Easy Entertaining for Beginners

Cooking for a crowd this summer? Try these refreshing watermelon recipes to help you celebrate summer.

Watermelon/Lime Agua Fresca

3 cups watermelon, seedless, chopped
4 cups water
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup fresh lime juice (6-8 limes)
Watermelon wedges or lime slices for garnish.

Puree the watermelon with 2 cups water in the blender. Pour the mixture in a strainer over a bowl and strain well. Use the back of a spoon to push the liquid through, but not the solids. Pour strained watermelon liquid into pitcher. Add remaining 2 cups water, sugar and lime juice. Stir well until sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate for two hours before serving.

To serve, stir and pour into glasses and garnish with watermelon wedges or lime slices. Enjoy!

OPTION: For a cocktail, add 1 cup white rum to pitcher.

Watermelon Salsa

2 cups watermelon, seedless, chopped
½ cup jicama, peeled and chopped
½ cup cucumber, seedless, chopped
2 tablespoons sweet onion, such as Maui, chopped finely
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped finely
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in bowl and salt and pepper to taste. If you cannot find the jicama, you may use 1 cup of cucumber. Serve with chips or as an accompaniment with any type of seafood.

Paletas are mouth-watering Mexican ice cream bars. They are usually fruit based or fruit and milk based. They come in deliciously different flavors like Mango, Coconut, Tamarind, Pecan and so many other flavors. Host a paleta party for the neighborhood kids or surprise your friends with these tasty treats when entertaining for a cool summer dessert. They are easy to make and fun to serve.

My husband, Augie relayed a story to me of a fond childhood memory. In hot weather, his mom would make her children homemade paletas. They didn’t have much in the way of finances but her frugality did not impede her creativity. She had a wonderful ability to make her kids feel loved and well-fed. She had a secret ingredient that she used in all her paletas that is alive and well in Augie’s memory to this day. Instead of the traditional milk used in cream based paletas, she used sweetened condensed milk for extra richness.

Enjoy these recipes for homemade paletas and try other flavors like banana, chocolate, rice pudding, vanilla or Mandarin orange. You are only limited by your imagination! Thanks for the inspiration, Nana!

Pina Colada Paletas

1 cup sweetened condensed milk
½ cup pineapple, crushed
½ teaspoon coconut extract

Mix all ingredients together and pour into ice pop molds or plastic disposable cups with snap on lids. Push a popsicle stick in the straw opening in the lid. Freeze well and serve.

Strawberry Cream Paletas

1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 ¾ cups strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Wash strawberries and remove hull and stem. Place in blender with the condensed milk and puree until smooth. Mix strawberry cream mixture with lemon juice. Pour into ice pop molds or plastic disposable cups with snap on lids. Push a popsicle stick in the straw opening in the lid. Freeze well and serve.