It’s the end of the long workday (or the start of an extra-long week) and we’re hungry. Like, “can’t-think-straight” hungry. Luckily, Food52 contributor EmilyC wants to do all the thinking for us. In Dinner’s Ready, her monthly column on weeknight wond…
It's the end of the long workday (or the start of an extra-long week) and we're hungry. Like, "can't-think-straight" hungry. Luckily, Food52 contributor EmilyC wants to do all the thinking for us. In Dinner's Ready, her monthly column on weeknight wonders, she shares three simple, flavor-packed recipes that are connected by a single idea or ingredient. Stick with Emily, and you'll have a good dinner on the table in no time. Today, three summery meals that let us rev up the flavor but keep the temps down.
Every summer, I reach a point when I practically banish my sheet pans and skillets from my kitchen. Not that I don't love them (trust me, they’ll be in heavy use this fall for dinners like this and this!), but many days it’s just too hot and sticky to turn on my oven, stand over the stove, or even fire up the grill come dinnertime.
While daydreaming about watermelon sorbet recently, I threw a few things in the blender hoping for an easier, quicker method, and the results were shockingly good. So good we went back for seconds…and thirds.
This near-instant sorbet is made wit…
While daydreaming about watermelon sorbet recently, I threw a few things in the blender hoping for an easier, quicker method, and the results were shockingly good. So good we went back for seconds…and thirds.
This near-instant sorbet is made with simple frozen fruit, like strawberry, watermelon, and banana, and dairy-free milk or coconut water. The texture is creamy, slightly icy, and refreshing, and the taste? It’s somehow reminiscent of cotton candy.
Shortly after I turned 20, my family moved from central Illinois to Southern California, swapping snow boots for sandals; we also traded in two apple trees for a grove of lemons, avocados, pomegranates, figs, and jujubes. A few years ago, I started my …
Shortly after I turned 20, my family moved from central Illinois to Southern California, swapping snow boots for sandals; we also traded in two apple trees for a grove of lemons, avocados, pomegranates, figs, and jujubes. A few years ago, I started my quest to grow heirloom vegetables, which frustrated and rewarded me in seemingly equal quantities—only a few hinona kabu turnips came up the first year, but the dan hobak (known as kabocha to most folks) immediately blanketed the backyard, flowering with dozens of sweet squashes-to-be.
My mother, who grew up on a farm in South Korea, was overjoyed that she could be outside all year round —even after she fell from the top of her fig tree and broke her little toe. “Look at all these figs I picked!” she exclaimed, sitting on the ground with her toe swelling up. “Make sure you take all the figs inside and wash them right away, or their juice will attract bugs,” she instructed my father when he deposited her on her bed, shaking his head and going to call the doctor.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make watermelon juice, you’re in good company because we didn’t realize how easy it was until a few years back when playing with this watermelon cocktail.
You literally just scoop ripe, juicy watermelon into a blender, b…
If you’ve ever wondered how to make watermelon juice, you’re in good company because we didn’t realize how easy it was until a few years back when playing with this watermelon cocktail.
You literally just scoop ripe, juicy watermelon into a blender, blend, and serve! Now, there are a few tricks to the trade, which we’ll be sharing in this post. So without further ado, let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Watermelon Juice
It’s really as simple as adding to a blender and blending it up!
Italian ice is the perfect way to cool down on hot summer days. This Ginger Watermelon Italian Ice recipe is refreshing and pleasantly gingery. The End of Summer Every August, the same things happens.
Italian ice is the perfect way to cool down on hot summer days. This Ginger Watermelon Italian Ice recipe is refreshing and pleasantly gingery. The End of Summer Every August, the same things happens.
My new favorite meal is watermelon halloumi skewers! If you think watermelon and feta is a good combo, just WAIT until your try watermelon and halloumi! Oh my goodness – it’s wonderful. And yes, I could totally eat this as a meal. Now Eddie? He might look at me like I have ten heads. It’s […]
My new favorite meal is watermelon halloumi skewers!
If you think watermelon and feta is a good combo, just WAIT until your try watermelon and halloumi!
Oh my goodness – it’s wonderful. And yes, I could totally eat this as a meal. Now Eddie? He might look at me like I have ten heads.
It’s been a very watermelony week around here. On instagram, I shared one of my favorite watermelon salads – a savory wedge salad. It has blue cheese and orange zest and tomatoes and it’s deeeelish.
It’s just so darn out hot right now that it’s like my body NEEDS all the watermelon to keep my hydrated. The kids love, it’s refreshing and delicious and you pretty much can’t go wrong.
Now, I’ve grilled watermelon before. With cheese too. Years ago I also made these grilled watermelon caprese salads. The combo of savory, smoky grilled watermelon with the caprese vibe is incredible.
And these skewers sort of remind me of that. We grill the halloumi and watermelon together – I like to do one piece of halloumi for every three or even four pieces of watermelon. The halloumi is so rich that you don’t need much. A little goes a long way.
And all that you need to flavor these skewers? A little olive oil, salt and pepper.
That’s it.
But! We also make a mint basil oil. Last year I also made this basil oil all the time – it’s delicious on pasta, on vegetables, drizzled on salads – everything.
So I decided to throw a few mint leaves into the bunch. Again, they are an ingredient that makes everything taste super fresh.
The oil is a little high maintenance, but worth it. Store it in the fridge and serve it with summer lunches and dinner!
Sure, this whole plate is a little mix of things that I’ve made before, in a whole new way. These are really fun to make on the weekend or a nice change to make for a dinner side dish. Especially if you have something else to throw on the grill.
They can feed a group too – if you have a few people over for dinner, I usually make one skewer per person. You can also slide everything off the skewer into a salad bowl!
Super versatile and fun too. Let it be fancy summer.
These grilled watermelon halloumi skewers are loaded with savory, slightly sweet flavor and drizzle with a fresh mint and basil oil. Delish!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30minutes
Cook Time 15minutes
Total Time 45minutes
Servings 4people
Author How Sweet Eats
Ingredients
2cups1-inch cubed watermelon
18-ounce block halloumi cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and pepper
olive oil for drizzling or spraying
a few fresh mint and basil leaves for skewering
minted basil oil
1cuptightly packed sweet basil leaves
¼cupfresh mint leaves
1/2cupolive oil
½teaspoonsalt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the grill to medium-high. I like to keep mine around 400 degrees F.
Skewer the watermelon and halloumi. I like to do about 3 pieces of watermelon to every 1 piece of halloumi. The halloumi is rich enough that you don’t need a lot! Spritz or brush the watermelon skewers with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the skewers on the grill (you can use a grill pan if you wish! But directly on the grates is fine too) and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side, rotating the skewers, Once they cheese and melon is golden and caramely, it’s good to go!
Remove and drizzle the skewers with the mint basil oil. Garnish with a few chopped leaves.
minted basil oil
Bring a pot of water to a boil to blanch the basil and mint. Prepare a bowl of ice water next to it. Once boiling, add the basil to the pot and cook for 10 seconds. Remove it and immediately place it in the ice bath. Leave it in there for a few minutes to make sure it is cold, then remove it and squeeze excess liquid from the leaves. Chop the basil into pieces.
Place the basil in a high powered blender or food processor. Add the olive oil and salt and puree until the oil is smooth and green. It may be frothy, so let the oil sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, strain it through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove the basil bits. Ues a spoon to push any oil through the sieve.
At this point you can use the oil right away or store it in the fridge for a week!
Summer is in FULL SWING and one of the most wonderful simple pleasures of summer is fresh cut watermelon. If you’re a little intimidated by how to even begin to cut into one of these things, I’ve got a quick tutorial for you! Here is a really quick step by step guide on how to […]
Summer is in FULL SWING and one of the most wonderful simple pleasures of summer is fresh cut watermelon. If you’re a little intimidated by how to even begin to cut into one of these things, I’ve got a quick tutorial for you! Here is a really quick step by step guide on how to cut watermelon into classic wedges, or really easy-to-eat batons!
While there are several methods for cutting watermelon, I’m showing you two different methods in this tutorial—classic wedges and batons. Wedges are a great hand-held way to eat watermelon, but batons are slightly smaller and easier to eat without getting juice all over your face (especially for little hands). ;) Also, once you have the watermelon cut into batons, it’s really easy to then cut the batons into cubes to use for salads.
You might also enjoy my tutorial, How to Cut and Freeze Pineapple!
How to Cut Watermelon Video
How to Cut Watermelon – Step by Step Photos
Cut off a thin slice from either the side or the end of the watermelon to create a flat, stable base. If you’re using a longer watermelon, cutting from the side will be easier so it’s not really tall once you stand it on the cut side.
Stand the watermelon on the flat cut side just created, then cut the watermelon in half down the center.
Lay one of the watermelon halves on the cutting board with the cut side down. Slice it in half down the center, then across the center cut into 1-inch thick slices.
And now you have classic watermelon wedges! If you want to take it one step further…
Turn the watermelon 90 degrees again and cut across the slices to creates squares. Each “square” will be the “handle” on an easy-to-eat watermelon baton!
I hope you enjoy a relaxing, hot summer full of lots of juicy watermelon!
Watermelon sangria has the best sweet flavor! A big pitcher made with this juicy fruit is perfect for summer entertaining. What’s better for a hot summer afternoon than a cool glass sangria? The music of the ice cubes clinking against the glass is refreshing in itself! Here’s a perfect fruity flavor for summer: watermelon sangria! While this flavor is not a traditional Spanish spin, it’s a deliciously sweet way to enjoy this summer fruit. This recipe made in the style of a traditional sangria: just sweet enough, with white wine, brandy, and of course: lots of watermelon! Ingredients for watermelon sangria Sangría is a traditional wine punch that originates from Spain. The classic version is red sangria, made with red wine and chopped fruit, and often orange juice or brandy. Spaniards also drink white sangria, a version made with white wine. This watermelon sangria is a spin on a white sangria that adds watermelon juice for a fruity spin. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe: Fruit: watermelon, green apple, and lime Sugar White wine Brandy or Grand Marnier Fresh mint How to make watermelon sangria (the Spanish way) This watermelon sangria as a spin on the traditional Spanish way to make white […]
Watermelon sangria has the best sweet flavor! A big pitcher made with this juicy fruit is perfect for summer entertaining.
What’s better for a hot summer afternoon than a cool glass sangria? The music of the ice cubes clinking against the glass is refreshing in itself! Here’s a perfect fruity flavor for summer: watermelon sangria! While this flavor is not a traditional Spanish spin, it’s a deliciously sweet way to enjoy this summer fruit. This recipe made in the style of a traditional sangria: just sweet enough, with white wine, brandy, and of course: lots of watermelon!
Ingredients for watermelon sangria
Sangría is a traditional wine punch that originates from Spain. The classic version is red sangria, made with red wine and chopped fruit, and often orange juice or brandy. Spaniards also drink white sangria, a version made with white wine. This watermelon sangria is a spin on a white sangria that adds watermelon juice for a fruity spin. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:
Fruit: watermelon, green apple, and lime
Sugar
White wine
Brandy or Grand Marnier
Fresh mint
How to make watermelon sangria (the Spanish way)
This watermelon sangria as a spin on the traditional Spanish way to make white sangria. The method is inspired by our favorite Spanish chef, Jose Andres. Chef Andres is from Spain and started many successful restaurants here in the US. The “Spanish” way to make sangria that Chef Jose recommends is this:
Macerate fruit for 20 minutes: Mix the sangria fruit with sugar and let it macerate or stand at room temperature and break down. This helps the fruit flavors permeate the wine even more.
Add liquids: Add white wine and brandy. Throw in some lime slices and mint.
Refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours. This allows the flavors to meld and develop.
Make ahead instructions
With this watermelon sangria, we don’t recommend making it more than 4 hours in advance. Why? Well, because the fruit is in the liquid, it starts to become soggy. The flavors also start to fade a bit. So, don’t plan to make this drink too far in advance! You can cut up the fruit and even make the watermelon juice beforehand. But don’t start the actual instructions until you’re no more than 4 hours away from serving time.
Don’t forget to eat the fruit!
Don’t let the fruit go to waste in this watermelon sangria! It’s nice to serve the fruit on skewers, so you can let your guests eat the remaining wine-soaked fruit after the meal. It’s a nice dessert or palate cleanser!
Brandy vs Grand Marnier
Outside of the white wine in watermelon sangria, the other flavor is from brandy or Grand Marnier. Here are a few notes on the two types of liquor:
Brandy: Use whatever brandy you have on hand. Cognac is a fancy type of brandy if you have that available. You can also use Cognac for a Sidecar or French Connection.
Grand Marnier is a mix of brandy and orange liqueur: it gives it a little higher end vibe. You can also use it for a Cadillac Margarita.
More watermelon drinks
Love this vibrant pink summer fruit? There are lots of ways to use it. Here are some of top watermelon drinks to try:
Watermelon Margarita Tangy, sweet, and seriously refreshing. It’s lightly salty for a perfectly balanced flavor.
Watermelon sangria has the best sweet flavor! A big pitcher made with this juicy fruit is perfect for summer entertaining.
Ingredients
8 cups cubed seedless watermelon, divided
1 green apple
2 tablespoons sugar
1 bottle dry white wine, chilled
1/2 cup brandy or Grand Marnier
1 handful mint leaves
1/2 lime, sliced into rounds
Instructions
Chop the apple and watermelon into bite-sized pieces. Add the chopped apples and 2 cups of the watermelon to the bottom of a large pitcher. Sprinkle them with sugar and stir gently. Let them stand for 20 minutes at room temperature.
After 20 minutes, add the remaining 6 cups of watermelon to a blender and blend until juiced. Pour through a strainer into the pitcher. Add the the white wine and brandy, fresh mint and thinly sliced lime rounds. Stir and refrigerate for 1 hour, or as long as 4 hours. (Don’t go beyond 4 hours or the fruit texture starts to degrade.)
Pour the watermelon sangria into ice-filled glasses. Add fruit to each glass, preferably on long skewers for easy snacking.
Category:Drink
Method:Chilled
Cuisine:Spanish
Keywords: Watermelon sangria
More types of sangria to try
There are so many different types of sangria to try! Here are some of our favorites:
Rose Sangria Just a handful of ingredients and fruit make a light and fruity summer drink that everyone will be talking about.
Whether you’re munching on triangle-shaped slices straight from the fridge (or cooler) or blending up chunks for a refreshing slushy cocktail, watermelon is a summer classic.
Picking out just the right watermelon can be tricky since there aren’t many …
Whether you're munching on triangle-shaped slices straight from the fridge (or cooler) or blending up chunks for a refreshing slushy cocktail, watermelon is a summer classic.
Picking out just the right watermelon can be tricky since there aren't many external signifiers, and you can't just give it a squeeze to see if it's softened, like you would with other fruits. There are, however, a few things you can look out for and do to ensure you've got a melon that's ready to eat.
The hottest days of the year are here and so are mojito watermelon wedges! Just in time! I’m back with one more embarrassingly easy recipe for you before the 4th! I know we already discussed sheet pan s’mores, but if you haven’t soaked your watermelon wedges in mojito syrup yet, are you really living? No. […]
The hottest days of the year are here and so are mojito watermelon wedges!
Just in time!
I’m back with one more embarrassingly easy recipe for you before the 4th! I know we already discussed sheet pan s’mores, but if you haven’t soaked your watermelon wedges in mojito syrup yet, are you really living?
No. I think not.
And wait! Just and FYI that you don’t really NEED the rum for this recipe to be so refreshing and incredible. Leave it out if you don’t drink or want to make this for the kids. It’s still just as good because it’s loaded with fresh mint and lime!
Here’s how it goes down.
Slice your watermelon into triangles. Well, honestly? Slice the watermelon however you want! However is easiest for you. You could do cubes or even melon balls. I’m doing wedges because right now at this moment in my life I find them the cutest.
That is what 2020 has turned into… me deciding that watermelon wedges are cute.
You’re also going to make a quick mojito syrup. This is just water, lime juice, maybe rum, sugar, lime zest and fresh mint. All simmered together and then poured over the watermelon.
YES.
We’re going to soak the watermelon in the mojito syrup. Throw a sheet pan in the fridge and let the watermelon hang out in the syrup.
Honestly can’t even tell you right now how much I’d like to be a wedge of watermelon just relaxing on a platter of mojito syrup.
Sounds heavenly.
I’ve seen people soak watermelon wedges in tequila before (I mean, OMG, yes please) so I figured the mojito flavor would be a huge winner. And it totally is!
These are SO good on a hot summer day. They are cold and fresh with hints of lime and mint. And easy! And cute. Of course.
These mojito watermelon wedges are soaked in a fresh mint and lime syrup then sprinkled with flaked sea salt. They are so refreshing!
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 25minutes
Cook Time 5minutes
Resting Time 30minutes
Total Time 1hour
Servings 12to 16 wedges
Author How Sweet Eats
Ingredients
1small seedless watermelon,cut into wedges (12 to 16 wedges)
1cupsugar
3/4cupwater
¼cupwhite rum,optional, leave out/replace with water to make kid friendly
2tablespoonsfresh lime juice
1big handful of fresh mint
2limes,zest freshly grated
flaked sea salt,for sprinkling
Instructions
Cut the watermelon into wedges and place it on two baking sheets in a single layer.
Place the water, sugar, lime juice, rum, mint and the zest of 1 lime in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking so the sugar dissolves. Cook until just simmering then remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Pour the mixture evenly over the watermelon in the baking sheet. Move the watermelon wedges around so they are submerged in the syrup, then flip them.
Refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. I like to flip the watermelon once while it’s in the fridge.
Remove the watermelon from the syrup and place it on a platter. Sprinkle on the remaining lime zest. Sprinkle on a bit of flaked salt and serve!
As a note, you can do this on an as-needed basis. Just use a few slices of watermelon and pour some of the syrup over top, storing the rest in the fridge until ready to use.
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