Crazy about Cantaloupe

Often we are lucky to live in a country where we can have just about any ingredient at our fingertips, no matter the season. Cantaloupe is one of those wonderful options for a fresh fruit flavor in the cold winter months. Fresh cantaloupe is often looked at as a boring fruit, it is humble, but don't be fooled, it is very versatisle. It's color gives you a great hint of it's healthy benefits. 

Orange means beta-carotene. It is chock full of Vitamin A which helps your skin, maintains your immune system and helps restore collagen. Cantaloupe is also full of Vitamin C that we all know helps decrease your risk of colorectal cancers and even esophageal disorders. Potassium is another helpful benefit, and only one cup of cantaloupe offers more than your required daily amount. Cantaloupe is a great fruit when you're trying to trim down. The enzymes help regulate blood pressure, and the fiber content can lower your digestible carbohydrate count. Low in sugar and big on taste. 

The great thing about cantaloupe is that it can be so easily paired with sweet and savory cooking methods. Try it diced up in your greek yogurt, blended with cucumber and tomato and lemon for a tangy but sweet gazpacho or top a freshly grilled fillet of fish with cantaloupe mixed with a little salt, pepper, jalapeno and red onion. 



This great recipe came from Aube Giroux on PBS. It's refreshing and very taste. I served it with some greek style meatballs and herb potatoes. 

Cucumber Cantaloupe Salad
1 large ripe cantaloupe
4 medium cucumbers (or 2 large ones)
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz feta cheese, cubed or crumbled
About a dozen medium-sized mint leaves, very finely chopped
 

minty-cucumber-cantaloupe-salad-3For the Honey-Lime Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
Juice of one lime
2 tbsp. honey
Salt and pepper to taste







Cut the cantaloupe in half and scoop out the seeds.
With a melon baller, carve out as many balls as you can get out of your cantaloupe.
Chop the cucumbers in thin, quartered slices.
Place the cucumber slices and melon balls in a colander and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, toss gently with your hands. Place the colander over a bowl and allow the juices to drain for about 20 minutes.
Place the cucumber and cantaloupe balls in a salad bowl. Add the cubed feta and chopped mint.
Place all salad dressing ingredients in a lidded jar and shake vigorously.
Pour on the salad, toss gently, and serve cold.
This recipe is great for gatherings, keeps well, tastes better as it sits and is interesting to say the least. Give it a try, it's not weird I promise!
Cantaloupe, Prosciutto and Marjoram Pasta Salad recipeHerby Cantaloupe Pasta
1lb pasta/ I used gluten free gemelli
1 cantaloupe sliced in long strips
1 T chopped fresh marjoram or 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 C red wine vinegar
2 T olive oil/grapeseed oil
1 1/2 tsp roasted and salted sunflower seeds
3 sliced of prosciutto (you can buy a pouch of very thing prosciutto in the deli)

 


Cook your pasta according to directions, remove immediately and rinse in cold water. You'll want to dry the pasta before mixing the dressing. 

Combine oil, vinegar, marjoram and sunflower seeds. Cut cantaloupe carefully into strips and tear your prosciutto into small bites. 

Combine your pasta, dressing and prosciutto and toss. Chill salad.
 
White Peach and Melon Sangria FrozenCantaloupe Sorbet
1 large cantaloupe chopped into small pieces. 

Place your cantaloupe in a food processor or use a immersion blender and sprinkle lightly with salt. Blend the cantaloup very well. You want a pulp that is juicy.




Here are a few options for the simple syrup. You'll need to boil this mixture in a pot until it's fully dissolved and syrupy. Let cool completely before you mix it into the cantaloupe. You can place the syrup into the freezer to speed up the process, but make sure don't forget it or it will recrystallize. 

1 C Splenda +1 C water + 1 lime squeezed
or
1/2 C honey + 2/3 C lime juice + 2 T sugar/splenda
or
1 C sugar +1 C water + 1 lime squeezed 

Combine your syrup and cantaloupe and mix really well together. Give it a taste for sweetness and adjust to your pallet. You can add this mixture to your ice cream/sorbet maker or you can pour the mixture into a freezer container. If you put it in a freezer container, you'll need to remove the cantaloupe sorbet every 30 minutes and scrape the sides and mix it up until it is granular. Once the mixture is completely frozen, remove it, and use your mixer to beat the mixture until it's smooth.
This sorbet is amazing when you fill a glass full of white grape juice, lite sprite and a scoop of sorbet. It's out of this world! 
When I saw this next recipe I got really excited! I never thought you could actually bake with cantaloupe and have it actually come out well. You just don't think of melons as a compatible baking ingredient, but boy was I wrong. 
This dessert bread is soft and super flavorful. 
17. Slice me a piece of that cantaloupe bread baby!
Photo and Recipe Allrecipes.com
Sunshine Bread
2 C gluten free flour blend or 3 C regular flour
3 eggs beaten
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/2 C white sugar/splenda
1/2 C brown sugar/brown sugar splenda
1/2 banana mashed 
1/2 C cantaloupe puree
1/3 C canola oil or 1 C canola oil for non gluten free version
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract (watch for gluten)
     If you're making the non gf version add 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 C nuts like pecans, walnuts or pistaccios *optional

Glaze:
1/2 C butter
1 2/3 C brown sugar/brown splenda
1/2 C of your nuts if you choose

Preheat oven to 325o. Lightly grease your loaf pan. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, canola, sugar, vanilla and cantaloupe. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into cantaloupe mixture; 1/2 banana stir to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in oven for about 45 minutes, could take longer depending on your elevation and how moist the weather is outside. It could even go up to an hour. Keep an eye on it. Insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. 
Once the bread is baked, let it rest. While it's resting combine your ingredients for your glaze. Drizzle all over the top of your bread and enjoy!





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