What to do with Watermelon: Unique and Tasty Watermelon Recipes

Watermelon is a fruit that is terrific all by itself. You've surely sat outside on a warm summer night, eating watermelon slices and maybe even engaging in childish contests to see who can spit the watermelon seeds the furthest. If you really like watermelon, you've probably tried different kinds of watermelon such as seedless varieties or yellow watermelon. But did you know that watermelon is not just a food that is good on it's own? It's also a great ingredient for more complex foods that benefit from the hint of watermelon flavor and the water-based juiciness of the fruit.

Here are just some of the watermelon recipes that you might want to try out if you're a watermelon fan:

• Watermelon ice cubes. All you need to do for this recipe is take a watermelon (seedless or you can remove the seeds yourself), blend it up into a thin juice in your blender (no additional water or juice needed) and then freeze the juice into cubes. Add to sodas and waters (sparkling or still) for a refreshing summer beverage that all ages will enjoy.
• Watermelon smoothies. There are a number of different recipes out there for watermelon smoothies. One of the most interesting ones that I'm familiar with is a Watermelon Yogurt Mint Smoothie advertised by Watermelon.org. It includes lemon yogurt, honey and mint as well as the watermelon so it's a really interesting mixture of flavors and creates an indulgent treat that isn't bad for the waistline.
• Watermelon kabobs. Believe it or not, you can add skewers to watermelon, marinate them and grill them. They grill quickly so keep an eye on them. Try your hand at adding different sauces / marinades to get unique flavors. The watermelon taste isn't too strong when it's grilled so add vegetables and / or meats to your skewers to make full kabobs.
• Watermelon Chicken. There are a number of different recipes that include watermelon and chicken but the basic idea is to add the watermelon to the baking of the chicken to get the additional flavor in the meat. This can be done by adding in chunks and mixing them (do this only in the final few minutes of cooking the meat) or by creating a watermelon puree and spreading this over the chicken while cooking.
• Watermelon sandwiches. You wouldn't think that watermelon would taste good on a sandwich. Then you try it and you find out that it does. It adds some crunch so it's great on cheese sandwiches and cold cut sandwiches. Watermelon slices go well with any kind of bread so do some experimenting.
• Watermelon ice cream. Ice cream is a terrific treat to make at home (as are its healthier sister foods sherbet, sorbet and gelato). Watermelon can be added to the recipe to give a new taste to the treat. It should be noted that watermelon alone doesn't usually taste strong enough in ice cream so you need to add other fruits or flavors to get a good taste.

There's nothing wrong with eating watermelon all by itself. Watermelon chunks, watermelon slices and watermelon balls are all terrific snacks on a summer day. But see what else you can do with your watermelon every now and then to add a little variety to your palette. (See links below for specific recipes and additional ideas.)