Lemon, Ricotta & Poppyseed Waffles

Serves 6

I have had my go-to waffle recipe for so many years now, I admit I got a little complacent with branching out.  Yeah, I added a carrot here or some berries there, but the basic pumpkin spelt recipe always stayed the same – if it ain’t broke why fix it, right?!  But something swept across me this week and I all of a sudden got the urge to try something totally different and I am so glad I made the leap!  

Whilst I am fully aware that I didn’t invent this delicious flavour combination, I still felt somewhat victorious when I took my first, utterly delightful bite.  The combination of the zesty lemon, paired with the creamy ricotta and the sweet blueberry compote was a total revelation.  If you are salivating at the thought of those flavours but don’t have a waffle press, then don’t despair! I am pretty darn sure that these would make equally delicious pancakes too.

I love to batch cook waffles on the weekend and freeze them individually so that they are ready to pop in the toaster on the manic weekday mornings before school.  They are low in sugar (only containing 3g of sugar) but are high in protein (containing 11g per waffle).  This makes them the perfect way to start the day for both kids and adults alike. 

By making the easy substitution from plain white flour to wholegrain spelt flour, it turns this breakfast into one high in fibre and complex carbohydrates, which actually stabilises blood sugar leading to more consistent energy levels.  Simple carbohydrates are broken down quickly by the body, and this causes a rapid rise in blood sugar followed by crash, which can lead to fatigue and hunger, not to mention weight gain.  This is a wonderful example of how making an easy ingredient swap can up the nutrition of a dish without compromising on taste in the slightest.

INGREDIENTS

For the Waffles

Dry Ingredients

·      20g Xylitol (or sugar of your choice)
·      20g Unflavoured Unsweetened Protein Powder (I used Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides) 
·      200g Wholegrain Spelt Flour
·      10g Poppyseeds
·      Pinch of Salt 

Wet Ingredients

·      125g Soft Ricotta
·      30ml Olive Oil (I used Belazu Lemon Infused Olive Oil for extra lemon-y-ness)
·      1 large Egg
·      Juice & Zest of 2 Lemons 
·      250ml Milk (I used Unsweetened Oat Milk) 

For the Blueberry Compote

·      1 Cup Frozen Blueberries
·      A Splash of Water
·     A squeeze of Lemon
·      Xylitol or Coconut Sugar to taste 

METHOD

·     In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and mix well.
·     Make a hole in the middle and crack in the egg. Combine.
·     Add the ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice and oil and mix.
·     Slowly whisk in the milk, trying to make sure there are no lumps.
·     Pre-heat the waffle iron and coat it with a cooking spray or brush with a little oil so that it doesn’t stick.
·     Spoon the batter onto waffle iron. 
·     Cook for 6-8 minutes until brown and crispy.
·     Repeat with remaining batter. 
·     While that is cooking, combine the frozen blueberries with a splash of water and a squeeze of lemon in a small saucepan.
·     Heat over a medium heat until it has started to boil. 
·     Taste and add a little sugar if too tart.
·     Take off the heat and mash with a fork. 
·     Serve on top of the waffles or else mix the blueberry compote with a little extra ricotta to make a creamy blueberry sauce.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Calories – 255
Protein – 11g
Fat – 11g
Carbohydrates – 29g
Fibre – 4g
Sugars – 3g
Vitamin C – 10%
Calcium – 15%
Iron – 10%