Why You Should Add “Freckles” to Your Family’s Waffles
Chef and cookbook author Sarah Copeland makes breakfast a little heartier with this secret ingredient.
Gentl & Hyers/Courtesy of Chronicle Books
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Braising an enormous pork shoulder in beer, invigorating chocolate chip cookies with almond flour, topping juicy summer tomatoes with toasted whole spices: unexpected ways to use simple ingredients are chef and cookbook author Sarah Copeland’s bread and butter. And we’re inspired to follow suit as she welcomes us into her family’s magical world in the Hudson Valley during her new series on the Food Network Kitchen app, Every Day Is Saturday.
Based on her latest cookbook, Every Day Is Saturday, the first season guides us through how to make six laid-back but totally stunning recipes that’ll put you in that relaxed weekend mindset any day of the week. Sarah, the ever gracious host and busy mama, breezes around her farmhouse-chic kitchen wearing a floppy sunhat and bestowing little gems of knowledge upon us as her cute hungry kids tumble around.
Gentl & Hyers/Courtesy of Chronicle Books
During the fifth episode, The Family Waffle, Sarah lets us into a little family tradition passed down from her parents: waffles for breakfast. Her waffles have a smart secret though, which makes them more wholesome than usual. "This is our favorite waffle, because it’s light and fluffy, the kids think it’s an indulgent treat, but I’ve snuck in a few extra things that keep it a little more sustaining so it lasts with us all day long," Sarah explains.
The secret ingredient? Quinoa (really). "It’s just a little sneaky surprise in there. My kids just call them freckles, they don’t even have to know what it is," Sarah says. She plans ahead, making her quinoa in big batches during the week for lunches and easy dinners and tucking a few tablespoons in the freezer so she can stir them into waffles later. Often, she’ll make a double batch of waffles, freeze them in a zip-top bag, and pop them in the toaster whenever her kids need a fast snack.
To get her kids involved in cooking, she sets out a bunch of different waffle toppings, including fruit, maple syrup and Greek yogurt instead of whipped cream. Then she lets her little ones top their own waffles. "One of the easiest ways to let them help without you getting overwhelmed yourself is to let them do the finishing touches," Sarah advises. Everyone ends up happy.
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