Vegan waffles (Nancy)

This recipe --from our friend Shawn Bakker, who's a vegetarian -- has become a mainstay in our home. And don't let the "vegan" in the name scare you off. They are delish! I wish I could give you the calorie count, but alas, I don't have it. Still, considering it has neither oil nor dairy ingredients, consider it healthy.

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup ground flax

3 cups water

1 banana

1 T brown sugar

1 t vanilla

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Combine all ingredients (except pecans) in blender or food processor until smooth. Stir in pecans. Spray waffle iron with Pam and pour in batter. For a four-square waffle iron, the recipe will make 10-12 waffles.

Nancy's notes:

--Word of warning: Unless you have a blender that’s industrial strength, be careful that you don’t burn out your motor. The problem seems to be the oats, so here's what I do: pulverize the dry oats first, then remove them from the blender. Combine all the other ingredients in the blender and mix well, then dump the batter into a mixing bowl and blend in ground oats manually.

--Whatever you do, don't forget the Pam. (Spoken from grim experience.)

--The original recipe calls for 2 cups of water, but I find the consistency way too thick. You can try it with 2 cups, then add water until you get it to the consistency you prefer.

--I zap the banana in the microwave for a minute to break it down and turn it more "blendable."

--I've started making these ahead. They both refrigerate and freeze well. A toaster will crisp them right back up.

--These are good with syrup (of course), but we prefer them with no-fat flavored yogurt.

Enjoy!