Grilled Lamb and Greens Waffle-wich

So the inspiration for this Foodie Friday comes from 2 of my friends. When you get a picture like this AND get a shout out on Facebook asking for inspiration for a plethora of greens, you help a sister out! Although, I have some fear they might have wanted something a little less involved. I mean, there were no requirements placed on me. I don’t really do half-ass kinda work, so unless its clear, I am probably gonna go for broke. Every. Time.

Sometimes you just gotta go for it, not really sure what the outcome will be, but you will learn something along the way. Right? I learned that what I created in my head was ACTUALLY amazing and hit all the right flavor notes for me. Will it do the same for you? Honestly, I am not sure, but you really should give it a try and then make those decisions.

WARNING: This entire recipe is going to look frightening for some. Here is my reality. I had some leftover lamb shoulder that I had cooked in the crockpot a couple of days prior. It was delicious on it’s original debut, but I have lots more to eat and I am not really a fan of RINSE AND REPEAT. I like to switch it up. Could you use some other kind of shredded meat? Sure you can! Have a look at my Carnitas recipe: FOODIE FRIDAY: Carnitas Tacos w/Chimichurri Sauce … and you could do the same thing with lamb shoulder. The chimichurri sauce will rock your world and you will want to drink it, so there’s that. 🙂 If you end up with leftover waffles, um….never a bad thing! So, buckle up and let’s do this thing.

Butternut Squash waffles (trust me on this one)

1 ¾ cups “Top Secret” Gluten Free Flour Blend (*RECIPE BELOW, I must really like y’all 🙂
1 TBS. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
¾ c. pureed butternut squash **RECIPE BELOW
1 ¾ cups almond / coconut milk blend
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup coconut oil, melted

Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the eggs, butternut squash, almond/coconut milk and vanilla. Stir until just combined.
Mix in the coconut oil and stir to incorporate.
Cook the waffle according to your waffle maker directions (I like to spray the inside with an olive oil based cooking spray….i know, it’s risky, but it helps a ton!)

*TOP SECRET Gluten Free Flour Blend – this is my own recipe, so if you try to market it and sell it, I will have to kill you! 🙂

22 oz. of Sweet White Sorghum Flour (I use one full pkg of the Bob’s Red Mill brand, hence the fancy measurement. 🙂
3 ¼ cups of almond meal (not the almond flour although it would work just fine, the meal, just gives a nice nutty texture)
2 ½ cups tapioca starch
1 ½ cups coconut flour
1 TBS plus 1 tsp of xantham gum

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk to combine everything together WELL. Store in an airtight container for future use as this will make quite a bit for you to use over time.

**Butternut Squash puree

1 Butternut squash, cut length-wise
1 inch of water
¼ cup of coconut cream concentrate
½ – 1 cup of almond / coconut milk (depending on how much butternut squash you have, you can always add more so start small)
1 tsp. cinnamon
healthy pinch of kosher salt or sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place the butternut squash flesh side down in a baking dish (I use a 9×13 Pyrex dish)
Pour water until it is 1 inch high.
Place baking dish in the oven and let it cook for about an hour. Check the flesh of the butternut squash to see if it is soft. You just want it soft enough to puree (fork tender). If you are using a small squash, you may decrease the time to 50 minutes and check it)
Scoop out the flesh and place it in a blender or food processor along with the coconut cream, almond milk, cinnamon and salt. Blend until its velvety smooth. Be careful, it’s delicious and you might want to eat it all straight from the blender. You can if you want, no judgement here.

Sauteed Greens

a large bunch of dark, leafy greens, washed and chopped (kale or chard work better than spinach here because they have a little less water in them. Do you know how to de-rib the greens? If not, here is a little video to show you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWK21EoxI60
1 tsp. coconut oil

Heat up a large skillet. Add the coconut oil. Once the oil is warm, add the greens and saute for 3 minutes. Don’t let it go too long. You are just trying to wilt the greens and not let them get limp. Never a good sign!

GRILLED Lamb and Greens WAFFLE-WICH

2 Butternut Squash waffles
¼ cup shredded lamb
heaping handful of sauteed greens
slices of Kerrygold Dubliner cheese
drizzle of chimichurri sauce
½ tsp. coconut oil

Assemble the WAFFLE-wich. Start with a waffle, then a slice of cheese, spread some lamb on top, then greens, drizzle the chimichurri sauce, top with another slice of cheese and finish with another waffle.
Heat the coconut oil in a saute pan. Place the WAFFLE-wich in the pan and cover with a lid to help melt the cheese and to press it down a bit. If you have a panini maker, you could use it instead. Cook until golden on the bottom. You are essentially making a grilled cheese. You can do that, right? Flip the waffle-wich over and cook on the other side until golden brown.
Now EAT!! 🙂

See that, you made it through. It might have been touch and go for a bit, but, you stuck with it, persisted and now the reward is hopefully delicious!! I am exhausted.

Thanks for joining me on another Foodie Friday! Food is a constant journey that takes you to new places… & I love being part of your journey.
~ Jamie