spiced watermelon wedges

i love good ideas. i love innovative solutions to problems i see in the world, big and small.

i love watching shows like shark tank, where people come up with the craziest concepts 

and make them become a reality. i also love finding, seeing and experiencing new things - 

and then wondering - why didn't i think of this??? am i the only one?

when i saw a recipe for a savory slice of watermelon, i stopped in my tracks.

either it was the worst idea ever, or one of those 'wait, why didn't i think of that???'

before you read any further - let me just tell you. it's definitely the latter. 

these were incredible. definitely different than biting into your classic slice of watermelon - 

 but so incredible refreshing - and savory!!! honestly, i thought these were genius.

so simple. such a crowd-pleaser. and immediately upgrades a super simple snack 

to be side-dish worthy. you have to try these. there are probably endless ways 

to vary this recipe, but i was pretty obsessed with this Mexican flavor profile. 

recipe via cooking light

serves 4

be sure to adjust this recipe to the size of your watermelon. i bought a smaller, 

personal size watermelon and had plenty of spice mix based on the below recipe.

ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoon grated lime rind

1/2 teaspoon chile powder

1/2 teaspoon ground coupon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

4 watermelon wedges

or however many your heart desires

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

directions

1. preheat oven to 200 degrees

2. spread lime rind on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes until slightly dried.

3. combine dried rind, chile powder, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

4. arrange watermelon wedges on a platter, drizzle with oil 

and sprinkle evenly with spice mixture and cilantro (if using).

note - the drizzle of olive oil was delicious but not necessary. 

i ate my first plate of wedges with olive oil, and then finished the rest of my watermelon 

(don't judge me) sans olive oil - just sprinkling the spice mix strait on. 

also - i skipped the cilantro, but kept it in the recipe above for those of you who love it!