Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Lemon blueberry muffins are the perfect treat. They are sweet and indulgent, but they also feel a little healthier with fresh blueberries.

These muffins have one of my favorite ingredients, coconut milk. This gives the muffins a moist and creamy texture.

This recipe makes more than your normal batch of muffins because I didn't want any leftover coconut milk. If you want to make a dozen muffins, this recipe can easily be divided.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins Adapted from Chloe's Vegan Desserts

Makes about 26 muffins

Ingredients

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1   1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

• 1    16 oz can coconut milk
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 2 tbsp lemon extract

• 2 cups of blueberries (about 2 pints)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper wrappers.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients from top column - flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, combine all liquid ingredients from second column - coconut milk, oil, lemon juice, zest and extract.

Pour liquid ingredients into dry and whisk until combined. Fold in blueberries.

Divide batter evenly among muffin tin. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Banana Cream Granola Parfaits + MCM Registration

It's Marine Corps Marathon registration day. Where thousands of runners vie for their chance to run the People's Marathon. I don't know which is scarier - trying to get in or the morning before the race starts, standing in the freezing cold scared of what's before you.

Sometimes you forget why you signed yourself up for this torture - all the grueling hot and humid early morning training runs.

But on race day it all becomes clear. Whether you're having a good running day or not, beauty surrounds you. There's running through Rock Creek Park at the beginning, running over Key Bridge with the Potomac rippling under you, going down M Street with its cheering crowds, the long trek down to Hains Point, finally making it to the Mall, running in front of the Capital, beating the bridge, meandering through Crystal City and finally making it back to Arlington. That hill at the end is nothing. It's all worth it, and it doesn't hurt you get your medal from a Marine.

So how do you secure your spot?

1) Take @orginalstalet's advice: typing drills.

2) If you don't get in on registration day, look on MCM's Facebook page. I decided to run after the registration date in 2010. I looked on the page and people were posting their bibs they could no longer use because of injury, etc. You can legally transfer up to a certain date.

3) Stay calm while waiting on registration time by making a banana cream granola parfait. You don't want to be weak when the frantic website reloading and info entering occurs.

Fingers crossed, this will be my fourth MCM. It's the only marathon I've ever done, but I'm pretty sure it's one of the best. Good luck to everyone trying to register. It's a great race.

These parfaits do require work the day before, but it makes breakfast easy the next day. Just layer everything together and you have a sweet and filling breakfast.

Banana Cream Granola Parfaits Adapted from Forks over Knives

Makes about 12    4 oz   parfaits

Ingredients

Banana Cream:

• 1   16 oz   package silken tofu
• 3 ripe bananas
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

• 1 batch Maple Coconut Granola

• Strawberries and blueberries - or your favorite fruit

Instructions

Blend top ingredients in a blender (silken tofu, bananas, lemon juice, brown rice syrup, vanilla extract and salt) until smooth and creamy, about five minutes.

Chill overnight.

Layer parfaits: pour 2 medium spoonfuls of banana cream into glass, top with 3 small spoonfuls of granola, 3 sliced strawberries, 6 blueberries. Repeat until glass filled. Top with granola and a drop of cream.

My running story + Maple Coconut Granola

Starting this week, megbakes will have a special post on Wednesdays devoted to running tips and healthy recipes.

I hated to run. You couldn't pay me to run. It was torture.

But something happened. I can't exactly pinpoint what. Was it to get fit for swim team? Was it because I was scared of a backpacking trip or was it because I found I liked the challenge?

Something about pushing myself that extra mile invigorated me - so much so I ran 11 miles straight on a treadmill.

Running stopped though when out of nowhere the ball of my foot was in tremendous pain. I couldn't put pressure on it. I couldn't wear a shoe it was so swollen.

I was off the 'mill and the roads for over three months. I kept some fitness cycling, but it just wasn't running.

Once I felt like my foot was almost back to normal, I cautiously tried it out. I only ran 6/10ths of a mile that day, but I knew I was ready to run again.

After that, I increased my mileage little by little and before I knew it, I was signing up for my first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon.

With training for my fourth marathon coming up, I think I've learned valuable lessons in how to run and how to fuel.

So each Wednesday, I'll share a running tip and a healthy treat to fuel your runs.

For the inaugural post I introduce you to my favorite granola - Maple Coconut with almonds and raisins.

It's perfect for breakfast or a snack and it's easy to make.

Be careful though, it's addictive!

Maple Coconut Granola Adapted from Edward & Sons

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats (Recommended: Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes
• 3/4 cup whole roasted unsalted almonds
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup canola/olive oil mix
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients from top column in a large bowl.

Combine wet ingredients from second column in a medium bowl.

Pour liquid ingredients into large bowl. Coat oats with liquid.

Transfer coated oats to greased baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes. Stir oats and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Muffin Madness: Jumbo Sweet Potato Swirl Muffins

The NCAA Tournament is fast approaching and that can mean only one thing, muffins! While filling out your bracket, munch on one of these sweet potato swirl muffins.

When I was a senior in high school my math class filled out brackets. Somehow or another my bracket was #1. It hasn't happened since, so I can only assume I had a muffin when picking out my bracket.

Now a word on the inspiration for the muffins. Minimalist Baker had a great post on Sweet Potato Almond Butter Muffins. She talked about trying peanut butter on a sweet potato. Now sweet potatoes are my favorite food and I've tried them lots of different ways, but never with peanut butter. That night I tried it and I was amazed. So, I had to come up with my own Sweet Potato muffin recipe.

The result was a coconut milk batter, thanks to Hell Yeah It's Vegan!, and a chocolate swirl, thanks to Isa Chandra Moskowitz. See the below video for how to swirl the sweet potato and chocolate peanut butter batters.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I do and good luck filling out your brackets!

Jumbo Sweet Potato Swirl Muffins Adapted from Hell Yeah It's Vegan!, Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Minimalist Baker

Makes 8 jumbo muffins

Ingredients

• 1   1/2 cups mashed roasted sweet potato
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 2/3 cup brown sugar (Make your own with Slow Club Cookery's recipe)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• Juice of 1 lemon

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

• 3 tbsp boiling water
• 1   1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1   1/2 tbsp peanut butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Mix liquid ingredients from first column in large bowl.

Mix dry ingredients from second column in measuring cup. 

Pour dry ingredients into wet and combine.

Measure out one cup of batter and transfer to medium bowl. 

In a small bowl, combine boiling water, cocoa powder and peanut butter to make a paste.

Pour paste into medium bowl with reserved sweet potato batter. Combine.

Grease a jumbo muffin tin. Alternate sweet potato and chocolate peanut butter batters. Once muffin tin is full, use a toothpick to gently swirl the two batters together.

Bake for 26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Nutrition Facts

Calories                                    330 calories

Total Fat                                     9 g

Saturated Fat                            1 g

Cholesterol                                  0 mg

Sodium                                      464 mg

Potassium                                 363 mg

Total Carbohydrate                64 g

Fiber                                            3 g

Sugars                                         32 g

Protein                                         5g

Chocolate Peanut Pancakes

I've always wanted to make pancakes that sizzle on the griddle, bubble on top and are a perfect brown on both sides . . . but I've never been able to master it. Mine are always black on the outside and raw in the inside, something my dad always likes to joke about. For Christmas, my mom got a griddle. So our hopes and dreams were soon to be fulfilled! I set out to find the perfect recipe. I just happened to find Vegan Snickers Pancakes by the Minimalist Baker and I was sold. Although I loved the recipe, it didn't quite fulfill all my dreams. Regardless, try it, it's not your traditional pancake, but delicious all the same.

It's really a simple recipe. Simply combine your dry ingredients, add two wet ingredients, pour in your mix-ins and place on the griddle.

The fun really starts with assembling the pancakes or "plating" them. I have a family of three, so this recipe was perfect. Take one pancake and garnish with toppings. Top with another pancake and toppings. Finish with one more pancake and toppings. Complete with a dollop of maple syrup.

I recommend having these for New Year's Eve breakfast. What a great way to conclude 2012!

Hope you have a great New Year!

Chocolate Peanut Pancakes Adapted from Minimalist Baker

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt

• 1 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 tbsp canola oil

• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped

Instructions

Mix dry ingredients from first column. Add liquid ingredients to dry and mix. Fold in half of chocolate chips and half of peanuts.

Spoon 1/4 cup of batter on preheated griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on top and flip. Cook until light brown.

Assembly: Place one pancake on plate. Garnish with peanuts and chocolate chips. Top with pancake and toppings. Complete with one more pancake, toppings and maple syrup.

Nutrition Facts

1 serving (3 pancakes) - makes 3 servings - does not include maple syrup

Calories                    395

Total Fat                  18 g

Saturated Fat              5 g

Cholesterol                 1 mg

Sodium                      393 mg

Potassium                  262 mg

Total Carbohydrate    55 g

Dietary Fiber               5 g

Sugars                        19 g

Protein                         9 g