I have really been craving raw, nutritious salads recently. I know it’s February, but somehow I am so ready for spring, colorful foods and sunshine. That’s why this salad is bright, raw and comes with a delicious and creamy almond butter dressing.

Before I lived in the United States, I had no idea that you could eat broccoli raw. I always associated broccoli with watery, bland side vegetables so I was never a big fan. Eating broccoli raw has changed my perception of the green cabbage drastically. I have become a real fan and will never boil my broccoli ever again.

Though this salad may seem boring at first glance, it’s actually pretty amazing and so delicious. If you take a closer look you’ll see that although it only contains three main ingredients, these three ingredients are huge health boosters. Broccoli contains more vitamin C than any other cabbage, quinoa is one of the best plant-based protein sources out there and almonds are not only rich in proteins, too, they also contain viral fatty acids. Furthermore, almonds are a real beauty food due to their high vitamin E content, which is said to give us the beauty glow, aka glowing skin, hair and nails.

So basically this salad is not only prepared in no time, it’s also just what you need in stressful times. No excuses, people!

If you don’t have almond butter in stock, worry not! I make my own almond butter, so it’s my preferred choice of nut butter. But you could also use peanut, cashew or sunflower butter as well as tahini as a substitute. You could also leave it out, if you have neither avaiable in your cupboard. Then your dressing won’t be as creamy as it can be, but still delicious. It’s really up to you.

So what are you waiting for? Go to the store, buy the fresh ingredients and get cooking!

Enjoy!

Have you tried this recipe? Then take a photo and share it on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

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Today I’d like to introduce you to a new breakfast favorite of mine: raw strawberry peach buckwheat porridge. As we are getting closer to summer, I feel myself craving something other than oats for breakfast, because everyone needs a change sometimes, right? I’ve tried raw buckwheat porridge a couple of weeks ago, and instantly fell in love. Buckwheat is such a wonderful pseudo grain, that keeps you satisfied for hours! I knew buckwheat was a wholesome, protein-rich pseudo grain, but I had no idea it keeps you that full. Say good-bye to mid-morning cravings and sugar lows – this raw strawberry peach buckwheat porridge will be your new best friend in the morning.

When you try raw buckwheat porridge for the first time, it’s important that you pair it with something sweet and delicious like strawberries and peaches, apple or banana or fresh summer berries. Strawberry and peach is my favorite flavor combination in the summer, it brings back so many great memories of great vacations, home made ice cream and the beach.

Buckwheat has amazing health benefits such as the ability to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It also contains all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. The high protein and fiber content are responsible for keeping you satisfied for hours, giving you lots of energy for a successful morning. I like to prepare the raw buckwheat porridge at night, so it can soak over night. In the morning, all you have to do is to throw all the ingredients into a food processor. You can easily put it in a jar and take it to work with you, too.

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 Raw Strawberry Peach Buckwheat Porridge appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Note: This recipe is adapted from the glorious cookbook Deliciously Ella: Awesome Ingredients, Incredible Food That You and Your Body Will Love. Copyright 2015 by Eleanor Woodward. Published by Yellow Kite.

This raw cheesecake is the best healthy cake you will ever try. I almost couldn’t believe how good it is. Even my family (aunt, uncle, cousins, cousin’s boyfriend) who had the honor of being my guinea pigs last weekend, was amazed by it’s taste. Of course everybody loved the base layer – medjool dates and nuts are just the perfect healthy cake base. The middle layer is an amazing composition of frozen bananas and cashew nuts and the top layer is a symphony of fresh and frozen berries, which makes this vegan cake the perfect cake for a warm summer day. It’s also more of a frozen treat since it needs to go into the freezer for a couple of hours before you can enjoy it. So if you’re a big fan of ice cream cake, then this recipe is for you.
Unlike most sugar and fat loaded cakes, this cake is filled with lots of goodness that your body will actually benefit from. Using nuts instead of butter is a great way to substitute saturated fats with healthy unsaturated fats. These monounsaturated fatty acids help lower cholesterol and increase overall cardiovascular health. Of all nuts, almonds contain the highest amounts of vitamin E, which is essential for beautiful nails, hair, and skin. Cashews are a great source of magnesium, which helps with building muscles in your body, and helps protect against high blood pressure.

This berry cheesecake is also only sweetened with natural sweeteners like dates, bananas and a little bit of maple syrup. It’s still high in sugar, but with every bite of this cake, you fuel your body with amazing vitamins and minerals that are found in these alternative sweeteners. The main source of goodness in this cake, however, are berries. Berries are basically antioxidant power houses. Strawberries, for example, regulate the blood sugar and decrease the risk of diabetes type 2. They also have a high amount of vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system and protects us from harmful radicals. Blueberries are literally “happy berries” as they enhance the mood, improve vision, and help fight various diseases as they contain the highest antioxidant amount of all berries. They truly deserve the title “super foods” since they improve overall health and well-being. With so much packed goodness, there is no reason not to try this healthy cake immediately.

Health benefits in this raw berry cheesecake:
– biotin (important for blood sugar balance and skin health, necessary to build healthy fats that keep the skin moist and soft)
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– magnesium (important for a healthy nerve system, muscle health, energy production)- manganese (for nerve health)
– mono-unsaturated fats (decreases risks for breast cancer, important for heart health)
– potassium (lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure)
– protein (important for a healthy metabolism, immune
systems, production of enzymes)
– vitamin C (good for your immune system, tissue health)

Ingredients:
For the the base:
– 18 Medjool-Dates (350g)
– 1 cup (100g) almonds
– 1 cup (100g) pecans
– a pinch of salt

For the middle layer:
– 2 bananas
– 1 cup (100g) cashews
– 1 cup (100g) strawberries
– 1/3 cup (100g) maple syrup
– ¼ cup (50ml) fresh orange juice
– 1/2 tsp lemon zest

For the top layer:
– 1 banana
– 3 medjool dates
– 1 cup (100g) cashews
– 1 cup (150g) blueberries
– 1 cup (100g) strawberries
– ¼ cup (50ml) fresh orange juice

The night before you want to make this cake, you need to do some preparations. Peel and slice the bananas and freeze them in a ziplock over night. Wash the blueberries and freeze them as well. Pour the 2 cups (200g) cashews into a bowl and cover them with water completely and oak them overnight.
You can use frozen blueberries instead of fresh ones, however, they can change the cake’s consitency. If you use store-bought frozen blueberries, then you won’t need the orange juice in the top layer.

For the base:
Start by placing the nuts into a food processor and pulse a few times until they are nicely broken down. Pit the dates, and cut them into little pieces. If you habe a strong food processor, then you can mix the dates and nuts and blend them into a nice sticky dough. This sould only take a few seconds.
If your food processor isn’t strong enough, you can totally use your hands instead. Simply sqeeze the date pieces with your hands until the dates become nice and soft and you could potentially form little balls with it. Then gradually add the nuts and knead them into the date paste. Do this until you have evenly combined the two ingredients (nuts and dates).
Once you have a nice date-nut-dough, press it into the base of a cake tin and place it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

For the middle layer:
Drain the soaked cashews, and place half of it into the food processor. Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth. Take the cake tin out of the freezer and pour the cashew mix on top of the base layer. Place the tin back into the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

For the top layer:
Place the rest of the cashews into the food processor and add all remaining ingredients. Be sure to pit the three dates, and cut them into small pieces before adding them to the machine. Take the cake tin out of the freezer once again, and pour the berry layer on top of the middle layer. Put the cake tin back into the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.

Before you can serve this cake, you’ll need to take it out of the freezer and allow it to warm up for 15 minutes. Otherwise you won’t be able to cut it and your guests will probably get a brain freeze.

Enjoy!

The post Raw Berry Cheesecake from Deliciously Ella appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Red cabbage used to not be on my grocery shopping list. I associated it with fatty German foods, because Germans eat their red cabbage traditionally cooked with lots of meat. Ever since I discovered that you can eat it raw, however, I have been in love. It’s a great alternative to regular green salad, and it has so many nutrients, you simply have to try it. The combination of pear and walnuts in this salad is heavenly. It’s once again a salad to impress – your body and your friends. Of course it’s loaded with many vitamins and minerals as well. The anti-inflammatory benefits and antioxidants content of red cabbage is higher than in any other cabbage. The pears provide fiber, and the heart healhty benefits of walnuts are mostly due to their high omega-3 fats. So it really is the perfect winter salad.

Health benefits in this red cabbage pear and salad:
– copper (important for the development of the myelin sheath that surrounds the nerves; important for the transformation of melanin which is involved in the pigmentation of hair, eyes and skin)
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– manganese (for nerve health)
– omega-3-fatty-acids (prevents heart disease, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– potassium (lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure)
– vitamin C (good for your immune system, tissue health)
– vitamin K (important for blood clotting and healthy bones)

Enjoy!

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