Don’t waffle, try these recipes

Cookbook explores using waffle makers to create many kinds of treats

The time is right.

I’d been preparing to review “150 Best Waffle Maker Recipes, from Sweet to Savory” when I read that March 25 is National Waffle Day. What better time could there be to offer my thoughts about a book of waffle recipes than the lead-up to this celebratory day?

Marilyn Haugen and Jennifer MacKenzie, both seasoned cookbook writers, have stretched their imaginations to create novel recipes for the waffle maker. Following the essential first chapter on Classic Waffles, featuring excellent recipes for Classic Buttermilk Waffles, Cornmeal Waffles (my crunchy favourite) and Multigrain Waffles, they lead us deeper into the world of possibilities, with chapters on Breakfast and Brunch, Snacks and Light Bites, Grab-and-Go Burgers and Sandwiches, Main Dishes, Vegetarian Waffles, and Desserts and Treats.

Many of the recipes in “150 Best Waffle Maker Recipes” explore the potential to use waffle makers where we would normally use other pans, bakeware, skillets, and small appliances such as sandwich grills. Readers might be surprised at the idea of preparing perogies, kabobs, hamburgers, corn dogs, tuna steak, or pork chops with a waffle maker, but the recipes are all there.

Before you leap up from your chair and donate your other appliances to charity, consider a few of my observations.

First, if you have a hinged upright waffle maker designed so that you can pour the batter through a top opening that allows it to fill the space between the two grills, as I do, you will notice some limitations. When preparing recipes for waffles with thick batters and for dishes containing solid foods such as chicken pieces, I had to open the heated grill, arrange the uncooked product on the lower grill, and then carefully raise it up and snap the grills together to allow the food to cook. Sounds easy. It isn’t. For certain dishes, I had to hold the waffle maker in the closed position while the food cooked because the food was too thick to permit the grills to latch together.

Also, although my waffle maker has nonstick grills, and I used nonstick spray as directed, I found that it often took a considerable amount of time and patience to clean fragments of food that had stuck to the grills while cooking.

Yes, the shortcomings are with my waffle maker and not the recipes. But, you should keep this in mind if you have a similar appliance and are thinking about using this book. I seriously considered buying a waffle maker that cooks in the horizontal position and has nonstick grills that are removable for easy cleaning, to use with these recipes.

After I learned how to use my awkward waffle maker for the

recipes in the book, I was pleasantly surprised by how well some turned out. For example, this waffle maker Tandoori-Style chicken was tender and tasted great.

Tandoori-Style Chicken

From Haugen, Marilyn & Jennifer MacKenzie: “150 Best Waffle Maker Recipes, from Sweet to Savory” Robert Rose Inc., Toronto, 2018.

½ lime

5 mL (1 tsp) minced garlic

5 mL (1 tsp) minced ginger root

5 mL (1 tsp) paprika

5 mL (1 tsp) ground cumin

2 mL (½ tsp) ground coriander

125 mL (½ cup) plain Greek yogurt

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 375 g/12 oz. total)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 slices naan

Cut 2 wedges from lime. Cover and refrigerate wedges. Squeeze juice from remaining lime.

In a medium bowl or large sealable plastic bag, combine garlic, ginger, paprika, cumin, coriander, yogurt and lime juice. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to marinade, turning to coat. Cover bowl or seal bag and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.

Preheat waffle maker. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Arrange chicken thighs in waffle maker, spacing them apart, and cook for 4 minutes or until chicken is browned and juices run clear when chicken is pierced. Transfer to serving plates. Carefully wipe waffle maker grids with a paper towel. In batches as necessary, arrange naan in the waffle maker and cook for 30 seconds or until lightly toasted.

Serve tandoori chicken with naan and lime wedges.

National Waffle Day is coming soon. Will you celebrate with sweet or savoury waffles?

Margaret Prouse From My Kitchen

123RF/SUBMITTED PHOTO Many of the recipes in “150 Best Waffle Maker Recipes” explore the potential to use waffle makers where we would normally use other pans, bakeware and skillets.