mid-week breakfast: cornmeal-ricotta waffles

Tip toeing around a chilly morning kitchen isn't my idea of a good time. Weekday mornings are an in and out affair. I put the espresso pot on the stove and quickly stir up some oats and jump into the shower. When I come back, the kitchen has warmed up considerably and I can start my day. But endless days of porridge can be a bit of a drag and yesterday morning I decided to put a little something special into a mid-week breakfast. I looked back to a couple of earlier breakfast recipes (cornmeal pancakes and orange ricotta pancakes) and decided to do a little mash-up. Instead of pancakes, I was going to combine the best elements of both recipes and whip up some waffles.

And what waffles they were! As soon as our waffle machine beeped letting us know the first waffle was ready, we tore it apart and ate it on the spot. No syrup, no plate, no cutlery...just pure waffle loveliness. Crunchy from the cornmeal and so airy and floaty with the ricotta, they took the chill out of a cold morning kitchen. With these in my belly, I say bring it on, Wednesday, I can take what you got!

Oh, and I'll be in Bellingham, Washington on Friday and Saturday...so if anyone has any food tips, please let me know! Perfect things to buy at Trader Joe's?? Gimme the scoop!

cornmeal - ricotta waffles
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 c cornmeal
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c ricotta
2 eggs
4 T melted butter
1 c vanilla yogurt
1/4 c water or milk

Mix up the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk until smooth. Prepare waffles the usual way.

breakfast on a cloud: orange ricotta pancakes

Despite the fact that my fridge is full of apples, there isn't one apple present in today's recipe. (Don't you love how I snuck in an apple into my baked pasta recipe yesterday? Ha.) More apples recipes to come, but this simple to make breakfast is all about the ricotta. These pancakes are light and fluffy and have a nice tang from the orange zest (although lemon zest could be subbed in too). Cornelius wasn't too sure about having pancakes with cheese - he obviously never grew up with my dad's amazing cottage cheese pancakes - but after the first bite he was converted.

This recipe makes for a pretty thick but delicate batter. Be careful not to add too much batter to the pan and make sure you gently smooth over the tops. The key is to get a nice crunchy edge which adds a nice contrast to the pillowy soft interiors. We topped ours with my favorite sour cherry jam, but warmed honey or a sprinkle of icing sugar would be perfect too.


orange ricotta pancakes
1 ¾ c ricotta
2 eggs
1/4 c sugar
zest of 1 large orange
1 t vanilla
2/3 c flour
butter

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, sugar, zest and vanilla. Gently fold in the flour.

2. Melt better over medium-high heat in a cast iron frying pan or griddle. Add a large tablespoon of batter for each pancake, slightly smoothing over the tops. Cook for 4 minutes per side. Serve with fruit preserves (I love sour cherry jam).