And just like that, winter is back in Germany. Due to the cold temperatures that seem to be everyone’s main topic of conversation these days, I thought I’d warm you all up with a hot persian-inspired lentil soup. And just so you know, you ARE allowed to eat this soup cuddled up under a blanket on the sofa. In winter, there is nothing better than enjoying food on the sofa, am I right?Somehow, I just can’t seem to get into this new year. This is partly due to my cold that I could not seem to shake off until yesterday. My instagram feed is full of active people, getting into that January challenges mood, working out, cooking healthy and writing gratitude journals. Except for me. Nah, this isn’t me. My mind is somehow still in 2017 and my body, don’t even get me started on my body. Way behing, guys, waaaay behind.

That’s why I thought I’d use January to work on my mindset. From now on, I just want to take a moment each day to appreciate the Now and not focus on the future. Today was such a beautiful day, and I just stood at the window looking at the frost-covered roofs of the buildings around us. It was such a calm and beautiful moment. 2018 is going to be a great year. I can feel it. I’m just not quite there yet, and that’s ok.

So this lentil and kale soup is one of those feel-good recipes that you need right now. It can be wipped up in under an hour, and you can freeze it, store it and even take it to work with you. It doesn’t require a lot of fancy spices (well, except sumach), but if you don’t have it, don’t worry, it’ll still be delicious.

I love lentils in the winter, because they are extraordinarily rich in amino acids and fiber, which refill our protein storages and keep us full longer. The fresh veggies and kale add to your 5-a-day and a filled with vital nutrients. This soup fills you up on everything you need this winter, and it will definitely help you get into that New Year spirit.

Enjoy and take care,

Lynn

Enjoy!

The post Persian-Inspired Lentil and Kale Soup appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Pear and Hazelnut Porridge for a healthy start in the morning.

Thank you for all your warm comments regarding my blog birthday under my last post. It’s so crazy that Heavenlynn Healthy is already two years old. Time really flies by. I did a little poll regarding what your favorite recipes from my blog are, and it was pretty clear that many of you especially like my porridge recipes. So this post is dedicated to all of you, my readers from all over the world. 

To be honest, I never expected my porridge recipes to be the most popular ones on the blog as I can never follow any porridge recipe. I always improvise because I never have time in the morning to follow a step by step recipe. So I was very surprised that many of you appreciate healthy breakfast recipes. From now on I will try to upload one breakfast recipe per month.

So now to this delicious pear and hazelnut porridge. Since it’s still winter here in Germany, I try to keep my porridge toppings as seasonal as possible. Well, obviously blueberries and blackberries are NOT in season right now, but I had them for a different photo shooting and needed to use them (which I did not mind, tbh as I LOVE all kinds of berries). They also just look so crazy pretty in porridge pictures.

I’ve been trying out different types of plant-based milk lately, and I must say that my favorite is still oat milk, which I use for porridge most mornings. However, I have come to love hazelnut milk, too, because it tastes a little bit like nutella if you mix it with a bit of raw cacao. It really tastes delicious, and if you like plant-based milk, then you will love hazelnut milk. It also goes really well with the pear and almond butter (though of course you could use hazelnut butter as well).

I do feel kind of silly posting a simple recipe like this, but I can most definitely say that it’s absolutely delicious!

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.

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Warming cannellini bean stew with hazelnuts and dill for cozy winter nights.

Since I will be gliding down the Austrian slopes when you read this, I thought it would only be fair to post this super duper delicious winter stew so you do not hate me too much for being on winter break. Not like you could ever hate me, right? But I just love treating you with great recipes, especially when I am on vacation. 

I think that this is the most German recipe that I have ever posted, and it is probably not even close to the German cuisine at all. But it uses dill and parsley, some of the most commonly used herbs in my country, so I’m just gonna go ahead and call this my first German recipe on the blog so far. Now, that does not mean that it does not taste good. While I am not the biggest fan of the German cuisine, we DO make incredible stews or one-pots, and this cannellini bean stew is definitely a winner in my opinion.

Since I added cannellini beans, I guess I cannot technically refer to it as German, but rather a German-Italian-Scandinavian fusion stew (now that would have been a fun title, why didn’t I think of that before?). What does Scandinavia have to do with it, you may ask. Well, they love their dill, and dill is what really makes the taste difference in this recipe. So please do not skip the dill.

You are free to play around with the other ingredients, especially the vegetables, so just use what you have in the fridge. I especially loved the combination of fennel and fennel seeds, which is funny because I used to hate fennel. Now I really love it, and I try to add it to all of my recipes, which is probably really mean as my boyfriend is still at my previous hate-stage with fennel.

I have used cannellini beans in this roasted red bell pepper soup before, and I thought that they would make the perfect addition due to its high fiber content. Fiber is great for  blood sugar regulation as it prevents our blood sugar level from spiking or dropping too quickly, thus preventing energy lows.

As a special ingredient I also added roasted hazelnuts, which gives this stew so much more texture and something to chew on, which is rather uncommon for stews. If you do not have hazelnuts in stock you could also try roasted cashews, pecans, almonds or pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Whatever flavor combination you chose, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this warming winter stew.

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 Cannellini Bean Stew with Hazelnuts and Dill appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

An easy-peasy winter stew with sweet potatoes, kale & buckwheat that’s here to keep you warm this freezing winter season.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. At least over here in my tiny town in Germany.

Funny story actually.

Last week, when the first snow arrived, I was out sick and stuck to bed for three days. We have this little Velux window in our bedroom, so I was constantly staring at it, and watching the layer of snow become thicker and thicker. And so the snow was here to stay, the local public transportation came to a halt (obviously!), and my whole town looked like winter wonderland – in November! So by Thursday, I finally decided to get back out again, and I called my mom, who lives a short, one hour car ride away from me. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Hi Mom, isn’t it beautiful outside?

Mom: What are you talking about?

Me: The Snow – the Winter Wonderland.

Mom: Are you still sick?

Turns out, it was just us and our tiny little town and its closest surroundings that were blessed with that much snow last week.

So, after I finally got my appetite back, which sadly vanished completely with my stomach bug, I really craved something warm, hearty and savory to get me back on track. This warming winter stew with sweet potatoes, kale and buckwheat is just perfect for this purpose. It contains everything that you need to stay heathy during the cold seasons.

There is comforting sweet potatoes, pears, kale, buckwheat and oh those pomegranate seeds are just heaven! Really, do not skip them, because they are the big surprise in this stew. And the pears, which I just happen to add to the stew by coincidence. They add a nice natural sweetness to the whole dish.

Really, this dish just makes you want to cuddle up on the sofa, listen to Christmas songs on repeat and watch the snow fall (if there is any). I am really hoping for a White Christmas this year, and I have a feeling that we might get lucky this time (fingers crossed X).

I hope you’ll enjoy this warming comfort food and if you speak German, do stop by my column at Ohhh…Mhhh today.

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 Warming Winter Stew with Sweet Potatoes, Kale & Buckwheat appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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