Healthy and delicious – watermelon is one of the most popular fruits for the summer season. Its fruity taste and high water content are the reason why it has enjoyed great popularity for more than 3,000 years. At the same time, the fruit is low in calories (around 24 calories per 100 grams), but contains the important vitamin C and vitamin A, as well as fiber, which stimulate the intestinal system. It's no wonder that the tasty fruits have become a popular ingredient in numerous recipes. Traditionally, ice cream, cocktails and fruit salads are prepared with it. We offer you an alternative - did you know that you can grill watermelon?
Grilling watermelon – easy recipe with lemon juice
The firstRecipe with melonis extremely simple and suitable even for beginners. It takes about 30 minutes to prepare, so you can treat yourself to a watermelon salad after a long day at work. Ingredients – 2 slices (each 1 inch thick) seedless watermelon, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, juice of 2 lemons, 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander, sea salt to taste.
Preparation: Cut the fruit into slices (1 kg of watermelon becomes around eight slices, each 2.50 cm thick). You can then either grill all the slices if desired (in this case you will need 8 tablespoons olive oil, 6 lemons, 1 cup cilantro), or store the rest of the fruit in the refrigerator. Drizzle the melon slices with olive oil and lemon juice and sprinkle with salt. Grill on a hot grill or in a hot grill pan. Then add the remaining lemon juice. Serve sprinkled with the finely chopped coriander.
Tip: This is how you can tell when buyingwhether the watermelon is ripe: Pay attention to a rich sound when tapping. The color of the ripe fruit is green with possibly a yellow spot on the storage side. It weighs significantly more compared to similarly sized unripe watermelons.
Salad with tomatoes, feta cheese and grilled watermelon
In less than 20 minutes you can prepare the next recipe. A salad with summer flavor, perfect for a garden party with family and friends. Ingredients for 4 people: 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 kg seedless watermelon cut into slices 2.50 cm thick, coarse salt, 4 heirloom tomatoes (for example “Beefsteak Tomato” or “Goldie” variety), 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 cup feta cheese, diced.
Preparation: Place the grill or grill pan over medium heat (170 - 190 degrees). Meanwhile, first cut the fruit crosswise into large slices, then carefully cut off the peel and cut into shapes using a thin glass or a cookie cutter. You need about 20 small watermelon circles, each 4 cm in diameter and 2.5 cm thick. Sprinkle the melon pieces with the coarse salt, then set aside for 2 minutes. Then grill the melon pieces all over for 4 minutes, leave aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes, then mix all the ingredients. Cool the salad in the refrigerator for 10 minutes and then serve.
Our tip:This saladPrepare directly before eating.
Grill watermelon and prepare it with shrimp
The next appetizer is a delicious surprise for everyone who loves healthy and delicious food, but at the same time takes care of their figure. Because grilled watermelon pairs well with shrimp in a low-fat dinner. The necessary ingredients: 1/3 tea cup and 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 lemon zest, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp fresh finely chopped mint leaves, 1/4 cup more coarsely chopped mint, 1/2 tbsp fresh finely chopped thyme leaves , 1/2 tbsp red pepper, 1 pressed garlic clove, 1 1/4 tbsp coarse salt, 1/2 tbsp pepper, 1/2 watermelon around 1 kg, 500 g shrimp.
Preparation: Add the 1/3 tea cup of olive oil, the lemon zest, the lemon juice, the finely chopped mint, the thyme, the red and black pepper, the salt and the minced garlic clove to a medium bowl and stir well. Then divide the marinade made in this way into two. Add the shrimp to the first part of the mixture and let it sit in the fridge for an hour. Meanwhile, put the grill on high heat and peel and dice the fruit. Place the shrimp and watermelon cubes on skewers and grill for 2-3 minutes. Pour the second part of the marinade onto the finished shrimp and sprinkle with the crushed mint.
Our tip: If the shrimps are red and their flesh is white, then they are ready. They usually take 3 to 4 minutes on the grill. The fruit, on the other hand, needs 2-3 minutes on the grill, so you have to pay attention to the time when preparing it.
Halloumi cheese recipe
Halloumi is a type of cheese that comes from Lebanon and is now also produced in Greece and Turkey. The cheese is very similar to mozzarella and can be combined with tomatoes and cucumbers, for example. The next recipe makes summer even more exotic - we present you a light, low-fat dish that tastes particularly refreshing for lunch on the sunny terrace.
Ingredients: 16 watermelon cubes (each 2.50cm .
Preparation: Set the grill to medium heat, brush the halloumi cheese and watermelon cubes with olive oil and grill for 3-4 minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients (the herb mix, the roasted pumpkin seeds and the jalapeno peppers) and mix well. Serve immediately after preparation.
Our tip: If you have leftover watermelon cubes, you can use them to prepare delicious cocktails.
Watermelon with honey and lemon vinaigrette
Especially when the holidays are approaching and the warm weather attracts the whole family into the garden, there is little time or desire for complicated dishes - we would all much rather conjure up something light to eat. The next recipe will definitely appeal to anyone who prefers fruit and vegetables in the hot months and can easily get by without high-carbohydrate foods.
Ingredients: 1 kg seedless watermelon, feta cheese, endive salad. For the vinaigrette – 12 tbsp olive oil, 10 tbsp orange juice, 2-3 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1/2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp honey mustard, black pepper.
Preparation: Mix the ingredients for the honey-lemon vinaigrette and let it steep for 20 minutes. Cut the watermelon into slices (each 1 inch thick) and then grill them. Leave aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, wash the endive leaves in cold water and drain. Spread the watermelon on endive lettuce leaves, pour over the vinaigrette and then sprinkle with sheep's cheese.
Our tip: If sheep's cheese is kept covered in fresh, salted water, it will last longer (approx. a week). So if you have leftover sheep's cheese, you can also prepare a salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and sheep's cheese, or simply add it to pizza.
Watermelon and green bean salad
Vegans and vegetarians can be particularly happy in summer - a large selection of freshly harvested fruits and vegetables guarantees delicious dishes every day. Now is the right time to try a new recipe - we offer you a mix of watermelon and green beans as inspiration. Enjoy it!
Ingredients: for the salsa - 1 small bowl of diced watermelon, 1/2 teacup of finely diced radishes, jalapeno peppers - finely chopped, 2 finely chopped shallots, 1 1/2 lemon zest, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tbsp salt. For the green beans – 500 grams of green beans, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp cumin, 1/2 tbsp coriander, 1/4 tbsp salt, 1 pinch of ground black pepper.
Preparation time 25 minutes, preparation of the salsa: put the fruit, the finely diced radishes, the jalapeno peppers, the shallots, the lemon peel and the lemon juice in a bowl and mix well. Leave aside for 10 minutes. Then mix the green beans with the olive oil and cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and grill over medium heat for 5 minutes. Mix the finished beans with the salsa and serve.
Our tip: Serve immediately after preparation.
Delicious recipe for fruit salad with peaches
If you are under the impression that grilled watermelon only goes well with salads with vegetables, then you are wrong. As proof, we offer you a recipe for a delicious fruit salad with another seasonal fruit - namely peaches. Pistachios and mint pesto balance the sweet fruits. Everyone will look forward to a dessert like this –especially childrenappreciate sweets.
Ingredients: for about 2 small bowls of pesto you will need - 3 cups arugula, 1 cup mint, 3/4 cup pistachios, 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, juice of half a lemon, lemon zest, 1 tbsp salt. Fruit for 4 people – 4 peaches, 1/4 watermelon cut into pieces, microgreens seeds and pistachios.
Preparation: Finely puree the rocket, pistachios and garlic cloves, then add the remaining ingredients and mix well, leave aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the fruit into pieces, brush with olive oil and grill over medium heat. Set the grilled fruits aside for half an hour and only add the pesto when they are cool.
Our tip: You can also serve the salad with grilled watermelon as a dessert for a child's birthday.
Make chicken and watermelon tacos
Tacos are among the most popularFinger foods in South America– the small corn tortillas with meat filling originally come from Mexico, where they are considered one of the most popular dishes. The preparation is extremely simple - perhaps that's why tacos are becoming increasingly popular in the USA.
Ingredients: For the salsa you will need – 4 cups diced watermelon, 2 finely chopped shallots, 2 finely chopped jalapeno peppers, 1/2 finely chopped red onion, 1 bell pepper. 1 tablespoon sugar, 130 grams lime juice, pinch of salt and pepper. For the tacos – 1 kg chicken breast fillet, 2 tbsp olive oil, 130g lime juice, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp garlic powder, white pepper and salt to taste, 1 pack of small tortillas, 1 to 2 tbsp chili sauce.
Preparation: For the salsa – finely puree all ingredients except the watermelon and mix in a large bowl. Leave in the fridge for two hours. You have to eat the mixture the same day - which means you can make the tacos for lunch on the weekend. You can then grill the watermelon for 3-4 minutes. For the filling of the tacos - first mix olive oil, lime juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small teacup, then pour the resulting marinade over the chicken and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Then grill all around at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes - the time specified can vary greatly. Then brush the still hot meat with the chili sauce, leave it aside for 4-5 minutes and cut into pieces. Grill the tortillas briefly on both sides until they brown.
Our tip: Like all other grilled watermelon dishes, the tacos taste best when prepared shortly before lunch. You can store a dish in the refrigerator for a maximum of one day. It's quicker and easier if you store all the ingredients separately in the fridge and then simply mix them together at the end.
Hamburger with a difference
Hard to believe, but true - even forThere are delicious and healthy hamburger recipes. If you choose the variant shown above, you can grill watermelon and offer it as an addition to the classic quick meal.
Ingredients (for 4 hamburgers): 2 medium onions, 250-300 grams of minced meat, 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs, pinch of salt and pepper, 1 egg, 2-3 tablespoons of oil, 4 pieces of watermelon, iceberg lettuce, 4 hamburger buns, cheddar cheese
Preparation: Finely chop the onions and mix with the minced meat, add the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and the egg, mix well. Divide the mixture into four meatballs and then fry them over medium heat. Then grill the watermelon, cut the rolls in two and fill them with iceberg lettuce, the finished meatballs, the cheddar cheese and the grilled watermelon. Bon appetit!
Whether a salad with tomatoes and feta cheese, a low-calorie starter with shrimp, an exotic dish with halloumi cheese, classic with vinaigrette, healthy with green beans, sweet like candy with peaches or as a delicious addition to finger food - the grilled fruit is simply an all-round talent , which can bring variety to the summer menu and which real connoisseurs will appreciate. Be inspired by the recipes shown above and try out different variations. And if you have any fruit left over, you can store it in the fridge for a day.
