Dinner Tonight

Dinner Tonight

Healthy Cooking for a Healthy Texas

Shrimp Tacos with Southwest Watermelon Salsa

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Tacos are a favorite food staple in Texas, and this Shrimp Taco recipe is a great and easy twist for a quick summer dinner. The cooked shrimp is a great way to include seafood in your diet, while the Southwestern Watermelon Salsa provides a flavorful, refreshing, and low sodium alternative to traditional salsa. You can use whole wheat tortillas to include more whole grains to your meal.


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Tips & Tricks: How to Select the Perfect Melon

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Thumping. Shaking. Lifting. You have probably seen people using these methods to select a watermelon, but do they really work? Following the steps below will help you choose a melon that is perfect!

Use your eyes.
Look the melon over before you select it. The melon should be firm and symmetrical. It should also be free from dents, bruises, or cuts.

Turn it over.
The main indicator of ripeness is found on the underside of the melon. The underside of the melon should have a creamy yellow spot. This indicates it has ripened in the field.

Use your muscles.
Lift the melon up. A great melon is heavy for its size. Avoid melons which are lightweight if they are larger varieties.

Know your melons.
There are over 1200 varieties of watermelons grown in 96 countries!
The most common types are:

  • Seeded: The seeded watermelon is the most traditional watermelon and can weigh between 10 to 25 pounds!
  • Seedless: Seedless watermelons are the result of hybridization.
    • Some claim they have white seeds, but these “seeds” are really empty seed coats and are safe to eat! Personal: These tiny favorites usually weight 1 to 7 pounds and are perfect for those who don’t want to share!
  • Yellow and Orange Meat: Most watermelons have red meat; however, there are yellow and orange meat varieties which are usually sweeter than the red!

Watermelons : Look for a field patch! A large yellow spot which indicates the watermelon was left on the vine to ripen sufficiently! Cantaloupe: The best indicator of the melon being ripe is smell. A sweet and intense smell. Rind should appear golden and not with a green hue. Honeydew: Slightly harder to choose but best indicator is weight and color. A ripe melon should appear pale yellow in color with a smooth rind. Should seem heavy for its size.

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