Refreshingly Cool Melon -
The WEBB Cooks by Robyn Webb, MS, LN
Reaching for a glass of water on a hot day is an excellent idea. Why not enjoy a little sweet taste too? Melons -- whether honeydew, cantaloupe or everyone's summer favorite, watermelon -- make a satisfying snack for the dog days of summer. Juicy and full of water, melons are also nutritional powerhouses. These delicious fruits provide plenty of vitamin C. Yellow and orange fleshed melons supply beta carotene, while watermelon is an excellent source of lycopene, another carotenoid that may help prevent prostate cancer.
Nutrition aside, melons always make an attractive presentation on your backyard buffet table. Summer is peak season for domestically grown melons, but imported melons are available year round. Cantaloupes and honeydews should have a smooth indentation at the stem end. The skin color should be more yellow gold than green. A honeydew's skin should appear to be very smooth, almost velvety. The netting on a cantaloupe should cover the entire surface of the melon. A watermelon's rind should look dull and waxy, not shiny. Once a melon is picked, it won't get any sweeter. Leaving it out for a few days before eating, though, will make a melon juicier and softer.
Try to purchase all melons in their whole state. While it may be tempting to purchase cut melons, bear in mind the vitamin C content is sacrificed when they are precut. And since cantaloupe can provide a whopping 110% of your daily vitamin C content per cup serving, it is best if you cut them just prior to eating.
While melons are delicious eaten right out of your hand, here are fun ways to enjoy melons and keep you satisfied all summer long.
- Make a Melon Margarita (virgin, that is!). Blend together 1 cup honeydew melon chunks with 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 1/2 tsp. lime juice, 1 1/2 tsp. honey and lots of ice. Blend and serve in margarita glasses. Makes 2 glasses.
- Add diced melon to any chicken or shrimp salad.
- Watermelon Cooler. Puree 1 cup seeded watermelon chunks in a blender with 1/4 cup water. Add 2 tsp. sugar or Splenda to mix well. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime. Pour into a pitcher and fill with chilled no sodium club soda.
- Add cantaloupe chunks to an antipasto plate. Arrange cubed cantaloupe next to cubed, part skim mozzarella cheese, cubes of lean turkey, 1 cup sliced red peppers, 1 cup canned artichoke hearts, packed in water. Drizzle the platter with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar.
- Add thin slices of cantaloupe or honeydew to a lean ham sandwich.
- Enjoy cubes of any melon over a dish of low fat, no sugar added frozen yogurt.
Enjoy the trio of melons in a refreshing mint sauce, a perfect dessert for anytime of the day.
MELON IN MINT SAUCE
makes 6 servings / serving size: 1/2 cup
preparation time: 25 minutes
cook time: 0
exchanges: 1 fruit
calories: 84
calories from fat: 0
total fat: 0
saturated fat: 0 g
cholesterol: 0 mg
sodium: 24 mg
carbohydrate: 13 g
dietary fiber: 1 g
sugars: 12 g
protein: 1 g
Ingredients
1 cup non fat plain yogurt
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced mint
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1 cup cubed cantaloupe
1 cup cubed honeydew melon
1 cup cubed seeded watermelon
- Combine the yogurt, mint, sugar and cardamom. Mix well.
- Combine the cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon in a large bowl. Add the sauce to the melons and cover and refrigerate for 1 hour prior to serving.
