Not the most obvious choice of bedfellows, I grant you, but what’s the old adage? Try anything once, twice if you like it…
The first decision to make is your preferred choice of said condiment. After all, mustard isn’t just mustard. The varying types have differing levels of acidity, heat and sharpness.
Will it be your common-a-garden-squeezy-bottle yellow mustard, whole grain mustard, English mustard or something else? Permit me some advice if you will: Dijon isn’t just for sandwiches…
The next decision (how stressful is this?) is how you’ll add the mustard, do you spread it on like a sandwich, or do you drizzle it on like a salad dressing?
After much mucking-about in the kitchen, I settled on a very agreeable healthy dressing that combines Dijon mustard, organic extra virgin olive oil and zero-carb, zero-sugar maple syrup. Then I did a lot of testing, in my garden, in the sun. You know, to get my summer vibes on. It was an agreeable way to spend an afternoon but, I digress…the burning question is, which won the taste test, a dollop of Dijon or a drizzle of dressing?
For me, the dressing wins hands down. With neat Dijon, my taste buds go into overwhelm, I can’t taste the melon and it’s all much-too-much but incorporated into a dressing, I was in raptures. At times, the taste is sweet-and-sour then it’s hot-and-spicy later it’s zingy-and-refreshing. I love it. It may well be my favourite healthy dressing for summer 2021.
It looks great too providing some much needed zing to your plate, especially when it’s drizzled majestically in the sun and turns into liquid gold. In other words, it’ll be a guaranteed talking-point with friends over lunch.
There are also the health benefits of eating mustard with your melon. Healthline says “Mustard is rich in glucosinolates and powerful antioxidants, both of which promote health and may protect against various diseases.”[i] So, what’s not to like?
So if you like (and can tolerate) mustard then channel your inner hedonist…
“I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure.”
Mae West
Wonderful Watermelon Salad with Marvelous Mustard Dressing
Serves | 2
Takes | 10 mins
Mindfulness factors | healthy | plant-based | vegan | low-carb | dairy-free | keto | paleo
Ingredients
Wonderful Watermelon Salad
250g watermelon, cubed
40g, fresh mint, torn
Chili flakes, pinch of
Marvelous Mustard Dressing
1tsp Dijon mustard (diet-friendly)
1tsp extra virgin olive oil
1tsp maple syrup (diet-friendly)
Method
Whisk the dressing ingredients to combine then add to a drizzle bottle
Portion the watermelon salad into serving bowls and add a generous drizzle of dressing. Absolutely delicious x
Cooks’ Notes : maintain the ratios to increase the serving size
[i] Alina Petre, MS, RD (NL) and Natalie Olsen, R.D., L.D., ACSM EP-C, “Is Mustard Good for You?”, Healthline, last modified January 10, 2020, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-mustard-good-for-you#disease-protection
@misterrands 