Makes 6 servings

Time (not including making homemade seitan): 1 hour

Up until yesterday, I didn’t really get chicken waffles. But for Valentine’s Day, I decided to cave to societal pressure, and enjoy a juicy, savory, fried hunk of something over a carby, crispy something, covered in sticky sweetness. Even if it makes no sense! I mean, where is the kale? Where are the lentils? Sigh. OK.

Those thoughts plagued me as I stirred the batter and simmered the seitan, although each component was nice on its own. The waffles were perfectly crisp, and I knew they’d be able to handle the syrup without sogging up. The chicken-style seitan came out really flavorful, with a firm but tender texture. The breading on the seitan was totally delish and I couldn’t help but eat a piece straight out of the cast iron skillet. OK, maybe two pieces.

For the syrup, I wanted a bit of V-tine love, and so pomegranate saves the day! Pomegranate molasses is an easy way to infuse flavor into the maple syrup. Plus, the seeds from whole pomegranates are just as romantic as you can get and they look like they’re from another planet (a very romantic planet, to be sure.) So yeah, everything looked great, but all together? I don’t know. My inner chicken and waffle skeptic still had her arms folded.

I took a triangle of waffle (surely, that’s all I would need to know for sure), tucked a little slice of breaded seitan in there, and dredged it in some of the syrup. Well, needless to say, the angels sang. A marching band appeared out of nowhere. Glitter confetti flew from the ceiling. I think I caught a glimpse of Ryan Seacrest. OMG this was good.

So now I totally get it. A sweet and savory combo that maybe isn’t for everyday, but for a special brunch or a Valentine’s dinner, this is where it’s at.

Notes

~If you don’t feel like dealing with all the pomegranate stuff, just use straight-up maple syrup. Maybe add a few raspberries for garnishing prettiness.~To make the recipe less cumbersome, simmer the seitan a day ahead, and remember you have loads of downtime as it simmers. ~You can also totally make the waffles up to a week ahead. Freeze them in a plastic storage bag and simply toast when ready to eat. ~If you’re especially lazy, you can use storebought seitan. But I really really love this seitan recipe so I hope you’ll try it. Especially because then you really have control of the shape of the seitan, plus, it will just taste better! ~The homemade seitan makes double what you’ll need for this recipe, but I figure if you’re making it, why not make some extra for the week? It’s really great grilled for salads or sandwiches.

Ingredients

For the pomegranate syrup:

1 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup pomegranate molassesFor garnish:

Fresh pomegranate seeds 1 cup pure maple syrup1/4 cup pomegranate molassesFresh pomegranate seeds For the waffles:

2 cups almond milk (vanilla or plain), or your fave non-dairy milk

1 tablespoon organic cornstarch

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract For the chicken:

1/2 batch (1 pound) Chicken Stylee Seitan, or equivalent storebought Batter:

3 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup water Breading:

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

Several dashes fresh black pepper Vegetable oil for frying

Directions