OMG you guys, I’m so pumped to bring you this dish today because it is, to me the ultimate in cozy comforting food. This takes me way back to college to the first time I ever had chicken and waffles. I of course had heard of it as there was a pretty famous place for it relatively close to my campus but the first time I ever had it was at a small breakfast spot in Cincinnati that specialized in belgium waffles.
I mean okay for starters, if you ever get the chance to go to a Taste of Belgium location in the Cincinnati area you should do it because it’s ridiculous. These waffles are small in diameter but are thick and rich. They have a whole bunch of dessert type waffles but, having heard all of the good things about chicken and waffles it’s fair to say I had this very specific menu item in mind and I have never looked back.
I don’t want to say that I missed chicken and waffles being vegetarian because it’s one of those things I don’t think about until I’m faced with them in a restaurant. But when it hits its’ devastating trust me. Honestly, I’m jealous of Andrew because he’s never had it so he doesn’t know what he’s missing.
I jacked up this waffle dish even more because I made the waffles themselves herb and cheese loaded to add even more incredible savory flavor. The cheese is wholly optional so if you’re vegan just skip it, but really buy vegan cheese, it’ll be worth it. The cornmeal mixed with the flour also give it a mild cornbread type flavor that is astounding with the fried tofu.
If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ve seen these chicken fried tofu steaks before, and if you haven’t made them yet, it’s time to jump on it! They’re crispy and smoky and delicious. The piece de resistaaannce in this dish though is the incredibly easy yet delicious Sriracha Maple Syrup. It’s legit two ingredients and it takes everything here to a whole new level. Oh! And throw a little avocado on there if you’re feeling fancy.
Okay seriously though, this breakfast takes about a half hour to forty minutes but it’s well worth the time to sit down and just pig out. The waffles also reheat really well if you have extra. It’s been cold and shitty out so splurge this weekend, you deserve it.
Love,
Jackie
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Tofu “Chicken” and Waffles with Sriracha Maple Syrup
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 6 waffles 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American, Southern
Description
Savory herb and cheese waffles topped with smoky, crunch battered tofu and drizzled with spicy Sriracha Maple Syrup. A true comfort food breakfast.
Ingredients
- Waffles
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup finely ground cornmeal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk
- 1/4 butter – melted (see notes)
- 2 tbsp scallions, chopped
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese (see notes)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- PAM or other non-stick spray
- Tofu Fried Chicken
- 2 14 oz blocks extra firm tofu, cut into 1 inch steaks
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 cup almond milk
- 2 tbsp red hot (or other favorite hot sauce)
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil (or other high heat vegetable oil)
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 4 tbsp Sriracha
Instructions
- Start with the waffles. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper until fully mixed. In a smaller bowl, whisk together almond milk and melted butter. Then add the scallions, cheddar cheese, parsley and dill to the wet ingredients and whisk.
- Form a well in the the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Fold with a spatula until fully mixed. The batter should be fairly wet like a pancake batter.
- Heat up your waffle iron. When it’s heated, spray with non-stick spray. Going about 1/2 cup at a time, pour the waffle mix into the iron, be very careful not to overfill it. When it’s about half way filling up the grooves, you want to stop, then clamp it down. If too much overflows out of the side, use a smaller amount on the next round. It’s no biggie though, you can cut off any overlap. These take about three minutes on each side for the waffles to cook, just flip the iron halfway through. If you lift it and it’s still sticking it may not be done. They should be slightly browned.
- Next, turn to the tofu. Start by heating the vegetable oil in a large cast iron or other skillet. It should fill up about 1/4 inch of the bottom of the skillet. Take three shallow bowls. In one bowl, whisk together the flour, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, cumin and salt and pepper. In another bowl whisk the almond milk and hot sauce and pour the breadcrumbs into the other.
- When the oil begins to sizzle and is heated, begin coating the pieces of tofu first in the milk, then the flour, back into the milk and then coat fully in the breadcrumbs. You may need more breadcrumbs, they can go kind of fast.
- Place the coated tofu steaks into the pan and shallow fry for about 3 minutes on each side until they start to brown. Line a plate with paper towel and transfer the pieces of tofu to the plate when done.
- Now you’re almost ready to eat. Whip up the Sriracha Maple Syrup by whisking together the syrup and sriracha in a trivet or a measuring cup with a pouring spout if you don’t have a trivet. Serve with the tofu on top of the waffles and top with the syrup and a some sliced scallions and avocado if you have some!
Notes
To make this vegan, use melted vegan butter, or another vegetable oil. If you use another vegetable oil, add just another pinch of salt. For cheese either cut it out or use vegan cheese.
