Carrot Muffins with Cashew Lemon Frosting

 

Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients:

1.  2 cups whole wheat flour
2. 1/2 cup almond meal (if you don't have almond meal, just increase the flour by 1/2 cup)
3. 2 tsp baking soda
4. 1/2 tsp sea salt
5. 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
6. 2 tsp freshly grated ginger
7. 1 Tbs Saigon cinnamon or traditional cinnamon
8. 2 cups grated carrot
9. 1/3 cup canola oil
10. 1 tsp vanilla
11. 1/2 cup agave syrup
12. 2 eggs (use 2 Tbs of ground flax seeds and 7 Tbs of water to make vegan)
13. 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
14. 1/2 cup finely shredded coconut (check out the bulk section of the health food store)
15. 1/2 cup organic raisins
16. 1/2 cup crushed pecans

Frosting:
(recipe adapted from Ani's Raw Food Desserts (Kream Cheeze Frosting) by Any Phyo)

1. 1 1/2 cup raw cashews
2. 3 Tbs lemon juice
3. 3 Tbs agave
4. 1/4-1/2 cup water

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing bowl add dry ingredient:  whole wheat flour, almond meal, baking soda and sea salt.  Grate in nutmeg, ginger and add cinnamon. I suggest using Saigon Cinnamon, which has a sweet red hot flavor.  You can buy a giant bottle from Costco for under $4.00.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, grate two cups of carrots using your food processor or cheese grater.  Add oil, vanilla, agave, eggs and applesauce.  Mix together and fold in coconut, raisins and pecans.
• Incorporate the wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients.
• Spoon muffin mix into a greased muffin pan.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• While the muffins are baking, prepare the cashew frosting.  Using a blender or food processor add all frosting ingredients and blend until smooth.
• After muffins have cooled, transfer the frosting into a plastic freezer bag.  Cut one of the corners of the bag and squeeze frosting in a circular motion onto the muffins.

~Gotta love a recipe that can be breakfast or dessert~

Lemon Chia Seed Muffins

 

Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:

1. 2 cups whole wheat flour 
2. 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill 7 Grain Cereal
3. 2 tsp baking soda
4. 1/2 tsp sea salt
5. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
6. 1 scoop whey protein powder (eliminate if making vegan, or use a vegan protein powder)
   
7. 2 medium bananas
8. 2 eggs or 2 Tbs milled flax seeds whipped in 7 Tbs water (use this egg substitute if making vegan)
   
9. 1/2 cup agave nectar (pick this up at Costco, you can get two bottles for the price of one at the health food store, it's about $7.50 for the two bottles)
   
10. 1/3 cup Earth Balance or oil
    
11. 1 tsp vanilla extract
12. Zest of one medium lemon and the juice
13. 2 Tbs Chia seeds* (you could also use poppy seeds)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and protein powder. 
• In a blender mix bananas, eggs (or egg alternative), agave, Earth Balance (or oil), vanilla, lemon zest and juice.   
• Pour the liquid into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and mix together. Mix in the chia seeds.
  
• Grease a muffin pan (use the wrapper from the butter) and pour the mixture evenly into the cups.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Remove from the pan once cool.

*you can find Chia seeds in the bulk seasonings section of your health food store.  Yes, they are the same seeds you used for your Chia pet in the '80's!

~Another Muffin Recipe modified from the Blueberry Muffins~

Orange~Cranberry Muffins

 

Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:

1. 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 
2. 2 tsp baking soda
3. 1/2 tsp sea salt
4. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
5. 1 scoop whey protein powder (eliminate if making vegan, or use a vegan protein powder)
   
6. 2 medium bananas
7. 2 eggs or 2 Tbs milled flax seeds whipped in 7 Tbs water (use this egg substitute if making vegan)
   
8. 1/2 cup agave nectar (pick this up at Costco, you can get two bottles for the price of one at the health food store, it's about $7.50 for the two bottles)
   
9. 1/3 cup Earth Balance or oil
   
10. 1 tsp vanilla extract
11. Zest of one small/medium orange and the juice
12. 1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and protein powder. 
• In a blender mix bananas, eggs (or egg alternative), agave, Earth Balance (or oil), vanilla, orange zest and juice.   
• Pour the liquid into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and mix together. Mix in the cranberries.
  
• Grease a muffin pan (use the wrapper from the butter) and pour the mixture evenly into the cups.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Remove from the pan once cool.

~This recipe is modified from the Blueberry Muffin Recipe posted earlier~

Farm Fresh Frittata

  

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1. 6 eggs (my eggs came from my friend Alicia's chickens....yumo)
2. 1/4 cup milk
3. 1 small zucchini
4. Half a bunch of asparagus
5. 2 green onions
6. 2 medium red potatoes
7. 2-3 kale leaves
8. Shredded cheddar cheese
9. 2 Tbs olive oil
10. Salt & Pepper
11. Italian seasonings

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium/high heat (I highly recommend a cast iron skillet because it can go directly from the stove into the oven).  Chop the potato and add into the skillet.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the potato starts to slightly brown.  Add Italian seasonings and salt & pepper.  
• While the potatoes are cooking, chop the asparagus, zucchini, green onions and kale.  Add all veggies except the kale to the skillet.  Cook for 3 minutes and then add kale.  Cook for another couple of minutes, just until the kale wilts.
• In a mixing bowl crack 6 eggs and add the milk.  Using a whisk, mix this together like you would when making scrabbled eggs.
• Pour over the veggies in the skillet and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
• Place the skillet into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Now, turn your oven to broil and cook for another 5 minutes.  I like my frittata nicely browned with the cheese crusted.  Once the top has browned and the cheese is bubbling the frittata is finished.
• Remove from oven and serve.

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:

1. 2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 
2. 2 tsp baking soda
3. 1/2 tsp sea salt
4. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
5. 1 scoop whey protein powder (eliminate if making vegan, or use a vegan protein powder)
   
6. 2 medium bananas
7. 2 eggs or 2 Tbs milled flax seeds whipped in 7 Tbs water (use this egg substitute if making vegan)
   
8. 1/2 cup agave nectar (pick this up at Costco, you can get two bottles for the price of one at the health food store, it's about $7.50 for the two bottles)
   
9. 1/3 cup Earth Balance or oil
   
10. 1 tsp vanilla extract
11. 1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
12. 1/4 cup water (if needed)
    

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and protein powder. 
• In a blender mix bananas, eggs (or egg alternative), agave, Earth Balance (or oil) and vanilla.   
• Pour the liquid into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and mix together.  If your mixture is dry, add about 1/4 cup water. Gently incorporate the blueberries into your mix.
  
• Grease a muffin pan (use the wrapper from the butter) and pour the mixture evenly into the cups.
• Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from the pan once cool.
  

~Berry Delicious~

Left-Over Rice for Breakfast!

Ingredients:

1.  1 cup left-over brown rice
2.  1-2 tablespoons orange juice
3.  1-2 teaspoons maple syrup (the real stuff)
   
4.  2 teaspoons (organic) raisins
   
5.  1 tablespoon walnuts
6.  Cinnamon to taste

Directions:

• Heat rice in a small sauce pan over medium heat on the stove.
• Add orange juice, maple syrup, raisins, walnuts and cinnamon.
• Heats in about 5 minutes.

Voila, breakfast!