Honey Belgian Waffles with Strawberry Syrup

So last night Lachlan wanted waffles for dinner....well, I can't blame him cause' he's been telling me to make waffles for like 2 weeks now.  Like I said before, it's not often I make a homemade breakfast so I figured I'd go ahead and make some for dinner.  Heck, if a diner can have breakfast for dinner than so can we!  Jennifer and Lachlan are both big fans of strawberries so Jennifer made this syrup/compote.  It's super easy to make fruit syrups and waffles aren't all that hard but there are quite a few steps to making good waffles.  My mom just gave us a new waffle maker which actually did pretty good.  I usually find than most waffle makers just steam the waffles but don't crisp them up.  Not unless you wanna drop like 150 bucks on a sweet one.  This is a pretty basic batter but I substituted the usual sugar for honey, mostly cause I didn't feel like beating it with eggs cause my arm would get tired and I have to use the Kitchen Aid mixer for the egg whites.  You can top these waffles with whatever you like, we decided on the Strawberry Syrup and Cool Whip.

For the Waffles:
2 Cups Bread Flour
1 1/2 Cups Milk
1/2 Cup Buttermilk
4 Eggs, Separated and Keeping the Whites
3 Tbs Honey
1 tsp Madagascar Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Iodized Salt

For the Strawberry Syrup:
1 Lbs Fresh Strawberries, Leaves removed and Sliced
2 Tbs Granulated Sugar
2 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
2 tsp Cornstarch

For the Strawberry Syrup, combine all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Simmer till strawberries break down a bit and you get a nice medium thick consistency, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Preheat your waffle maker according to manufacturers directions.  In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.  In another bowl combine the egg yolks and honey, whisk till combined well about 2 minutes.  Add the milk, buttermilk and vanilla, mix well.  In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites until you get stiff peaks, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Combine the milk and egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir till just combined.  It's OK if some lumps are present, you don't want to over work the batter.  Now, gently fold in the egg whites, about a 1/3 at time till just combined.  Spray your waffle maker with non-stick spray and ladle in just enough batter to almost coat each well.  You want to leave a little room from the edges and the waffle batter will expand when you close the lid, and overflow sucks cleaning.  Now at this point you want to cook the waffle to your manufacturers specs.  Each maker is different but in general, it usually takes about 4 to 6 minutes.  Remove the waffles and repeat with remaining batter.  Serve with the Strawberry Syrup, some maple syrup and whipped cream if you like.

Chicken Salad with Chevre & Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

Salad is not that prominent in our household, but sometimes you gotta be on the spot with what's in your fridge.  I just picked up some new rubs for the web store so I wanted to give the Exotic Mushroom Rub a try.  I've been playing with a steak version in my head but we didn't have any thawed tonight so chicken was the go to protein.  The rub has a basic recipe on the label so I decided to glam it up a bit with a fresh, bright salad with a lemon vinaigrette.

Adapted from Tom Douglas's Rub with Love

For the Chicken:
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts Lightly Pounded to Even Thickness
4 Tbs Rub with Love Exotic Mushroom Rub
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to Taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Salad:
4 Slices Smoked Bacon, Rough Dice
3 oz Chevre, Crumbled
1 Bag Mixed Greens, Washed and Ready to Eat
3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tbs Clover Honey
Cibatta Croutons (Recipe Follows)

For the Croutons:
Half a Loaf Cibatta Bread, Large Dice
Garlic Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl add cibatta bread and toss with a few drizzles of the olive oil.  Season with the garlic salt and pepper and toss again to coat.  Set aside.  For the chicken, season with the Mushroom Rub and some kosher salt & pepper.  Heat a good 2 count of the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.  When the oil starts to shimmer add the chicken breasts.  Cook for about 2 minutes per side and transfer the pan to the oven.  You can also transfer the croutons to a baking pan and put them in the oven at this time as well.  Both the croutons and the chicken will cook for about 10 to 12 minutes.

While the chicken and croutons are cooking you can start the salad.  In a small saute pan over medium heat add the bacon and saute till crispy about 7 minutes or so.  Transfer the cooked bacon and a paper towel to drain a bit.  In a small bowl add the lemon juice, honey, kosher salt and pepper and begin whisking in the olive oil till nicely emulsified.

When the chicken and croutons are done it's time to combine all the component.  Allow the chicken to rest while you toss all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Take the tossed salad and put a good cup or so on each plate.  Slice up the chicken breasts on a bias and fan out the plates with salad.  Serve immediately.

Homemade Maple Sausage with Parmesan Scrambled Eggs

It's not too often that I really get a chance to make a homemade breakfast for everyone, except for the occasional day off and special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.  Usually it's the usual pre-cooked bacon and ready made pancake mix that is considered "home cooked".  Every time we go to our favorite breakfast joint I usually get some pancakes and dip my sausage and bacon in the warm maple syrup.  Well, you can buy sausage already done for you in the supermarket, and even some with maple flavoring, but why do that when making it at home is so easy.  I like to do patties since it's a lot quicker and I don't have to special order some edible sausage casings.  Jennifer loves Parmesan so I figured adding them to some eggs would be a winner.

For the Sausage Patties:
1 Lbs Ground Pork
3 Tbs Maple Syrup
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Dried Sage
1 tsp Granulated Garlic
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper
Pinch Dried Red Pepper Flakes

For the Eggs:
6 Eggs
1/4 Cup Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, Plus More to Top Eggs
3 Tbs Milk
1 Tbs Unsalted Butter
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper

In a medium glass or plastic bowl combine all the ingredients for the sausage patties, mix really well.  Make about 6 balls and form into patties, they key here is even sizes or it won't cook evenly.  Place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator overnight for the flavors to meld and so the patties hold their shape.  The next day remove from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature, about a half hour.  Get a good cask iron skillet and set over medium heat.  When the skillet has had a chance to heat up add the patties.  There should be enough fat in the pork so no oil should be needed to cook the patties.  Add patties to the pan, cover and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes per side or until cooked through, you want to watch the heat here as the maple will have a tendency to burn.  Covering the pan will help steam the pork which will cook it through and keep it moist.  While the sausage is cooking you will want to turn your attention to the eggs.

Set a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat.  In a bowl combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  Whisk for a couple of minutes so air can allow the eggs to increase their volume a bit.  Add half the Parmesan cheese and whisk briefly to combine.  Melt the butter in the skillet and add the eggs.  Whisk around constantly till the eggs are cooked but still have a soft texture to them, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Plate with sausages and top eggs with remaining shaved cheese.  Serve hot.