Watermelon Mania
On July 27, 2011, the divas met at Diva A's apartment for watermelon-inspired dishes. Despite its distinctive flavor, the divas showcased watermelon's versatility in both sweet and savory dishes and in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails.
Watermelon Cocktails
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/4892717.jpg)
Watermelon Tequila Cocktail
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay
Ingredients
6 cups seedless watermelon chunks
1/4 cup simple syrup**
2 limes, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
1 cup silver tequila
ice
Directions
Puree the watermelon in a food processor until smooth. Strain the juice into a bowl pressing on the pulp, then discard the solids.
Put the simple syrup, lime chunks, berries and mint in a pitcher and muddle until the berries are slightly crushed. Add the tequila and watermelon juice and stir to combine. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour. Serve over crushed ice.
**Put a 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Whisk in the sugar and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool.
Virgin Watermelon Cape Codder
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Magazine
Yield: 4 drinks
Ingredients
1 cup cubed watermelon
2 cups cranberry juice
¼ cup grenadine
¼ cup lemon juice
seltzer water
lemon
Directions
Puree all ingredients in a blender. Strain the juice into a bowl, discarding the watermelon solids. Pour 3/4 cup of the strained puree into ice-filled glasses; top with seltzer and garnish with lemon.
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay
Ingredients
6 cups seedless watermelon chunks
1/4 cup simple syrup**
2 limes, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
1 cup silver tequila
ice
Directions
Puree the watermelon in a food processor until smooth. Strain the juice into a bowl pressing on the pulp, then discard the solids.
Put the simple syrup, lime chunks, berries and mint in a pitcher and muddle until the berries are slightly crushed. Add the tequila and watermelon juice and stir to combine. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour. Serve over crushed ice.
**Put a 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Whisk in the sugar and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool.
Virgin Watermelon Cape Codder
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Magazine
Yield: 4 drinks
Ingredients
1 cup cubed watermelon
2 cups cranberry juice
¼ cup grenadine
¼ cup lemon juice
seltzer water
lemon
Directions
Puree all ingredients in a blender. Strain the juice into a bowl, discarding the watermelon solids. Pour 3/4 cup of the strained puree into ice-filled glasses; top with seltzer and garnish with lemon.
Pork Chops with Watermelon Salsa
- 10 thin cut boneless pork chops
- 3 cups finely diced seedless watermelon, (about 2 1/4 pounds with the rind) (see Tip)
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (see Ingredient note)
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro, (about 1/2 bunch)
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup minced red onion, (about 1/2 small)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Place watermelon, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice and onion in a medium bowl; stir well to combine. Season with salt. Best if made ahead so the ingredients have time to meld together.
- Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with oil. Sear both sides of chops to get a nice brown color. Transfer to baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10 minutes to complete cooking.
- Serve pork chops with salsa on top.
Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/3186337.jpg)
The watermelon salad is the easiest and a summer favorite!
Watermelon
Finely diced cucumber
Mint to taste
Salt and Pepper
Toss all of that together, season with a little bit of salt and a good bit of pepper.
Toss in feta to taste, and then mix it all up and eat.
There aren't any quantities. It's just add and taste.
Watermelon
Finely diced cucumber
Mint to taste
Salt and Pepper
Toss all of that together, season with a little bit of salt and a good bit of pepper.
Toss in feta to taste, and then mix it all up and eat.
There aren't any quantities. It's just add and taste.
Watermelon Cake
![Picture](/uploads/3/9/1/6/3916068/7211955.jpg)
Courtesy of Taste of Home
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix
- 1 package (3 ounces) watermelon gelatin
- 1-1/4 cups water
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2-1/2 cups prepared vanilla or cream cheese frosting, divided
- Red and green gel food coloring
- Chocolate chips
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, gelatin, water, eggs and oil; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.
- Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
- Set aside 2 tablespoons frosting for decorating. Place 1-1/4 cups frosting in a bowl; tint red. Tint remaining frosting green.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup red frosting to within 1/4 in. of edges. Top with second cake. Frost top with remaining red frosting to within 3/4 in. of edges. Frost sides and top edge of cake with green frosting.
- Cut a 1/4-in. hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag. Fill the bag with reserved white frosting. Pipe around top edge of cake where green and pink frosting meets. For seeds, insert chocolate chips upside down into cake top. Yield: 12 servings.