Mango Madness

mangoes ready for mango sauce

It's that time of the year here-- the time when mango trees are heavy laden with their sticky fruits. If you've never tasted fresh mangoes, they're sort of like a peach, except the flavor is almost spicy (especially close to the skin) and the flesh is more syrup-y. Lots of mangoes are stringy too, but not all varieties. My favorite are a large string-less variety with deep yellow flesh.

You could probably already tell mangoes rank within my top favorite fruits (others include peaches, strawberries, and tart red cherries). The best way to enjoy mangoes is... fresh! I especially love them peeled and cubed with slices of bush banana and covered in plain yogurt. ooolala. wonderful breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack food right there.

With more mangoes than I could eat fresh, I've been making some mango messes in the kitchen. In addition to my standard plain fresh mango, mango and yogurt, mango sauce, and mango smoothies, I've tried mango salsa, mango crisp, and mango muffins. Plus, I've frozen mango chunks to enjoy all year :). If you live somewhere outside the US, perhaps you also have a many-mango dilemma at times, so I thought I'd share a couple recipes.

Sorry to my Stateside readers... if you try these recipes, your pocketbook may be a bit sore due to mango prices in the States :(. sad. i know.

Mango Muffins

1 and ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch salt

3 eggs

¼ cup cream

¼ cup butter (melted)

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups chopped mango

Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat/wisk eggs, cream, butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

Gently stir wet and dry ingredients together and fold in mango.

Divide batter into 12 muffin liners (or greased muffin tins)

Bake at 177C (350F) for 20 minutes or until done.

Perfect for tea time

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Mango Crisp (sorry, no picture)

Base:

5 cups chopped mango

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Topping*:

½ cup flour

½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ cup coconut oil (or butter)- soft

Combine mango, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a 10x6 baking dish.

In a bowl, combine topping. Crumble on top of mango in baking dish.

Bake at 177C (350F) until mangoes are bubbly and topping is crisp (half hour/forty-five minutes-?)

*I found this topping to be very sweet

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Mango Salsa

• 1 large mango peeled and chopped
• Green pepper minced (1/4 large- or to taste)
• Red onion diced (1 small- ¼ cup- or to taste)
• Spicy pepper, such as jalapeño minced (I used a local hot pepper)
• Fresh lemon juice (or lime if you have) (2T or to taste)
• Fresh mint leaves

Combine everything in a bowl and serve as a side for beans or meat. The original recipe calls for a bit of cilantro (I didn't have) and some sugar if the mangoes aren't sweet… mine are ubber sweet.

This would be exceptional with tortilla chips (which we don't have here), or baked cinnamon pita pieces, or crackers and cream cheese. Okay, so really it would make a great flavor splash with many meals. The first time I heard of mango salsa years ago the thought of any fruit other than tomatoes in salsa was WAY far out. Too far out, in fact. How times change. Or, maybe, it really is just as I supposed those years ago, and mango salsa is a sign that I am now a crazy person...