Wow, thank you so much for your overwhelming support on my latest blogpost. I never thought that writing down my exact feelings would have such a huge impact on others as well. It seems like we’re all in this together, aren’t we? So as I was reading all of your comments, I suddenly had the urge to cook something healthy and delicious. I went to the farmer’s market and got the most amazing-smelling tomatoes, packed a bunch of beetroots and some fresh rosemary and went into the kitchen.I had so much enery, so much love in me that this soup turned out especially great. All of you, with your comments here on the blog, on Instagram, personal emails and even phone calls from friends showed me that being honest can be so relieving. It also happened that I gave a workshop at a school that day. The kids had organized a day under the motto: crises and life. There were many workshops with topics such as healthy eating and yoga (moi), depression, stress management, mobbing and relaxation. It was such an inspiring day, and I wish that we would have had a day like that back when I was in school. I also really loved talking to these kids about healthy eating and many of them had really never given it much thought before. So we talked about what healthy eating means and why it is so helpful in stressful times such as their upcoming final exams in the Spring.

I really hope that I will have the chance to talk to more students about healthy eating in the future. It’s such an important task, because not all of them learn how to cook or eat fresh food at home. Perhaps there will be another workshop opportunity in the future – who knows.

Now back to this soup. Since it was the first real meal that I had cooked in a week, I cherished every bite of it. It’s super easy yet very fragrant and delicious. All you need to do is roast the veggies and then puree them with vegetable broth. That’s it. It could not be any easier. You also won’t need much more salt to season it as the roasted vegetables and herbs are so flavorful!

Oh and also, the soup is pink. Oh yes, you’re welcome. Everyone needs a little bit of pink in their lives, don’t you think? It really reminds me of the Indian summer colors that we will be seing everywhere soon. Oh dear, fall is my absolute favorite season, and I cannot wait for the cozy and cold weather. This soup will get you through the first weeks of fall, it will strengthen your body and it will make you feel your best. Just what you need this season.

Enjoy!

Merken

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The post Roasted tomato soup with beetroot and rosemary appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Have you ever heard of the term Poké-Bowl? I first came across this “thing” in Bali, when I was actually searching for Nalu Bowls in Uluwatu. We never found Nalu Bowls, but we did find this cute place that sold Poké-Bowls, called Coco & Poké. Poké-Bowls is basically the new Buddha-Bowl meets Sushi Bowl, and it was supposedly invented in Hawaii. The original Poké-Bowl includes raw fish with a delicious marinade, but if raw fish isn’t your thing, you can easily swap this with plant-based options such as roasted beetroot (which I used in this recipe), tempeh, or even watermelon.

I was looking through our Bali photos the other day, and I found a photo of Coco & Poké, and so I thought: why not create your own plant-based poké bowl? I did not want to include raw tuna, not because I do not eat it, but because a) I do not think fish would be appreciated on this blog and b) I had been suffering from a major 2-day migraine and I just did not feel like eating raw fish. So I came up with the idea of roasted beetroot, because a) it tastes delicious and b) it kinda resembles raw tuna, don’t you think?

Poké-Bowls are not really your typical leftover take-to-work dishes, which I know you all love, but they can be prepared in about an hour. All you need to do is cook the rice while you prepare all the veggies, the sauce and the garnishes. Ok, maybe you’ll need a bit more than an hour, but the result is definitely worth it.

So what’s so unique about this bowl? I guess I’d have to say the dressing. It was one of those “I have no idea what to make” kinda sauce attempts and I don’t want to brag, but it was quite a success. It’s actually kind of like a chili tahini mayo, but I do not like the word mayo that much, so chili tahini sauce it is. Jannis LOVED it so much, he licked out the dressing bowl (not kidding).

Oh, also, we have to talk about wakame. I know that making wakame should be a post by itself, but I just really wanted to put it into this post, because it goes so well with the poké bowl. You could of course buy your wakame salad, but since it almost always includes refined sugar, I prefer to make it at home. It’s really just a marinade of sesame oil, rice vinegar, coconut sugar and sesame, but it tastes so delicious. Algae in general are so healhty, too, as they are full of vital nutrients such as vitamin B12, magnesium or calcium.

Just keep in mind that wakame and most algae contain a high dosis of iodine, so if you’re suffering from a thyroid malfunction, please contact your doctor before indulging in any kind of algae (this includes sushi wrappers, too) as too much iodine can put a burden on the thyroid.

If you just took a quick peak into the ingredients list – please do not panic. The long list of ingredients is merely a suggestion. Have a look at my notes in the recipe box, where I explained a little bit about suggestions in detail. You do not need to use the exact vegetables that I used, and the wakame salad is also not a “need-have” ingredient though it does give this bowl something to remember.

If you made this bowl, then be sure to tag me on Instagram using #heavenlynnhealthy. I look forward to seeing all of your amazing posts!

Enjoy!

Merken

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The post Healthy Poké-Bowl with Chili-Tahini-Sauce appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Spring bowl to celebrate the best season with tahini lemon dressing.

I cannot wait to put all those coats and warm clothes away and start wearing spring jackets, sneakers and sunglasses. I am writing this on the first of May (took you long enough, Spring), and just finished this awesome spring bowl that my boyfriend kindly prepared for me after I dropped a large wooden board on the top of my right foot. After lying on the kitchen floor crying for five minutes, all I could do was get up on the couch, put ice on the foot and watch Mean Girls.

Thirty minutes later, I was served this amazing bowl of goodness, and it really made my foot hurt less. I hope all the healthy ingredients will help me fight this inflammtion that is going on in my foot right now. My favorite is the tahini lemon dressing, which is actually inspired by the peanut lime sauce from my summer roll bowl.

Did you know that tahini is one of the healthiest foods out there? Not only does it cover almost our entire daily requirement of copper, it also contains many other minerals such as mangenese, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. But let’s talk a little bit more about copper, because it gets less attention than other minerals.

Having a copper deficiency is as bad as having iron deficiency – and we know how many women are iron deficient.

Our body needs cooper daily to produce red blood cells and to support the use of iron. So, if you have an iron deficiency, you might also have a copper deficiency as copper is needed for the absorption and use of iron. You can find copper mainly in leafy greens, raw cacao (yay, chocolate) as well as in fish and seafood. Copper is also very important for the transportation of oxygen and the production of antigens. It therefore strenghtens the immune system, which is extremely cool in my opinion.

Fun fact: without copper, we would all have grey hair as it supports pigmentation.

Since my foot is starting to hurt veeeery much right now, I am going to leave it at that today. Lesson from today: copper is great!

If you love bowls (and you speak German) please have a look at my friend Annelina‘s new cookbook “Buddha Bowls”, which just came out and which is absolutely amazing. Not only is it very informative, it also contains so many different recipes of bowls, that it makes me want to never eat anything else ever again.

Enjoy!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

Merken

Merken

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Glögg or “Glühwein” in German is spiced mulled wine that you drink traditionally during Advent in Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. You can get it everywhere in those countries during Christmas time. Usually people get together on our famous Christmas markets to enjoy a glas (or two) of this delicious drink. The traditional Glühwein or Glögg contains a lot of sugar, so I tried to make a healthier version using only natural fruit sugar: a Beetroot and Apple Gögg (Hot Wine or Punch).  It’s kind of like beetroot, apple and ginger juice just heated up with Christmassy spices. I actually prefer it alcohol-free so I just leave the wine out but you can even add some rhum if you like – whatever you prefer. After all, it’s Christmas time.

Don’t be afraid of the beetroot juice in this Glögg, it actually goes really well with the other ingredients such as the sweetness of the apples or the sweet acid of the oranges. The whole drink is really sweet because of the apples, so don’t worry about the earthy beetroot taste. It’s absolutely delicious, and you are nourishing your body with some healthy vegetable juice, too. That’s why you can enjoy this drink absolutely guilt-free. Just try surprising your friends and family with this drink this Christmas, and they will be surprised that even something as unhealthy as Glögg or Glühwein tastes delicious when healthyfied. We will definitely have Beetroot and Apple Glögg (Hot Wine or Punch) this year at Christmas Eve.

Beetroot and Apple Glögg (Hot Wine or Punch) Video:

Merry Christmas!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

The post Beetroot and Apple Glögg (Hot Wine or Punch) appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

I’m in love with this sauce. When my mom first introduced this sauce to our family we were instantly hooked. There’s no pasta sauce that we love more and everyone that I’ve made this for loved it. I admit that the thought of beetroot and turmeric may sound a bit strange when you hear it for the first time, but trust me on this. You’re going to love this creamy beetroot and turmeric pasta sauce. It’s so warming and delicious and all the ingredients create something wonderful that will provide your body with lots of healthy vitamins and minerals. There’s a lot of beets in this sauce, which really boost your iron storage. Almond butter and almond milk make it heavenly creamy and the turmeric is an additional health booster. Sunflower seeds give it some texture and a nice crunch.

INGREDIENTS:
– 1 onion
– 1 tbsp olive oil
– 2 medium sized beets (about 200g)
– 1 cup (200ml) almond milk
– 1/3 cup (80g) almond butter
– 1 tsp homemade veggie stock
– 1/4 tsp pepper
– 2 tsp turmeric powder
– 2 tbsp tamari
– 1 tbsp maple syrup or agave
– 1/4 cup (35g) sunflower seeds
– salt & pepper to taste

– 600-800g spelt or gluten free pasta

METHOD:

1. Start by cooking the pasta according to the directions on the package.
2. Peeling the beets. You might want to use rubber gloves so you won’t run around with pink hands for the next three days.
3. Cut the beet into small pieces or put them in the food processor and break them down for a couple of seconds.
4. Chop the onion finely. Heat the olive oil in a pot. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about one minute. Add the beets and fry for about 3 minutes. You may have to add more olive oil if it starts to burn.
5. Add the almond milk, tamari, maple syrup and spices to the pot, reduce the heat to medium low and let it simmer for about 8 – 10 minutes.
6. Now add the almond butter and heat to medium high heat for another 3 – 4 minutes.
7. Finally, add the sunflower seeds and stir well until combined.

Serve with the pasta and enjoy!

The post Creamy Beetroot and Turmeric Pasta Sauce appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

This Watercress, Beetroot and Avocado Salad with Beluga Lentils is such a soul food and definitely not boring at all. The combination of the healthy ingredients really melts in your mouth, literally throwing a little foodie party in there.
I have never really had watercress until this summer when I was in this amazing restaurant in North Carolina that sprinkled the most delicious vegan pad thai with a huge amount of watercress. The moment I tried it, I was instantly hooked. If you can’t pick watercress yourself, then try the farmer’s market. If they don’t sell it then they can certainly get it for you somewhere. I always ask at my favorite stand at the farmer’s market and pre-order it for the next market day. 

Watercress along with most leafy greens contains a very large amount of dietary nitrate which has been shown to lower blood pressure. It is also a rich source of many vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin K, which is a bone-building and strengthening vitamin, and vitamin A, which is important for eye health. Beets are a great source of iron, which helps transport oxygen via our red blood cells. Like watercress, beets are also high in nitrate, which relaxes our blood vessels and helps our blood flow more easily through the body – resulting in a decreased blood pressure. This salad is a basically a real blood pressure lowering salad if you will.
The lentils add some nice texture and protein to the whole dish, making it a complete meal that fills you up, because the fiber in the lentils will keep you satisfied for hours. It’s really the perfect satisfying autumn-y salad that I’m sure you’ll love just as much as I did.

Enjoy!

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I’ve probably already mentioned a couple of times how beneficial beetroot is for everyone, and especially high blood pressure patients. Drinking a glass of beetroot juice a day has been shown to drastically lower blood pressure. Naturally, I enjoy some beetroot juice a couple of times a week. This delicious combiniation of beetroot, apple, oranges, carrot and ginger is simply amazing. If you like it a little sweeter you can even add half a banana and trust me, you won’t be able to tell that you’re drinking beetroots at all.

You will need a juicer for this recipe. If you haven’t already bought one, now is the time to invest in one. Juicing vegetables is an easy and quick way to get their nutrients. Juicers are also not as expensive as blenders, they start at reasonable prices even students can afford. It’ll be worth the money, believe me. Please make sure you add a couple of drops of oil, preferably flax seed oil (also called linseed oil) , to make sure that your body can absorb the fat soluble vitamin K. Flaxseed oil, an incredible source of omega-3-fats, is called “the elixir of life” by some scientists because of its cancer preventing and blood pressure reducing benefits. So it doesn’t hurt to add a couple of drops to this juice.

Health benefits:
– biotin (important for blood sugar balance and skin health, necessary to build healthy fats that keep the skin moist and soft)
– iron (important for healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen through your body)
– manganese (for nerve health)
– potassium (lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure)
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– vitamin C (good for your immune system, tissue health)

Enjoy!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

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This recipe is from my sister May. Since she has the celiac disease (a severe form of gluten intolerance) the recipe is completly gluten-free. If you leave out the feta cheese, it is even vegan.
The recipe is so simple and it has been my boyfriend and my go-to-recipe for the past couple of months. Not only is it easy and fast to make, it is also packed with great nutrients. It’s also a great recipe to make as your work lunch – it will keep you full all afternoon since it contains lots of protein from the chickpeas, but it won’t let you fall into the afternoon hole of fatigue.
 Health Benefits:
– iron (important for healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen through your body)
– lycopene (antioxidant that helps fight various diseases)
– manganese (for nerve health)
– protein (important for a healthy metabolism, immune systems, production of enzymes)
– vitamin C (good for your immune system, tissue health)

The beets are a great source of iron, the red pepper is the world’s best source of Vitamin C, tomatoes are packed with the anti-oxidant Lycopene which helps fight various diseases. The fresh mint adds the extra fresh touch to the recipe.
Even though I admit that the pre-cooked beets do not contain as many nutrients as the fresh ones do, they are a great option for all of us lacking time to prepare whole meals. If you want to make yourself feel better about the packaged beet, use raw chickpeas and soak them over night. That way you eliminate all the preservatives that canned chickpeas contain. But since nobody’s perfect, it is perfectly fine to use the canned ones. None of us is perfect and at least you’re trying to eat better by preparing this recipe.

Enjoy!

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