I have to admit that I am not a big fan of watermelon myself, but it is a summer staple so I have been playing around with it a bit this summer. The more recipes I create, the more that I am enjoying it. So now I'm actually eating watermelon sometimes. I never thought that would happen. I've always loved the synthetic watermelon flavor in gum or candy, but not the fruit itself for some reason.
One of the things that I like about watermelon is that it has a subtle flavor so it is great at taking on the flavors you meld it with. To take advantage of this I've been marinating the watermelon in a number of different ways and the chili lime is one of my favorites. It has a summery taste to it in my opinion and the little bit of spice and acid complements the sweetness of the watermelon.
Don't feel like taking the time to skewer this? Serve it as a salad instead. If you go that route I would put a little bit of cilantro or basil in the dish too. If you want a few more ingredients add some blueberries or spinach to the salad. You could even add chicken and make it a main course!
Makes 20 -30 skewers depending on how big you cut the ingredients
Ingredients
2-3 cups of cubed watermelon
1 large English cucumber cut into cubes (cut into quarters lengthwise, then large dice)
1 block of feta cut into cubes (make sure the feta, cucumber and watermelon are all similar size)
3 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
Zest and juice of 1 lime
White balsamic glaze or reduction (optional)
20-30 bamboo skewers (get from a party store or grocery store)
Instructions
Place the watermelon cubes in a bowl with chili powder, cayenne, lime and a little bit of salt. Let the watermelon marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Now build your skewers. I like to do cucumber, feta, and then watermelon. But you can do whatever suits you best.
If you want, drizzle with white balsamic glaze. You can find this in the grocery store. If you can't find it then reduce white balsamic vinegar over medium heat until it becomes kind of like a syrup. Including this step just adds another layer of flavor!