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

5 Minute Vegan Buffalo Bites!

I was feeling mighty snacky yesterday and wanted something along the lines of the Vegan Buffalo Wings from my favorite vegetarian restaurant, Watercourse in Denver. Speaking of which, please do yourself a favor if you're ever in the Denver area and stop on by that place. Mmm mmm goodness!

However, I wanted a relatively healthy and uber-quick version of their yummy treat (they make theirs with breaded, deep fried seitan). This is what I came up with - it's a keeper in my book and I hope you enjoy it as well!

14 oz. container extra-firm tofu (use sprouted tofu if possible)
3 tablespoons non-virgin coconut oil

3 tablespoons tamari
1/4 cup hot sauce (a basic, inexpensive cayenne hot sauce works well)
1/2 cup cornmeal or dry polenta

1. Cut the tofu into 8 slabs and press with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Cut the tofu into strips, then into small rectangles (about 1/2-inch x 1-inch in size).
2. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil.
3. Sprinkle the tamari and hot sauce evenly over the tofu.
4. Add the tofu to the skillet and sprinkle the cornmeal on top. Stir-fry immediately to coat the tofu evenly with the cornmeal.
5. Continue to stir-fry until the tofu is golden-browned on all sides, about 3-5 minutes. Serve plain, with additional hot sauce, or vegan ranch dressing for dipping. Yeah baybay!!

Serves 4
GF/Blue (according to the guidelines in my books)
30 Minutes or Under!

Tip: For the vegan ranch, I'd suggest using Vegenaise lowfat vegan mayo as the base - I love it because it's made with flax and olive oils (And it tastes great, despite being lower in fat!). If you need a recipe, check out this one from VegWeb - OR buy my new book next month! There's a recipe in it for "Guilt-Free Ranch Dressing" that's yum!