Makes 6 / Intensely flavored, these hit the spot for orange lovers. The dates sweeten and add fiber.

1 tablespoon fresh orange zest (1 orange)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
3 tablespoons refined walnut oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) chopped dates
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350˚. Line muffin tin with paper baking cups or grease with canola oil.
2. Place orange zest and juice in a mixing bowl. Add orange juice concentrate and stir to dissolve. Add walnut oil, egg, and vanilla; mix well with a whisk. Stir in dates.
3. Sprinkle flour, salt, and baking powder over the top of the liquid. Mix well but don’t overmix. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins and bake for 15–20 minutes.

PER SERVING: 203 cal, 35% fat cal, 8g fat, 1g sat fat, 35mg chol, 4g protein, 30g carb, 4g fiber, 203mg sodium

Recipe provided by Joanne Saltzman, author of Intuitive Cooking (Book Publishing, 2006), and founder of the School of Natural Cookery in Boulder, Colorado (www.naturalcookery.com).