Fresh watermelon and rasperry water

The heat has finally arrived with a bang. At such times, what helps us to endure the hot weather are fresh clothes, slippers and lots of refreshments. Yesterday in the afternoon, when I got home, I decided to have a cold watermelon and raspberry fresh water to cool myself.

Ingredients:
600g peeled and seeded watermelon
10 raspberries
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons yellow sugar
1L cold water
mint leaves
ice


1. Crush the watermelon with the raspberries, lemon juice and sugar.

2. Pour this liquid into a jar and add the water. Stir well.

3. Add the mint leaves and the ice and it is ready to serve.

It really refreshes oneself when it is served very cold on a hot summer day!

[ Originally published in Portuguese as Água fresca de melancia e framboesas ]

Strawberry and raspberry smoothie

One of these days I went to Hemingway - a bar in Cascais marina - with a group of friends at night. When choosing what to order, I opted for a soft drink with strawberries and raspberries. I was asked to wait a little time and consequently, of the group, my drink was the last one to arrive. But when it did, it made ​​the rounds. A big glass filled with a beautiful red liquid was placed in front of me, decorated with a huge strawberry and some raspberries. Wow, I thought! The wait might have been worth it! As soon I savoured the first dip, I knew I had made a good choice.

Ingredients:
500g strawberries
250g raspberries
6 ice cubes
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon creamy balsamic vinegar
6 large basil leaves
8 mint leaves


1. Place all ingredients in a blender and whiz it until the liquid becomes homogeneous.

2. Serve the smoothie in glasses decorated with raspberries and strawberries.


The smoothie comes with a lovely mixture of basil and mint aromas. It has a fresh taste that helps overcoming some of the hottest days that we are already feeling.

Have a great smoothie!

[ Originally published in Portuguese as Sumo de morangos e framboesas ]