I am sorry for the long silence here, but I was on vacation and then got knocked down by a cold or flu, so I did not really feel like being creative in the kitchen. However, I do like a strong vegetable broth like this delicious vegetarian pho. I have already mentioned that I was introduced to the vietnamese kitchen by a former co-worker, who was vietnamese. It was him who told me that it’s not pronounced “pho” but “pha”. Something nobody seems to believe when I tell them – but I won’t stop calling it pha.

My co-worker was also a great cook, and told me about the vietnamese cuisine, and its signature spices. The secret to a good pho are all the spices such as star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, coriander and ginger. They need to be roasted before setting up the broth, so they really become fragrant.

Besides from all the spices that make the broth so delicious, there is also warming red onions and garlic involved, to make it taste more like a broth. Even though the original pho is usually a beef broth, I believe that this vegetarian version is even more delicious as the spices, onions and garlic add a unique and strong flavor.

You may add whatever vegetables you have in stock, but I especially recommend using shiitake mushrooms and bok choy as they are not only rich in minerals, they also taste amazing in combination with the broth. If you can, try to find brown rice noodles as they are more nutritious than white rice noodles. However, they are hard to find where I live, so I use white rice noodles anyways.

Nobody’s perfect. Am I right?

I really hope that you’ll like this soup just as much as I do. Let me know what your favorite Asian cuisine is, I’d love to add more Asian recipes to the blog.

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 Vegetarian Pho appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

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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