There’s a saying French that starts off with “déjeuner comme un roi” and another in Mandarin that goes “早饭吃得好”. They essentially say the same thing – dine like a king in the morn, so that you’re booted up for the rest of the day. When I lived on my own, breakfast always consisted of a bowl of oatmeal with a sliced banana, another fruit (usually apple, kiwi, or berries) and a sprinkling of nuts and raisins. Excellent for the clearing the digestive tract ;). Now that I’ve moved back to a household of 5, meals are all about economy of scale. Without sacrificing the nutrition and taste, of course. Breakfast at home typically consists of healthy pastries with a cup of warm soy or almond milk (the warmth may be an Asian thing… supposedly it aids digestion). So you’ve got your starchy energy and liquid protein. Mid-morning, after my bike ride to work and answering emails, I like to top it off with a nice ripe banana – can’t do without that potassium and fibre! The family recently went down to Cali for spring break, and we visited some old friends in their gigantic LA mansion. The pool, built-in slide, and basketball court were alright, but my favourite part was their citrus trees! They had oranges, grapefruit, and lemons growing right in their backyard. Organic, of course. And they were amazing. 
We brought a couple fruits for the road, and I just so happened to find one of these giant lemons sitting in our fridge the other day – literally the size of my hand. Naturally, I thought – lemon muffins! This was a fun recipe to make. The best – or worst, depending on how clean you like your kitchen – is getting the batter into the tins! If you have an ice scream scoop, make use of it! Either way, get ready for some zesty splatter.
INGREDIENTS: For 12 large or 24 medium-size muffins
Wet ingredients:
- 1 cup plain soymilk / almond milk
- juice + zest of 1 large lemon (or 2 small lemons)
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup applesauce
- 3 eggs
Dry ingredients:
- 2 1/3 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
Mix-in’s:
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1 cup nuts for extra crunch (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grate your lemon for zest, then squeeze out all the juice.
- Beat the eggs, then combine all the wet ingredients in a bowl. Mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
- Mix your dry ingredients into the wet bowl. Mix until smooth.
- Stir in the blueberries.
- Line the muffin tins with compostable liners or vegetable oil. Spoon in your batter with an ice cream scoop or a large spoon.
- Bake for 15 minutes. The top should be slightly browned and a toothpick should come out clean.
- Cool, share, and enjoy!
The Veganish Blog 