Five ways with watermelon

watermelon

Five chefs – five different ways with watermelon! From snacks to salads, here are five watermelon recipes that’ll make your mouth water.

1. Watermelon with fresh mint and lime syrup

“Watermelon is the best thing in the world to eat first thing in the morning because its high water content really helps to flush your body out,” Curtis Stone.

Ingredients
⅓ cup sugar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
¼ cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
½ large oval watermelon

Method
Stir the sugar, 2 tablespoons of water, lime zest, and 1½ tablespoons of lime juice in a small heavy saucepan over high heat until the sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a boil. Let the syrup cool completely, and then refrigerate it until cold.
Strain the chilled syrup into a small bowl and stir in the mint. Allow the mint to infuse into the syrup for at least 5 minutes.
Place the watermelon, cut side down, on a work surface. Using a large sharp knife, cut the watermelon horizontally to form a 5cm-thick slab. (Reserve the remaining watermelon for another use.)
Trim away the rind and then cut the slab into 5cm chunks. Transfer the watermelon chunks to a large serving platter, keeping the chunks in a single layer and maintaining the shape of the slab. Pour the cold syrup over the watermelon and serve.
[Courtesy of www.curtisstone.com]

2. Watermelon salsa

Peppers and onions spice up refreshing watermelon for a sassy summer salsa,” Rachel Ray.

Ingredients
3 cups watermelon, cut into small dice
1 cucumber, seeded and cut into small dice
2 jalapeño peppers, minced
1 small red onion, cut into small dice
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup mint, chopped
Zest and juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper

Method
Combine the watermelon, cucumber, jalapeños, red onion, cilantro, mint, lime zest and juice in a serving dish. Season with salt just before you serve to keep the watermelon from extracting its juice.
Serve with whole grain tortilla chips or over steak, chicken or fish.
[Courtesy of www.rachaelray.com]

3. Watermelon granita

“A simple introduction into the world of flavoured ices, granitas, and sorbets!” Emeril Lagasse.

Ingredients
5 cups peeled and seeded watermelon chunks (from about a 1.3kg slice of watermelon)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Method
Place the watermelon chunks in the bowl of a blender or a food processor, replace the top, and blend on high speed until very smooth. Turn the blender off.
Transfer the watermelon puree to a mixing bowl and add the sugar and lime juice.
Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer the mixing bowl to the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the freezer and use a fork to scrape any ice crystals from the sides of the bowl. Stir to incorporate the crystals. Return to the freezer.
Repeat this scraping process every 30 minutes, or until the consistency is “snowy” when scraped with a fork or spoon, at least 4 hours. Then scoop into bowls or dessert glasses and serve.
[Courtesy of http://emerils.com]

4. Watermelon salad with feta, lime and mint

“Watermelon and feta may seem like an unusual combination, but the sweetness of the watermelon balances perfectly with the salty softness of the feta, and this dish makes an ideal accompaniment to barbecued meats,” Rachel Allen.

Ingredients
500g watermelon
200g feta cheese, crumbled into pieces, roughly 1 – 2cm squares
Finely grated zest and juice of one lime
2 teaspoons mint, chopped

Method
Peel, deseed and chop the watermelon into 4cm pieces. Place in a bowl, and add the crumbled feta, the finely grated lime zest, the lime juice and the chopped mint.
Toss gently and serve as soon as possible, ideally within an hour or so of making.
[Courtesy of www.rachelallen.com]

5. Mascarpone-filled watermelon

Jazz up any summer menu with this delicious dessert, courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis.

Ingredients
About 25 watermelon cubes
1 medium seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, chilled
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon agave syrup
Zest of 1 lime
1 lime, halved
⅓ cup mini chocolate chips

Method
With a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon, scoop out the centre of each watermelon cube. Set the cubes scooped-side-down on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the cream, mascarpone, cinnamon, vanilla, agave, lime zest and the juice of one of the lime halves. Beat until nice and thick using a hand mixer. Set aside.
Squeeze the remaining lime half over the watermelon. Flip the watermelon cubes over and fill each with 1 teaspoon of the mascarpone filling. Top with chocolate chips and serve.
[Courtesy of www.giadadelaurentiis.com]

Other articles you may be interested in:
Watermelon nail art by Chi Chi
Healthy cocktails
Cancer-fighting foods you should be eating
Eat yourself pretty
A recipe for radiant skin

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8 Responses

  1. My friend serves square long blocks of watermelon with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and drizzle of honey. It’s so incredibly delicious and refreshing.

  2. These are great recipes ….watermelon is one the best summer fruits and is so refreshing…these recipes are perfect and fun ways to transform your daily pleasure into something even more amazing!

  3. I love watermelon! It’s so refreshing this time of the year. I will be trying out the mascarpone-filled watermelon recipe that you have recommended. It sounds deee-licious!

  4. I love watermelon! It’s a good snack, especially now that I’m trying to have a healthy and balanced eating plan. I will definitely try out these recipes.

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