Grilling Season and it Tastes So Good

Ready for this one? It’s a good one, trust me…. Sweet, refreshing, light, and super simple. Have you ever grilled watermelon? Because it’s a grilling game changer.

I LOVE GRILLING! But, oh, don’t we all… Obviously through college dorm life, I did not have access to a  grill. Nor did I have access to a grill when living in the walk-up of my previous apartment. Finally we have a backyard, allowing us to have a grill and it has been glorious. I *almost* forgot how delicious, easy, and HEALTHY grilling can truly be.

Having a backyard is truly a blessing. In addition to simply, well, being able to enjoy the outdoors, we finally have a space for a grill and outdoor dining. Oh, and check out that DIY pallet deck – newly built and installed! We’ve still got a few finishing touches to be done, but I’ll save the details of that project for another post.

I’ve found that grilling provides so much more than delicious options – it’s efficient, too! A large portion of our electric bill is usually dedicated to cooking (damn you, electric stoves!). It’s also less than ideal during the hot summer months. Grilling is the perfectly efficient alternative, providing just as delicious (if not, more so) options.

And remember that age-old thought that grilling was strictly for carnivores? NOT TRUE! The pescetarian lifestyle – even the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle – pave way for so many great grilling options! I’ve been loving grilled portabella mushroom caps, corn, tofu, sweet potato, fish, shrimp, veggie burgers, and an assortment of veggies and fruits.

One of my favorite fruity summertime meals? Grilled watermelon caprese salad! Super refreshing, light, and tasty. The best part? So, so simple.

What you’ll need:

• 3-4 slices of watermelon (about 1 inch thick slices) – I cut wedges from a seedless mini water.
• extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• 1/4 cups of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• basil
• fresh mozzarella
• tomatoes

What you’ll do:

Grilling the watermelon

1. Prior to grilling, drizzle the slices of watermelon with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. You don’t need to use too much olive oil, but do be sure to coat the entire surface of the watermelon so that it doesn’t stick to the grill.
2. Place on the grill and let sit for about five minutes. Because watermelon is so high in water content, it does take a while to get those nice, gorgeous grill marks that you’re after. It’s so tempting to flip and inspect – let it sit! While the watermelon is grilling, it’s a good idea to prep the other ingredients, as below.
3. After about five minutes, flip and let sit for another five minutes.

Balsamic Glaze

1. Pour the balsamic vinegar and sugar into a small sauce pan and place over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the balsamic thickens to a glaze.

Assembling the salad

1. While the watermelon is grilling, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella as your prefer (I like big chunks of tomato, smallish bites of mozzarella) and julienne the basil leaves.
2. As soon as the watermelon comes off the grill, cut into bite-sized chunks.
3. Toss the watermelon, mozzarella, and tomato together, along with the basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
4. Top it all off with a drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Voila, enjoy! 

Are you a fan of grilling? What’s your favorite thing to grill? I would love to hear and have some new things to try!