Hello Mangos! You may have noticed mangos are in season and in the market now. There are so many good ways to use fresh mango. They are filled with nutrients and taste like sunshine, so add some to your weekly meal planning for a good pop of spring vacation on your plate.
Mangos are a super-food, filled with 20 different kinds of vitamins and minerals. Ripe mangos will be softer to the touch and have a slightly sweet smell. If they aren’t ripe in the store, they are easy to ripen on your kitchen counter. Once ripe, store mangos in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. You can freeze the fruit once you peel and dice it, or buy it pre-peeled, cut, and frozen. Mango.org has loads of mango information, recipes, and an instructional video on how to select and cut mangos.
Multiple Ways to Use a Mango
Mangos add flavor and nutrition to many dishes, and because they are sweet and colorful, they are a big hit with all ages. Mangos star in many recipes from hot-weather climates like Latin America, Southeast Asia, and tropical islands. They also pair exceptionally well with avocado, seafood, dairy, and pork. Here are some ideas on how to use them in your meals:
- Beverages: smoothies, lassi, coolers
- Salads: chicken, fruit, Cobb, crab, or lobster salad
- Desserts: mango ice, ice cream, tapioca, or sprinkle with brown sugar and broil
- Condiments: salsa, chutney, salad dressings
- Fresh mango: on hot or cold cereal, with yogurt, on chicken sandwiches, in fish or pork tacos.
Sharon’s Mango Lassi (a slushy mango smoothie)
Serves 2
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup chopped peeled ripe mango*
- 2 tablespoons honey or 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (add more to taste)
- 1 cup crushed ice or 2 cups ice cubes*
Put all ingredients in blender. Pulse until slushy. Serve immediately.
*Speedy version: use 1 cup frozen mango pieces instead of ripe mango and ice.
*Variation: pour the lasso into popsicle molds for Mango Pops
Mango Salsa from Ellie Krieger
Try this delicious and healthy salsa with pulled pork sandwiches, chicken tacos, rice and black beans, or on top of fish. This easy Mango Salsa Recipe is from one of our favorite cookbook authors, and host of Food Network’s Healthy Appetite, Ellie Krieger.
Enjoy!
