Heart Healthy Waffles

I'm on the hunt for some heart healthy recipes for my father who just underwent a 5-way bypass a couple of weeks ago. He's a picky eater, and he likes food... just like me. They say the apple doesn't fall from the tree and in this particular case, it's spot on. Food is supposed to taste good, and unfortunately a lot of bad-for-you foods taste very good. He'd rather eat nothing than something that resembles sawdust on a plate (to him, anyway).

However, since I've changed my diet, I know that there are a lot of healthy foods that taste equally as good if not better than anything you can find in a bag or a box. So in my attempt to get him heart healthy, and keep my mother from going crazy in the kitchen, I'm starting with breakfast and a new series.

So how can waffles possibly be a heart-healthy food you ask? You replace all-purpose flour with a combination of whole wheat flour and all-purpose and replace butter with non-fat buttermilk to start.

Heart Healthy Waffles

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups nonfat buttermilk

1 large EB egg, separated (Eggland's Best)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 large EB egg whites

1-2 tablespoons sugar

Combine dry ingredients (minus the sugar) in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg yolk, oil and vanilla together. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and stir gently until moistened.

In another bowl, beat the three egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue to beat until stiff and glossy. Gently fold one quarter of the beaten egg whites into your batter. Fold remaining egg whites using a rubber spatula.

Preheat your waffle iron and brush the surface lightly with oil (you can also use a non-fat oil spray if desired). Fill the waffle iron 2/3 full. Cook until waffles are golden, approximately 5-6 minutes. Repeat for each additional waffle.

Top with fresh fruit. (Blackberry (or other berry) Syrup: 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries, 1/2 cup maple syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Combine all in a small pan and cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated.)

I'm bringing him some vegetarian chili this week from our local pub. They make it with vegan meat crumbles and lots a great veggies. Shhh... he won't know the difference.

Photo: Emily Carlin