disclosure: by posting these orange juice belgian waffles i am entering a recipe contest sponsored by juice products association and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
do you menu plan?
“umm, no,” used to be my answer to that one. walking into the grocery store unarmed with a list or a plan is usually my way. for better or worse. and lately it’s felt like worse. i’d just run out of ideas… and trying to find something at 5pm to make for dinner with whatever i had on hand, that everyone would eat, felt like consistent torturous episodes of “chopped”.
not only am i now trying to think through the week, plan what to buy (and save a ton of randomness in my fridge and pantry), but also to know i have healthy, balanced dinners to feed my family’s faces. with a teen, an 8-year old, and a 5-year old, their likes/dislikes and appetites are all over the place.
to be fair, i’m not sitting down on sundays and writing anything down on white boards or chalkboards, or even organized pre-printed menu planners. i mean, baby steps. i’m basically just thinking of things to make each night. so then i have a plan in my head and the groceries at the ready.
and let’s all agree… the very best dinner to add into the week is the “breakfast for dinner” dinner. right?! right.
let’s discuss all of the reasons why it needs to be around always, every week. it’s fast. it’s delicious. everyone will eat it. there’s usually maple syrup involved. bacon. and you can squeeze in fruit and juice to feel like you’ve added vitamins and minerals to your kids’ day.
now, enter… these orange juice belgian waffles. these beauties are bursting with orange flavor thanks to swapping out milk for 100% orange juice. not only does that make them delicious and dairy-free, but it also makes them full of vitamin C. because according to the dietary guidelines one cup of 100% fruit juice is equivalent to one cup of fruit and contains similar nutrients to the fruit it is squeezed from.
juice complements fruit and when consumed in appropriate amounts, is an easy and affordable way for both children and adults to meet their daily fruit goals.
so as i do my gosh-darn best to keep up this meal planning and purposeful dinner-making, i will absolutely be keeping these orange juice belgian waffles and “breakfast for dinner” on the menu!
Orange Juice Belgian Waffles
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup arrowroot or cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup canola oil preferably organic
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- zest of 1 orange
- 2 cups 100% orange juice
Instructions
- Heat waffle maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Combine flour, arrowroot or cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In another bowl, combine eggs, oil, vanilla paste, orange zest, and 100% orange juice. Stir well with a wire whisk. Add mixture to flour mixture and stir with a wire whisk until well combined. Let sit for 2-3 minutes to thicken.
- Pour about 1/2 cup of batter onto greased, heated griddle and cook until waffle is done, according to manufacturer's instructions. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
for other waffles recipes, check out banana chocolate chip waffles, dark chocolate peanut butter waffles, and grain-free birthday cake waffle donuts.
