Whole Foods Cooking Lesson #1          Ingredients & Methods         Page Two

Blender Batter Waffles/Pancakes                       
QUALITY Ingredients
  No refined white flour, refined white sugar, or hydrogenated fats in this recipe. Basically you need a liquid and a whole grain. Here are some alternative choices:
Egg--omit or use flax seed binder
Liquid--water, fruit juice (e.g. apple juice), dairy alternative as almond or rice milk, 
   yogurt thinned with water, kefir, or sweet milk soured with a teaspoon of vinegar.
Gluten intolerance--consider grains as millet, rice, corn, or buckwheat. 
Grain allergy--try Kamut®grain, spelt, oats, barley. Choose from 11 different grains.

ABOUT BLENDERS
   When folks think waffles or pancakes they usually think "flour,"  Not so with this recipe. It really starts from scratch with the whole grain berries. No flour here!  That is why this recipe presents what is called a paradigm shift. That means you've just entered a new world where the old assumptions about blenders and batters doesn't fit.
   Here is how it works. Even the best blenders do a poor job of milling grain into flour. The result is usually cracked grains of uneven sizes and very little flour. However, people understand how blenders turn solid ice cubes into smoothies in churning liquids. In this recipe grain instead of ice is placed in a liquid medium. The result? A blender batter.

which blenders work best?
   An old underpowered blender with dulled blades won't do the job. In fact it may die in the process. The demonstration photos feature a 450 watt Osterizer glass bowl blender (about $25 to $35 at Walmart, Kmart, Lowes, or internet). With the blender you can make lots of quick breads--waffles, pancakes, muffins, crepes, coffee cakes, etc.--from a wide variety of whole grains. We've got recipes for all of them. This is just the beginning!
    If you have a super powered blender such as a Vita-Mix or Bosch, reduce the blending time. These machines have the capacity to handle a double recipe. 
    We are very impressed with the Braun MX250 design and safety features. The triangular design of the glass bowl mixes efficiently and reduces splash. As an added safety measure the bowl must be firmly seated before the blades will power on. Extra power, 525 watts, is a plus. (About $50 on the internet).

HOW LONG TO BLEND?
   Oats and buckwheat blend quickly. Other grains take longer. Rice will reach a stage where it suddenly goes from gritty to creamy. Test the smoothness of the batter by rubbing a sample between your thumb and forefinger. The two stage process introduced on the next page will help facilitate smooth batters. On the other hand, some people like a little crunch in their waffles.

HOW THICK THE BATTER?
   Adjust the liquid to maintain a visible vortex. As the batter blends or if it sets for a period of time it will thicken. A thick batter may cause an underpowered blender motor to labor and overheat just before its demise. Add just enough liquid to get a churning batter around the vortex. This is an indicator of the thinness of the batter. Generally the batter will be thinner than the usual flour mixed batter.

WHAT IS THE SECRET . . .
  To getting light whole grain batters with light and tender waffles, pancakes, coffee cakes, muffins, and crepes with the blender? Most people retain a long memory of being "treated" to a health foody pancake that substituted for cardboard. It was heavy, tough, or gooey or all three. Just plain unappetizing. Health food enthusiasts too often forget that taste is the bottom line.
   You'll get Yummmmmmm raves not just ok tolerance when you serve this recipe. And you'll be able to pass these waffles off as white flour products to your unsuspecting guests. We've done it again and again. 
    So what's the secret? The recipe explains the how, but, frankly, it doesn't explain the why. Here, however, is some speculation. The customary way to get light pancakes or waffles is to separate the eggs, beat up the whites and fold them in. Could it be that the blender process does something similar?  Aerates it, perhaps? That's our theory. We're willing to hear yours. In the meantime we keep experimenting with the endless variations that this recipe invites.