I made a list of things to tell you once I announced the book—things I had to keep from you while I worked away in secret. It was a strange period, largely because I was so exhausted, completely depleted by a whole set of things I couldn’t write about. Yet. And so, for the past year, I had to make do with just telling you how tired I was and hoping you wouldn’t judge me. But the whole time I kept a running tally of the delicious and bizarre little tidbits that I wanted to share with you when I finally could. Which is now.
And because everything is better with a plate of waffles and an ice cold glass of milk, I made you some very non-traditional, very delicious jalapeño cheddar waffles rancheros. Because who doesn’t want their confessional lists with a side of brunch? No-one, that’s who.
And so, without further ado, I give you:
THINGS THAT HAPPENED WHILE I WROTE MY BOOK
- I got hives.
- I found out my ex—who told me he couldn’t get married for five years—got engaged.
- I threw out my back.
- Had several conversations that scared the bejesus out of me, to prove to myself that I could.
- I got in a fight with my father about his preemptive acceptance of anything and everything I wrote about him in the book (don’t try to make it make sense).
- I got in another fight with a best friend.
- I forgot another best friend’s birthday.
- I forgot to drink water.
- I forgot to eat.
- I remembered to eat but forgot to eat anything but graham crackers with peanut butter.
- I cried a lot.
- I asked for help a lot, at first just to the air and the walls and my pots and pans.
- I prayed that help would conjure itself out of thin air, into my kitchen.
- I realized I could not do it all alone.
- I hired a miraculous assistant named Shelby who is far cooler than I will ever be.
- I burned a galette and threw the entire thing in the trash.
- I worked every single day for three months straight, without weekends.
- I became very afraid of my inbox.
- I discovered that I could be way more productive than I typically am.
- I wrote most of a book sitting at the bar of Republique LA, flanked by $8 almond milk matcha lattes and giant bottles of sparkling water and sometimes other writer friends who came to write and keep me company.
I could go on, but I’ll save some for another day and leave you with these waffles, which were inspired by dish on Republique’s brunch menu. The waffles are scented with cumin, cilantro, and sautéed jalapeño peppers, infused with the crunch of cornmeal, and made tender with sharp cheddar cheese. They’re a savory dream, paired with garlicky cumin black beans, a perfectly fried egg, good salsa, sour cream, and fresh avocado.
It’s what to eat when you finally take a day off. Or even a morning, for that matter. Don’t forget the milk! Pro tip: It’s always fun to keep extra waffles in your freezer for the next time the waffle craving hits.
This post is sponsored by got milk? Thanks for supporting the businesses that keep Kale & Caramel thriving! All opinions are my own.
JALAPEÑO CHEDDAR WAFFLES RANCHEROS.
Ingredients
jalapeño cheddar waffles
- 1 tablespoons jalapeño pepper trimmed, seeded, and finely chopped (about 2 chopped jalapeño)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro loosely packed, finely chopped
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
cumin black beans
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 clove large garlic minced
- 1 15 oz can cooked black beans drained
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
waffles rancheros toppings
- eggs + oil or butter to fry them in (1 egg per person, adjust for number of people being served)
- salsa
- avocado
- sour cream
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
Sauté the jalapeño.
- In a small frying pan, sauté 2 tablespoons of chopped jalapeño peppers in 1 tablespoon olive oil (reserve remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil for lateover medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat.
Make the waffles.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper. In another large mixing bowl, whisk milk, maple syrup, eggs, and apple cider vinegar. When egg and milk are completely integrated, whisk in finely chopped cilantro. Pour wet ingredients into dry, gently incorporating with a whisk until no large clumps remain. Add in grated cheddar cheese and use whisk to combine.
- Preheat oven to 200º to keep prepared waffles warm while you make the full batch. Prepare waffle iron and cook waffles according to your machine’s specifications. (Mine took about 3 tablespoons of batter per waffle square, and cooked 3 ½ minutes each time.) Keep warm on a baking sheet in oven while you prepare the rest.
Make the cumin black beans.
- In a frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic, drained black beans, sea salt, and cumin, and stir to integrate ingredients. Sauté for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and keep covered until ready to serve.
Fry the eggs.
- In a frying pan, heat butter or oil over medium-high flame. When pan sizzles to a drop of water, crack in desired number of eggs and fry until white is completely cooked through. Pro tip: Use a silicone spatula to push the egg white that remains close to the yolk to the outer edges of the frying egg so that the entirety of the egg white cooks evenly. Eggs are done when yolk has reached desired level of runniness
- or doneness.
Assemble the waffles rancheros.
- Top waffles with cumin black beans, fried egg, sliced avocado, salsa, and sour cream. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, some flaky sea salt, and a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Serve with milk, of course!
