One of my favorite things about summer is the recipes it inspires with the bounty of fresh fruits that Mother Nature provides. So, I’d like to share some great summer recipes that take advantage of that bounty.
These nutritionally dense summer recipes can be made in under five minutes with just a few ingredients. The first two recipes are delicious and will please even the pickiest kid or adult. The third is a skincare recipe to pamper and refresh your tired winter skin.
Watermelon Sorbet
Watermelon sorbet presents beautifully for BBQs and pool parties. And it is so easy to make. Whip up this easy summer recipe for yourself and your family at any time and feel good about making a delectable dessert that’s good for you and good for Earth. A winning combo!
Watermelon Sorbet from Blythe Metz-Mändmets Ph.D on Vimeo.
Prep time: 5 minutes (excluding overnight freeze time) Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 small watermelon (about 6 cups cubed watermelon)
- ¼ cup coconut milk or hemp milk
Instructions:
- Slice watermelon in half. Spoon out chunks and place them on a flat dish to freeze. Watermelon pieces should not be touching. Freeze overnight. Freeze the watermelon rind as well. You will serve the sorbet in the hollowed-out frozen rind. It looks fabulous!
- When the watermelon is frozen, place it into the blender with a small amount of coconut milk or hemp milk. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the sorbet into the frozen watermelon rind. Enjoy right away, or place in the freezer for later.
Watermelon is super hydrating for those hot summer months. It packs a good boost of vitamin C and vitamin A, keeping your immune system strong and reducing inflammation. Plus, it just tastes so good! Nature does it best.
Sprouted Cucumber Bruschetta on Sliced Cucumbers
Making sprouts a regular part of your diet is a great way to get a rich nutrient profile. And growing your own sprouts is eco-friendly. They are easy to make at home in sprouting jars.
To Prepare Mung Bean Sprouts:
- Place 2 Tbsp. dry mung beans in a glass sprouting jar.
- Add about 1.5 cups of water and let soak overnight.
- Drain and rinse. Leave the sprouting jar upside down on an angle inside a large bowl to catch the water that drips out.
- Rinse twice a day for seven days. After seven days, you will have beautiful mung bean sprouts!
This sprouted cucumber bruschetta is one of my family’s favorite summer recipes. It’s easy and light and so very tasty.
Sprouted Bruschetta on Cucumbers from Dr. Blythe on Vimeo.
Prep time: 5 minutes Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sprouted mix of mung beans, lentils, and radish sprouts
- 3 tomatoes, diced
- 2 sprigs oregano or 2 tsp. dried oregano (substitute cilantro for a different flavor)
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- Dash sea salt
- Dash black pepper
- 1 large cucumber, sliced
Instructions:
- Mix all ingredients, except cucumber, in large bowl.
- Slice cucumber on an angle about ¼ inch thick.
- Top cucumber slices with sprouted bruschetta mixture and serve. Delightful, easy, and tasty!
Mung beans are high in folate, a B vitamin that’s critical for creating DNA, producing and maintaining new cells, and making healthy red blood cells. These functions make it an essential vitamin for everyone, but is especially important for our growing children from conception through adolescence. So, enjoy this tasty snack with the kids!
Grapefruit Cayenne Detoxifying Salt Scrub
Swimsuit season is upon us and there are simple ways we can perk up those areas that we haven’t shown the world in months. Wonderfully effective skincare products can be made at home with ingredients you have on hand. Fresh, raw ingredients deliver nutrients right to the skin and without concerns about preservatives or other chemicals that commercially produced products use.
This outstanding (if I may toot my horn) body scrub is made from nutritionally dense ingredients you likely already have at home. It smells amazing and will tone up your thighs, arms, belly, and backside.
Grapefruit Cayenne Detoxifying Salt Scrub from Dr. Blythe on Vimeo.
Prep time: 3 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 ruby red grapefruit, juiced into a bowl
add:
- 3 Tbsp. fine sea salt
- 1 Tbsp. cold-pressed sesame oil
- 2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
- 10 drops grapefruit essential oil (optional; this recipe is more effective with the essential oil)
Instructions:
- Mix together the ingredients and it’s ready to use.
- Enjoy the fragrance as you gently massage the scrub on your skin with circular motions. I use the grapefruit peel as the washcloth, as shown in the video
- When finished, rinse off with cool water. The oil is so rich in the scrub that you may not even need to apply a moisturizer afterward.
The scrub hydrates your skin while removing dead skin cells and bringing fresh oxygen and blood to the area. It nourishes your skin and helps get rid of cellulite. Plus, it’s fun to make and use, and we all need to take some time for ourselves. Enjoy!
About the Author
Blythe Metz-Mändmets, Ph.D., is a holistic healing expert, chef, author, metaphysician, wife, and mother who is passionate about Earth and all its wonders. Blythe aims to inspire millions to understand food as medicine. We make the most profound choices every day, for ourselves and Earth, by what we choose to eat and put on our bodies. Blythe believes we can avoid degenerative diseases and live youthfully by eating the fresh, unprocessed foods that Earth provides us. Connect with Blythe at www.blythenaturalliving.com.
Feature image courtesy of Blythe Metz. This article was originally published on May 30, 2019.