Smooth as Silk...Champagne Mangoes: prep and recipes!

Champagne Mangoes (aka Ataulfo mangoes) are here, guys! They are in from Mexico and I get them at my local Whole Foods.  They arrive in April and are only around for a few weeks, so go get some!  It's usually about $13 for a case (18) mangoes at WF.

Champagne mangoes have silky, smooth flesh and are not fibrous at all (like other types of mangoes).  They are sweet and rich in flavor making them perfect for eating.  They blend up as smooth as silk, too.  I prefer them as my "ice cubes" when I make blends (known to the rest of the world as "smoothies," *shudder*).

Here is a video tutorial on how to cut and clean your Champagne Mangoes. It was a one-take deal that I did this morning.

Freeze those babies!

I used them this morning in my green blend.
Here's the blend recipe:

The Wake, Bake and Blend, Blend!
(Thanks for the name, Jon!)

Makes about one serving:

1 pitted date, chopped
1 tsp. organic hemp seeds
(I used 1T per serving and it was a little too rich and nutty tasting for me)
About 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1 big handful of raw, organic spinach leaves
1 cup organic soy milk or other non-dairy milk 
juice of one fresh, organic orange

Put that in your blender (or Vitamix or Blendtech) and blend away.

Yum!

They also make a GREAT salsa!

Champagne Mango Salsa! 
(That link also has more info on the mangoes and on slicing, etc.)

Enjoy the weekend and this weather, everyone!

Champagne Salsa and The Hell Strip!

It's time!

 Cat-bombed Champagne Mangoes!

 These beauties are only available for a few weeks a year, and if you get a case of them, they are reasonable in price.  Get over to your local Whole Foods to get some!  They are also called "Ataulfo" mangoes, and my WF had a huge banner hanging out front to announce their arrival (which is totally appropriate for how delicious they are).  Do the rest of your shopping at Wegmans or TJ's or wherever you go first, though, so you aren't tempted to buy your regular items at WF.  (Wo)Man, is that store jacked up or what??  So not right.  But, they are one of the only places that carries cases of these mangoes for $13.  

 But, what do you do with a case of Champagne Mangoes??

 Slice them like so, scrape the fruit out of the peel kinda like you would an avocado, and enjoy!

I slice mine like this for eating, just scrape the fruit off with your teeth.

I also store the cubed & peeled fruit in my freezer for use in smoothies all year round, which is one reason why I need a whole case of them when they reappear in the spring.  Just finished the last of the frozen CM from last year, and it tasted as good as ever a full year out.  Freeze in individual portions in little zipper bags in your freezer, or even use little Chinese take-out containers, which is what I do.

Before you freeze it, use some of the fresh mango to make a super easy salsa:

Champagne Mango Salsa

Fruit from one champagne mango

1/4 onion, finely minced

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

about 1/2 cup of fresh tomatoes, halved (I used grape tomatoes since the big ones aren't in season yet)

1 Tablespoon of olive oil (I used Jalapeno Oil for kick) or use plain oil + 1 tsp fresh jalapeno, chopped

Squeeze of fresh lime juice if you have it! I didn't, unfortunately!

Salt + Pepper to taste

Combine everything in a bowl and serve. 

Oh, and mango is great in curries, the sweetness really tempers the spices and heat of a curry, so give it a try there as well.

And, if you are wondering about my gardening, I planted the Hell Strip on Sunday 4/15/12:

The Hell Strip is the area between the sidewalk and the curb and is known for it's highly exposed nature.  Hence, the adorable fencing around it to keep the seed stomping feet of persons and animals out :-)

If all goes as planned, we are going to have quite a show when the Hell Strip is in full swing.  

Here's to hoping!

How are you guys doing with your gardening and cooking?  What's brewing in your kitchens and soil??

Juice Goose

So, we went to Whole Foods in Marlton, NJ today.  I was on a mission.  A juicing mission.

 Me, with pulp. 

 Dragged the Breville out from the basement!  Do you see my juice goose? He loved it.

 Plunder from Whole Foods.  HOLY prices.  You don't want to know. I thought about posting a photo of the receipt, seriously.  It's Wegmans and Trader Joe's for me!!

 These beauties are worth the $$ though (they weren't that expensive, it was the other, more "normal" stuff that was jacked!).

Organic apple, carrot & celery layers.

 Apple, carrot & celery juice.  WAY too sweet for me.

So, I added some spinach and more celery, with a squeeze of organic lime juice. Better.

Would love some juice recipes, guys, this is fairly new for me.  I need to try adding some ginger and garlic because I like it spicy.  I am really interested in green juices, I have a Breville ikon mulit-speed juice fountain.  Want to do like a juicing for energy/cleanse kind of thing.  Any help is appreciated, especially links to blogs or websites.  Trying not to buy any more books for right now.

Have a great week, guys! <3 Dawn