Many of you have been asking for healthy BBQ recipes, and with this recipe, I am officially starting a new series called “Healthy BBQ”. I agree that these harissa spiced sweet potato wedges are not exactly prepared on the grill, but I think they are a great side dish that you can easily prepare in advance. Combined with the creamy and spicy avocado dip, these sweet potatoes will amaze everybody. Harissa is a Maghreb spice mix, which is actually a paste made out of chili, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper and other delicious spices. I used the powdered version in this recipe, as it is the easiest way to get the significant harissa taste. 

The avocado dip also tastes incredible with grilles vegetables, and will hopefully also please the meat loving crowd. As harissa is already pretty spicy by itself, you might want to reduce the amount of chili flakes in the avocado dip if you or the people you cook for are sensitive to spice.

You can buy harissa in most well sorted grocery stores as well as in Middle Eastern Stores. The ladder will probably serve harissa as a paste – I haven’t tried these potatoes with the paste version, so I can’t vouch for this to be a success. There are many supermarkets that sell it these days, too. I know Sainsbury’s has it, and WholeFoods does, too. If you live in Germany, then you can get it from a brand called JustSpices, they can be found in all major supermarkets at the moment. With the code ‘justlynn’ you can even get a free spice at the moment.

My recipe testers already approved this recipe at my second cooking class yesterday. We had so much fun making these last night, along with the buckwheat chili with dark chocolate, the green spring smoothie and a so far unpublished recipe for snickers brownies. So much goodness to come in the next few weeks. Let me know if you are anyone you know would be interested in a cooking class somewhere in Germany. I am planning a few set dates especially in the Hamburg and/or Munich area.

Enjoy!

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My blog celebrated its first blog birthday on March 1st, and I almost forgot about it. It seems surreal that I started this blog just a year ago. I can’t believe how many of you are actually reading my posts, cooking my recipes and sharing their story with me. I’m really overwhelmed, and absolutely grateful for all of you. Thank you for all of your love and support. Without you, the blog would have never grown so fast, and I would not be as happy as I am right now. This website is my baby, it’s my passion, and it gives me so much joy to create, shoot and post these recipes, and getting positive feedback is the greatest reward I could ask for. So far the blog has gotten over 450.000 page views from 130.000 readers from all over the world – there are even people from Vietnam, Kenya, Colombia and Bahrain reading this blog – which is so unbelievably crazy. I am so happy right now, and I am celebrating my first blog birthday in Amsterdam with my boyfriend this weekend. Of course this blog birthday wouldn’t be a real blog birthday without a little giveaway to thank you. If you currently reside in Germany, then head over to the German blog post for an awesome Le Creuset* Giveaway.

This Turmeric & Vanilla Post-Yoga One-Pot has been my favorite meal these past few weeks. I’ve really enjoyed it after late night yoga or pilates sessions, because the spices like turmeric and vanilla really warm and nourish the body from the inside. It’s really the best “feel-good”-meal that I could eat every day. The combination of turmeric and vanilla is pure heaven. Turmeric is also the spice that you should really eat after a workout as it contains curcuma, which speeds up the fat burning process and helps reduce sore muscles. The vanilla taste is only subtle in this recipe, but it adds a nice  sweetness.

If you live in Germany right now, then head over to the German post for a chance to win one of 5 Le Creuset* Essential Silicone Spoons in the color of your choice. I’m afraid this giveaway is only for people currently living in Germany right now.

Enjoy!

*The silicone spoon is a curtesy of Le Creuset Germany. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Heavenlynn Healthy. 

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Can anyone tell what I got for Christmas? That beautiful grey dutch oven is the newest addition to my kitchen, and as you can tell, I am pretty obsessed with it. Until now I have been cooking everything either in my Thermomix, or in my grandma’s old iron pot, that literally burned everything. So this dutch oven has been used quite frequently ever since I got it for Christmas. Last week I added the most delicious bean and buckwheat chili to the blog, which sort of took us to Mexico, and today’s recipe is inspired by yet another country: Morocco. Even though I am yet to visit this beautiful piece of land, I do love its foods and spices. Moroccan spices include many warm flavors, such as turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and coriander. All these can be found in this delicious stew, that all of you really need to try. The dish is also completely coconut milk free, which I know my sister will love when she reads this. 

As kale is still in season I thought that it would be a nice addition in this otherwise pretty red meal, but if you can’t find kale anymore, you can totally substitute it with baby spinach or other greens. Chickpeas and sweet potatoes are the main ingredient in this stew, and they form the most delicious liaison that you can imagine. Chickpeas also add some healthy protein and fiber to this dish, leaving you satisfied, but not too full, for many hours.

Sweet potatoes are one of my all-time favorite ingredients, as they are so much more exciting than regular potatoes. They are also an incredibly rich source of vitamin A, which is important for healthy eye-sight, skin and immune system.

I am absolutely in love with this recipe, and I am sure you’ll love it too! The warm spices such as turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon create an absolutely incredible sensation in your moth, leaving you to want more more more… I am not exaggurating, this moroccan spiced chickpea, kale and sweet potato stew is pure heaven.

Enjoy!

Moroccan Spiced Chickpea, Kale and Sweet Potato Video

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Stuffed sweet potato is one of those meals that requires almost no effort to prepare. You can stuff sweet potatoes with anything you like – vegetables, legumes, avocado cream or whatever you still have in the fridge. A baked sweet potato is also much more flavorsome as a normal baked potato (although they are still a dinner healthy choice). It also contains more minerals and nutrients such as vitamin A, which is vital for healthy eye sight. Paired with delicious roasted vegetables and flavorsome cashew-chives-chutney that almost tastes like cheese, you are going to love this healthy dinner.

If you’ve read my philosophy, then you probably know that I am not vegan, nor do I eat gluten free. I eat honey, I eat curd, and from time to time and even though I do not particularly like eggs, I use them in baked goods sometimes. Whenever I can, however, I try to eat completely plant-based, forcing me to think more about what I am going to eat and how I am going to get all my nutrients, vitamins and minerals. This cashew-chives-chutney is one of those things that just happened because I did not want to eat heavy crème-fraiche with my baked sweet potato, and I also did not want to use the soy based version, because from a health standpoint I’d personally rather eat dairy than soy. So this cashew-cheese happened in my kitchen the other day, and even though it does not taste like real dairy cheese, it still tastes amazing. That’s why I call it chutney, because people are immediatley less sceptic when they hear the word chutney than vegan cheese.

The chutney has a really creamy texture, which is mainly  due to the raw cashews and coconut milk. Fresh chives give it a strong flavor that dominates most of its taste.Infused with some fresh or dried rosemary in becomes something truly heavenly. The chutney also tastes great as a dip for vegetables or just simply spread on bread. If you feel experimental today, then this is your recipe. 

Combined with the sweet potato, the wholesome beluga lentils and the fresh vegetables, this whole dish is bursting with nutrients, antioxidants and minerals that will leave you satisfied for hours, because sweet potatoes, lentils and vegetables are high in fiber. This way you’ll have energy for many hours without feeling tired or bad.

INGREDIENTS:

– 2 sweet potatoes
– 1 zucchini
– 2 carrots
– 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
– 1/2 cup beluga lentils
– 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
– fresh or dried herbs such as rosemary, thyme or oregano

For the cashew-chives-chutney
– 1 cup (110g) of cashews
– 1 handful of fresh chives
– 2 tablespoons of coconut milk (30ml)
– 2 tablespoons of water (30ml)
– juice of 1 lemon
– 1/2 tsp of salt
– 1/4 tsp of black pepper

METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400 °F. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes and pierce each one with a knife a few times.
2. Wrap them individually into tin foil, place them on a baking tray and bake for about 1 hour or more depending on the size the potatoes. They are tender when easily pierced with a knife.
3. In the meantime, cook the beluga lentils with 1 cup of water (250ml) in a small saucepan for 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside.
   Cook the lentils according to instructions on the package. Add a tablespoon of homemade vegetable paste to the water for taste.
4. While the potatoes make, wash the vegetables and cut them into bite sized pieces. Place them on another baking tray, drizzle them with the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and bake them for about 20 minutes until tender.
5. To make the cashew-chives-chutney, roughly chop the chives. Place them in a food processor together with the other ingredients and process until a smooth paste forms. You may have to add more water if it does not process well.
6. To assemble: Serve the sweet potatoes with the cooked lentils, roasted vegetables and cashew-chives-chutney.

Enjoy!

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Curries are my favorite comfort food. They make the best dinner as they are stuffed with healthy ingredients, deliciously creamy coconut milk, and amazing spices. I have to admit that I can rarely get my curries to taste the same because I love to experiment with different ingredients, flavors and spices, but this Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Thai Curry has been my go-to-curry for the past weeks. Since it has been pretty rainy and cold in Germany these past couple of days, we’ve come back to this curry three days in a row, so I decided that it just had to go on the blog.

My favorite curries are Thai curries like this Thai Curry with Lemongrass I posted a few months ago, but this sweet potato and cauliflower thai curry is just as delicious, warming and healthy, and I’m sure you’ll find just as much comfort in it as I do.

The healthy sweet potatoes, cauliflower and carrots really absorb the unique thai spices, so with every bite, you can make out the ginger, coriander, and cilantro, and the cumin and lemongrass from the curry paste. It is such a great dish that you can throw together on a Sunday night and eat throughout the week because it can easily be stored in the fridge for a couple of days. Curries like this one are also perfect if you still have a couple of different veggies in your fridge that need to be used up before they spoil. You can literally put every vegetable or legumes into a curry: aubergines (eggplants), zucchini, squash, chickpeas or any other beans, mushrooms or peppers – there are no boundaries when it comes to curries.
I prefer to eat my curries with brown rice, but quinoa, buckwheat are also great options. Just use what you have in stock. Give it a try, and you’ll see how easy and great curries are.

Enjoy!

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Using vegetables in baked goods may sound strange but it’s really nothing new. Our grandparents already used grated carrots to make the most delicious carrot cake. Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without pumpkin or sweet potato pie. I’ve already shared the recipes for the most delicious carrot zucchini bread or this amazing beetroot cake. If you’re still a bit hesitant about adding vegetables to your baking, then let me assure you that you will not taste them in brownies, pies or muffins at all. Vegetables just have a high water content, which makes them the perfect moist ingredients for brownies. Since sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, they are just amazing in these brownies. They give it enough texture and sweetness while making these brownies incredibly moist at the same time. Sweet potatoes are also the healthiest kind of potatoes as they have the highest amount of vitamin A, an antioxidant powerhous linked to anti-aging benefits, cancer prevention and the maintenance of good eyesight. The real hero in these browies, however, is avocado though. Avocado is the perfect fat substitution as it has a naturally creamy texture, making these brownies even more moist and creamy. It is also a much healthier choice than vegetable oil or butter because it is high in omega 3 fats, the good kind of fat, which help lower cholesterol and improve heart health. The combination of all the ingredients is just mind-blowing and I cannot even put in words how amazing these Avocado Sweet Potato Brownies are. You have to try them yourselves and be amazed how awesome healthy brownies can taste. Trust me, you’ll never want to eat regular brownies anymore.

Enjoy!

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