I no longer live just a block away from my sister and Mark, our hearts are still neighbors. Sometimes it feels good to create a dish that brings back a memory. A memory of turquoise tables, small kitchens, tiny potatoes, red stools, and the best company in all the South.
O R A N G E Y  W H O L E  W H E A T  W A F F L E S  +  S T R A W B E R R Y  P U R E E

Serves 2 (with leftover puree to drizzle over anything and everything your heart desires!)

I N G R E D I E N T S

Orangey Whole Wheat Waffles

• 1 egg
• 1 cup (organic) whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons almond milk 
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-3 tablespoons water (to thin batter)
• zest of 1 (organic) orange

Strawberry Puree

• 6 strawberries
• juice of half an orange (use the one you just zested!)
• 1/4 teaspoon honey

W A F F L E  D I R E C T I O N S

1. Preheat the waffle iron. Set aside.
2. Beat the egg in a mixing bowl, until it is pale yellow and fluffy (a light foam should form on the top).*
3. Slowly add the rest of the ingredients (except for the zest and the water) and beat to combine.
4. Gently fold in the orange zest until well combined.
5. Start by adding one tablespoon of water to the batter and fold to combine. The consistency should be slightly runny, but not too runny (a bit thicker than a traditional pancake batter). Continue adding water by the tablespoon until desired consistency is reached (I added three tablespoons, but could have added four).
6. Coat the waffle iron with a thin layer of coconut oil. Use your waffle iron's directions to heat and cook waffles (the amount of batter per waffle is often dependent on your particular waffle iron). Serve hot with butter (we use Earth Balance), maple syrup, and a dollop of strawberry puree (directions below).

* Note: A fluffier egg leads to fluffier waffles. Beat a little extra if you're a fluffy-waffle lover.

P U R E E  D I R E C T I O N S

1. Wash the strawberries and remove the stems.
2. Place strawberries, fresh orange juice, and honey into a blender and pulse until combined.

As an aside, this makes plenty of puree (much more than we needed for this recipe). Its other possible uses are endless: on yogurt, in oatmeal, on ice cream, added into a tasty smoothie of coconut milk + ice cubes, etc. Yum!