Adventures in the Life of a Vegan Fur Ninja: Chocolate Chip and Toasted Pumpkin Seed Waffles

Happy new year! I realize that I haven't posted since before Christmas, but the holidays were crazy and then directly afterwards I came down with the flu.....again. I guess they weren't kidding when they said on the news that this year was a terrible year for the flu. However, I'm feeling better now, so I'm back! Well, yesterday some tragedy hit - the drive axle on my car broke while I was picking Mike up from work yesterday. So here we are sitting around today waiting for the garage to call about my car. Mike is off work today since he has no way of getting there, so I thought I may as well turn a negative into a positive and use this little impromptu "vacation" day as an excuse to make a nice brunch for the two of us. I decided to make use of one of my Christmas presents - a new belgian waffle maker - to make some delicious lazy-day breakfast treats. Here's what I came up with - yummy, crispy, fluffy waffles with dark chocolate chips and toasted pumpkin seeds.

These waffles may be a bit decadent, what with the chocolate and all, but you can feel free to leave the chocolate out if you like. You can also make these with whole wheat pastry flour or a combination of whole wheat and white flours to make them healthier. I used white flour because it's what I had on hand, although I think they would be delicious made with whole-grain flour. As they are, these still pack a nutritional punch with the pumpkin seeds which are high in protein, vitamin E, magnesium, B vitamins and healthy monounsaturated fats. The flax seeds also add omega-3s and fiber and you get some antioxidants from the chocolate. Plus chocolate releases "happy feelings" chemicals in your brain. There's really not even all that much chocolate in the recipe - just enough to get a little "fix" - so I wouldn't worry too much about it. These are a great lazy-day treat for you and someone you love.

Chocolate Chip and Toasted Pumpkin Seed Waffles

Ingredients:

1/3 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
1/2 cup water
2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups non-dairy milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

Pre-heat your waffle maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pumpkin seeds to the dry skillet and toast the seeds until slightly golden and fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Stir the seeds constantly and be careful not to burn. Remove from heat and set aside.
Combine the flax seeds and water in a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy. Place the flax seed mixture in a small bowl and add the non-dairy milk, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. In a separate, large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the toasted pumpkin seeds and chocolate chips.
Cook the batter in your pre-heated waffle maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks:

1. A "bullet" style mini blender works great for blending the flax seeds and water. Alternately, you can purchase flax seed meal rather than whole seeds, and simply mix the meal with the water with a fork or whisk until creamy.

2. Leftover waffles freeze well for a quick breakfast in the days ahead. Simply place a sheet of foil or waxed paper between each waffle, and wrap the whole stack in more foil or plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Re-heat in a toaster oven and you have a nearly-instant yummy breakfast that's far more tasty and delicious than anything from the supermarket freezer section.

That's all for now, ninjas! More recipes forthcoming! I'll leave you now with a few more pics of our romantic little candlelight brunch from today :)