clean-eating Archives - Heavenlynn Healthy

The best home made tacos

Lynn — Sat, 07 May 2016 07:50:52 +0000

It’s the first summer-like weekend here in Germany, and people are outside, eating ice cream, barbecuing, riding their bikes, or just sitting in the sun. Such beautiful weather reminds me of my time in the United States, mostly Texas. That’s why today’s recipe is a Tex-Mex inspired dish, that I modified, well, maybe a lot. For some reason, Germans are not too much into Tex-Mex, which I think is really a pity. I love tacos, burritos, enchiladas and guacamole, and I could eat it at least once a week. Unfortunately the traditional Tex-Mex kitchen is very rich in cheese and saturated fats. However, the traditional Mexican cuisine includes so many fresh ingredients, lots of nutrient-rich ingredients and healthy plant based proteins that it’s not hard to make delicious plant based tacos.

Eating beans and legumes is my favorite way to add plant based protein to my diet. I have to admit that I am pretty bad at soaking them, so I usually just buy the canned ones. If you buy canned beans, be sure to buy the ones free from funny additives, which can mostly be found in the organic sections of grocery stores. Beans are rich in fiber and protein, which help stabilize blood sugar. The high fiber can also help lower cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of heart disease.

Ok, if you look at the ingredient list, and the different little dishes – those are simply suggestions of things you can fill your taco with. Those of you who are familiar with the Tex-Mex cuisine will probably notice that this is not a typical taco recipe – it’s actually more of a burrito filling, and you’re absolutely right. Most tacos are usually just filled with meat or tofu and topped with some lettuce and cheese. These tacos, however, fuel your body with all the goodness that it needs to survive the next day at work, in school or battling your three and five year old children. There’s so many colors, flavors and textures in these tacos that every bite is a sensation in your mouth.

If you don’t have all the ingredients, it’s totally fine. Just improvise with what you have at hand. I do recommend trying the bean spinach filling, because this is what makes the tacos filling and nutritious. For this recipe, I also made the tortillas (the wraps) myself, and it was super easy! I used spelt flour, but you can use any other flour that you like. If you don’t have time or aren’t too much into baking, just buy the store-bought ones, but be sure to get the whole-wheat or gluten-free kind.

That’s all I have to say about this recipe, because I think the photos and ingredients speak for themselves. What’s your favorite way to stuff your tacos? Do you make your own tortillas? I’d love to chat about it in the comments below.

The best home made tacos

Prep time

1 hour 20 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

Author: Lynn Hoefer

Serves: 2

Ingredients

For the tacos:

½ cup brown rice
½ cucumber
Some fillings of you choice, some suggestions below.

For the tortillas:

2 cups of spelt, rye, whole wheat flour or gluten free flour
3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
⅔ cup of warm water
¾ teaspoon of salt

For the guacamole:

2 avocados
the juice of 1 lime
chili flakes
seas salt

For the green bell peppers:

1 green bell pepper
½ red onion
½ tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt
pepper

For the cilantro salsa:

2 ripe tomatoes
½ red onion
1 handful of fresh cilantro
the juice of ½ lime
sea salt
pepper

For the bean spinach filling:

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of oregano
½ teaspoon of turmeric
sea salt
3 handful of spinach
1 regular can of white beans (425g total weight)

Instructions

For the tacos:

Cook the rice according to instructions.
Slice the cucumber.

For the tortillas:

Add flour, olive oil and salt to a bowl and mix well with a spoon. Gradually add the water while stirring constantly. Add a little more water if needed.
Knead the dough with your hands for about two to three minutes. Transfer dough back to the bowl and let it sit for 20 minutes.
Next, divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Roll each ball into a thin taco using your hands or a rolling pin. I like to do this between two sheets of baking paper.
Heat a saucepan on the stove and grease with a little olive oil. Turn head to medium - high and place the first taco into the saucepan. Cook for one minute until bubbles form. Flip over, press the bubbles down with a spatula and cook for another minute.
Repeat with the other 7 tacos.

For the guacamole:

Cut the avocados in half, remove the seeds and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Mash the avocado with a fork and add salt, lime juice and chili flakes.

For the cilantro salsa:

Cube the tomatoes and red onion and finely chop the cilantro. Add them to a bowl with the other ingredients and mix well.

For the green peppers:

Slice the red onion and green bell pepper. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, and add the onion and green pepper. Cook for 4 - 5 minutes until the onions are starting to become brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the bean spinach filling:

Drain the beans and wash the spinach. Place the garlic into a garlic press. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add garlic, tomato paste, and spices and cook for a minute until the flavors have fully evolved. Add spinach and beans and cook until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble:

Fill each taco with 1 tablespoon of brown rice, 1 teaspoon of guacamole, 2 tablespoons of the bean spinach mix, 2 teaspoons of salsa and about 2 to 3 green peppers and red onions. Add some cucumbers for an extra touch of freshness.
You can eat the leftovers the next day as a burrito bowl.

Notes

If the tortillas turn out too hard, place them on top of each other. The heat will soften them again.

Enjoy!

The post The best home made tacos appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Heavenlynn’s Friends: Eggplant Curry with Roasted Chickpeas by Kathrin

Lynn — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 07:00:15 +0000

Today I’m starting a new section of the blog called “Heavenlynn’s friends from around the world”. As my blog is approaching its first blog birthday on the 1st of March, I asked some of my blogger and Instagram friends to join my birthday party by contributing a healthy recipe or anything else health-related. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably noticed that I am quite active on this social media channel. Instagram has really helped my blog grow over this past year, and it has allowed me to connect with like-minded, health-conscious people from around the world.

One of these people is the lovely Kathrin, who was so kind to share this gorgeous looking and heavenly tasting eggplant curry with us. Kathrin is one of the first people that I connected with through Instagram, and her feed is absolutely stunning and you need to check it out asap if you have Instagram. Almost 50,000 people follow Kathrin’s healthy journey, and her style is so unique that you could recognize her photos amongst thousands. I am so honored that Kathrin agreed to sharing one of her favorite recipes with us today, and let me tell you, this curry is such a flavorful dish that I could eat it every night. The roasted chickpeas make this curry so unique and add a nice unexpected crunch to the meal. If you haven’t roasted chickpeas before, you need to give this a try, because they aren’t just the best snack, but also a great topping for salads or soups. The number of spices (9!) that Kathrin uses for this curry may seem like a lot, but trust me, every single one is worth it, and makes this curry so unique and delicious.

Below the recipe, you’ll find a short and inspiring interview with the developer of this recipe, Kathrin.

Eggplant Curry with Roasted Chickpeas

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Kathrin

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 onion
1 garlic clove
2 eggplants
3 carrots (purple or regular)
3 big handful of baby spinach
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed
1¼ (about 300 ml) of coconut milk
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

dried herbs

turmeric
coriander
ginger
fennel seeds
thyme
rosemary
chili flakes
fenugreek
paprika (mix a pinch of all herbs to a curry mix and adjust according to taste)

for the topping:

chickpeas
fresh cilantro
scallions

Instructions

Finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat the coconut oil in a large pot or dutch oven, then add the onion and garlic and sauté for about a minute on high heat until they become translucent. Add the tomato puree, cubed eggplant, carrots and dried herbs and sauté for another 2 - 3 minutes on medium to high heat. Add the coconut milk, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it cook for about 20 minutes over medium to low heat.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
While the curry cooks, add half of the chickpeas to a bowl, and add one tablespoon of olive oil and a bit of sea salt, and mix everything together. Roast the chickpeas in the oven at 180°C (360°F) for about 20 minutes until they are nicely crunchy. Take them out, whisk them in a bit of cayenne pepper and set aside.
Add the spinach and the other half of the chickpeas to the curry and let it cook for another 5 minutes or until the spinach is wilted.
Season with salt, pepper and chili according to your taste.
Serve with fresh cilantro, chopped scallions, the roasted chickpeas, brown rice or naan.

An interview with Kathrin

Who are you and what do you do?

Most of the day I am an online editor, social media manager and consultant at a PR firm in Hamburg. The rest of the day, you can find me in either in my small kitchen, practicing Yoga, or spending time with my friends. I am 28 years old (every time I write this, I think to myself: “Oh wow, that’s already really old!” :)).

Where do you live?

In Germany’s most most beautiful city, Hamburg. I live in an exciting small neighborhood with many restaurants, cafés and boutiques close to the river Alster.

What inspired you to eat healthy?

I’ve always loved to eat and to cook. When I was a child, my mom used to incorporate lots of vegetables and fruit into my diet, and I was a child that basically ate anything (spinach was my favorite thing in the world). So when I moved out when I was 19 to go to university, I started eating even more consciously, paying closer attention to regional food that I bought on the farmers’ market. Most of my meals (well, except for the school cafeteria food) were already healthy back then. About a year and a half ago, I started eating even more consciously, and some awesome blogs like Nutrition Stripped and Green Kitchen Stories introduced me to this clean, holistic way of eating. After I started my Instagram account about a year ago, my passion for healthy food grew even more, because I was exposed to so many more great accounts, that inspire me every day to eat healthy and consciously.

Why do you care about the healthy, holistic way of eating?

When I was a child, I used to have problems with allergies and skin irritations, which forced me to cut certain foods like milk or wheat out of my diet, to test if they were the reason for my problems. These health issues still follow me today, and I’ve come to notice that I can really help my skin by restricting myself from eating milk or wheat. This kind of diet also significantly improved my immune system and mood. For me eating healthy means eating balanced and consciously. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruit, legumes, spelt or whole wheat products, but I also can’t say no to pizza, pasta or sweets all the time. I think it’s important to find the right balance, and then you don’t need to restrict yourself from eating certain foods. However, I try to cook most of my meals from scratch, and I avoid packaged foods and ready-to-eat meals.

What is your all time favorite meal that you could eat every day?
Smoothies, definitely. Greens, beeries, mango or banana. I love smoothies. And almond butter. When it comes to savory dishes, I’d say definitely sweet potato fries and avocados.

Savory or sweet?
Principally, I love to eat savory. Except for breakfast, them I like it sweet.

Breakfast person or dinner-lover?
Breakfast is the most important meal for me. I even get up at 6am sometimes, to fit it into my busy schedule. But I could never go to bed without having had dinner.

Thank you for this lovely recipe and the interview, Kathrin.

The post Heavenlynn’s Friends: Eggplant Curry with Roasted Chickpeas by Kathrin appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Healthy Apple-Cinnamon Muffins

Lynn — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 21:28:45 +0000

These apple cinnamon muffins are simply heavenly (otherwise they wouldn’t be on this blog of course). I’ve uploaded a photo of them on Instagram a few weeks ago, and have been asked every day since then when I was going to share the recipe on the blog. I wasn’t 100% satisfied with their texture, so I had to make a few more batches to finalize the recipe, and today it is finally ready to be shared with you.

Growing up in an area that is home to the most delicious apples, I have a special connection to the little red (or green) fruits. Unfortunately I am a tad bit spoilt when it comes to apples, and I only like the really crisp and sweet and sour ones like Braeburn. For this recipe, however, the sweeter the apples the better.

Apples are one of the healthiest fruits on the planet. They are an amazing source of the fiber pectin, which aids digestion and regulates blood sugar. They also contain a whole array of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, one of the most well-known antioxidants, and minerals such as magnesium, iron or potassium, all of which are vital for healthy body functions.

Instead of refined white flour, which can be found in most apple-cinnamon muffins, I use a mixture of ground almonds, buckwheat and oats. This not only makes the muffins gluten free, but also adds a huge amount of healthy, plant based protein to the treats. They also come with a heavenly chore of apple sauce, which is my favorite part about them. If you think that this is strange, then just leave this part out, but I swear, then you’ll be missing out.

Finally I just want to add one more thing before I let you indulge in their deliciousness: as with all baked goods, these muffins still contain sugar, fat and carbohydrates. Even though they are a healthier option, and their sugar is unrefined, and their carbs are mainly fiber, I would treat them like regular muffins. As I always say: go crazy on the veggies and moderately enjoy sweet treats. And now enough of the lecture and happy baking.

Healthy Apple-Cinnamon Muffins

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

50 mins

Author: Lynn

Serves: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 cup (100g) of ground almonds
1 cup (100g) of (gluten-free) buckwheat flour (or coconut flour)
¾ cup (75g) of (gluten-free) oats
1 cup (150g) coconut sugar
1 cup (240ml) of almond milk ( (gluten-free) oat milk or rice milk)
2 apples (mine weighed 150g each)
½ cup (120g) of homemade apple purée
⅓ cup (80g) of extra-virgin coconut oil (+ 1 or tablespoons for greasing )
2 tablespoons of chia seeds + 6 tablespoons of cold water
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder (or any other plant based thickener)
1½ teaspoons aluminium free baking powder
½ teaspoon of baking soda
a pinch of salt

Instructions

Start by pre-heating the oven to 200°C (400°F). Grease the muffin tin with coconut oil.
Add about three tablespoons of the almond milk and the arrowroot powder to a bowl and whisk well until the powder has completely dissolved. Then add the rest of the almond milk and the teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and set aside.
Now add the chia seeds and water to another bowl and let it thicken for about 10 minutes.
Grate one of the apples and cut about half of the other one into thin strips. This will be used to decorate the muffins. You can either eat the other half or store it in the fridge for breakfast.
Now add the oats to a food processor or strong blender, and break them down to a flour. Add all the other dry ingredients and mix well. Now add the chia-egg, almond milk, coconut oil and about ⅓ a cup (80g) of the apple purée. You can either mix it in your food processor or you can use a hand mixer to do so. Now add the grated apple and carefully mix it into the dough. If you are using a food processor, be careful not to use too much power or the apple will completely dissolve in the dough.
Next, add the dough to the muffin tin, only filling the holes half way up. Add about a teaspoon of the remaining apple sauce to each muffin, and cover with the rest of the dough.
Grease the apple slices with coconut oil, cut them in half and stick them into the muffins, gently pressing them down while you do so.
Bake the apple cinnamon muffins for about 25 minutes until they are golden brown and you can pull a fork out of it clean (you want to do the test somewhere around the sides, as the apple purée will still be wet in the middle, which is supposed to be this way.)
Enjoy!

The recipe is adapted from Cookie & Kate and Love & Lemons.

Enjoy!

The post Healthy Apple-Cinnamon Muffins appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Video: Baked Avocados

Lynn — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 07:45:00 +0000

Thank you so much for your positive feedback regarding my new YouTube channel. I’m so flattered that you guys liked to see the real face behind Heavenlynn Healthy, and I will do my best to shoot more videos in the future. What kind of recipes would you like to see next in a video? Do you have any favorites that you would like to see on YouTube? I would love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments below. For now, there’s a new recipe up on YouTube today, baked avocados, which has been the most popular recipe on my blog lately.

As you will hear in the video, I am pretty excited about the fact that you can actually bake avocados, and not just eat them raw. I even expect this to be one major food trend in 2016, along with sumac and za’atar, my new favorite spices in my cupboard. This video clearly shows how easy it is to prepare this dish, and how little effort is required. You don’t need a food processor or any other fancy kitchen equipment, so literally anyone can do this. Avocados also belong to the “Clean 15”, which means that you don’t need to buy the organic ones, as avocados are very unlikely to hold pesticide residue. My tip: I buy my avocados in discount supermarkets, where you can get them for as little as 69 cents a piece, which is pretty reasonable. If you visit your local farmers market right before close, then you can probably find cheap deals such as 5 for 4, which is also a great way to save money, and to make this dish more affordable.

Baked Avocados with Rice and Chickpea Za'atar Filling

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

42 mins

Author: Heavenlynn Healthy

Serves: 3

Ingredients

3 avocados
⅔ cup (100g) of chickpeas (soaked or canned)
½ cup (100g) of dry black rice
8 cherry tomatoes (about 75g)
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of za'atar spice blend (see below)
1 teaspoon of cumin
½ teaspoon of paprika
½ lemon
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of cinnamon
1 pinch of chili flakes (optional)
1 handful of parsley
freshly ground pepper

For the za'atar spice blend:

4 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
4 tablespoons ground sumac
1 tablespoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of ground cumin(optional)
1 pinch of sea salt

Instructions

For the za'atar spice blend:

Heat the sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until they turn slightly brown. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Mix the sesame seeds with all the other spices and mix well. Store in an air tight container. Keeps for many months.

For the baked avocados with za'atar rice and chickpea filling

Cook the rice according to package instructions.
In the meantime, cut the cherry tomatoes into small pieces, finely chop the parsley, juice the lemon and mince the garlic. Add all ingredients except avocados to a bowl and mix well.
Once the rice is ready, drain it and let it cool for a few minutes. Then add it to the other ingredients.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
Cut the avocados in halves and remove some of the flesh to make room for the filling.
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the za'atar rice filling into each avocado half and place them into a baking dish.
Cook the avocados for about 12 minutes and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

The post Video: Baked Avocados appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Gingerbread Granola & A Christmas Giveaway

Lynn — Sat, 28 Nov 2015 08:00:29 +0000

*There’s a heavenly Christmas giveaway for all readers living in Germany at the end of this post.

So, I guess it’s safe to say that it’s finally Christmas time, now that Thanksgiving is over. Being American at heart, my boyfriend and I had ourselves a small little Thanksgiving dinner as well, even though we don’t live in America anymore. But it’s always a nice reminder of good old times in the United States. Now it’s inevitable that Christmas is around the corner and everyone is starting to stress out about Christmas gifts. I am a big fan of homemade DIY-Christmas gifts, which is why I thought I’d give you an early idea of an easy but thoughtful Christmas gift: homemade gingerbread granola in a mason jar. The stores in Germany are filled with “Cookies in a Jar” or “Bread in a jar” mixes, so why not do something different and make granola in a jar? Your friends or family will appreciate the homemade aspect of the gift, and everyone can use a good old Ball Mason Jar at home.

Of course it doesn’t have to be the original Ball Mason Jar, any pretty jar will do it. Just wrap a nice Christmassy strap around it, and your friends will love the thoughtful DIY Christmas gift. When you prepare it, your kitchen will smell heavenly, too, and it will certainly get you into a jolly Christmas mood.

The granola is perfect to start your day with an extra touch of Christmas feeling, because every bite of this gingerbread granola tastes like Christmas. It’s not particularly sweet, but it is nicely crunchy, with a wonderful nutty and gingerbread-y flavor. The spices really give it an amazing touch, and you’ll never want to eat another granola ever. I don’t think I will only have this granola during Christmas time. It will be my winter granola until at least the month of March. Don’t believe me? Then try it for yourself. It’s just sooooo good!

If you live in Germany, then I have a nice little Giveaway for you. Together with Lieblingsglas.de*, I am giving away two sets à 2 Ball Mason Jars as well as a pack of paper straw of your choice. Find more details in my German post.

INGREDIENTS

– 1/2 cup (65g) of whole almonds
– 1/3 cup (30g) of pecans
– 1/2 cup (65g) of hazelnuts
– 1/2 cup (40g) of pumpkin seeds
– 1/4 cup (35g) of flax seeds
– 1/4 cup (35g) of uncooked quinoa
– 2 1/2 cups (210g) of old-fashioned or gluten-free oats
– 1 teaspoons of cinnamon
– 1/2 teaspoons of ground ginger
– 1/8 teaspoons of ground cloves
– a pinch of ground vanilla
– 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin coconut oil
– 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
– 1 tablespoon of almond butter (optional)

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320 °F).
Start by putting the almonds, pecans and hazelnuts into a food processor and crush for 2-3 pulses until they are broken into pieces. They should not be completely crushed, you still want to be able to identify them as nut pieces. Place the crushed nuts into a large bowl. Add all the dry ingredients except spices, and stir well until the ingredients are combined.
Next, melt the coconut oil in a small sauce pan. Add the maple syrup, spices and almond butter if you’re using it, and stir well until everything is dissolved.
Now pour the sweet spice mix over the dry ingredients and mix well until everything is slightly sticky.
Pour the granola on a baking sheet which you have aligned with parchment paper, and bake for about 20-25 minutes. After 10 minutes or so, take the pan out and stir well so the outer edges do not get burned. Repeat this every 5-10 minutes for the rest of the time.
Take out the tray and leave it to cool for about 20 minutes. By this time the granola should be nicely crunchy but not burned and your kitchen should smell devine.

Serve with milk, non-dairy milk, yoghurt or non-dairy yogurt, top with fruits. Stored in an air-tight container it should taste amazing for up to 6 weeks.

Enjoy!

The post Gingerbread Granola & A Christmas Giveaway appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Quick Vanilla Porridge

Lynn — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 07:30:10 +0000

I’m sorry for this super short recipe description, but I just did not have time to write a whole lot this week. As some of you know, I’ve started my Masters a few weeks ago, and it has already kept me busy, especially since I am also trying to work full time for the family business. Anyway, no excuses, there is always time for food. Especially now, when days get darker and the temperatures get colder I need a proper breakfast in order to be productive throughout the entire day. Now that does not mean that I have a huge amount of time to prepare it in the morning. In fact, I am a strong believer that breakfast can be prepared quickly without having to sacrifice on nourishment or goodness. Porridge is a great way to make a highly nutritious breakfast in no time. This quick vanilla porridge literally takes 3 minutes to prepare. Everybody has 3 minutes in the morning, right? The porridge needs another 10 minutes to sit, during which you can get ready for the day, because you don’t even have to watch it. Those of you following me on Instagram have probably noticed my addiction to coconut porridge in the morning. Well, I still love coconut porridge, but oh man, this vanilla porridge has great potential to become my next big thing. Vanilla is just perfect for this time of the year, especially now that we are getting closer and closer to Christmas. It is so comforting and really warms you from the inside.

I buy my vanilla powder in a jar, but you can also use traditional vanilla pods if you like. I know that vanilla is not the cheapest, but a little jar of vanilla powder lasts me for many months, and the flavor is definitely worth it. If you love porridge and vanilla, then you are going to love this one. Trust me on this.

Quick Vanilla Porridge

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

Author: Heavenlynn Healthy

Serves: 1

Ingredients

½ cup of oats (50g)
¼ cup of almond milk (60ml)
⅔ cup of boiling water (160ml)
½ teaspoon of vanilla powder
a pinch of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of agave or maple syrup (optional)

Favorite toppings:

banana
shredded apple
frozen or fresh berries
stewed fruits
homemade almond butter
superfoods such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds, chia seeds, bee pollen, etc.

Instructions

Start by boiling the water if you haven't already done so.
Place the oats into a saucepan together with the boiling water, almond milk, cinnamon, vanilla powder and sweetener if your are using one.
Let it sit with the lid on the pan for about 10 minutes.
If the oats have softened, heat the pan up on high heat for about 3 - 4 minutes while stirring them frequently.
Serve with your favorite topping.

Enjoy with your favorite toppings.

Merken

The post Quick Vanilla Porridge appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Pumpkin Squash

Lynn — Sat, 14 Nov 2015 09:45:59 +0000

I know it may seem a bit trivial to be talking about food when something so awful has happened in Paris yesterday. Let me just say how shocked I am about the current events in the city of love. I thought about not posting a recipe today, but then I realized that I will not let my life be dictated by terror. Maybe one of you will make this salad today and share it with your loved ones for dinner – this way you can bring a little bit of peace to your home. My thoughts and prayers are with the French people today.
There is no bridge that could connect the first paragraph with the second, so I will just jump right into what I wanted to say about this salad. Please excuse my exciting voice in the following text, but like I said, I won’t let them take away my happiness.

Oh how I am loving kale season. Unlike Americans or Brits, Germans cannot get fresh kale all year around. It’s simpy one of those things that you can only get seasonally. Of course it’s a shame that kale season is only a few months long, but the good thing is that you really learn to appreciate seasonal food. Kale season has a very long tradition in my country, we’ve always been eating it, even before it became known as a superfood. Ok, the traditional German kale recipes are anything but healthy and we probably boil vitamins out of it, but hey, at least we try.Kale salad is something that is not so commonly known by most Germans. In fact, many probably think that it’s incredibly weird to eat kale raw. But trust me, once you’ve tried a massaged kale salad, you’ll never want to go back. It’s such an exciting dish and completeley different than most salads.
Combined with other foods such as pumpkin or pomegrante seeds, this salad really is the perfect fall salad. It’s a great side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners, too. And just like that you’ll be adding tons of vitamins and minerals to your diet, because this composition is bursting with nutrients. Kale is one of those dark leafy greens that actually contain more iron than beef. Iron enables the oxygen to be carried to our cells – a process that gives us energy. It’s also a wonderful source of vitamin K, which regulates our blood sugar level.

Besides almonds, pecans are my favorite kind of nuts because of its sweet, caramel-like flavor. As all nuts, they contain healthy fatty acids that help lower cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular and heart disease. Like almonds, pecans are a wonderful source of vitamin E, the beauty vitamin that lets our hair, nails and skin glow.

Pumpkin squash is one of the best sources of vitamin A, which keeps our eyes healthy and helps build beautiful, glowing skin. It also has lots of antioxidants, which help prevent several chronic diseases. Omega-3-fatty acids found in pumpkin squash can even help prevent cardiovascular disease. Hokkaido squash also contains lots of vitamin C, which is the most commonly known antioxidant.

So what are you waiting for? I’d say, you should definitely plan a visit to the local farmers market today to get all the ingredients for this delicious kale salad with roasted pumpkin squash.

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 2:
– 6 handful of kale
– ½ hokkaido pumpkin (about 600g)
– ½ pomegrante
– 1/2 cup (65g)
– 1 tablespoon of raw honey or maple syrup
– 1 tablespoon of olive oil
– sea salt

For the lemon-dijon-vinaigrette
– 3 tablespoons of olive oil
– 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
– 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
– 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup
– ½ teaspoon of salt
– pepper to taste

METHOD

Start by pre-heating the oven to 180°C.
Cut the pumpkin into bite-sized pieces and place them on a baking sheet aligned with baking paper. Drizzle the olive oil and sea salt on top and bake for about 20 minutes until tender.
Wash the kale, and remove the leaves from the stems. Discard the stems and place the leaves into a salad bowl.
To make the maple-glazed pecans, heat the maple syrup (honey would also work) in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add nuts and toss to coat. Place the nuts on a baking sheet aligned with baking paper and toast them for 5 minutes. Set aside.
Drizzle all the dressing ingredients onto the kale. Massage the kale firmly using your hands. Massage them for a few minutes so they turn soft and wilt. This is a crucial step, so please don’t skip it. Once the leaves are nice and soft, stir in the pomegrante seeds and the roasted pumpkin.
Sprinkle the nuts on top and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

The post Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Pumpkin Squash appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Healthy Cauliflower Lasagna

Lynn — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 11:12:26 +0000

Lasagna is one of my secret favorites. However, it can be quite heavy, especially when you make it with a cream-based bechamel sauce. That’s why I’ve tried this healthy version a few days ago, and luckily it turned out amazing. It’s filled with fresh veggies (whereas the freshest thing in most lasagnas is probably the onion), fresh herbs and it is topped with a creamy cauliflower bechamel that is so delicious and nourishing that you won’t even taste that it is healthy.
I’ve used cauliflower as a base for a healthy carbonara (alfredo) sauce before, so I have been wanting to try it as a substitite for bechamel for ages.The result was more than satisfying. It tastes pretty much like a vegetable lasagna, but much fresher and better than most bechamel–based lasagnas. There’s so much goodness in this lasagna, such as vitamin A-rich carrots, vitamin K-rich cauliflower or manganese-rich zucchini squash. I promise that you won’t even miss the cheese (although, sprinkling some feta cheese on top, won’t hurt – nobody’s perfect, right). Just try it next time you feel like comfort food, but don’ t want to feel crappy afterwards. This lasagna is the best way to get some nutrients into your system, without compromising on taste.

Healthy Cauliflower Lasagna

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Lynn

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce:

2 onions
1 garlic clove
½ red chili
2 sticks of fresh rosemary
2 (30ml) tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
3 cans of tomatoes
1 tablespoon of homemade veggie bouillon
1 large handful of fresh basil
5 sticks of fresh oregano or 2 tablespoons of dried
salt & pepper to taste

For the cauliflower bechamel sauce

200g cauliflower (4 - 5 florets)
1 - 2 cloves garlic
½ onion
¼ cup of buckwheat or spelt flour
1 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup nutritional yeast
½ cup (120ml) unsweetened almond milk
1 pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

For the vegetable filling:

2 – 3 carrots
3 large handful of spinach
2 zucchini squash
1 Prise Salz

To assemble:

about 10 – 12 lasagna noodles (spelt or gluten-free)
¼ cup of pine nuts (optional)

Instructions

Wash the cauliflower, carrots, zucchini squash and spinach.
Steam the cauliflower, carrots and zucchini for about 10 – 15 minutes until they are nicely soft. If you don’t have a steamer, then you can also boil them for the same amount of time.
While the veggies steam or cook, prepare the two sauces.
For the tomato sauce, finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Remove the seeds from the chili and cut it into thin slices.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and sauté the garlic, onions, and chili for about two to three minutes until they become translucent.
Add the canned tomatoes and veggie bouillon. Cover with the lid and let cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes.
And the whole basil leaves, salt and pepper and the fresh rosemary and oregano leaves and cook for another 5 minutes. Set aside.

To make the cauliflower-bechamel sauce:

Add the steamed cauliflower and all the other ingredients to a food processor or strong blender and mix until smooth. Set aside.

To assemble:

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (392°C). Grease a baking dish with coconut or olive oil and spread a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce around in the bottom of the pan. Add the lasagna noodles, ¼ of the vegetables and 1 handful of spinach, ¼ oft the bechamel sauce and ¼ of the tomato sauce. Repeat this until you run out of everything. Make sure to wrap the whole thing up with a layer of bechamel and tomato sauce.
Optional: Sprinkle some pine nuts on top.
Bake for 30 minutes. Then serve immediately.

Enjoy!

The post Healthy Cauliflower Lasagna appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Homemade Apple Purée

Lynn — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 08:00:01 +0000

Fall is hands down my favorite of all four seasons. These days, it is showing us its most beautiful side, making me feel like I’m actually over in New England instead of Germany. Wherever I go, I see bright golden, red, purple, yellow or orange trees, forming a beautiful autumnal landscape. One thing that I love about fall is apple picking, which I already wrote about in an article about a fun apple picking fest that I like to attend every year. Since I went apple picking twice this year, we had so many apples that I didn’t even know what to do with all of them. I actually love to eat the apples just plain as they are, but there are only so many apples you can eat a in a day, and we are still sitting on a huge basket full of Jonagolds.Turning the apples into homemade apple purée is one of my favorite things, because it tastes so fresh and delicious, and because it makes our whole apartment smell like fall. Making your own apple purée is something that my grandma used to do, but I feel like our generation has no clue how to make their own apple purée. All we have to do is run to the store, and there’s a whole shelf of apple sauce waiting for us. Finding apple purée that is completely added sugar free is actually really hard. And trust me, the homemade version is a million times better, because it really tastes like fresh apples and because it contains no added sugars or nasty preservatives. Making your own apple purée is so easy , all you need is apples, some lemon juice and a sweetener of your choice. I use maple syrup, but agave or coconut sugar are also great unrefined sweetener options.

INGREDIENTS

– 1kg of apples
– 1/4 cup (60ml) of water
– 1 tablespoon (15ml) of lemon juice
– 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
– 1 tablespoon of maple syrup (optional)

METHOD

Peel the apples and remove their core.
Cut them into bite-sized pieces, and place them into a large saucepan. Add the water, two tablespoons of the lemon juice, and the cinnamon.
Cover and cook over medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft.
Allow to cook, then mash with a fork or simply pour it into your food processor and mix until you have a fine puree.
Sweeten with maple syrup or other sweetener of your choice.Stored in an air tight container, the apple puree lasts for about five days in the fridge.

P.S.: If you have a Thermomix, then it’s even easier. You simply place the apples, the cinnamon, lemon juice and water into the Thermomix and cook 7 – 8 minutes /100°/Level 1, then puree it for 20 – 30 seconds on Level 5.

Enjoy!

The post Homemade Apple Purée appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Roasted Red Pepper and Cannellini Soup

Lynn — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 06:00:33 +0000

This roasted red pepper and cannellini soup is roasted one of my favorite comfort foods. It’s hands down one of those soups that I could eat every day, and that I always have the ingredients for stocked at home. There’s something about the taste of roasted red peppers that reminds me of vacation and happiness. I have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of raw red peppers. I mean, I’d eat them and I don’t mind them, but they are not my favorite vegetable to nibble on. When roasted, they turn into one of my favorite things, though. When turned into a soup they almost imitate the taste of a good old tomato soup – with a much better and more intense flavor. The cannellini beans add a natural creaminess to the soup, as well as a good amount of plant protein. The whole soup is just a delicious and creamy combination of flavors and textures, that I am sure you’ll love as much as I do. Of course this soup isn’t just super delicious, it’s also extremely good for your health. Peppers are one of the best sources of vitamin C, in fact, one raw pepper contains more than 200% of the daily recommended intake. That’s more than twice as much as oranges contain.
Like all beans, cannellini beans are a great source of dietary fiber, which provides us with long lasting energy. They are also an amazing source of antioxidants, which help protect our body form free radicals that could damage our cells and lead to chronic diseases like cancer.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4:
– 6 red peppers (mine weighed 450g)
– 1 medium sized onion
– 2 cups (500ml) water
– 1 tablespoon of homemade veggie stock
– 2 cups (300g) cannellini beans
– 2 large handful of basil
– fresh or dried herbs like thyme, rosemary or oregano
– 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
– 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
– 2 teaspoons of paprika powder
– 1 teaspoon of curry powder
– 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
– 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
– 2 tablebspoon (30ml) of olive oil
– salt & pepper to taste

METHOD:

Start by pre-heating the oven to 200°C (400°F). Cut the peppers and remove the seeds.
Place the peppers on a baking tray that you aligned with baking paper. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil on top of the peppers, and sprinkle it with some fresh or dried herbs like rosemary, thyme and oregano. Roast the peppers for about 15 minutes.
Once their skin becomes wrinkly, take them out of the oven, set aside to cool.
Chop the onion. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion for about one or two minutes on high heat.
Add all the remaining ingredients and purée them in a food processor or heat-proof blender.

Serve with some gluten free or rye bread.

Enjoy!

The post Roasted Red Pepper and Cannellini Soup appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Buckwheat & Pumpkin Granola

Lynn — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 05:30:23 +0000

This granola is just so perfect for fall, it’s been my go-to-autumn granola for the last two years now, and I still don’t have enough of it. I top my overnight oats or porridges with it or eat it straight from the container. It’s my happy-place-granola and I always have it in the house. Whenever my family pays us a visit, they walk straight to the kitchen to see if I have any granola left and I usually make a batch for them just in case.
I’ve even thought about selling this granola, that’s how much everybody loves it. Maybe I do, depending on how you guys like it. Please don’t hesitate to tell me in the comments below. It’s of course also incredibly good for you as all ingredients are completely natural and packed with nutrients. Of course there’s oats which contain a good amount of manganese, which protects our bones. Oats are also loaded with fiber, which regulate our blood sugar levels and keep us satisfied for hours.
The real hero in this granola is buckwheat though. The little seeds contain all essential amino acids, making it a real protein. It is said to lower blood pressure and cholesterol because of it’s high amount of magnesium. It relaxes our blood vessels which allows our blood to flow better, which in turn leads to a normal blood pressure.

All the nuts and seeds in this granola make it such a great source of protein and fiber, which keep you satisfied the entire morning. The granola also has much less sugar than store-bought granola, which are usually loaded with refined sugar.
Combined with creamy porridge, chia pudding or overnight oats, this buckwheat & pumpkin granola really makes the best breakfast.

INGREDIENTS:

– 1 cup (80g) raw buckwheat groats
– 1 cups (80g) (gluten-free) oats
– 1 cup (120g) pumpkin seeds
– 1/2 cup (60g) sunflower seeds
– ½ cup (75g) raw unpeeled almonds (with skin)
– ½ cup (50g) pecans
– 2 tbs virgin coconut oil
– 3 tbs maple sirup
– 3 tsps cinnamon

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°. Start by putting the almonds and pecans into a food processor and crush for 2-3 pulses until they are broken into pieces. They should not be completely crushed, you still want to be able to identify them as nut pieces.
Place the crushed nuts into a large bowl. Add all the dry ingredients except cinnamon, and stir well until the ingredients are combined.
Next, melt the coconut oil in a small sauce pan. Add the maple syrup and cinnamon, and stir well until everything is dissolved.
Now pour the sweet coconut cinnamon mix over the dry ingredients and mix well until everything is slightly sticky.
Pour the granola on a baking sheet which you have aligned with parchment paper, and bake for about 25-30 minutes. After 10 minutes or so, take the pan out and stir well so the outer edges do not get burned. Repeat this every 5-10 minutes for the rest of the time.
After 25 – 30 minutes, take out the tray and leave it to cool for about 20 minutes.
By this time the granola should be nicely crunchy but not burned and your kitchen should smell devine.

Serve with milk, non-dairy milk, (coconut) yoghurt or greek yogurt, and top it with fruits. Stored in an air-tight container it should taste amazing for 3-4 weeks.

Enjoy!

The post Buckwheat & Pumpkin Granola appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

The best apple pie and an apple fest

Lynn — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 06:00:17 +0000

There’s just something about fall that I absolutely love. I don’t know if it’s the drop in temperatures, the change of colors in the trees or the days getting darker and shorter, but everyone of the above just makes me happy. I am not a person who looks back and whines that summer is over, instead I focus on all the beautiful things that fall has to offer. Like apple picking. I went apple picking last weekend and it was so much fun. It wasn’t the usual apple picking but an apple picking fest, on an apple farm that offers “apple tree adoption”, meaning you pick a tree that you adopt, you pay a small yearly fee and you get to pick the apples once a year at the big apple fest. Our tree ended up carrying more than 50 kilos so we’re good for the next few weeks I think. If you live in Germany, and preferably near Hamburg, then I can extremely recommend this “adopt an apple tree” gift for someone you love. There were families at that fest, that always come together that weekend only for picking their tree. Isn’t that a great occasion to come together?

The best part of the apple picking fest, is the the kids running around, but also the kids that are helping out that day, telling everyone how to find their tree and – most importantly – how to pick an apple properly. Did you know that there was a wrong way of doing it? Well, there is. You need to hold on to the apple, carefully press the stem down with your thumb, and then pick it up from the tree. You never stop learning.

„An apple a day keeps the doctor away“ – a pretty hackneyed phrase, but oh so true. Apples contain more than 30 minerals, such as potassium, magnesium or iron, which all support a variety of vital body functions. They are rich in fiber, especially pectin, which aids digestion and bowel health. Fiber also prevents the blood sugar level from spiking, releasing energy slowly, thus preventing energy lows. Pectin has also been shown to lower cholesterol, which decreases the risk of heart disease. So an apple a day will help definitely help you stay healthy.

INGREDIENTS

For the pie crust:
– 1 1/2 cups (120g) of oats
– 1 cup of buckwheat flour
– 2/3 cup (90g) coconut oil
– 1/2 cup (100g) of coconut sugar
– 1 tsp cinnamon
– 1 tsp baking powder
– cold water as needed
– a pinch of salt

For the apple pie filling:
– 1 kg of apples (about 8 medium apples)
– 1 tsp cinnamon
– 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)
– 1/4 tsp nutmeg
– 1/4 tsp ginger
– 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
– 2 Tbsp maple syrup or agave
– 1.5 tsp buckwheat flour or arrorroot powder
– 4 tsp coconut sugar or 2 Tbsp maple syrup
– a pinch of salt

You’ll also need:
– 9 inch spring form
– some water or dairy-free milk like almond milk

NOTES:
– If you don’t have a food processor, substitute the oats with more buckwheat flour. Then you’d need 2 1/2 cups or 240g of buckwheat flour.

METHOD:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and grease a 9-inch spring form with coconut oil.
Start by making the crust. Simply add the oats to a food processor and crush them into a flour. Add all other ingredients and mix them well. Add cold water, one tablespoon at a time if mixture is dry, until a dough forms. I needed about 2 tablespoons of water.
Use 2/3 of the dough for the base and 1/3 for the top. Evenly press the larger dough into the pan, pressing all the way up the sides and set aside.
To make the filling, peel and core the apples. Add them to a large bowl along with remaining ingredients and toss until everything is evenly combined. Pour the apple mixture into the crust and lightly press down to fit all the apples in.Transfer to a floured surface and gently mold together with hands, handling as little as possible. Divide in two, making one (the bottom crust) slightly larger.
Transfer the remaining dough to a floured surface and gently mold together with hands, handling as little as possible.
Gently roll out the crust using only as much flour as needed. You can cut the crust for the top into strips and do a lattice top (great tutorial here), or just lay the whole crust over the apples for a traditional pie top. If you choose the latter, you’ll need to poke several little holes with a knife to let steam escape. I did it with the lattice top, too, just because I think it looks pretty.
Brush the pie lightly with water or dairy-free milk using a cooking brush.
Place the spring form on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Then cover the form with tin foil to avoid burning. Press the foil down with a towel to force juices up over the surface of the apples. Bake for another 50 – 60 minutes.
The Apple Pie is ready when the juices have thickened and the crust has a deep golden color. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely before slicing.

Tastes delicious on its own or with homemade coconut whipped cream.

Enjoy!

The post The best apple pie and an apple fest appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.