My Morning Chocolate

Waffle, Bacon, Egg, Cheese, and Maple Syrup Sandwich (see below for the vegetarian version)

I went to New York this weekend so I fully intended to find a New York food experience to blog about for today. But even though the city is overcrowded with restaurants and food stores, I couldn’t stop thinking about making a sweet and salty breakfast sandwich, kind of like the McDonald’s McGriddle pancake sandwich or the waffle sandwich created by Elia on Top Chef Season 2.

So last night, I made two versions of the waffle breakfast sandwich, one with bacon and eggs and another with vegetarian Canadian bacon and tofu eggs. I included a hot habanero cheese and topped the whole sandwich with some maple syrup to balance the heat. Delicious!

Open-Faced Waffle, Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich
This sandwich is salty and sweet. For best results, serve it immediately when the waffles are still hot and the eggs are fresh.

For the waffles, feel free to adapt the recipe using the type of flour and milk you like. I cut the fat down by using a combination of applesauce and oil, but for the crispiest waffles use a full ¼ cup of oil and omit the applesauce. You can also use this waffle recipe from 1651 – the directions aren’t as direct but it’s interesting to see how they were written more than 300 years ago.

Basic Waffles
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

3 eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups milk or buttermilk (I used vanilla soy milk)
3 tablespoons applesauce
1 tablespoon oil or butter, melted
1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup garbanzo bean flour (or use whole-wheat pastry
flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

In a bowl, mix the wet ingredients together. In another bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine with a fork or whisk. The batter should be on the thin side so your waffles won’t be too cakey. Test a spoonful to be sure and add more milk if it’s too thick. Cook according to your waffle iron’s instructions.  This recipe made 8 waffles in my Belgian waffle maker.

Bacon and Eggs/Vegetarian Bacon and Tofu Eggs

The vegetarian version: a waffle topped with soy bacon, tofu eggs, cheese, and maple syrup

For the meat eater’s version, cook the bacon and eggs your favorite way. I scrambled the eggs in some oil and leftover bacon fat.

For the vegetarian meat, I recommend Morningstar Farms Vegetarian Bacon Strips (I didn’t like the vegetarian Canadian bacon I bought – it didn’t taste anything like bacon).

To make tofu eggs: To make the tofu eggs, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan. Chop a small onion or a couple of shallots and cook until they start to get brown. Crumble the tofu, squeezing it first with your hands or through a colander to remove moisture, and add to the pan. Add ½ teaspoon of turmeric, and salt and pepper to taste.

To Assemble Sandwiches
Top each waffle with 2 or 3 slices of bacon, 2 or 3 slices of your favorite cheese like habanero cheese, and the eggs or tofu eggs. Drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons of maple syrup on top and some parsley or scallions. Serve hot.