lemon blueberry muffins ~vegan & gluten-free~

Happy Friday!

I never knew vegan, gluten free, dairy free muffins could be so fluffy, moist and light!  These don’t fall short of sweetness either thanks to little bit of pure maple syrup.

 I hope you all have wonderful plans for the weekend!  Start it off by making a batch of these to enjoy!

lemon blueberry muffins ~vegan, gluten & dairy free~

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

adapted from happy.healthy.life

mix these together:

1 and 3/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill but regular flour works too!)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 heaping tablespoon ground flax seeds

melt these together:

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup almond milk

Fold in:

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 large ripe banana, mashed

1 cup fresh blueberries

top with slivered almonds

lemon blueberry muffins ~vegan, gluten & dairy free~

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a muffin tin with cups.

2.  In a large bowl, mix together gluten free flour, salt, flax seeds and baking powder.

3.  In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil over low heat and remove from flame.  In a small bowl add coconut oil with maple syrup and almond milk.

4.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until combined.

5.  Fold in vanilla, lemon juice, zest, mashed banana and blueberries.

6.  Spoon into muffin cups, top with slivered almonds.

7.  Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown and center of muffin is set.

8.  Let cool and enjoy warm!

lemon blueberry muffins ~vegan, gluten & dairy free~

~The original recipe says this makes 12 muffins however, it actually made enough batter for 14 muffins~

www.beginwithinnutrition.com

raw cocoa-coconut fudge

raw cocoa coconut fudge1

Oh my yum…

It was one thing after another today.  Between a teething toddler who decided to take on the terrible two’s 9 months too early and a sick dog, we needed this treat to look forward to tonight!

My latest obsession has been coconut oil.  I’ve been cooking with it, baking with it and drinking it…yes, drinking it!  It has so many healing qualities that I will get to in another post (I promise!).

coco oil

This is a satisfying dessert high in protein and healthy fats with a hint of sweetness from pure maple syrup.  This recipe is SO simple and delicious, try it this weekend!

Raw Cocoa-Coconut Fudge

adapted from RAW FOOD, REAL WORLD

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashew butter (creamy peanut butter would work too!)

1/3 cup coconut oil

¼ cup cocoa powder

¼ cup pure maple syrup

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

-Line a small baking dish with plastic wrap.

-Mix together cashew butter and coconut oil until smooth.  (It was chilly in the house tonight and the coconut oil was solid so I placed the cashew butter and coconut oil in a sauce pan over a very low heat and gently warmed for a few seconds until melted).

-Add in cocoa powder, maple syrup, sea salt and vanilla.  Mix until combined.

-Pour mixture into baking dish and place in freezer, let chill for one hour.

-Remove fudge from baking dish by pulling on either end of plastic wrap.

-Cut into squares and enjoy!

raw cocoa coconut fudge

This fudge melts very quickly so serve directly out of freezer!

Stay tuned for recipes that will be served at GLOW YOGA’S 2 year anniversary celebration on May 18th!!!

www.beginwithinnutrition.com

purple powerhouses

purple cabbage

In a salad rut?  Try adding purple cabbage to add crunch and color!

According the U.S. Department of Agriculture red/purple cabbage contains 36 different varieties of anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids that have been linked to cancer protection.  Anthocyanins are the purple pigments found in foods such cabbage, blueberries and grapes.  Not only do these purple powerhouses fight cancer they also improve heart health and brain function.  1 cup of cabbage also provides 85% of your daily vitamin C needs.  The health benefits of purple cabbage are more potent when eaten raw so it’s best to add to salads or chopped up and used for slaw.

Edamame Apple Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing

Ingredients:

2 cups purple cabbage, shredded

1 cup mixed salad greens

1 cup steamed edamame, shelled and cooled

1 cup carrot, shredded

½ gala apple, cubed

1/2 avocado

IMAG0341

Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1 lemon, juiced

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

-Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.

-Wisk together dressing and drizzle over salad.

-Top with sliced avocado.

-Enjoy!

Voila!

Voila!

A sweet and savory salad that is bursting with flavor and flavonoids!

Check out www.beginwithinnutrition.com for upcoming events!