Mad About Mangos
First grown in India over 5,000 years ago, mangos have emerged today as the world’s most popular fresh fruit! They’re a great source of immune-boosting vitamins A and C and are also low in calories and rich in fiber. Their versatility can’t be beat. We love them as a snack or blended into sweet, refreshing smoothies. They also work wonders in sensational summer salsas. In fact, we recently created a recipe for Mango Cilantro Salsa, perfect as a topping for grilled seafood, beef, pork, or poultry. If this recipe is a tad too sophisticated for your kids, leave the red onion out. Or let loose and add a minced jalapeno for a bit more of a kick!
Mango Cilantro Salsa
Makes 5 to 6 Servings
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small red bell pepper, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 lime (the zest and the juice — about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoon minced red onion, optional
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix together well. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate about 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend.
Nutrition Information per Serving: 60 calories, 0g total fat, 180mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 0g protein, 25% vitamin A, 40% vitamin C
Click here to watch a video of our Mom’s Mango Smoothie recipe at http://www.mealmakeovertv.com/
For more delicious mango recipes check out http://www.mango.org/
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Moms,
Every time I have gotten a mango, I have a hard time cutting it so I don’t get the gristly center. And it seems there isn’t much fruit on it that doesn’t contain that. What’s the best way to cut them that will give me the most fruit?
Hi Amy:
Mangos are a bit of a challenge to cut, but once you get the hang of it the reward is that luscious orange fruit! Instead of us trying to explain how to cut a mango, we’ll let the National Mango Board teach you. Simply go to http://www.mango.org and click on How to Cut a Mango- it’s that simple. Let us know if it helps!
Not about mangoes………
but we’ve got a bumpercrop of butternut squash here -
any tips on what to do with them?
There are lots of recipes out there using butternut squash. In fact, out of curiosity, we conducted a google search on “butternut squash” + “recipes” and found 534,000 websites! To focus your recipe search a bit, we suggest you visit CookingLight.com, EatingWell.com, and Epicurious.com, three of our favorite recipe websites.
As for butternut recipes we enjoy, you can slice the squash in half, scooping out the seeds, and then top with a bit of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 until tender. We also peel and cut the squash into 1-inch cubes and steam it until tender. Then we mash it with a bit of butter and maple syrup and serve it as a deliciuos and healthy side dish. Let us know what you end up doing with your squash!
In case anyone is interested, I make what I call “instant” mango sorbet. I use frozen mango chunks (we get them at Trader Joes). I let them thaw for a couple of minutes and then put them in the food processor until they are smooth. Sometimes we add a splash of lime juice. If you eat it right away, it has the consistency of a soft sorbet and it’s 100% fruit. My whole family loves it. It is requested almost daily for dessert and I can’t say no!
This mango sorbet sounds easy and delicious! We’ll be sure to test it out on our kids.
If you are interested in Caribbean-style cooking be sure to check out Caribbean Light, written by a dietitian pal of ours, Donna Shields. You can find her book on Amazon.