This recipe is made by our intern Anna Gardell, who also has the Instagram account @Eatingnaked where she shares inspiring food recipes (we definitely recommend you to check it out!). Anna put this recipe together and picked ingredients that we know contains a lot of nutrients that boost the skin. 

Savory Sunny Oats

Ingredients:
4-6 carrots
2-3 handfuls of dried funnel chanterelles
2-3 handfuls of kale
2 eggs
1 shallot
2,5 dl oats 
2 dl oat cream
1-2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
Olive oil
Miso paste
Baby spinach 
Broccoli 
Salty almonds
Siracha (if you like spicy food) 

Glaze:
Miso paste
1 garlic
A splash of balsamic vinegar 
Half a tablespoon of sesame oil 

SKIN COMBO: Selenium, Vitamin E, Folate, Carotenoids, Vitamin D

Recipe (2 portions)

1. Start by putting 2-3 handfuls of dried funnel chanterelles in soaking water for at least ten minutes.

2. While the mushrooms are soaking, preheat the oven to 165°C with the hot air fan setting on.

3. Make a glaze by mixing:

• A heaped teaspoon of sweet miso paste
• A finely chopped small clove of garlic
• A splash of balsamic vinegar
• Half a tablespoon of sesame oil

4. Cut 4-6 carrots in half, brush their rough side with the glaze, and place on a baking sheet covered in baking paper (cut-side down).

5. Massage kale, with the stems removed, in a tiny splash of olive oil and sea salt, and place next to the carrots.

6. Bake the carrots and kale in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. You want the carrots to be golden and the kale crispy.

7. Warm butter or oil in a small saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir in:

• The mushrooms, but do not throw away the soaking water
• One finely chopped shallot
• 1-2 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 1-2 teaspoon of sweet miso paste

• 2,5 dl oats
• 2 dl oat cream, you should be able to use plant-based milk too if you prefer.
• 2-3 dl of the mushroom soaking water depending on which texture you desire.
• A splash of tamari or soy
• 1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

9. Stir continuously until the liquid is absorbed accordingly to the texture that you want. When the oats are about to be done, warm oil in a pan over medium heat and fry two eggs.

10. Now when all components are done, start by making a bed of baby spinach in two bowls, top with the oats, carrots, kale, and eggs. Finish with some finely chopped broccoli (like a broccoli sprinkle), salty almonds, and some siracha if you like your food spicy.

Anna about the recipe

Later, when it’s fall, it’s the season of two of my favorites: funnel chanterelles and butternut pumpkin. Then I recommend you go out in the woods and pick some funnels that you can dry or freeze. This way you will have some vitamin D to enjoy those days when the sun is absent. I also recommend you try to make this dish but with butternut instead of carrots, it’s so good and it is rich in vitamin c and beta-carotene.

150g of the funnel chanterelles contains more than twice of your daily need of vitamin D. Vitamin D is something that we in the northern countries talk about a lot since the main source is the sun, you know that thing that we never see during winter… Vitamin D is active in all tissues - the brain as well as the skin, and it is also important for a functioning immune system, the renewal of the epidermis, and the healing of wounds.

Eggs and almonds both contain vitamin E, which is a fat-soluble antioxidant. This antioxidant has been used for more than 50 years for medicinal as well as cosmetic skincare. We have vitamin E in our skin naturally, but UV-light deactivates it. For it to rebuild we need an antioxidant like vitamin C.

Vitamin C is found in for example broccoli. When we eat broccoli, vitamin C will be transported via the blood to the dermis (our middle skin layer). An American study shows that eating enough of vitamin C is associated with better skin quality, whereas a lack of the vitamin is associated with a 10% bigger risk of developing dry and wrinkled skin.

2 carrots contain more than your daily need of beta-carotene, or more correctly, your daily need of vitamin A. The beta-carotene from the two carrots will convert into vitamin A when the body needs it. A sufficient dose of vitamin A will stimulate the collagen build-up in dermis, as well as support the renewal of epidermis. This is why carrots, or other food rich in beta-carotene or vitamin A can be considered anti-aging tools.