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Aromatic Tofu Bolognese

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Every weekend I plan my week because it is very important for me to eat a healthy dish every lunch time. I hate eating spontaneously. I like to enjoy what I eat at lunch time. My lunch should give me lots of health benefit to get new energy for the other half of the day. I am really lucky because I can eat at home in my lunch time. But if I couldn’t do that I would prepare my lunch at take it with my every single day. Good planning is the base for a healthy diet. You don’t need to cook elaborate. It is only important to cook for 2 days so you have less stress at one day you don’t need to cook. I cook two times a week an during the weekend. I prepare healthy treats or soups and freeze them to have them on hand when I need them. Now it became a routine for me to have a good diet management. You can start in little steps by planning only a healthy breakfast and when you are safe with this you can start to plan lunch and so on. I will add a healthy living category soon with my tips for a healthy living.

I am really happy to share my favorite tofu Bolognese recipe with you!

I tried out different tofu Bolognese recipes and need a lot of time to find the perfect recipe for me and my hubby. Now it’s done. I don’t cook a lot with tofu but in this recipe I love love love it. This recipe is a vegan but we use parmesan for the topping. So it is on your side if you use cheese or not. For the red wine use vegan red wine if you like it vegan.

I use a lot of fresh herbs because fresh herbs because they are so good for my health. Herbs contains a lot of essential oils. That’s the reason why they are so delicious in the kitchen. Herbs also contains a lot of secondary plant products which are detoxifying for your body.

Tofu is a an excellent source of protein and contains all eight essential amino acids. You find also iron and calcium and the minerals manganese, selenium and phosphorous in tofu. Vegetarians like to eat tofu because of its high qualified protein. You find also protein in other animal products like milk or cheese. But when you don’t eat cheese that much or eat vegan tofu is a really good ingredient for your diet.

I use canned tomatoes in this recipe because canned organic (!) tomatoes are also really healthy for sure. Tomatoes are the best source of the carotenoid pigment lycopene. The cooking process with a little oil helps to carry the lycopene into the bloodstream.

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Aromatic Tofu Bolognese

Serve 4

800g canned tomatoes
1 eggplant
200g Tofu
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion
1 bay leaf
4 juniper berries
50ml red wine (take care of a vegan wine if you like to cook vegan)
1 tsp agave syrup
1 tsp broth
2 carrots
1/4 celery
5 tsb rosemary, oregano, thyme
10 leafs basil leafs (and more to serve)
salt & pepper

300g whole grain pasta

optional:
100g parmesan for topping

Preparation:

1. Finely chop the tofu and the eggplant (in cubes). I use my Vitamix but you can also use a fork for the tofu.
2. Fry the tofu and eggplants with the bay leaf and the juniper berries over high heat while stirring around the whole time.
The tofu may not look black only golden!
3. When the tofu is golden add chopped onion, carrots and celery and fry for another few minutes.
4. Deglaze with the wine.
5. Add the tomatoes, broth and herbs and let simmer other 5 minutes.
6. Meanwhile cook the pasta.
7. Season with salt, pepper and agave syrup.
8. Serve with fresh basil leafs and parmesan.

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Carrot Banana Smoothie

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WOW! Another super healthy nutritious superfood to add in my smoothies: Boost Yourself Workout Superfood Blend. All our ingredients are in their purest forms, the way they should be. Nothing artificial, no added sugar, no additives, no harmful preservatives, no fillers and no bullshit. Specifically formulated for quick post-workout recovery!

I really love that healthy combination from hemp protein, brown rice protein, raw cacao, maca root, wild cranberries and baobab fruit. The flavor is really delicious, the taste is only a pinch of choclate and maca. Hemp protein contains all essential amio acids and hemp protein is similar to your Body Protein. Because of this your body can easy absorb the hemp protein.

Workout blend is a energizing superfood blend designed to support your body after physical activity. It helps your body with recovery, boosts energy, fight fatigue and promotes lean muscle gain. It’s formulated to make your workout more efficient. When you consume carbohydrates and protein in liquid form, your body easily processes the nutrients, meaning your cells receive the nutrition expediently.

I combine this blend with carrots to reach one portion of the 3 recommended vegetables a day and soaked cashew nuts for extra creaminess. I love adding different ingredients in a smoothie to get different healthy nutrients. You can easily chop the carrot when your blender isn’t strong enough.
I often used frozen banana because I freeze them when they are ripe. You can easily peel them and freeze in small pieces and use them whenever you want.

By the way. You can learn more about this lovely Company in my blog post: Boost Yourself

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Carrot Banana Smoothie

Serve 1

1 small carrote
1 ripe Banana, frozen
1 handful cashew nuts (soaked over night)
250ml almond milk
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp ground vanilla
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional
1 tbsp Workout Boost Yourself Super Blend

Preparation

  1. Soak the cashew nuts and chia seeds in separat bowls over night.
  2. Drain and rinse cashew nuts in the morning.
  3. Mix all ingredients in a blender until completely smooth.

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Vegan Chocolate Muffins

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Vegan Chocolate Muffins

I am honest! I am not the biggest chocolate fan. But my hubby and my brother loves chocolate so I made these choc beauties last weekend and love them!
Normally you think chocolate can’t be healthy but that is wrong. If you use healthy ingredients and non raffinated sugar you can bake really healthy muffins which are so delicious. This vegan chocolate muffin recipe is one of the easiest I create in the last weeks. I like to make more easy food because I spend often so much time in the kitchen and sometimes I really need easy recipes.

The base of this muffins is raw chocolate powder. Raw unprocessed dark chocolate is full packed with health benefits.
The raw cacao powder is made from cacao beans. Please please please use organic cacaos because a lot of humans are in slavery because of the cacao production.
I watched a German movie about cacao slavery. I will never buy NON organic cacao or chocolate any longer!
The cacao bean is full of antioxidants and good fats. Also you find good protein in it and minerals like calcium and magnesium.

I used spelt flour for these vegan chocolate muffins but you can easily use buckwheat flour if you like.

Recipe for
Vegan Chocolate Muffins

Makes 12 Muffins

250g spelt flour
70g cacao, raw
2tsp baking powder
3 ripe banana
150g dates
250ml almond milk

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven on 170 degrees.
  2. Add the 3 dry ingredients into a large bowl.
  3. Mix up the bananas with the almond milk and dates.
  4. Add the liquid to the flour and mix well and remove any lumps.
  5. Share the mixture into 12 muffin forms.
  6. Bake on 170 degrees for 25-30 minutes

Vegan Choclate Muffins nab (3)

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Natural Sweetened Carrot Almond Loaf

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Natural Sweetened Carrot Almond Loaf

As you already read I prepare my own sweet healthy treats during the weekend to have a healthy snack „on hand“ during the busy week. Last weekend I baked a carrot almond loaf with a sweet taste and enjoyed it during the week as a midday snack to give my body back energy for the rest of the day. I normally eat 4 times a day because I really love sweets. In the past I ate a lot of unhealthy stuff which contains lots of raffinated sugar. Since I don’t eat factory-made sweets any longer I feel really better. In the past I had the feeling I was hooked by sweets because I can’t stop eating them. Healthy eating is not eating no sweets. Its eating more whole grain food, more unprocessed food and the right treats.

This carrot loaf is made with healthy carrots and almonds. Almonds are a source of many nutrients a fantastic source of many vitamins and Minerals. Along with almonds contribution to alkaline levels, it also has a high content of Vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant. Many people think that the word “fat” is negative, but in fact, certain fatty acids are essential, and can be very beneficial for overall health. Almonds are a very good brain food! They contains riboflavin and L-carnitine, nutrients that boost brain activity.
A lot of reasons to integrate almonds more often in your diet. Right?

I used buckwheat instead of grain flour in this loaf because buckwheat is really one of the healthiest food you can eat.
It is one of the best source of high-quality, easily digestible proteins.

Furthermore I used no raffinated sugar in this loaf. It is sweetened with rice syrup, a natural sweetener. Rice syrup is made with whole grain rice and contains all vitamins and minerals like zinc, magnesium and manganese. I have a lot of natural sweetener at home and I rice syrup is my new favorite. YEAH!

Carrots and a little bit yoghurt make this loaf moist and you can keep it in the fridge up to 5 days.
I use chia seeds instead of an egg. It is up to you if you like to make it vegan or vegetarian.

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Recipe
Natural Sweetened Carrot Almond Loaf

200g Almonds, ground
150g Bockwheat Flour
1/3 Chia Seeds (or 2 eggs)
3 carrots, grated
1 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp raisins
1/2 tsb salt
6 tbsp rice syrup
2 tbsp yoghurt (vegan: soy)
2 tbsp sunflower seeds

Preparation:

  1. Soak Chia Seeds in 50ml water for 10 mins (as egg replacement).
  2. Preheat oven on 200° degrees.
  3. Add buckwheat flour, ground almonds, grated carrots and the raisins with the baking powder and salt in a bowl.
  4. Mix the yoghurt with the rice syrup.
  5. Add the yoghurt-rice syrup with the chia seeds to the dry ingredients and stir well.
  6. Grease a mould and press the batter into the mould.
  7. Sprinkle the dough with sunflower seeds.
  8. Bake the bread for 12-15 min. until it became golden.
  9. Let cool down for 15 min. before serving.
  10. Enjoy it with Avocado, chia jam, honey or anything else.

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Buddha Bowl

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What a nice name? Isn’t it? I saw so many Buddha bowls and think about to make my own. No its done and I am so happy to share the recipe with you.
I am sure it’s an new food trend to serve different delicious food in one bowl. The name comes from the round stomach from the Buddha. That’s so cute.

You can add what you want in that bowl and serve with nice dips and sauces. I use a simple yoghurt dip because it fits to all ingredients I use and I really love potatoes with avocado and yoghurt dip. Buddha bowls are also often served with hummus or tahini sauce. You can get creative in any way!

I decided to prepare some falafel and baked potatoes because they are really easy to make. I don’t want to have a lot of work. The falafel and potatoes are easily baked in the oven so you only need to fry the smoked tofu. If you won’t fry it you can eat the smokes tofu non fried in that bowl. It works as well. I really love fried smoked tofu and it works in seconds.

The combination of warm and cold ingredients in that bowl and the mix of soft and crunchy ones are so mouthwatering. Use Romaine Lettuce Leaves because this salad is really crunchy and works good together with the falafel and yoghurt dip.

All the ingredients I used in this buddah bowl are very healthy and digestible. The perfect mix for a lunch or dinner. Fresh herbs and spices are a big benefit to get a special aromatic flavor. Furthermore these ingredients are full of essential oils and anti-oxidants to provide your body.

Buddha Bowl nab (2)

Recipe for 4 Buddha Bowl

Falafel
400g canned Chickpeas
1 big bunch parsley
1 big bunch mint
1 tsp baking powder
1 red onion
2 gloves garlic
1 tbsp flour
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric

Baked Potatoes
8 midsize potatoes
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
3 tbsp olive oil

500g Yoghurt (use soy for vegan)

200g Smoked Tofu
2 Avocados, cut in slices
8 Romaine Lettuce Leaves
20 Cocktail Tomatoes
200g Baby Spinach
Salt and Pepper

Preparation

Baked Potatoes

  1. Line a baking tray with paper.
  2. Preheat the oven on 200 C.
  3. Cut the potatoes into wedges and mix them together with the spices and olive oil in a large bowl.
  4. Place them on the baking sheet.
  5. Bake them for 30 minutes until they get crunchy.

Falafel

  1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Pick up the herbs leaves.
  2. Line a baking tray with paper.
  3. Add all Falafel ingredients in a mixer and mix until you get a creamy mixture.
  4. Form 12 balls and place them on a baking try with baking paper.
  5. Bake them 15 minutes together with the Falafel on 200 C.

Smoked Tofu

  1. Fry Tofu over high heat for 2-3 minutes.

Yoghurt

  1. Mix yoghurt with salt and pepper.

Arrange all your Food in 4 bowls and enjoy!

How to make Nutritious Chocolate Mousse

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How to make Nutritious Chocolate Mousse

Nutritious healthy chocolate mousse??? Yes. That’s possible! With this recipe!

Easily use raw chocolate powder and any healthy sweetener and you got it! This chocolate mousse is unbelievable creamy and taste like heaven if you are a chocolate fan or not. I am not the biggest but I also really love that mousse. You need only to use chia seeds to make this mousse creamy and raw chocolate without any additional sugar to make it healthy. Some People often buy ready chocolate yoghurt or Pudding because they have no idea how to make a healthy Version. You can prepare a few portions in advance and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Discovering new ingredients for my meals are really exciting for me so I’m really happy to found coconut sugar as an option for
other unhealthy sweetener like raffinated sugar of agave syrup. As I read agave syrup is also not the best option. Damn!
I learn and learn and learn. But that’s ok. Otherwise life would be very boring, right?!

So back to this delicious parfait. You Need to Keep it in the fridge before serving to make sure it get solid. The chia seeds are often use as a natural binder. These seeds are not only healthy, they are very helpful for vegans to use it instead of eggs.

I took over this recipe from one of my Instagram friends. They are so many amazing girls out there who really love healthy food. It’s so amazing to share that love with them (girls, you know who I mean ;o)). Myf from deliciouslylegal is a young enthusiastic woman who loves to cook healthy, grain and dairy free recipes. I used less sugar and almond milk instead of coconut milk (because I forgot to buy it LOL).

Try out my chocolate mousse version or jump over to Myf to check her version:

Nutritious Chocolate Mousse

Serve 3 big jars

60g chai seeds
40g brazil nuts
50g raw cacao
50g coconut sugar
500ml almond milk
1 pinch salt

Topping
Coconut Yoghurt or any other sweetened yoghurt of your choice
Fresh fruits (like raspberries)
chocolate pieces (I use lovechock)

1. Add all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until the Parfait is really creamy.
2. Top with coconut yoghurt or sweetened yoghurt of your choice.

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JAR Love

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JAR-Love! I am sure it is not a secret that women (and men) and food blogger loves every type of jars! My hubby always told me I have enough jars but I don’t think so. There are so many different jars out there looking for a sweet home. I open the door at any time to let them in :o).

Two of my kitchen drawer are full of jars and it is a fight at every day to decide which jar I like to use. So sometimes I use different sizes to make it really pretty.
Most of the time I use my jars for food but you can also use them for pretty flower arrangements or something else.

I started with pickle jars to place my breakfast in. Soon after I find jam jars and olive jars very pretty. LOL. You see, you can use any jar you want to use. But at the end I felt totally in love with mason jars produced in America. I had the possibility to test some out for a German Online shop which is running by a young girl. I love the spirit of this lady because she live her dream with selling her beautiful jars.

Perfect to use jars is chis pudding and overnight oats. You can easily place them in the evening in the jar and let soak overnight in the fridge. In the morning you have a really nice arranged breakfast on Hand. You can also place salads in jars and decorate it for your guest with herbs.

You see the different sizes in the Picture. I love it to see how many possibilities I have for my Food Arrangements. I don’t nearly have all sizes. Will order the missing ones soon.

Happy „Jaring“ my friends!

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Creamy Sage Soup

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Lots of you asked me to publish my favorite Sage Soup. This Creamy Sage Soup so creamy and healthy. It’s simply made with zucchini, potatoes and sage leaves.
One of the best is the fried topping (fried sage leaves).

Soups are one of my absolutely favorite meals because they are full packed with lots of vegetables and the preparation time is often really short. As a full-time worker I need to keep it really simple in my kitchen sometimes to avoid too much stress. A healthy diet is not very difficult if you are try to use only natural products. Hand off completed food products which are full of many harmful contents. You don’t know these products are damage your body! You often feel lazy or tired? Your skin is not good or you don’t sleep very well? That could be a consequence of a wrong diet. I change my diet in the last years and I feel so much better. Trust me! It works!

This soup is maybe a good start for you to eat more healthy. Right?

Potatoes are a really great ingredient for soup because potatoes keeps you full for longer. Unfortunately potatoes are often eat as unhealthy food like fries or chips. The important Vitamins and Minerals get lost by frying. Potatoes contains a lot of Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 (one of the B complex vitamins), plays an important role in converting food into energy and helping the body metabolize fats and proteins. This vitamin also helps to get healthy hair and skin.

I have a really big sage bush in my garden which explode in the spring months. The leaves get that big as my hand is. They are so beautiful. As you know I cook a lot with fresh herbs because fresh herbs provide us with lots of healthy essential oils. And you often need only a few leaves to get such an aromatic meal. Antioxidant compounds in sage such as rosmarinic acid can all work to neutralize free radicals and prevent them from creating oxidative stress in the organ systems, skin, muscles and the brain.

Recipe
Creamy Sage Soup

Serve 2

2 red onions
2 zucchini
5 potatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
800ml vegetable stock or fond
10 fresh leafs sage
50ml whipping cream

Topping
Pink Berries
Fried zucchini and sage leaves

  1. Chop the onions and the potatoes in small cubes.
  2.  Chop the zucchini in small cubes.
  3. Pick up the Sage leafs.
  4.  Set aside half of the zucchini and 1/3 of the sage leafs for separate frying (topping).
  5.  Heat up the olive oil in a pot on medium heat.
  6.  Fry the vegetables a few minutes over high heat.
  7.  Add the vegetable stock or fond and cook for 25 min.
  8.  In the meantime fry the half of the zucchini and 1/3 of the sage leafs in olive oil or butter in a pan until golden.
  9.  Set aside.
  10.  Season the soup with salt and pepper.
  11.  Add the sage leafs.
  12.  Mix up the soup in a blender.
  13.  Stir in the whipping cream to make the soup more creamy.
  14. Serve with the fried topping and pink berries.

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Meet Lynn from www.heavenlynnhealthy.com

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I am really happy to introduce you to Lynn from www.heavenlynnhealthy.com. Lynn is one of my long-term friends from Instagram. She is running a wonderful food blog with lots of healthy recipes and her Instagram Account @heavenlynnhealthy is bringing lots of inspirations every day.

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What’s your name?
My name is Lynn Hoefer.

Where are you living?
I’m currently living in a small town in Germany called Lüneburg, which is about a thirty-minute drive from Hamburg. I moved here 18 months ago from Raleigh, North Carolina, where I got my Bachelor’s degree. Right now I am doing my Master’s degree at the University of Lüneburg.

Can you tell me something about you?
I’m quite a positive person with a passion for vegetables and legumes, aka healthy food. That’s why I started my blog Heavenlynn Healthy exactly one year ago, where I share healthy, mostly plant based recipes. I am also quite an active person, having done track and field on a semi-professional level most of my adolescence. Now I love anything that gets me sweating such as running, high intensity interval training (HIIT), Tabata or TRX. I also like to run a half marathon every once in a while. However, in the past three years I’ve started doing Yoga and meditation, both of which help me relax and calm down after a stressful day.

Wheat means healthy living for you?
For me, healthy living means eating food that gives you energy, and finding the right balance between our busy schedules, and me-time. This can be done by focusing more on yourself, and eating healthy is a great way to start putting yourself first. Taking time to plan meals, going grocery shopping on the farmers market, and then preparing the food in the kitchen can be really calming and relaxing, and it’s almost like meditation for me. Eating fresh produce in home-cooked meals makes me incredibly happy, however, I am not someone who says that there is one right way to healthy living. We are all unique, we have different tastes and needs, so I believe that everyone needs to find their own way of healthy living. I do not like to label how I eat, because my taste changes all the time, and sticking to one strict diet can be stressful and a bit unsocial at times. I still eat „bad“ food sometimes, but I do not make myself feel bad about it afterwards. Balance is the key to everything, and healthy eating should not be an obsession in my opinion.

What is your favorite meal?
At the moment (and for the past 6 months at least) my healthy pad thai with peanut sauce and coriander has been my favorite meal. My boyfriend and I eat it at least twice a week for lunch or dinner. However, I am actually a big breakfast person. I can easily skip lunch, but I could never start the day without a proper breakfast. I also rarely eat breakfast on the go, even if this means that I have to get up an hour early in the morning. Eating breakfast while reading the news (or checking Instagram ;-)) is part of me-time, which is so important for a healthy, balanced life.

Find Lynns favorite recipe her: Healthy Pad Thai

 

Guest Recipe: Healthy Pad Thai with Peanut Sauce and Coriander

von

I am so happy to share Lynns Pad Thai which is so easy to prepare and so healthy. Find an interview about These amazing lovely Person I met via Instagram here: Meet Lynn

Lynn:

„I’ve finally managed to upload a new video: healthy pad thai with peanut sauce and coriander (cilantro). This dish has been my boyfriend and my favorite for quite some time now. Some might say that we’re addicted, and they would probably be right. We eat it at least twice a week if not more. We’ve perfected every step in the making process so that it only takes us about 25 minutes to make it, but that includes lots of routine and practice, so I believe the normal prepping time would be between 35 and 45 minutes for someone who makes this for the first time.“

Video

Recipe
Healthy Pad Thai with Peanut Sauce and Coriander

Ingredients
  • about 2 packages of rice noodles
  • 1 zucchini squash
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 red pepper
  • ½ cup of sliced red cabbage (optional, but adds a nice color)
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
  • ½ cup plain peanuts
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro or thai basil
For the peanut sauce
  • 1 garlic cloves
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
  • 3 tablespoons of soy sauce or tamari
  • the juice of 1 lime (or only ½ if you prefer)
  • 3 tablespoons of maple syrup or agave
  • ⅓ cup (80g) of peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar (optional)
Instructions
  1. Start by boiling water and pour it into a large bowl. Add the uncooked rice noodles at let them soak for about 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, spiralize the zucchini squash and carrots, and slice the red bell pepper. Crush the peanuts, and wash, dry and roughly chop the cilantro or thai basil, or both.
  3. To make the sauce, simply place all the ingredients into a food processor or strong blender and blend until smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, crush the garlic with a garlic press, grate the ginger, add all the ingredients for the sauce to a bowl and stir it around well.
  4. Now heat the oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add the veggies and stir fry them for about 3 minutes until tender. Do not overcook them or they can get soggy.
  5. Then add the sauce and the rice noodles and stir for another minute or two until the noodles have fully absorbed the sauce. Add more tamari if desired.
  6. Add the crushed peanut and chopped cilantro or basil and serve immediately.
  7. Enjoy!