Lemon-Raspberry Muffins on a Monday Afternoon

Ah Monday afternoon lends itself to baking when you have the day off and happen to find a great deal on raspberries.  I am also blessed with a lemon tree on my property and these two go together splendidly.  I found this recipe and so a muffin is born!

Now to top off this lovely baking story I can share with all of you my new toy!  My Black & Decker food processor.  How fun it is!  I purchased it at this awesome new kitchen consignment store called Kitchen Switchin'. What a wonderful place and I look forward to checking them out for more kitchen goodies!

Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

Eating Well Website

1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup nonfat buttermilk

1/3 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white whole-wheat flour, or whole-wheat pastry flour 

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) raspberries

 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 large (1/2-cup) muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemon in long strips. Combine the zest and sugar in a food processor; pulse until the zest is very finely chopped into the sugar. Add buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla and pulse until blended.

 Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture and fold until almost blended. Gently fold in raspberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups

 Bake the muffins until the edges and tops are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm.

 Get your yum on!

Breakfast of Steel

Let's face it, any healthy diet plan that you follow will tell you to eat a good breakfast.  You cannot avoid it breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  The truth is all of you meals are important.  Skipping meals is not the way to loose weight. I have found that eating 5 to 6 small meals a day is the best way for me to maintain my energy throughout  the day.  Breakfast is #1!

Planning ahead is crucial if you want to stay on track.  Steel cut oats must be planned ahead.  They take about 20-30 minutes to cook. (you can make them in the micro but, yuck-o-rama)  

In your sauce pan place one cup steel cut oats, three cups water and a pinch of salt.  Bring all this to a raging boil for 5 minutes.  Turn down the heat and allow to simmer until the oats creamy and the water has absorbed.

Sweeten with a tablespoon or two of agave nectar.

Top with the fresh fruit of your choice. (I mixed in these strawberries and WOW the yum factor was off the scale)

 The serving size is 1/4 cup uncooked/1/2 cup cooked.

Let's face it this is a very hearty breakfast on it's own, However if you add a lean protein to the mix you will stay full longer and feel better.  Not to mention build muscle and burn some fat.  So here is part two of this Break-fast!

This omelet contains one whole egg and two egg whites.  So I shaved off some cholesterol off the bat by removing two yokes!

okay so if you are lazy or pressed for time you can do one of two things to take some time off prep.

Use a frozen pepper, onion blend that is all chopped up for you or cut up everything up ahead of time and keep them in the fridge.

Heat your skillet and spray with olive oil.  Add your veggies and saute to desired tenderness.

Set aside your veggies on a plate and return your pan to the burner.

Reheat it and spray again.

Now about this business of separating eggs, I have given up on the egg separator gadget.  It takes forever and it's just one more thing you gotta clean.  Fingers work for me.

Now back to the omelet.  Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste and scramble your eggs in a bowl.  Pour the eggs in the pan and watch cook.  When the edges start to set lift them up and allow the uncooked eggs to seep under the omelet.

Top with your reserved onion and peppers and add the cheese of your choice.  I choose feta because I love the strong flavor.

Fold over one side and plate!  

Serve with your oats and you have a clean, healthy breakfast that will last all morning!  Don't forget to eat a mid-morning snack in about 3 hours.  May I suggest an apple and some cheddar cheese! 

Enjoy!!