You guys, I know. It seems like my finger food selection is all about zucchini – and it totally is. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, because I am using zucchini in different ways in my finger foods, which makes this a total win for everyone. For you, because zucchinis are sold everywhere and are very affordable and for your guests because few people are allergic to zucchini (correct me here if I’m wrong). This time, I’ve wrapped up one super delicious basil hummus and pine nuts! Ok, scratch the allergy-comment above, because pine nuts are definitely an allergen, so make sure you ask your guests before hand, if they have any allergies or simply tell them exactly where to find pine nuts in their food.

These rolls look much much more complicated than they are. All you need is zucchinis, a vegetable peeler, hummus, basil and pine nuts. Super easy, super simple. Now, I am all about making your own hummus. Totally. But I also understand that especially when you’re throwing a party, time is limited, so feel free to use store-bought hummus for this version. That sad, I have not yet come across a hummus brand that I really love here in Germany. Most hummuses that I found are filled with vegetable oil, sugar or other additives, which I try to avoid if possible. Also, making your own hummus literally takes 5 minutes including washing up, so time should actually not be a reason not to make your own hummus.

For these rolls, I added a good handful of fresh basil leaves to my hummus to give it some extra flavor. I also rolled one basil leaf in each zucchini roll, to make it even more flavorful. Such a good idea! Also, this will prevent the typical run for the basil leaves on the caprese salad (mozarella and tomato), where basil leaves are usually limited. In this roll, basil leaves are equally distributed so that each guest will be sure to get a basil leaf. So genious, if you are a basil lover. If not and you have absolutely no idea what I am talking about then go on to the next paragraph.

To make these rolls, all you need is to carefully slice about 2 zucchini, add a bit of hummus, basil and pine nuts on one end and then carefully roll them up. Such small effort with a huge a-ha effect.

Now let’s get rolling:

Enjoy!

The post Finger Food Zucchini Basil Rolls with basil hummus appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

So I love hummus, but sometimes I think it’s great to change things up a bit. As you know, I’m all about exploring new things, creating new recipes, and so I thought, why not attempt a totally new hummus experience. Now, I know that you can technically not call this hummus at all. If you live in Israel or anywhere else, where hummus is more than just a chickpea / tahini spread, I apologize in advance for altering this sacred recipe. This recipe is another finger food that is perfect for parties!

But I was actually inspired by another middle eastern recipe called Baba Ganoush, which is a baked aubergine spread. If you have not tried it yet, you should! It’s insanely good and totally plant-based, too! In fact, I think I will publish a Baba Ganoush recipe soon because everyone needs to know about it.

If you’ve been a loyal blog reader or Instagram follower, then you might know that I am not into food trends. Raw, clean, low-carb, high-fat, low Fodmap – these are terms that I rarely ever use on the blog. Actually, never use, to be exact. I want to highlight that I am not posting this recipe, because I am all of the sudden following a raw diet or a low-carb diet. Not at all. And I don’t mean this in a judgy way. This recipe is here to purely bring to you the joys of trying and experimenting with different kinds of foods. I have tried simply using raw zucchini as the main base of this recipe, but had to realize that this wasn’t for me. It was just much too bitter for my taste.

So this version uses chickpeas AND zucchini. Why? Because we all eat too few vegetables per day, and it’s never wrong to sneak in a few vegetables here and there. If you do not tolerate chickpeas, then you can make this hummus completely chickpea-free. However, you’ll need to go easy on the tahini, because it can easily make this hummus too bitter. That’s why I prefer the hulled tahini in this version. If you don’t know what that means. Usually, in any health store, you’ll find two kinds of tahini: hulled and unhulled tahini. The differnce is that the unhulled contains the whole sesame seeds with the outer layer, and the other one is the “peeled” sesame, which has a milder taste. As with most food, the goodness is in the peel of the sesame, so I usually buy the unhulled one due to its richer nutrient content. The dominating mineral in sesame is calcium, so the unhulled version has a significantly higher calcium content than the hulled version.

Calcium is needed especially for stronger bones, and teeth, but did you know that it’s also important for a healty muscle function? Bet you didn’t know that! It is also a very important mineral for our acid-base balance. If our body doesn’t get enough basic foods (such as vegetables, greens, potatoes) but too many acidic foods (processed foods, grains), generally speaking, then our body uses the minerals stored in our body to neutralize our blood, so it does not become too acidic. This process is so important, because the quality of our blood determines the transportation of oxygen throughout the whole body aka LIFE. Don’t you just love how freakin’ genious our body is? I still cannot get over the fact how amazing it is!

So let’s just make one thing clear. If you make the zucchini hummus without the chickpeas, this recipe will be raw. If you use chickpeas (tinned or canned or home cooked) you will not have a raw recipe. I suggest you give this recipe a try without the chicpeas first, then add them to it, if you are not completely satisfied yet. Sounds like a plan? Well then let’s get cooking.

Enjoy!

The post Zucchini Hummus appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

It’s pumpkin-hummus time! Need I say more?

Oh Pumpkin Day! Oh Pumpkin Daaaahaaaaay!!! Hi there, that’s me jamming to the pumpkin song, in case you didn’t notice. I should sell that song…seriously. It would be a food amongst foodies. However, apart from me being a terrible singer, it would be somewhat ridiculous to go from blogger to singer. Or would it? I mean, we’ve seen everything. Perhaps bloggers are the new soap actors? So it’s no longer soap star gone singing, but blogger gone singing. I bet that’ll be a thing soon. Or is it already? I swear I live on a little island sometimes and don’t really know what’s going on in the celebrity world anymore.(Bad) jokes aside. We have to talk about the fact that this recipe combines two of my favorite things: pumpkin and hummus. But that’s not all. This pumpkin hummus gets its remarkable taste through rosemary and roasted garlic. It gives this hummus such a special note that you’re going to love.

The first person to try this pumpkin hummus was the lovely Lisa Scharff, Natural Make-Up Coach, who I had over for brunch last Friday. It’s definitely one of the great things about following your passion that you get to meet like-minded people like Lisa who’s doing with beauty what I do with food. It’s amazing what she has achieved in such a short time, but she told me that it’s not the result of luck, but hard work and dedication. If you’re interested in natural beauty and make-up, do check out my blogpost about her coachings.

On a little sidenote, my blog has gotten a little facelift! If you’ve noticed that it looks a little different, that’s because I’ve made a little design upgrade. I’m not completely done with all of the customizations just yet, but I am very excited about the new search function in the menu. Many of you have been asking for this and I ‘m excited that I finally got it now!

I wish you a great weekend and I hope you’ll enjoy this pumpkin hummus with your friends for brunch this weekend!

Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe? Tag your photo with #heavenlynnhealthy to share the love!

Merken

Merken

Merken

Merken

Merken

Merken

Merken

The post Amazing Pumpkin-Hummus appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus and a little life update

Guys, I have a confession to make. I am completely done with the world these days. Besides my Master studies, my studies to become a holistic health coach and another secret project, we are currently moving into a new apartment, and I am completely exhausted. I know, I know, this blog is supposed to be a happy place, and I do not want to complain, but I just had to tell you that I’m not feeling all that great these days. It all came down on me last Saturday at IKEA. When I was trying to configure my new PAX closet. The tears just kept coming and I think I had a litte meltdown there for a moment.I do not want your pity, guys, because I know that all of have to go through tough times. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows, and it’s ok not to be o.k. all the time. I am not suffering from any serious problems, I just needed a moment to let it all out, because it feels so good to talk about your emotions and not have to pretend there for a moment. For me, making decisions is always tough. I hate making decisions. They force me to be a grown-up, and being a grown-up is freaking hard.

Besides my dislike to make decisions, I have also been struggling to eat well these past few weeks. I have always been honest with you that I do not eat healthy all the time, and I will continue to tell you this, because it’s the truth and I do not want you tot hink that I am all perfect when it comes to healthy eating. In my opinion, balance is the key, even if some health coaches strongly disagree with this opinion. While Jannis and I were painting our new apartment, there was more than one pizza involved. There was non-vegan chocolate, beer and even a kebap involved. Yup, you heard right. I do not want to promote this kind of eating, but it’s my reality sometimes. What’s important to note is that there will be healthier days once we’ve fully moved in again. Lots of healthy and happy days in this new apartment.

Why am I telling you all this? Because I want you to know that it’s ok not to be perfect. It’s ok not to eat healthy all the time, it’s ok to miss workouts, it’s ok to admit that something is not right. There is no shame in admitting that we are feeling a little down at the moment. There will be better times when you can whip up all the healthy dishes in your kitchen after a sweat-drenching HIIT workout. But sometimes, we cannot be all healthy, all grown-up, mature and functioning at the same time.

After days of bad food, I finally took the time today to make a delicious roasted pepper hummus that Jannis and I will be feasting on this week while packing, DIYing and getting ready for the final move date this weekend. It will probably be the last recipe that I will have shot in my old apartment, which already makes me feel very sad, but also excited for the things to come. I cannot wait to show you our new home.

Enjoy!

Merken

The post Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus and a confession appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Moroccan Spiced Bliss Bowl inspired by my trip to Marrakech.

Ahh, Morocco! What a wonderful and exciting country. As I derive most of my culinary inpsiration from traveling, visiting new countries and exploring foreign cultures, I left Marrakech with a bag full of new inpiration for the blog (and of course several wooden forks and knives, and an orignal Beni Ourani carpet). Before I decided to visit Marrakech, I already loved the Moroccan cuisine, but mainly due to Moroccan restaurant visits in Berlin. Of course the cuisine is so much more exciting and prominent when you actually visit another country instead of just a new Moroccan restaurant in the neighborhood.

The biggest moroccan inspiration? Mint!

Moroccans love their Thé à la Menthe, the typical mint tea that is served to almost every hour in Marrakech. It is sweetened most of the time, but you can also get it unsweetened if you ask for it. Our Riad (little Bed & Breakfast) served complimentary mint tea all day long, so that when we got back from dinner or from a shopping trip through the Souks (the markets), we enjoyed a cup of mint tea while reflecting on the happenings of the day.

The other big inspiration? Spices!

The Souks are roughly divided by categories such as shoes, carpets, clothes or spices. Our favorite café was located by the Spices Souks so we loved to sit on the terrace and watch the happenings on the “place des épices” (spices square). Moroccan dishes always contain a mix of different spices, the most prominent being cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric and saffron. They also love their rose water, nutmeg and ginger. Lemon, parsley and mint are also wonderful additions of their salads, and chickpeas, vegetables, dates, figs and other dried fruits compliment many dishes. The most prominent dish in Morocco is the “Tajine” a braised vegetable or meat dish that is prepared in the typical “tajine” dish (which looks like a pointy hat).

Of course I wanted to bring you an exciting Tajine recipe today, however, as probably 1% of my readers own a tajine dish, I figured that it may just lead to confusion and despair amongst you readers. So therefore I brought you this exciting Moroccan spiced bliss bowl, which will take you right into the center of the Medina of Marrakech.

The main ingredients in this bowl (if you can even say that) are the roasted vegetables with all of the spices mentioned above. Then we have protein and fiber rich chickpeas, millet, which is rich in calcium, magnesium and B-vitamins, and for freshness the typical “salade moroccaine”, a cucumber tomato salad with lemon juice and mint. The best part is the large dollop of hummus in the middle – which, to be honest is not exactly typical Moroccan, but it’s delicious and full of B-vitamins and vitamin E from the tahini.

Of course there will be a detailed post about my Marrakech experience next week, my favorite restaurants and trip suggestions including some amazing photos of my super talented travel buddy Elena.

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 Moroccan Spiced Bliss Bowl appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

This is the easiest lunch bowl ever and the most nourishing too. It only takes a couple of minutes to prepare and you can easily box it and take it to work. If you have this rainbow bowl of goodness for lunch, then I guarantee you that you won’t hit the 2 o’clock low , because this salad, with all it’s vitamins and minerals, will let you feel amazing and energized all afternoon.
The red bell pepper, carrots and tomatoes are my favorite vegetables as they are so sweet and crunchy. The avocado and hummus add the most amazing creaminess as well as important fats and protein to keep you satisfied for hours. The dressing is my absolute favorite because it’s a creamy yet fresh blend of tangy tahini and fresh mint leaves, combined with a sprinkle of lemon juice. Tahini is one of my favorite ingredients for a creamy dressing because it is packed with vital nutrients. It a great source of protein, and it actually contains even more protein than nuts. Tahini is also rich in minerals such as magnesium, potassium and iron which are all essential for healthy body functions including normal blood pressure and the transportation of oxygen.
You can of course change the recipe a bit and add whatever vegetables you still have in your fridge. If you don’t have or like rocket, then spinach or any other green leaf is fine. 

For this recipe you’ll need either classic hummus or roasted beetroot hummus.

The post Hummus Salad Bowl with Tahini-Mint-Dressing appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.