Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins with Zesty Lemon Glaze

The most frequent thing I hear when serving these muffins is: "How can you possibly expect me to eat just one of these?" Luckily, these are much healthier than typical lemon poppy seed muffins due to the use of whole grains, flax, and animal-free ingredients.

This recipe is from my book, Radiant Health, Inner Wealth. (photo by Olga Vasiljeva)

Flegg (flax egg replacer)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (flax meal)
3 tablespoons boiling water

Dry Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup organic sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon each: baking powder and baking soda
3 tablespoons poppy seeds

Wet Ingredients
¾ cup nondairy milk
¼ cup each: fresh lemon juice, melted coconut oil, and pure maple syrup
1 heaping tablespoon minced or grated organic lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zesty Lemon Glaze
¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons organic powdered sugar
½ teaspoon minced or chopped organic lemon zest
1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Whisk the flaxseed and boiling water together in a large bowl. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, or until gooey. Real gooey.

2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl, using a whisk (or sifter) until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

3. When the flegg has become sufficiently gooey, add all of the wet ingredients to the flegg bowl. Stir the wet ingredients into the flegg mixture until well combined.

4. Next, add the dry mixture to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Stir them together until well combined, but do not over-mix.

5. Spray a dozen muffin cups lightly with oil (or place paper liners in each cup). Pour the batter evenly into each muffin cup or liner.

6. Bake the muffins for 20-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. After a few minutes, take a knife and go around the edges of each muffin to loosen them. Gently remove them from the muffin tin and place them on a cooling rack or plate.

8. To make the Zesty Lemon Glaze: Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl and sift or whisk it (if necessary) to remove any lumps. Add the zest, juice, and vanilla to the bowl and stir well to combine.

9. Once the muffins have cooled a bit, drizzle the glaze over them. Now, see if you can eat just one!

Makes 12 muffins; GF (with substitution)/SF/Blue (according to the health guidelines in my books)

Raw Cinnamon Rolls

These are one of my favorite recipes from my third book, Radiance 4 Life. They've been such a lifesaver on my travels! I love how they're so sweet and satisfying, yet devoid of any sweeteners (other than whole dried fruit). Enjoy!

Photo by Olga Eglite

Raw Cinnamon Rolls

Think of these as a quick, delicious, healthy alternative to packaged energy bars. Since they’re so nutrient-dense, just one little roll can be surprisingly satisfying!

▪ 1 cup raw walnuts

▪ ½ cup raisins

▪ ½ cup (packed) pitted dates (about 12 dates)

▪ 2 teaspoons cinnamon

▪ ¼ teaspoon each: sea salt and ground nutmeg

1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor. Blend until well combined and very crumbly, but don’t over-blend—you want to retain some texture.

2. Pull out small pieces of the mixture and roll into 1-inch balls with your hands. These will store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for several weeks or more.

Makes 18 rolls (9 servings)/GF/SF/Green/R/F/30 Minutes or Under

♥ Superstars: walnuts, dates

Caramelized Banana Bliss Bombs

Caramelized Banana Bliss Bombs are one of my favorite desserts--they're easy to make, healthy, and really scrumptious. This photo was taken by Wanda, the administrator for the Vegan Peace Website. She's been making them often and says her kids just love them too! This is one of the 250-ish recipes from my book Radiant Health, Inner Wealth. I hope you love it too!


Caramelized Banana Bliss Bombs
Who would be interested in a dessert that is all at once healthy, elegant, easy, quick, and downright scrumptious? Me. And hopefully you!

Spiced Sauce:

One 12.3 oz. container of silken tofu (firm)
½ cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons oil (sunflower, melted coconut, non-virgin olive, or safflower)
¼ teaspoon each: ground cardamom and ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Flair:

1½ cups sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons crushed or chopped pecans (raw or dry toasted)

Bananirvana:

3 firm bananas (not overly ripe)
1 tablespoon sucanat or packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla powder (optional but delicious!)*
1 tablespoon non-hydrogenated margarine

1. In a blender, combine the tofu, maple syrup, oil, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt until very smooth and consistently creamy. Set aside (or refrigerate for up to a week).

2. Prepare the strawberries and pecans and set them aside.

3. Slice each banana in half lengthwise. Next, slice each banana half in half width-wise so that you end up with twelve banana segments that are each half of their original thickness and length.

4. Mix the sucanat and vanilla and lightly coat each banana segment evenly with the mixture. Alternately, you can throw caution to the wind and simply sprinkle the sugar and vanilla on each piece of banana.

5. Heat a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the margarine. When the margarine is melted, distribute it evenly over the pan.

6. Place the banana pieces in a single layer on the pan. Allow them to get nicely browned on the bottom (this should take well under 5 minutes). Gently flip them over with a heat proof spatula and allow them to brown on the other side. When both sides are gloriously browned and caramelized, turn off the heat.

7. To serve: Place the desired amount of sauce on a dessert plate. Top with three of the banana segments and garnish with some strawberries and pecans. Repeat for the remaining three portions. Serve immediately if you know what’s good for you.



Serves 4; 30 minutes or under! GF/Blue (according to the guidelines in Radiant Health, Inner Wealth)

Blueberry Streusel Cake with Lemon Icing

This heavenly cake will knock your socks off! To this day, it's one of my daughter's very favorites.

Recipe from Radiant Health, Inner Wealth

Streusel Topping:
¼ cup each: non-hydrogenated margarine (melted) and organic sugar (or sucanat)
¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
1⅛ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder

Cake (dry):
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
1 cup organic “white” sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1½ tablespoons finely chopped organic lemon zest
½ teaspoon sea salt

Cake (wet):
¼ cup oil (safflower, non-virgin olive, or sunflower)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup nondairy milk
Berry Crucial: 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Lovely Lemon Icing:
1¼ cups organic powdered sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon sea salt


1. In a small bowl, stir the streusel topping ingredients together very well until thoroughly combined and crumbly. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine all of the dry cake ingredients thoroughly, making sure to set any lumps straight.
3. Combine the wet cake ingredients very well in a separate bowl. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and combine well, but do not over-mix.
4. Gently stir in the blueberries. Lightly oil a 9.5 x 13.5-inch pan and spread the batter into it. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cake. Bake for one hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool slightly before icing it.
5. To make the icing, begin by removing any lumps from the sugar if necessary. You can do this with your fingers, a fork, or by pouring it through a strainer or sifter. Next, combine all of the icing ingredients together well, stirring with a spoon.
6. When the cake is slightly cooled, drizzle the icing evenly over the top. You can pretend you are Jackson Pollack if you like. Finally, cut the cake and get ready for a serious yum situation.

Serves 12; GF (with substitution)/Blue (according to the health guidelines in my books and Be Radiant program)