'Health Nut' cookbook author Jess Damuck shares delicious and healthy recipes for spring

Damuck dropped by "GMA3" to share recipes for vegan "tuna" wraps and muffins.

May 2, 2024, 1:31 PM

Healthy eating is often at the top of our minds, especially as we head into the warmer months.

Jess Damuck, author of "Health Nut: A Feel-Good Cookbook," is sharing her take on veggie-forward recipes with a feel-good twist.

Damuck dropped by "GMA3" recently to share two recipes from "Health Nut," a vegan "tuna" wrap and delicious muffins with cinnamon butter.

Scroll below to check them both out.

Vegan 'Tuna' or Chickpea Salad Collard-Green Wraps

Ingredients
1 lemon
2 large collard green leaves
1 Persian cucumber
1/2 small red onion
1 cup broccoli or alfalfa sprouts
1 can chickpeas
2 tablespoons Vegenaise (or mayonnaise or yogurt)
1 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Kosher salt
4 small pieces of snacking nori, plus more for serving

Directions

Drain and rinse one can of chickpeas. Add to a bowl and crush well with a fork. Add two tablespoons of Vegenaise, one tablespoon of nutritional yeast, a squeeze of lemon juice and a good amount of salt. Crumble four sheets of nori and mix well to combine.

Rinse the collard greens and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off the thick stem, and then use a little knife to shave the big rib down the middle of the leaf so it is smooth.

Slice one cucumber, thinly slice 1/2 small red onion.

Put half of the chickpeas on each of the prepared collard green leaves. Top with sliced onion and cucumber and 1 cup of sprouts. Put additional nori on top, wrap up like a burrito and enjoy.

Morning Glory Muffins

Ingredients
4 large carrots
1 apple, such as Honeycrisp
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 large eggs
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pecans, toasted
1 cup pitted, dried medjool dates
1 cup hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup refined coconut oil or neutral oil, such as sunflower or avocado

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Prepare 18 muffin tins with liners. In a large bowl, combine two cups of whole-wheat flour, 1/4 cup wheat germ, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup pecans. Whisk and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine 1 cup pitted medjool dates and 1 cup hot water. Let sit for at least five minutes before blending into a smooth paste, scraping down the sides as necessary. Transfer the date paste to another large bowl, and then attach the grater attachment to the food processor. Shred 4 carrots. Peel, core and dice 1 apple, and add the carrots and apple to the bowl with the date paste.

Add three large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 cup coconut water or neutral oil, and 1/4 cup orange juice to the bowl with the date paste and stir to combine.

Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture until combined. Use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop to portion out 18 heaping scoops, about 1/3 cup each, for perfect little muffins in the prepared tins.

Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The cooled muffins can be sealed in an airtight container for up to a week, or frozen and enjoyed up to 3 months later.

Directions to make cinnamon butter

In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup softened butter, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and a pinch of salt until well combined.