New Delhi: Our summer party menu includes chilled ice creams, wobbly jelly shots, and nutritious salads loaded with seasonal food items. Watermelon chunks pair well with a surprising variety of flavours, both sweet and savoury. For an unexpected crowd-pleasing treat, you can serve wedges of watermelon with a spicy dip, churn it into a smoothie or maybe add it to your salads.
Watermelon being extremely healthy, is indeed a great ingredient to include in your meals. It can support hydration, help in weight management, is a rich source of lycopene and also can support blood pressure. Here are interesting ways to include watermelon into your diet:
1. Shrimp, Watermelon And Avocado Salad:
Ingredients:
- 1lb shrimp, cooked
- 4 cups watermelon, coarsely chopped
- 1 medium sweet white onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, finely chopped (optional)
- 2 avocados, coarsely chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1tsp honey
- 3tbsp olive oil
- 3/4tsp kosher salt or 3/4 tsp coarse salt
- 1/4tsp pepper
Preparation:
- Combine shrimp, watermelon, onion, cilantro, jalapenos and avocados in a large mixing dish.
- Whisk together the lime juice, honey, oil, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl.
- Toss the salad lightly with the dressing.
- Allow 10 minutes for the flavours to blend.
2. Chilli Lime Watermelon:
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cubed watermelon
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp chilli powder
- 1 lime, zest grated and juiced
- 3 tbsp crumbled cotija cheese
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation:
- In a large mixing bowl add the cubed watermelon
- Sprinkle with a tsp of salt and chilli powder
- Toss gently
- Squeeze the lime juice over the top and garnish with the lime zest
- Mix in the cotija cheese and cilantro
- Serve right away
3. Strawberry, Chia And Watermelon Smoothie:
Ingredients:
- 1+1/2 cups fresh watermelon in cubes, with seeds removed
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1/2 medium ripe banana, chopped and frozen
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 medium lime, juiced
- 1 tbsp chia or hemp seeds
Preparation:
- In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and process until creamy and smooth, adding additional almond milk to thin or more frozen strawberries or ice to thicken.
- Season to taste, adding additional lime for acidity, banana for sweetness, or watermelon for a more pronounced watermelon flavour if desired.
- Serves 2- top with more chia seeds to mimic watermelon seeds and serve.