Vegan??

So...In my quest to eat healthier and all natural as much as possible, I keep coming across vegan recipes. I'm guessing because the vegan diet consists of mostly fruits, veggies, and grains. It got me thinking about trying some vegan recipes for things that I normally make with eggs and butter. My first attempt was Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins. The result was interesting. Not super delicious, but not bad either. I think with a few modifications, the muffins could be really good and fairly healthy. Here's the recipe as is with my additional notes below:

Vegan Cranberry Orange Muffins

2 cups all natural unbleached flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp orange zest
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup fresh chopped cranberries
1 cup pecans or walnuts (optional)

Mix all dry ingredients, then make a well in bowl and add juice, oil, zest, and vanilla.

Mix till half way moistened, then add cranberries and nuts, then fold gently till just mixed.

Fill muffin tin and bake for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean!


Next time, I think I will add more sugar, or even may be 1/2 white and 1/2 brown. I also think I would add more orange zest, and may be even some apple sauce for a binder. My muffins came out moist, but they crumble easily, which is b/c there is no egg added. I will definitely try this one again till I perfect it!

Let me share one more foodie thing today as well. If you are looking for a good meat subsitution, try Gardenburger's Chipoltle veggie burgers, they are awesome with cheese on toast, and very healthy for you!