Sweet ‘n’ smoky

Grilled pineapple and watermelon salad. Picture supplied

For the lemon basil vinaigrette:

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon Mirin (see next column)

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the grilled pineapple and watermelon:

¼ seedless watermelon, cut into ½ inch chunks

½ pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch chunks

2 large tomatoes, sliced ½ inch thick

5 cups watercress or arugala

Salt and pepper, to taste

' Mirin is a rice wine vinegar found in Asian markets or the Asian section or seasoning sections of most grocery stores.

To make the lemon basil vinaigrette:

' Place the lemon juice, basil, agave nectar, mirin and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Blend until combined. Pour the mixture into a large shallow bowl.

To complete the grilled pineapple and watermelon salad:

' Preheat the grill medium-high.

' When the grill is hot, dip the watermelon, pineapple and tomato slices into the vinaigrette to coat both sides. Place the fruit on the grill and cook on both sides for 3-4 minutes per side.

' Spread the watercress or arugala on 6 plates. Top the greens with the grilled fruit. Drizzle any remaining vinaigrette over the fruit, season with salt and pepper and enjoy.

What is Meatless Monday?

Meatless Monday is a global movement with a simple message: one day a week, cut out the meat.

Launched in the United States in 2003, Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, working in collaboration with the Centre for a Livable Future at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

The goal is to reduce meat consumption by 15 percent for personal health and the health of the planet.

Meatless Monday provides information, news, recipes and free promotional materials to help individuals, schools, restaurants, hospitals, food companies and communities to start each week with a commitment to eating healthy, environmentally-friendly, meat-free meals.

— www.meatlessmonday.com