Christmas is just around the corner and if you’re hosting family at home, you’re probably thinking about the menu.
We are going to help you by proposing a fresh and healthy alternative to escape from heavy and extremely sweet foods that will end up taking their toll on us in the end.
Our proposal has a great protagonist, the melon.
Melon is a fruit with a low glycemic index and is a fantastic source of vitamins. Its natural sweetness can satisfy your sugar craving, making you less anxious and more conscious when you reach for the nougat.
With a good melon ( quality melon is essential for a better gastronomic experience) you will create elegant and delicious dishes for an original Christmas menu with healthy food.
Of course, in addition to using it as an ingredient to prepare a starter, a first course or as an accompaniment to a second course, melon is always a safe bet for dessert.
We insist on the importance of quality melon. If we choose good fish, good seafood and good meat for the Christmas menu, why shouldn’t we do the same with fruits and vegetables? The difference is also very noticeable, we assure you.
As we at Peris are melon experts and have several brands, we are going to recommend the ones we consider PERFECT for your Christmas menu.
For cooking we recommend our Peris Gold and Peris Dolce melons.
To eat it in desserts and without garnishes, we definitely recommend our Vicentín gourmet melon.
All of them are piel de sapo melons, selected one by one so that their quality and natural sweetness are unquestionable.
Below we propose 4 recipes with melon for you to choose the one or ones that best suit you and your guests.
Four melon recipes perfect for Christmas
The first three recipes have been prepared for us by chef Martín Jiménez, from El Mosaic Restaurant (Meliana). They are very easy to make and very attractive. Your guests are going to applaud you, or at least they should!
Appetizer, recipe for ‘melon sorbet’.
You will do it in 20 minutes and it will be perfect as a starter.
Ingredients for 4 people:
– 6 or 8 cubes of frozen Peris melon 150g
– 3 ice cubes
– 1 can of 7Up or Sprite
– White rum 25 cl
– Peppermint Leaves
– White sugar 1 tablespoon. If the melon is very sweet you can reduce the amount.
– 2 strips of lime peel.Crush the mint with the sugar and rum in a mortar and pestle until a paste is formed. Let stand.
– In a glass blender, crush the melon with the ice cubes and the lime strips. Once everything is well blended, add the 7Up or Sprite and the macerated mixture.
– Stir and serve in glass with rim dipped in lemon juice and sugar.
Melon tartar, perfect as a first course
Ingredients for 4 people:
– Peris Melon 200g
– Fresh salmon 100g
– Sesame seeds 40g
– ½ Avocado
– Sesame oil 1 tablespoon
– Rice vinegar 1 tablespoon
– Soy sauce 1 tablespoon
– Cut the salmon and avocado into small 2×2 cm cubes.
– In a bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy and lime. Add the salmon and marinate covered for half an hour in the refrigerator.
– Cut your Peris melon into a rectangular piece of approximately 4 cm and about 10 cm long. Cut into thin slices half a centimeter thick.
– Add the chopped avocado to the marinated salmon, mix and place a spoonful on each melon slice.
– Pour the juice from the salmon dressing over the salmon.
Melon fritters with ham recipe
You’ll see diners roll their eyes with this delicious and easy melon recipe.
Ingredients for 4 people:
– Peris melon 1,5 kg
– 6-8 slices of serrano ham
– 1 cup of tempura flour
– 250 ml of very cold sparkling water
– Cut the Peris piel de sapo melon into 4×3 centimeter cubes. Reserve.
– Sift the tempura flour, add the egg and the very cold sparkling water. Mix and reserve.
– Wrap the melon cubes with the ham slices. Reserve.
– Dip the diced melon wrapped in serrano ham into the tempura and fry.
Healthy Christmas dessert with melon
And for dessert, don’t give it another thought. Peel and slice a Peris melon, serve it in a bowl and you will see how it disappears in a few minutes.
A good melon needs no more. With it you will get that perfect sweet spot to finish the meal and kill the craving, which will allow you to skip the nougat part or, if necessary, enjoy the Christmas sweets without anxiety and reduce the amount eaten.
We wish you a happy and healthy holiday feast!