Vegan Waffles with Fried Mushrooms and Watermelon-Jalapeño Mocktails

• 3 tablespoons ground flax seed
• ½ cup water
• 6 tablespoons plant-based butter, such as Earth Balance, melted
• 1 ½ cups almond or another plant-based milk
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• Pinch salt

1. Preheat a waffle iron.
2. Stir the ground flax seed and water together and let sit until it reaches a thick and creamy consistency, about 5 minutes. In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the almond milk and stir together.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt and stir. Pour in the butter-milk mixture and the soaked flax seeds, and whisk until combined and smooth. Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray. Scoop enough of the batter onto the hot waffle iron, close the lid, and cook until the waffle is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. Remove the cooked waffles to a baking sheet.

Flax Dip

• ½ cup ground flax seed
• 2 cups cold water
• 2 drops liquid smoke

Seasoned Flour

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1 pound oyster mushrooms
• 2 cups canola oil, for frying
• Rosemary-Maple Syrup, recipe follows
• Edible flowers, for garnish

1. In a medium bowl stir together the flax seed powder with the water and liquid smoke and let it sit until it reaches a thick and creamy consistency, about 5 minutes.
2. In large bowl combine the flour, nutritional yeast, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, pepper and salt and mix well.
3. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, pour enough oil to reach a depth of about 2 inches. Heat the oil to 325°F, over medium-high heat.
4. Carefully clean the base of the mushrooms, then pull them apart into equal sized pieces. Dip them, a few at a time, into the flax seed liquid, stirring them around so that they are wet. Remove them from the liquid and drop them into the flour-spice mixture, tossing to coat them completely. Shake off any excess and carefully drop them into the hot oil and fry, turning once, until golden brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon transfer the mushrooms to a paper towel lined bowl or tray.

Makes about 1 cup

• 1 cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

• In a small saucepan combine the maple syrup, honey, rosemary leaves and peppercorns and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Do not let it boil. Simmer gently for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let steep for 30 minutes before straining into a clean jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

• 8 Vegan Waffles, from above, cut in half on the diagonal
• Rosemary-Maple Syrup, from above
• Fried Mushrooms, from above
• Grilled Jalapeño-Watermelon Mocktails, see below, optional

• Divide the waffles between 4 warmed plates, shingling them. Drizzle with the rosemary-maple syrup aiming for the pockets. Top with the mushrooms and drizzle with a little more syrup. Serve with a mocktail if you are making.

Thai Basil Simple Syrup

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup Thai basil leaves

• 2 jalapeños, grilled 2 to 3 minutes on each side to blacken the skin
• 4 cups diced watermelon
• Four ½-inch pieces peeled ginger
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons ginger beer

1. To make the simple syrup, combine the water, sugar, and basil leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a storage container. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or tightly sealed for up to 1 week.
2. For each mocktail, put 1 cup of the watermelon in the cup of a blender. Keeping in mind the seeds add heat, add half a jalapeño, followed by ¼ cup of the simple syrup. Blend until smooth.
3. Fill the glass of a cocktail shaker with ice. Add about 1/3 cup of the ginger beer and the watermelon mixture and shake well. and Pour over a tall glass filled with ice.