One of the best parts of summer is all those meals enjoyed with family and friends, outside, under beautiful blue skies.  And, of course, there’s also those wonderful early mornings when you can take your hot drink outside and enjoy the sounds of nature waking up. ☀️

Also, remember my secret strategy for healthy sun exposure from last week? 

Here are some of my favourite summertime,  high-antioxidant recipes that can help you get out into the sun this summer without damaging your skin.

To start with, can I tempt you with  this fantastic breakfast smoothie for some of your beautiful summer mornings? 

???? SMOOTHIE

• 1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
• 1 cup almond milk or water
• 1 small ripe papaya/ ½ large papaya 
• ½ ripe banana
• 1 tbsp of acai powder
• ¼ cup pecan nuts
• 2 tbsp of ground flax seed
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• A handful of fresh mint leaves

Next, here’s one of my favourite summer lunches.

???? TUNA RINGS

• 300 g of sushi grade raw tuna cut into small cubes (substitute with tofu if you don’t like fish)
• 1 tbsp capers chopped
• 1/2 cup diced cucumber
• 2 chopped spring onions
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tamari
• 1 cm grated ginger
• Himalayan salt & pepper to taste
• Sesame seeds

To serve, place an 8 cm baking ring in the middle of each plate. Fill the tuna mixture to the top.

Pat down gently to compress and then carefully remove the rings. Garnish with sprouts, a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds. Serve on top of a spinach and rocket salad or for bigger appetites with the mushroom risotto below.

If you think you can’t eat raw fish, be brave. It’s so delicious. If anything it’s milder tasting than when it’s cooked. It’s so smooth and fresh and you’ll feel like a million dollars after a meal like this!

And, to complete the day, try this for dinner!

???? ???? SHIITAKE MUSHROOM RISOTTO

PARSNIP RICE

• 1 ½ cup peeled and diced parsnip (you can also use cauliflower)
• ½ cup of pine nuts
• 1 tsp of sea salt
• 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar

In a food processor, combine parsnip, nuts and salt.  Using the pulse function, pulse into rice-size pieces. Add the vinegar and pulse slightly to mix.

RISOTTO 

• 2-3 cups of parsnip rice 
• 1 cup of fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tbsp of tamari
• 1 tbsp of chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp of cold pressed olive oil

Marinate the mushrooms in tamari and olive oil for minimum ½ hour (preferably 2 hours or more) in the fridge. 

Mix with rice and chopped parsley and serve right away.

TIPS

You can use dried shiitake mushrooms and re-hydrate them for ½ hour in hot water.  

If you’re looking for a creamy texture, add oat, cashew or almond cream and mix with 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast will give it that cheesy flavour.

Which one will you make? Let me know by replying to this email. I’d love to hear what you think!

Love & light, Dejana ✨

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