Springy Lemony Loaf

I am a major lemon lover. And nothing says spring to me than the fresh taste of lemons. Especially lemon desserts!

I love how its tangy citrusy flavour brightens any dish, raw or baked and I’m excited to blog about a healthful alternative to a favourite of mine: lemon poppyseed loaf. This is a gluten-free recipe that I’ve modified to replace poppyseeds (since I didn’t have them at the time) with chia seeds from the cookbook Quinoa 365. And even though the pretty speckled seeds aren’t as visible in this version, I think that’s a-okay since it tastes just as fabulous!

Lemon Chia Seed Loaf – truefoodlove

What to do with the lemon juice that’s not being used in this recipe? I encourage you to start drinking lemon and water in the morning! Here’s why:

• its high vitamin C helps boost the immune system
• it helps to regulate pH by providing alkaline minerals (our body is usually acidic from the foods we eat and stress we experience)
• it helps with digestion by stimulating peristaltic action in the intestines
• helps to hydrate your body which prevents your adrenal glands (the glands that respond to stress in our body) from being taxed giving you more energy and putting you in a better mood!
• it helps you maintain or lose weight by managing hunger cravings
• it helps you to detox your system by aiding in flushing out unwanted toxins
• removing those toxins helps to clear your skin

Lemons are a staple on my grocery shopping list every week since they are the chameleon fruit. They can be used for detoxing and juicing, in salad dressings and pasta, to make all natural cleaners for your home and of course, desserts. The lemon is truly a superhero when it comes to its versatility and benefits, but I’ll save that for another post!

Vive la lemon! 🙂

Gluten-Free Lemon Chia Loaf

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup organic butter or coconut oil
• 1 cup coconut sugar or sucanat
• 2 organic eggs
• 1/2 cup organic greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups quinoa flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. organic grated lemon zest (I used a microplane)
• 3 tbsp. chia seeds

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease or line a 9″x5″ loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter/coconut oil with sugar. Beat in eggs, vanilla and yogurt.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl: quinoa flour, baking powder, salt, chia seeds and lemon zest.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well until smooth. Pour into prepared loaf pan and smooth out top. Bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the loaf pan.
5. Slice and serve when cool. You can also make a glaze with the juice of the lemon heated with 1/2 cup of sugar to create a simple syrup. Poke loaf with a toothpick or skewer and drizzle over the top of the loaf.