Mango Madness!

It's Mango season once again here in south Florida, and Sally's tree has a plethora of yummy fruit this year. So I though it would be nice to recap for you faithful readers a bunch of our favorite mango recipes all in one place. 

Choose your mangoes to be soft to the touch, but not mushy. Mushy will work, especially for smoothies,  but they're much more of a mess to work with. On the other hand, if a mango doesn't give to finger pressure it's not ripe enough yet.

Mango Smoothie

Great for breakfast or as dessert on a hot summer's night.

1 Large Mango per two people (chilled)

3/4 Banana per two people

1/3 cup Greek yogurt per two people

Fresh grated Nutmeg to taste

Optional additives – flax seeds, whey powder, protein powder and/or other 'healthy' additions for a breakfast smoothie

Put everything but the nutmeg in a blender and take it for a whirrrr. When no longer lumpy, pour into tall glasses, and grate some fresh nutmeg on top. 

I moved this bit up to the top so that the picture is the one to appear on Facebook etc....

Mango in a Glass

This is the simplest, easiest way to de-construct a mango for use in just about everything.  Cut the "fillets' away from the central pit, and work the edge of a glass around to separate the meat from the skin.  Much better (and cheaper) than a uni-tasking mango-pitter.

Mango Hummus

Makes a tasty accompaniment for snacking on some of my chef-made crackers, and the two together are a perfect take-a-dish for a summer potluck.    A little sweet, a little tangy, a lot tasty. To avoid extra salt in your diet (a GOOD thing), buy dried chickpeas/garbanzos, and cook them up yourself according to package directions.

1 can chickpeas, about 1-1/2 cups home-cooked garbanzos

1/2 cup diced FIRM mango - save the thin soupy mango for a smoothie

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Tahini

about 1/4 cup EVOO

Combine the first 4 ingredients in blender or food processor until it forms a thick paste. Drizzle the oil until you get the smooth consistency you prefer for your hummus. I usually use less than the listed amount of EVOO. Add a bit of fresh cracked black pepper for an additional tang to cut the sweetness, if desired. You could also add fresh grated nutmeg.

Mango Gazpacho

Chilled soups are wonderful for hot Florida summer meals.  Anything that we don't have to heat the oven or stovetop for.  This gazpacho is a great addition to your chilled soup repertoire!

3 cups Mango, chopped

1 English Cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1 cup Coconut Water, not Coconut Milk or Cream

1/2 cup Vegetable Broth

3/4" finger fresh Ginger, minced

1 tsp Curry Powder of choice

1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes

1 Tbsp Cider Vinegar

2 Tbsp Mint, chopped, plus additional

S&P TT

In a blender, combine 1 cup of mango, half the cucumber, half the bell pepper, coconut milk, broth, ginger, curry powder and vinegar. Puree until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse a couple times to combine, but leave it somewhat chunky. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. When served, top with a chiffonade of additional mint.

Mango Pico de Gallo

This is a wonderful topping for fresh grilled white se fish of any kind -- Grouper, Hogfish, Sea Bass, you name it.  Also good on firm freshwater fish, pork sirloin steaks, pork chops, chicken breasts... you name it.  Pretty darn good as a torilla chip dip too!

1 Firm-ripe Mango, peeled, pitted and diced into about 1/4" cubes
3 Roma Tomatoes, diced 1/4"
1/2 medium White Onion, diced 1/4"
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 Jalapeno, seeded, veined and diced fine
juice of 1 Lemon

Toss everything to combine well, and allow to chill for at least an hour before serving. 

 

Mango Shrimp Salad and Mango Viniagrette

This recipe takes the mango into savory territory.

Salad
1 head Romaine, chopped
1/2 cup fresh Basil, julienned
4 Green Onions, sliced
6" Carrot, sliced into thin coins
6 each Red and Yellow Cherry Tomatoes
1 Mango, cubed

Make A nice bed of the chopped romine -- you can use any combination of lettuces/greens you like.  Then arrange the other ingredients so that they are showcased around the central mound.   That's where you'll plate the:

BBQ Shrimp
With the tails and shell on, saute the shrimp in a bit of oil, liberally sprinkled with a Cajun/Creole type seasoning. I prefer Evergladestm Original seasoning; or for more heat I use Tony Cachere's Creole Seasoningtm. If you want even spicier shrimp, peel them first - but leave the tails on for the look of things. Cook on med-high heat, just until they turn that beautiful orange. Don't overcook or else you're eating Creole-flavored rubber! Cool slightly and arrange the shrimp artistically on your plated salad.

Mango Vinaigrette
1 Mango, peeled, pitted and cubed
1/2 cup EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1/2 cup white vinegar (I like Rice Wine Vinegar, but White Balsamic would also be good)
Pinch of Salt

Take the mango, salt, and vinegar for a spin in your blender. I like the Aerate setting as it gives the dressing some extra body and brings out the flavors. Gradually drizzle the EVOO into the spinning fruit vinegar so that it makes a strong emulsion. If you like a bit of heat against the sweetness, add a pinch of cayenne to the blender. I serve the vinaigrette alongside the salad so that diners can add as much or little as they prefer.

Mango and Forbidden Rice

What a delectable savory-sweet flavor combination. The color contrast is fabulous, and the combined taste is heavenly. Worth searching out and buying a bag of the sometimes hard to find rice.

I've made this as a sort of semi-sweet dessert. Just made up a batch of Forbidden (Black) rice, toss with cubes of mango, and serve warm with a splash of cream. You can also turn this into a cold salad by adding some combination of peanuts, cashews, cucumber cubes, mandarin wedges, colored bell pepper pieces, avocado cubes or slices, a little cilantro, etc.

Mango Jam

Simple, easy, and not terribly time consuming...  Almost as easy as my Ten Minute Marmalades!

I hate to see something as delectable as mango go to waste. Wind-fall, or squirrel-gnawed mangoes do not need to be thrown away. Cut out the bad bits, cut away the skin and pit, and you have a good source of mango for jam.

2-1/2 cups Mango meat

1 cup Sugar or Splendatm if you're trying to be good

Juice and zest of 1 Lemon

Put the ingredients in a food processor or blender and whirrr into a puree. Ladle into a pot and cook on medium (325F) for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low (200F) and continue cooking for another half an hour. I did this in my electric skillet, so I was able to use precise temperatures. Keep cooking until all the water is cooked off, the surface has a nice glossy sheen, and the puree has gotten thick. I ended up with about 1-1/2 cups of jam.

Spoon the jam into a freshly dishwasher-sterilized canning jar, and let it cool to room temp. before refrigerating. The jam will keep in the fridge until it's entirely consumed, or 3 months, whichever happens first!

Mango Brulee

You know you want one...

Mango

Brown Sugar or cane syrup

Nutmeg

Slice the fillets away from the pit, and slash the cut surfaces.  Lay on a baking sheet, sprinkle with brown sugar, and put them under the broilers for a couple minutes  until the sugar melts and starts to caramelize.

Mango Upside Down Cake

Not yo mamas pineapple-yellow cake thing with mango instead of pineapple (well.... sorta). 

 Why use that blah yellow cake mix when there so many other, better tasting, cakes out there. Like Spice Cake. Like Gingerbread. Like Devil's Food even.... Live dangerously, try one of the above. I KNOW you'll love it!

 Mango Upside Down Spice Cake

Mango Upside Down Gingerbread Cake