On the First Day of Waffle Week.....

January 2nd, 2012
Hello World,
One of my favorite childhood dinners was waffles, served with sausage gravy (cream style) with fried apples on the side. Ok, maybe I learned to truly like it as I got older, as I'm sure as a picky child, I only ate the waffles and maybe the apples, but, I"ve made a bit of progress since then. We'll hope my youngest child does the same. This has become one of my family's favorites as well. We have two daughters- Rachel- 8 and Alyssa-10 years old, and the younger one's palate is a bit challenged once she goes past pizza and pasta.

Our dinner conversation sometime in December "birdwalked" a bit, and we began teasing about eating waffles everyday. The scene was set, we upped the ante, and the idea of our First Annual Waffle Week was born, amidst great teasing and laughing. Much to my husband's dismay, I announced last week that our waffle week would commence on January 2nd, before he could escape to sea. As we've shared our news with others, their reaction has varied between amusement, to "that sounds gross!".

The rules were simple: we have to eat waffles for at least one meal each day for the next week; we cannot serve the exact same waffle more then once; and they cannot all be dessert waffles. Amidst a few groans and eye rolling, the family challenge began. Luckily, both my husband and I enjoy cooking and he accepted the first night's challenge (while still on vacation). Viva the Internet to help out with ideas, along with a breakfast cookbook we received as a wedding gift.

Tonight he made an Italian Sourdough Waffle (starter from Camaldoli, Italy) with herbs, topped with Sauteed Chicken in a Shallot Cream Sauce, served with peas. The results were....... delicious! : )

Italian Sourdough Waffle:
2 c. Sourdough starter
1 c. flour
Mix and proof for 8-12 hours in a warm room
1/2 c. milk,
2 Tbls butter, melted
1 T. sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp dry Italian herbs
2 eggs, separated, with white beaten stiff
Up to 1 c. additional flour, unitl right batter consistency

Mix all with starter, beat egg whites and fold in just before baking. Made 6-7 waffles.


Chicken in Shallot Cream Sauce
1 1/2 lbs chicken, boneless, skinless, cubed in bite sizes
2 large shallots, chopped
2 T butter
1/2 c. chardonnay
1 c. chicken broth
1 T dijon mustard
wondra flour to thicken (we needed a bit more)
1/2 c. whipping cream (can use the fat free half & half)

Preheat oven to 300 F, with bowl, or serving dish in oven to heat up. Brown chicken in small amount of olive oil, 2 min per side (will not be fully cooked) and place in oven. ADd butter to pan, brown shallots about 5 minutes, being careful not to burn. Deglaze with white wine and reduce liquid, add broth mixed with 1 T Wondra and dijon, bring to boil, add cream and reduce heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over chicken before serving.

We used a Belgian waffle maker, and it might have been best to cook 1-2 waffles before sitting down to the table, but we just split the first one between the girls, and waited patiently for ours. Both my husband and I were shocked when Rachel announced that it was yummy! There are not truly many meals that all four of us think are fabulous, so this truly was a feat. We served the chicken with sauce and the peas all on top of the waffle. It was rich, yummy, and a wonderful blend of flavors. The waffle was a great blend of crispy and soft to soak up all the sauce, and the peas were easier to eat as they stayed in the craters! Each enjoyed a bit of waffle with butter at the end of the meal. Alyssa thought the herbs were a bit stong, and I wanted the sauce a bit thicker and to coat your mouth a bit more (maybe real cream instead of the fake stuff!).

We're hoping to have enough room (and time) for a dessert waffle before bedtime tonight. I may not be on the right road to losing a bit of the Christmas Pudge, but I think we are on the right path for more fun as a family. Our first meal was a complete success and as my honey said, "The only place to go is - down!", so we'll hope for a bit of success tomorrow on my first night.