Fall Archives - Heavenlynn Healthy

Healthier Apple-Cinnamon Rolls and a visit to a local apple farm with REWE

Lynn — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 05:00:39 +0000

*This post is sponsored by REWE. Thank you for supporting Heavenlynn Healthy’s sponsors.

There are moments in life, when I wished, I lived in a big city. When I look at our small fitness program for example. Or when I want to try a new restaurant. And then there are moments in life, when I’m super happy to live in the countryside. Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration since my town is not that small. But I’m only 5 minutes away from a real forest, which is pretty much the countryside for me. During my visit at a local apple farm a few weeks ago, I once again realized that my heart beats for nature, and not for the big cities.My countryside-heart got so excited during my visit at Ralf zum Felde’s apple farm near Jork. That morning I saw deer, fawns, birds of prey, and marten dikes. Oh and of course I saw one or the other apple.

As REWE Regional ambassador, I got to visit a handful of local producers this year. You can say that I’m a bit of a fan girl when it comes to farmers, because, hello, they produce our food! Something that we all consume every single day. Without them, we would pretty much starve, so I am thankful that there are people that work day and night to keep us satisfied.

If you grocery shop at REWE occasionally (or daily like me), then you might have noticed the regional banners hanging above the produce section with photos of the local producers. Or you’ve noticed the little yellow truck on the local products, the logo of REWE Regional. Many of the producers have been in a cooperation with REWE for many years.

Just like Mr. zum Felde who has taken over the business from his father who has stepped into the shoes of his father and so on. Ralf zum Felde grows all the well-known apple brands such as Elstar, Braeburn, Jonagold, as well as boskoop or Holsteiner Cox. (I really do not know what they are called in English, sorry).

If you did not happen to grow up next to a large area of apple farms (like I did), then you might think of apple trees as large, majestic tress. These days, conventional apple trees are small and tiny, and easy to harvest without needing a ladder to climb. That’s the truth, people. Everything is standardized in modern agriculture.

When you think of locality and seasonality, I instantly think of sustainability and environmental protection. Of course these topics are also predominant in the area „Altes Land“, Northern Germany’s largest contiguous fruit-growing region. During our walk through the apple rows, Mr. Zum Felde explained to me that they have implemented various measures over the years to protect the environment and to make apple agriculture more sustainable. Such measures include poles for the birds of prey, natural lakes, marten dikes, bee hotels,, falcon houses and blossoming stripes along the apple rows. I don’t really know the English word for it, but blossoming stripes are clearly pictured in the photo below. It’s purpose is to attract wild insects. For me as a fan of birds of prey, the morning on the apple farm was especially fascinating, because I’ve never seen so many wild birds of prey in nature before. Why birds of prey, you might ask yourself now? Because they keep the mice away, who like to nibble on the roots of the trees, which makes them ill.

The highlight of the day? Definitely seeing multiple deer, does and fawns! We were able to get really close so I could take this magical photo. I think that my excitement definitely broke the ice between the farmer and the little blonde food blogger ;-).

If you’ve come this far in my article, then I would like to thank you big time. With a delicious recipe for homemade cinnamon apple rolls. They are the perfect treat for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Healthier Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Prep time

2 hours

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

2 hours 30 mins

Author: Lynn Hoefer

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 pack of fresh or instant yeast, make sure it is labeled gluten-free if you are a celiac
250ml of (gluten-free) oat milk
50g of extra-virgin coconut oil + 1 tablespoon to grease the pan
2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds + 3 tablespoons of water
35g of coconut blossom sugar + more to top
400g of Alnavit basic baking mixture or 300g of brown rice flour, 50g of corn stach and 50g of millet flour)
1 teaspoon of psyllium husks

For the filling:

100g of homemade apple sauce (or store-bought without added sugar)
1 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 apple

Instructions

Combine the yeast, 2 tablespoons of oat milk and one tablespoon of coconut blossom sugar. Set aside to activate.
Combine the flax seeds with the water and set aside to thicken.
Melt the coconut oil and then add the remaining oat milk. Let sit to cool for a few minutes. Then add the coconut blossom sugar and flax seed mix and mix well with a wooden spoon.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour mix with the psyllium husk. Add all the wet ingredients and knead with a hand mixer dough hooks for five minutes or use your hands to knead the dough. I let my Thermomix kneading it for five minutes,
Place the dough into a clean mixing bowl with a little bit of flour on the bottom. Let it rise on a warm place for 90 minutes until the dough as doubled in size.
In the meantime, mix the apple sauce with cinnamon and set aside. Remove the core from the apple, and cut it into tiny pieces. Grease a round baking pan or baking dish with coconut oil.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a rectangle either in one or in two parts. Don’t forget to flour the rolling pin, too.
Using a brush, spread the apple sauce filling on the dough. Add the apple pieces. Start to roll the dough as tight as possible and sprinkle a bit of oat milk on the ends so it does not open. Cut the rolls into 3cm thick rolls, and place them in the baking dish. They should touch each other.
Repeat this procedure with the second part of the dough. Brush the rolls with two tablespoons of oat milk, sprinkle them with a bit of coconut blossom sugar and cinnamon before baking them for 25 – 30 minutes.
The apple cinnamon rolls taste best when they are fresh, especially since they are gluten-free and become dry after a day in the fridge.

Notes

Psyllium husks make the dough a little less crumbly. However, it does work without them.
I've tried making the dough without the corn starch, but it was simply too crumbly to roll. I found that the recipe works best with Alnavit Basic Mixture.
Since the rolls are gluten-free they should be eaten within a day or they become too dry.

Enjoy!

*This post is sponsored by REWE. Thank you for supporting Heavenlynn Healthy’s sponsors. They keep me recipe testin’ all day long. 🙂

Merken

The post Healthier Apple-Cinnamon Rolls and a visit to a local apple farm with REWE appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Healthy plum muffins

Lynn — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 05:30:37 +0000

With these healthy plum muffins, fall has officially started on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Three weeks ago I got to spend a girls’ weekend in Duesseldorf with my best friends from high school and it could not have been more perfect. We laughed, we chatted, we hugged and we enjoyed spending time with the people that we’ve known for such a long time. Even though we have all chosen different paths, we’re still friends and this is something I do not take for granted. Right before we left, I decided to quickly bake these healthy plum muffins (because I felt like this was my food blogger duty), and we spent the whole 5-hour car ride catching up and munching on the juicy muffins. My girlfriends approved, and I hope you will too!

Our car ride was already so much different than it used to be back when we were 19. There would have been loud music playing, probably one or the other glass of champagne would have been involved together with lots of candy and other convenience products and there would have been lots of boys talk and other seemingly important topics. Now, 8 years later, one was finishing her thesis in the car, while the others were talking about work, insurance, our grandparents and the war, nutrition and body problems, and of course babies. It’s crazy how our priorities have shifted in these past years.

It’s not like we do not know how to party or enjoy ourselves anymore. Of course we enjoyed one or the other glass of wine, but we felt like it was so much more important to catch up, to talk and to listen than it was to dance the night away. Since I’ve never been particularly interested in partying anyways, I was very relieved to find that my girlfriends have changed as well. Our priorities have shifted drastically in the past 8 years, and I find that we’ve actually gotten a lot closer ever since we all have taken on major responsibilities in life.

Even though all of us admitted that we would have rather stayed home because life for all of us is so busy, we realized that taking this trip was much needed for all of us. Especially during busy times, it is so important to step out of your comfort zone and do something for yourself even though it requires a little push.

Before I’ll share with you the recipe for these delicious plum muffins, I just wanted to add a quick disclaimer for my healthy treats. Even though they are made from healthy ingredients, they are still treats and should be enjoyed in moderation. I’m not saying that you can’t indulge, but rather enjoy them one piece at a time :).

Now that we’re all on the same page, go make these now. You’ll love them.

Healthy Plum Muffins

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Lynn Hoefer

Serves: 9

Ingredients

100g of almonds
200g of buckwheat flour
2 teaspoons of aluminium-free baking powder
1 teaspoon of arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ground ginger
a pinch of cardamom
a pinch of salt
150 ml of almond milk
1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
1 ripe banana (ca. 110g)
65g of neutral rapeseed oil
50ml of sparkling water
100g of coconut blossom sogar
200g of plums

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
Start by mixing the almond milk with the apple cider vinegar and set aside. Using a fork or a blender, smoush the banana.
Ground the almonds to a flour using a blender or food processor. Add the buckwheat flour, baking powder, arrowroot powder, the spices and sea salt and mix until combined.
In a seperate bowl or food processor, mix the rapeseed oil with the coconut blossom sugar, almond vinegar milk, sparkling water, and banana. Stir until combined.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overprocess, or the muffins might not start to rise.
Wash the plums, remove the stone, and cut them in small squares and mix into the batter using a spatula.
Align a muffin form with baking paper or muffin holders and put two tablespoons of the batter into nine molds. I prefer my muffins larger, so I only get nine out of the batter, but you can make 12 small ones. Slightly press half a plum on top of the muffins if you want them to look like in the pictures.
Bake the muffins for 30 minutes and then set them aside to cool before removing them from the molds.

Enjoy!

Merken

The post Healthy plum muffins appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Roasted tomato soup with beetroot and rosemary

Lynn — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 05:30:36 +0000

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.

Roasted tomato soup with beetroot and rosemary

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

Author: Lynn Hoefer

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 shallots
2 gloves of garlic
250g of beetroot
750g of tomatoes
1 tablespoon of raw honey
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
2 strangs of rosemary
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
600ml of homemade vegetable broth
a bit of coconut milk and chopped rosemary to garnish

Instructions

Peel the shallots and and garlic and cut the shallots in half. Peel the beetroot and rougly cube it. Quarter the tomatoes. Place all of these ingredients on a baking tray aligned with baking paper or into a baking dish. Drizzle with one or two tablespoons of olive oil, the honey and season with sea salt, pepper and thyme. Add the strang of rosemary and cook at 200°C (400°F) for about 30 minutes.
Place the roasted veggies and their juice in a saucepan, add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Puree the soup using a hand mixer or blender and season with salt and pepper and more honey if needed. If you want you can strain the soup with a colander to get rid of the skin and seeds of the tomatoes. I like my soup a little chunky, but that's up to you.
Serve the soup on four plates, and garnish with 2 tablespoons of coconut milk and chopped rosemary.

Notes

You can also eat this soup ice cold as a gazpacho. Simply let it cool completely and store in the frige before serving it with coconut milk and rosemary as a topping.

Enjoy!

Merken

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

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Lynn — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 09:09:53 +0000

These healthy pumpkin muffins are great for using leftover Halloween pumpkins!

Hi there, welcome to another espisode of “Lynn is obsessed with pumpkin”. Since my freezer is basically completely stuffed with homemade pumpkin puree, I’ve been experimenting with so many different pumpkin recipes lately. My ultimate goal was to make the best healthy pumpkin muffins ever. It turns out that this experiment was more difficult than I had ever expected it to be. First they were too mushy, then they were so hard that you could barely tear them apart. Finally I found a way to get the consistency right, and I could not be happier about it.

After many hours of testing these beauties, I realized that what really matters was the right amount of flour versus wet ingredients. It also matters what kind of pumpkin you use. Americans tend to use sugar pumpkins, which has a denser texture than hokkaido pumpkin, which is German’s favorite. I found that hokkaido flesh makes these muffins fluffier, while sugar pumpkins make them tenser, yet more flavorful. Either way, the muffins will taste incredible due to the spices and other ingredients.

Mhh…I am talking cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and a pinch of cloves and all-spice.

Sounds like Christmas if you ask me. It’s actually funny, because what Americans consider to be pumpkin spice, Germans would call Christmas spice. Which totally makes sense, because gingerbread spice is basically the same thing as pumpkin spice. So let’s all get excited for Christmas, ok?

Now, let’s talk ingredients. These healthy pumpkin muffins only include natural, whole ingredients that will nourish your body, and make you feel incredible. We have my favorite flour mix out of buckwheat flour and ground oats, moist and nutrient rich pumpkin puree, nutty almond milk, a delicious banana and a chia egg for binding purposes, maple syrup for sweetness, and then of course the signature pumpkin spice mix. All of these ingredients can be found in any well-equipped supermarket so there are no excuses not to get into the kitchen this weekend.

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

Author: Lynn Hoefer

Serves: 9 - 10 muffins

Ingredients

⅓ cup (80g) of coconut oil
¼ cup (60g) of maple syrup
1 very ripe banana
1 tablespoon of chia seeds + 3 tablespoons of water
1 cup (225g) of pumpkin puree
¼ cup (60ml) of unsweetened almond milk
1¼ cup (150g) of buckwheat flour
¾ cup (60g) of oats
½ teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of aluminum-free baking soda
the insides of one vanilla pod
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
¼ teaspoon of ginger
a pinch of allspice
a pinch of ginger
25g of naturally sweetened chocolate chips (I use Ombar) (optional)
a handful of oats for sprinkling (optional)
a handful of pumpkin seeds for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Grease a muffin pan with coconut oil if necessary.
Heat the coconut oil in a small pan. Combine the chia seeds with water in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Blitz the oats in a food processor or mixer until a flour forms and set aside.
In a mixing bowl or food processor, combine coconut oil, maple syrup and banana, and mix with a hand mixer or whisk. If you are using a food processor, mix well for about 20 seconds.
Add the pumpkin puree, almond milk, chia mix, baking soda, spices, salt and the insides of the vanilla pod, and whisk well.
Add the buckwheat flour and ground oats, and gentlly incorporate it into the wet ingredients. If you are using chocolate chips, add them now.
Use about 2 - 3 large tablespoons to fill each muffin cup. I like to fill them up a bit higher, but then you'll end up with only 9 - 10 muffins instead of 12. Sprinkle the muffins with additional oats and pumpkin seeds.
Bake the muffins for about 25 - 30 minutes until you can pull a fork out of the center of it clean.
Place the muffins onto a cooling rack and wait until they are cooled down completely before taking them out.
Stored in an air-tight container, the muffins will last for about 4 days. They do get denser the longer they are stored.

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.

The post Healthy Pumpkin Muffins appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

My favorite healthy pumpkin soup with kale chips

Lynn — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 07:56:35 +0000

This is my first healthy pumpkin soup recipe on the blog. I never thought I’d ever put a pumpkin soup recipe on the blog, because I thought that pumpkin soup is the one recipe that everyone can master, and nobody needs a food blog to tell them how to make it. I feel like everyone who likes to cook has a favorite pumpkin soup recipe, so why change a winning team, right? Well, turns out, I got quite a few requests from readers to post my personal favorite recipe on the blog. So here it is. Since pumpkin soup is special to many people, myself included, this recipe is a deep inside into soul – haha maybe not that deep, but you know, like maybe 15 feet down. Anyhow, this recipe has been my favorite ever since I started cooking, and it’s also one of the first soups I ever cooked. The special ingredient that I added this year is crispy kale chips, which add the final crunch, and make this my favorite pumpkin soup ever.

I cooked this healthy pumpkin soup in my favorite kitchen gadget, my Vitamix 750*. It’s amazing what this thing can do, and how much you can actually love a kitchen gadget. However, there is one key step that I still use my good old pot for: sautéing the onion, vegetables and spices. I feel like this is a crucial step for getting the perfect flavor in any soup. The good news is that you do not need a fancy kitchen gadget to make an incredible tasting soup (but a fancy gadget never hurts, right?!). So whether you are a proud owner of a Vitamix or prefer the old fashioned way of cooking, this recipe is a winner for everyone.

So, what makes this healthy pumpkin soup my favorite? Well, for starters it has pumpkin in it, so it’s gotta be good. Then we have carrots, apples, ginger, coconut milk and limes, which already sounds pretty neat, right? I also love the taste of turmeric and cumin in it, as well as a hint of orange juice. I guess it’s the mix of all of these ingredients that make it taste so delicious.

Health-wise, this soup is bursting with nutrients. The color already indicates that it is loaded with beta carotin, a pre-stage of vitamin A, which is vital for a healthy vision. The other superfood in this soup is kale, which is one of the best anti-inflammatory vegetables you can find. The anti-inflammatory properties can mainly be traced back to the vast amount of omega-3 fatty acids present in this leafy green. One serving of kale covers roughly 30% of our daily recommended omega-3 doses, which is amazing, given that most people do not get enough omega-3 in their daily diet.

I hope you’ll find a new way to enjoy pumpkin soup, and please, I’d love to hear about your favorite ingredients in pumpkin soup.

My favorite healthy pumpkin soup with kale chips

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Lynn Hoefer

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the pumpkin soup:

2 hokkaido pumpkins (700g)
1 large apple (about 200g)
2 carrots (about 100g)
4 cm (2 inch) of fresh ginger
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion
1 teaspoons of turmeric
1 teaspoon of cumin
2½ cups (about 725ml) of vegetable broth
½ can coconut milk (200ml)
the juice of one orange
the juice of 2 - 3 limes, I use 3
salt and pepper to taste
4 teaspoons of pumpkin seeds

For the kale chips:

3 handful of kale
1 - 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
a pinch of salt

Instructions

For the pumpkin soup:

Cut the hokkaido pumpkin in half, remove the seeds and cut into 1 inch pieces. If you are not using a hokkaido pumpkin, then check if you need to peel your pumpkin first. Peel the carrots and onion and cube both. Remove the core from the apple and roughly cut into bite-sized pieces. Peel and chop the ginger.
Heat the olive oil in a pot and sauté the onions on high heat. Lower the heat and add the spices and sauté for about a minute until fragrant. Add the vegetables, ginger and apple and sauté for about 2 - 3 minutes on medium heat. Add more olive oil if needed to avoid burning.
With the Vitamix 750: Add the sautéd vegetables to the Vitamix together with the vegetable broth. Turn on the "Soup" function and the Vitamix will do the rest.
Without the Vitamix: Add the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 40 minutes. Puree the soup with a regular blender (make sure your blender is suitable for hot liquid!) or immersion blender. Transfer back to the pan if you are using a blender.
For both versions: finally add the coconut milk, orange and lime juice to the soup and season with salt and pepper if needed.

For the kale chips:

Pre-heat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
Thoroughly wash and dry the kale. It should be as dry as possible. Tear the kale into small pieces, add it to a bowl together with the olive oil and salt. Coat every piece of kale with olive oil and spread it evenly on a baking sheet that you aligned with baking paper. The pieces should not overlap. I used three baking sheets for the whole bowl of kale.
Bake the chips for about 10 minutes until crispy, and then let them cool.
Serve the pumpkin soup garnished with kale chips and pumpkin seeds.

Enjoy!

*My Vitamix Professional 750 was kindly given to me by Vitamix. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make hour-long recipe testings in the Heavenlynn Healthy kitchen possible.

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 My favorite healthy pumpkin soup with kale chips appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Hot Superfood Chocolate

Lynn — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 16:40:46 +0000

I am so excited to share this hot superfood chocolate recipe with you as it’s one of my favorite at the moment. I literally drink it every morning and every night when I’m all cuddled up on the sofa. I was always a fan of hot chocolate but disliked all the loads of sugar that you find in literally every hot chocolate on the globe. So I’ve tried many different versions, different plant based milks, dates, honey, different kinds of spices, but I finally found the version that works best for me. It’s not overly sweet, but has a strong chocolate-y flavor, and it also tastes a lot like fall and winter.

The superfood idea for the hot chocolate came to me, when I added loads of turmeric to my hot chocolate. As some of you might already know, I am the biggest turmeric addict these days. I literally go through one container of turmeric in a fortnight, which is totally crazy, but turmeric is just such a warming spice that it goes with anything in the fall. So let’s see what kind of goodness we have in this recipe:

Raw cacao: Raw cacao is actually totally healthy! Contrary to the sugar-loaded and processed cocoa powder, raw cacao still contains all its nutrients. Cacao has amazing antioxidative properties, which means that it protects our cells from free radical damage. It also contains lots of minerals such as magnesium, calcium or zinc. Magnesium is especially interesting in my case as it is essential for blood pressure regulation.

Turmeric: Turmeric has many health benefits, which is why it is the number one health spice used in the ayuvedic kitchen. It is commonly known for its anti-inflammatory properties, high antioxidant amount and phytonutrients. Historically it has been helping people with tooth aches, menstrual pains, bruises or colics.

Maca: Maca powder is made from them maca root, and it has its origins in South America. Maca is supposed to help with menstrual pains, menopause symptoms, memory loss and energy production. It is also said to increase fertility in women and promote sexual function in both men and women.

For this recipe, I teamed up with Ombar* chocolate which make my all-time favorite chocolate bars, and I am super excited to have created this recipe for them. I would not promote anything that I do not absolutely love, and Ombar is just one of these brands that I completely adore. I’ve tasted so so many plant based and refined sugar free chocolate bars, but none of them could compete with the ones from Ombar. Yes, they are quite pricey compared to traditional chocolate bars, but I think that less is more when it comes to quality chocolate, don’t you think? The raw chocolate in this hot superfood chocolate recipe makes it extra creamy and chocolate-y, which is the best p.

If you can’t find good quality chocolate bars, then simply leave it out, it will still taste delicious, just not as creamy. I hope that you’ll enjoy a cup of this hot chocolate this weekend – I certainly am planning to do so every day until spring…. ok, just kidding, but hey, at least I’ll be treating my body with something good and delicious.

Hot Superfood Chocolate

Prep time

7 mins

Cook time

3 mins

Total time

10 mins

Author: Lynn Hoefer

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1 cup (250ml) of unsweetened oat milk (use almond milk when gluten-free)
¼ cup (60ml) of water
1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder
1 square of raw chocolate
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of maca powder
a pinch of black pepper
a pinch of salt
a bit of honey (or maple syrup if vegan) for sweetness

Instructions

Combine the oat milk and the water in a saucepan and gently heat on medium heat. Do not let it boil as this will decrease the amounts of nutrients in the chocolate.
Remove from the heat, add the raw chocolate and gently whisk until it dissolves. Add the spices and give it another stir. Sweeten with honey or maple syrup if desired, but oat milk is already rather sweet.
Froth the top of the milk for a few seconds with a milk frother. If you don't have one, just serve it as it is.

Notes

If you do not have raw chocolate, you can use regular dark chocolate with at least 70% of cacao. You can also leave it out completely as long as you have raw cacao powder.

VIDEO HOT SUPERFOOD CHOCOLATE:

Enjoy!

*I kindly received the pictured chocolate bars from Ombar for recipe testing purposes. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make hour long recipe testings in the Heavenlynn Healthy kitchen possible.

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 Hot Superfood Chocolate appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Spiced Fall Porridge

Lynn — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 06:00:31 +0000

It’s this time of the year again: as the leaves start falling, the days get shorter and the mornings colder, I have been craving spiced fall porridge again. I don’t know why I have not posted it last fall, but I am glad I didn’t because now I’ve had just about a year to perfectionate it. With every bite of this delicious spiced porridge, you can feel fall on your tongue. The flavors of this season are so warm, comforting and sensual that I can hardly wait for it to be completely and totally fall again. It’s by far my favorite season and I am longing for it to never end at this moment of the year. As the days get shorter, I love eating healthy and fast breakfasts in the morning, because we all love healthy fast food right? That’s why this is my entry for the lovely Janine from Nuts and Blueberries who is running a little blogger carnival with the motto #HealthyFastFood 4. On October 1st Janine will publish all the entries of her blogger carnival, so if you’re looking for healthy but fast food inspiration, be sure to pay Janine’s wonderful blog a visit.

When I write about fall, I “fall” into a melancholic mood , a good mood, as I remember all the good memories that this season has provided me with during my lifetime. But there are also some unpleasant memories that I associate with fallen leaves, so I thought I’d do a little re-capturing of what fall meant to me as a child:

Here’s what I loved about fall when I was a child:

making little animals with chestnuts
coming home in dirty rubber boots and jackets
lantern walks
kites flying in the brisk air
decorating windows with pressed leaves
coming home from ballet lessons and eating hot pumpkin soup
reading books while cuddled up in a blanket
oatmeal
Saturdays

Here’s what I hated about fall as a child:

raking the leaves in my grandparent’s backyard
riding my bike home from school in the rain
track & field practice outside (also in the rain)
Sundays

I used to be (or I still am) quite a sensitive person. So as a child, Sunday nights were the worst for me as they meant that the weekend was over and that I had to be back in school in just a few hours. It’s not that I didn’t like school, I loved it, but I was just so sad that the weekend was over. However, what I loved about fall was that my mom would get up extra early on school days to prep us a fresh orange juice and porridge so we would get in all the nutrients for an eventful school day. I remember that I did not instantly fall in love with porridge (I was more the chocolate granola kind of kid), but I ate it from time to time, and now I could not imagine starting my fall and winter days with anything else.

This spiced fall porridge is not only heavenly creamy, it’s also loaded with goodness that will fill you up on cold mornings. The warm oats melt in your mouth and the spices such as ginger, nutmeg or allspice are so comforting and exactly what you need in the morning. Porridge really fills you up, too, so it’s a great breakfast for blood sugar regulation as you won’t get energy lows around mid-moring.

What’s you favorite breakfast in the colder seasons? And what are your best and worst childhood fall memories?

Spiced Fall Porridge

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

Author: Lynn

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 cup (100g) of oats, use gluten-free if needed
1 cup (250ml) of water
½ cup (125ml) of almond milk
2 teaspoons of almond butter, or any other nut butter
1 teaspoon of extra-virgin coconut oil
2 teaspoons of organic raw honey
½ teaspoon of grated fresh ginger
1½ teaspoons of cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg
a pinch of allspice
a pinch of ground cloves
a small pinch of cardamon

Instructions

Start by adding the oats, water and almond milk to a saucepan and allow it to heat for about 5 minutes, or until bubbly.
Add the coconut oil, almond butter and spices and let it dissolve completely while frequently stirring. If it gets too dry, add more almond milk.
Finally add the honey or maple syrup for a final stir.
Once it's all mixed, pour into two bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings.

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.

The post Spiced Fall Porridge appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Plum Cake with Buckwheat & Spelt Dough

Lynn — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 06:00:52 +0000

I’ve had some exciting few weeks, which is why it has been a bit quiet on the recipe side, but today, I’d like to introduce you to a German specialty: plum cake with buckwheat & spelt dough. The original dough is obviously not made with buckwheat or spelt, but normal white flour, but white flour isn’t really nutritious, so whole-wheat it is. Germans eat their plum cake with a yeast dough – now, this might seem very strange to non-Germans, but trust me, it’s divine. The dough is similar to that of bread: flour, yeast, almond milk and a bit of coconut oil, and you simply top it with fruit, but you normally only see it with plums, or damsons, a special and very sweet kind of plum that we get over here.

The real hero of this post, however, are my new plates and mugs from Broste Copenhagen*, one of my favorite interior and pottery brands. It’s funny, but you would think that I have a large cupboard of plates and bowls and could host a large number of people. However, I do have plenty of bowls and plates, but never more than two matching ones. So when Broste Copenhagen sent me this generous gift with their Nordic Sand collection, I did a long happy dance, because I am now finally able to host more than four people with matching plates and bowls. And look at how beautiful they are. I am madly, deeply in love with this brand. I already had a few of their items before, but I am now so proud of my collection – what a big step towards being a grown-up.

So now that we’ve briefly discussed my love for pretty tableware, let’s get back to this plum cake with buckwheat & spelt dough. Plum cake brings back so many childhood memories. For me it means family time in my grandmother’s garden. It means bees swirling around the cake, it means kids birthday parties, barefoot handstands and wheels on the grass. Those were the perfect summer days, and I remember it like it was yesterday. Now, unfortunately my grandmother is no longer with us, but I still feel the urge to make a plum cake every late summer according to her recipe.

Of course the traditional recipe has been tweaked to healthify it: instead of white flour I used a mix of buckwheat and spelt flour to give it more fiber and protein. The dough is also made of delicious coconut oil, almond milk, rice syrup (or raw honey) sparkling water to make it fluffy, as well as yeast. All recipes add up to a warming, but not overly sweet base, which, topped with sweet plums make for the perfect goodbye-summer and hello fall cake.

Now, to all my non-German friends, this plum cake with buckwheat & spelt dough is something to get used to, and they are not for everybody. I just wanted to tell you this straight up front, so you know not to expect a normal sweet cake dough. If you do decide to give it a try though, I promise that you will try something that you have never tried before.

Plum Cake with Buckwheat & Spelt Dough

Prep time

60 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

1 hour 40 mins

Author: Lynn Hoefer

Serves: 12

Ingredients

250g buckwheat flour
250g spelt whole wheat or brown rice flour if gluten-free
1 package dry yeast or 40g of fresh yeast if available
2 tablespoons of lukewarm almond milk or water
5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of rice syrup or raw honey
250ml of sparkling water
50g extra-virgin coconut oil
1kg of plums
3 tablespoons of coconut sugar (optional)
hemp seeds for decorating (optional)
a pinch of salt

Instructions

Add the yeast to a small bowl. If you are using fresh yeast, then break it down into small pieces. Slowly add the lukewarm almond milk or water, as well as one teaspoon of rice syrup or honey. Set aside for 10 minutes. The yeast should start to form bubbles, then you know it's been activated.
Next, add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Then add the rice syrup or raw honey, coconut oil and sparkling water. Finally, add the yeast mix and knead the dough with your hands or a kitchen machine for 5 to 6 minutes. The dough will be sticky, so using a machine will definitely help here.
Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and set aside for 30 minutes so it can double its volume. It helps if you place the bowl in a warm environment, such as the oven set on low heat (30°C or 86°F).
While the dough rests, wash the plums, cut them in half and remove the stones.
Once the dough has doubled its volume, spread it on a baking tray that you greased with coconut oil or aligned with baking paper. Using a spatula or your hands and spread the dough evenly. This will be quite tricky as the dough is very sticky. It helps if you wet your hands before spreading it. Be patient, you will be able to spread the dough eventually. Trust me.
Place the plums on the dough, row after row, until every inch of dough is covered.
Bake at 180°C (360°F) for about 40 minutes. The exact time will vary depending on your oven.
Once the dough is slightly browned, but not burned, take the cake out of the oven. Sprinkle it with coconut sugar if you have a sweet tooth while it's still warm.
I decorated my cake with hemp seeds, but this is totally optional (though a nice additional protein boost).
The cake tastes delicious with whipped coconut creak or coconut yoghurt.

Enjoy!

*A big Thank You goes out to Broste Copenhagen for equipping the Heavenlynn Healthy kitchen with a generous amount of their beautiful plates and bowls. Thank you, Sarah, for the wonderful gift!

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 Plum Cake with Buckwheat & Spelt Dough 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.

Watercress, Beetroot and Avocado Salad with Beluga Lentils

Lynn — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 05:30:12 +0000

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.

Watercress, Beetroot and Avocado Salad with Beluga Lentils

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

For the salad

2 handful of watercress
2 handful of leafy greens (rocket, mâche, etc.)
2 medium sized beetroots
½ cup of beluga lentils
1 ripe avocado
½ cup (65g) of pecans
½ teaspoons of cumin (optional)
For the dijon-maple dressing:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
salt and pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
Cut the beets into bite-sized pieces and place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle the beets with some olive oil, salt and pepper and a little cumin. Roast the beets for about 20 minutes until tender.
Cook the lentils according to the instructions in home-made veggie stock (for amazing flavour and extra nourishment) or water with a drizzle of apple cider vinegar - this takes approximately 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash the watercress and leafy greens, removing any brown leaves. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Cut the avocado into stripes or bite-sized pieces.
To make the dressing, simply add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth or whisk it together in a small bowl.
Let the cooked beetroot and lentils cool while toasting the pecans in a skillet over medium heat.
You could combine all the salad ingredients together in a bowl but I like to pile everything up. Start with a layer of watercress and leafy greens, followed by beluga lentils, roasted beetroot, avocado, then finally the pecans. Drizzle the dressing on top.

Enjoy!

The post Watercress, Beetroot and Avocado Salad with Beluga Lentils appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.