Vegan Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Muffins

I don't know about you guys, but I am a huge fan of having muffins for breakfast. Life can get hectic when you are a busy mom (believe me, I know!) and sometimes we just don't have time to make healthy meals on the spot. If you prepare these in advance, they are the perfect on the go breakfast + super filling. They are gluten-free, soy-free, oil-free and vegan. What's not to love right?

These muffins require only one bowl, your measuring cups/spoons, a whisk, and your blender. It makes for easy clean up and they literally take 10 minutes or less to prepare.

These muffins are 

• Healthy
• Kid-approved
• Gluten-free
• Vegan
• Soy-free
• Light and fluffy
• Hearty
• Rich in healthy omega-3's
• Easy to make

Vegan Blueberry Lemon Muffins

(Printable Recipe)

What You'll Need:

• 2 1/2 cups oat flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tbsp flax seeds (ground or whole)
• 2 small ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup water* (you can absolutely use almond milk or any other plant based milk if desired)
• Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon + lemon zest
• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries*
• Coconut palm sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions:

• Preheat oven at 375 degrees F.
• Measure out approx 2- 2 1/4 cups rolled oats and add to blender. Blend on low and gradually pick up the speed until your oats become a fine oat flour. You can check to make sure that your flour measures out to be around 2 1/2 cups. You can add more if needed or if you end up with too much, you can save it in a jar for other recipes. Add your baking powder, cinnamon, chia + flax seeds to blender and give it another quick blend. Pour the flour blend into a large bowl.

• Add ripe bananas, maple syrup, water (or plant based milk if desired), and lemon juice to blender. Blend until smooth on low-medium speed. 

• Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and whisk in bowl until a smooth/soft batter forms. 

• Gently add stir in fresh blueberries, folding them in also works great!

• Sprinkle tops of muffins with coconut palm sugar + lemon zest

• Take your handy measuring cup (1/3-1/2 cup works great) and use this to pour into measuring cups.

• Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees or until tops are lightly browned or firm to touch.

• Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

I love to use silicone baking cups (like these) as the muffins do not stick to the insides at all. Most of my recipes are oil-free so these truly are a lifesaver and just pop right out with no mess! Plus they are reusable and hello I'm all for eco-friendly products. The first time I baked these muffins we just had the paper baking cups and as you can see they end up sticking to the paper a lot. I highly recommend the silicone cups but these can certainly be made with paper ones as well if that is all you have. 

*If you do not have blueberries on hand you can try these with other type of berries (raspberries, blackberries, etc). Sometimes we also change it up and add in almonds or walnuts. Feel free to experiment with it, and let me know how you get on with it!

Hearty Vegan Lentil Soup

Fall is here! Here in Arizona it doesn't start to feel like fall until the end of October or early November... and when it gets cold it gets cold fast! I knew I immediately needed to whip up something savory, hearty, and very warm. I am so happy to share with you this recipe for delicious hearty lentil soup to keep you warm this season.

Hearty Vegan Lentil Soup

(Printable Recipe)

What you'll need:

• 2 cups water + 2 extra cups
• 4-6 cups of your favorite organic low sodium vegetable stock
• 1 cup green lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz can of no salt diced tomatoes
• 1 sm/med yellow onion (red onion works great too!), chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 1 organic russet potato, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4-1 cup fresh swiss chard or kale, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander (or cumin)
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• Small pinch of red pepper flakes
• Ground pepper
• Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon (optional)

Directions:

• Add 2 cups water to stock pot and bring to a boil. 
• Add in chopped yellow onion, potato, and carrot and cook until the onion is translucent. 
• Lower heat a bit and add in minced garlic, cumin, curry powder, and thyme. 
• Cook until fragrant about one minute 
• Pour entire can of diced tomatoes and cook five minutes stirring often.
• Next pour in lentils, broth, and 2 extra cups water. Add red pepper flakes. 
• Bring to a boil then lower to simmer and cover partially. 
• Cook for 30-35 minutes or until lentils are soft. 
• Transfer 2 cups of soup to a high speed blender and puree until smooth. 
• Add soup back to the pot and stir. 
• Add in fresh swiss chard or kale and cook an extra few minutes. 
• Remove from heat and add in juice of 1/2 lemon (if desired) to soup and stir. 
• Serve immediately.

This soup freezes very well for about 3 months. Make a huge batch and portion out for a quick meal.

Cannellini Veggie Soup

I can feel it, fall is right around the corner. This calls for lots of soups, chili, and pumpkin flavored everything. Today I have a great soup that is a little bit spicy, super hearty, and just plain delicious! This recipe came to me one day when I was in search of what to make for lunch. I just threw together these simple ingredients and paired it with a big salad full of tender greens and some crostini bread. It sure hits the spot and is super filling!

I love this soup because it's

• Super filling
• Delicious and hearty
• Kid-friendly
• Perfect for a chilly day
• Healthy
• Contains high amounts of veggies
• High in protein
• Easy to make

Cannellini Veggie Soup

(Printable Recipe)

(Serves 4)

What you will need:

• 4 cups water
• 1 container of your favorite organic low sodium vegetable stock
• 1 15oz can (bpa-free) of organic cannellini beans drained and rinsed
• 1/2-1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 medium russet potatoes chopped
• 2 medium carrots chopped
• 2 sticks celery chopped
• 3/4 cup each frozen mixed vegetables (peas, corn, green beans, carrots)
• 1 medium juicy tomato, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/8 cayenne pepper
• Himalayan pink salt/cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Pour all water into stock pot and bring to a boil. 
• Add in onion, potatoes, carrots, and celery. 
• Stir and lower heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes. 
• Chop tomato and pour in container of vegetable stock along with all spices, chopped tomato, and cannellini beans.  
• Cover and let cook for another 10-15 minutes. 
• Let soup cool before serving, it will be very hot. 
• Serve with greens or crostini.

This soup freezes great for up to 3 months. Make a huge batch and heat them up in a jiffy for a quick lunch with a side of greens. Enjoy!

My go-to green smoothie

I am a smoothie fanatic. If you happen to follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that I have tons of posts filled with delicious smoothie recipes. Today I'm going to share my favorite go-to smoothie that is super easy (and out of this world) and literally takes just 2 minutes to prepare. I drink most of my smoothies as a meal for breakfast so it contains enough to fill the blender. Adjust amount to your liking.

Go-to Green Smoothie

(Printable Recipe)

(serves 1-4)

What you will need:

• 4-6 ripe (spotty) banana (I like to freeze mine overnight the night before)
• 1-2 cups frozen mango
• 1-2 cups spinach
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 700 ml of water (this is also great with coconut water)

Directions:

• In your vitamix or high speed blender add all ingredients except chia seeds, blend on low and gradually blend to high. 
• Shut off blender add chia seeds and blend again. I do this so the smoothie doesn't get too thick too fast. 
• Enjoy!

Gluten-free Vegan Vitamix Waffles

Good morning beautiful souls! If you've been looking to change up your breakfast or are looking for a new breakfast staple, look no further! After a couple of months experimenting, I have finally concocted the perfect recipe. If you do not have high speed blender you can absolutely make these with a mixer or stir by hand if you wish!

These waffles are my favorite because they are:

• The perfect breakfast staple
• Gluten-free
• Vegan
• Soy-free
• Healthy
• Easy to make
• + Satisfying

Gluten-free Vegan Vitamix Waffles

(Serves 2-4)

What you will need:

• 2 1/4 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 1 very ripe banana
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder (I like this brand)
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp organic chia seeds (I recommend these amazing chia seeds)
• 1 tsp coconut oil for greasing iron

Directions:

• Add your gluten-free rolled oats to blender. 
• Simply blend into a fine flour. 
• Add all other ingredients and blend again on med-high.
• Grease your waffle iron with the coconut oil (or you can use vegan butter, like Earth Balance). 
• Pour batter into your waffle iron and cook according to manufacturer instructions.

This recipe is meant to be a base, you may add any extras or toppings that you like!

Extras: blueberries, strawberries, allergy-free chocolate chips, almond butter, banana, even dried mulberries or goji berries would be delish!

Top with: Vegan butter, maple syrup, banana, or warm berries.

Serves 4-6 depending on the brand of your waffle iron.

Be sure to remember not to stack these as they will get very soft from the heat/steam. You want them to be crispy :) Serve immediately with desired toppings. These freeze very well and I found that I can freeze them for 1-2 months. Enjoy!