Tag: mangoes
Mango and Nectarine Salsa
I love making salsas in the summer. In fact any time any one is coming over, I find myself making salsa to serve with tortilla chips. I know it is very easy to buy really great salsas in the store, but … nothing like homemade salsa. First of all it tastes a lot fresher (obviously) and a lot tastier. The jarred variety always has a particular ‘old’ flavor about the salsa that I don’t care for. Don’t get me wrong… I do have the store bought variety in my fridge that I use in a bind but I prefer to make my own.
So, when some friends were coming over for a barbecue, I decide to raid my fridge and make a mango and nectarine salsa. I chopped everything fine including the onion and the cilantro. To make things interesting, I decided to roast the jalapenos. It gave the sauce a milder, nuttier flavor.
It was a big hit with the tortilla chips but it would be fabulous with any meat or fish.. or even tacos.. Try this one next time you are in the mood for something delicious and fresh..
read more …
Pan Seared Cod with Mango Sauce and Bok Choy
Here is another recipe using one of my favorite ingredients- mangoes. I bought some cod for dinner and decided to make a mango sauce.
I cut up two mangoes and cooked them with garlic, shallots. I added apricot jam (yum!), rice wine vinegar and garlic chili sauce. Using all the delicious ingredients resulted in an unbelievable sauce.
I sauteed the fish simply with salt and olive oil- delicious and very quick.
Bok choy is one of our favorite vegetables and I try to incorporate it lots of dinners. In this case, I sauteed them with olive oil and salt. I served the bok choy on the side with the fish and the mango sauce. I made brown rice and it was a perfect meal. It was delicious, quick and healthy- what more do you want??
Try the pan seared cod with mango sauce and bok choy- you will love it…
read more …
Black Bean and Mango Salad
This salad is perfect for summer time- no cooking involved. Just put some ingredients together and make your vinaigrette and you have a great side dish to complement anything at all. It is even great as a light meal at the end of the day or for lunch with a fried egg on top.
I made it with the fish tacos (recipe to follow tomorrow). I was going to make a simple green salad but then thought of doing a bean salad instead. I had mangoes and sweet peppers in my fridge and paired them with green onions and cilantro. I always have different kinds of canned beans in my pantry. Beans are super healthy and add great texture to any dish.
The dressing was simply, lime juice, honey, roasted cumin and olive oil. You can’t get this delicious vinaigrette out of a bottle and yet it is so simple to make. I added the dressing to the salad and let it sit for a few hours before serving it with the delicious tacos.
It was a big hit- super healthy and delicious- and best of all, very easy to make.
read more …
Roasted Tomatoes, Chipotle and Mango Salsa
Here we go with using mangoes again! I can’t help myself- I have so many of them in the house that I feel the need to use them constantly. The good thing is that they are so versatile. I can use them for sweet and savory dishes.
We were having people over and I wanted to serve chips and salsa before the meal. I normally buy the really spicy one from Trader Joes, but my husband doesn’t enjoy it since he does not eat very spicy food. For me the spicier the better.
I remember when I was younger and first came to the States, we used to go to a Mexican restaurant, Chi Chi’s. They would give a big bowl of salsa with chips- it was spicy and delicious. We were also able to find big, huge bottles of Chi Chi’s salsa in Costco. I remember buying tons of it during college- that used to be my late night snack. Since then, salsa has come a long way- there are so many different kinds out there. I remember when I realized how easy it was to make your own- who knew??
In the summer, salsa and chips is my ‘go to’ appetizer. Since most of the entertaining is done outdoors- it’s perfect to serve with a cold beer while the grilling is going on. In the colder months my usual appetizer is a great looking tray of cheese and olives with some grapes, etc- I think when one is entertaining, simplicity is the key .
In this case, I decided to roast the tomatoes and add some chipotle in adobo sauce. I added just the sauce and not any of the peppers- I was being kind to my husband! Just the sauce gives the dish enough smokiness and heat. I added the mangoes to balance the salsa off- I love the idea of having something sweet, savory, tangy and spicy in the same bite. It was delicious with chips. I am planning to make it again as a sauce for fish or shrimp- I think the flavors would go really well.
We enjoyed the salsa and chips with beer and a white wine while the kids played in the backyard- how great are the summer months!!
Strawberry and Mango Dessert Sauce
A friend came over for dinner a few nights ago. I had a day notice and it was through the week- I wanted to make an easy entree and something I can assemble ahead of time. I decided to make a baked pasta with red peppers and zucchini (recipe to follow) and garlic bread. What about dessert??? I had plenty of ice cream in the freezer and of course lots and lots of mangoes! In the fridge, I also had a pint of strawberries looking a little sorry and not so fresh. I decided to cook the strawberries down and add chunks of mangoes in the sauce. First of all, the topping color made me happy- such bright red and yellow- my favorite colors, they are all over my house! I served vanilla ice cream with a big dollop of the topping. It was delicious! Great to have over a pound cake or even angel food cake. It’s actually great just by itself with a little whipped cream on top! It would be great to have in the fridge in the summer months with abundant berries and mangoes. I am sure raspberries would taste delicious with mangoes as well.
- 1 pint fresh strawberries- washed and cut
- ½ cup fresh mango and pineapple juice (orange juice will do)
- 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar (use according to how sweet the strawberries are)
- 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
In a medium pan, add the strawberries and the juice. Bring to a boil and lower the heat and simmer the fruit for 30 to 40 minutes. Add sugar as needed. The strawberries will cook down and have jam like consistency. Take the off the heat and add the mangoes. Chill the fruit mixture and serve on top of ice cream.