Watermelon & Feta Salad with Potato Chips and Lamb Cutlets

I love a fresh spring salad alongside grilled meat and crunchy air-fried potato chips. There’s something about the potatoes in the box that makes the best chips. I don’t know if it’s also the new glass air fryer or coating them in my favourite extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), but boy do they turn out crunchy.

The combination of juicy watermelon, salty feta and crunchy cucumber is the base. Add in a little sharpness from the red onion, aromatic basil and mint and a splash of pomegranate balsamic and you’ve got a bright and refreshing salad, with plenty of flavour in every forkful.

Herbs bring so much flavour to a meal and are an easy way to add plant variety. The mint and basil in this salad add two different plants to your week, along with vitamins and minerals. Herbs also contain polyphenols, plant compounds studied for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and their interactions with our gut bacteria. Adding a handful to your meals is a simple way to bring more variety into your diet as part of an overall anti-inflammatory and gut-loving way of eating.

This is one of those easy weeknight dinners that you just don’t get sick of in the warmer months.

Ingredients

Watermelon salad

• ½ watermelon, peeled and cubed

• 150 g feta, cubed

• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves

• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves

• 2 cucumbers, sliced

• ¼ red onion, finely diced

Dressing

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp pomegranate balsamic vinegar, or 1 tsp balsamic vinegar mixed with ½ tsp honey

• Juice of ½ lemon

• Sea salt, to taste

Lemon-mint lamb

• 6 lamb cutlets or lamb steaks

• 1 tsp EVOO

• ¼ tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• Juice of ½ lemon

Crunchy chips

• 5-6 potatoes

• 1 tbsp EVOO

• Salt and garlic powder, to taste

Method

1. Mix the EVOO, smoked paprika, mint, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl. Add the lamb and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the chips and salad (unless air frying - cook them as you prepare the chips and salad).

2. Cut the potatoes into thick, rustic wedges and toss with the olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Air fry at 185°C for approximately 25 minutes, turning partway through, until golden and crunchy. Adjust the cooking time to suit your air fryer and the thickness of the wedges. Give them enough space for steam to escape, working in batches if you have a small air fryer.

3. Stack the mint and basil leaves, gently roll them up and thinly slice into ribbons. This is called a chiffonade. Add to a large bowl with the watermelon, feta, cucumber and red onion.

4. Whisk together the olive oil, pomegranate balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and a little salt.

5. Heat a barbecue or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the lamb on both sides to your liking, allowing for the thickness of the cut, then rest before serving. You can also air fry the lamb, which can be easier on a weeknight, and you’re already using the air fryer for the chips anyway. Cook the lamb first on the meat setting, adjusting the cooking time to suit its thickness, then cover loosely and let it rest while the chips cook.

6. Gently toss the salad with the dressing just before eating and serve with the grilled lamb and crunchy chips. If you’re meal prepping: Remove the cucumber seeds and keep the dressing separate until you’re ready to eat to help prevent the salad from becoming watery.
   
   Happy Cooking!

Watermelon & Feta Salad