Mango Salsa

This is a fresh, light way to enjoy fresh Mangoes, I had never used, purchased, or prepared a Mango until now, I never knew what to do with them! It turns out they are easy to use. They need to be ripe though before you use them, the sweetness really optimizes once they do, it's just not there if they are not ripe. The flesh of a ripe mango should give a little when pressed, if it doesn't, park it in a paper bag with an apple for a day or two to help speed it's ripening process.

Why does this happen? Apples and bananas and a few other fruits emit ethylene when they ripen, that ethylene gas converts starches to sugars in unripened fruit. Therefore, chemistry was important right?!

Use a paring knife or a vegetable peeler and peel the skin away. There is a pit in the middle of the mango. Slice the fruit away from the pit as you would a peach or an apple. Slice and dice the fruit and combine with other ingredients.

Mangoes are rich in phytochemicals, antioxidants, and nutrients-so eat up, enjoy!




Nancy's Mango Salsa

4 ripened mangoes, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and finely diced (or 1 can of diced jalapenos)
1 tsp ground chipolte pepper powder
1/4 tsp cayanne pepper powder
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped finely
juice of half of a lemon
juice of two limes
2 tsp vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and stir thoroughly. Cover and refridgerate overnight so that the flavors can begin to intermingle.

Serve with tortillas chips and something cold to drink.

8 Layer Taco Dip

This little appetizer was made for a Cinco de Mayo party at work. This was my first try at this and I think it turned out fairly nicely :) The proportions are open for interpretation, if you like less tomatoes, use less, if you want to add chopped jalapenos, add them, this is YOUR dip after all :)

8 Layer Taco Dip

~14 oz can of refried beans (low-fat)
~10 oz low fat sour cream (seasoned with 1-2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning)
2 medium chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (taco blend or cheddar)
2 green onions (chopped)
1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)
1 cup salsa (your preference)
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded lettuce

Optional add-ins: Ground or Shredded Beef, Shredded Pork, Chicken, Olives, chopped jalapenos (canned or fresh)

Layer the dip in a dish** in the following order: Refried Beans, Seasoned Sour Cream, Salsa, Shredded Lettuce, Shredded Cheese, Diced Tomatoes, Chopped Cilantro, Chopped Green Onions.

Serve with Tortilla Chips!

**Serving dish can vary, I used a 9" cake pan, you could also use an 8"x8" square baking dish.

Chicken Enchiladas

Martha, Martha, Martha! You did it again. I admit I was doubtful at first...Chicken Enchiladas with creamy green sauce? I don't know! But after careful consideration-I knew you wouldn't steer me wrong. This was a debut attempt at Enchiladas and in my opinion they were a huge hit. I was a little wobbly with flavor happiness that I admit, my photography is a bit off..oh well, next time we'll try again.

I did make a few adaptations right off the bat. I wanted more kick to my enchiladas and it worked perfectly for my taste, feel free to adjust it to fit yours.

Enchiladas with Creamy Green Sauce (Adapted from Martha Stewart )

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 jars (16 ounces each) medium green salsa
3/4 cup heavy cream
12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely shredded (3 cups)
1 (4 oz) can of diced jalapenos
2 tsp ground adobo chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground corriander
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

(**Note: Because it was a bit warmer outside, I didn't want to heat the oven and the whole house for longer than I needed to, so I opted to cook the chicken on the grill. This added extra flavor, which payed off hugely. Prepare the chicken how you like.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper; place with garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine salsa, jalapenos, and cream. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred meat, discarding skin and bones. In a large bowl, combine chicken and 1/2 cup salsa mixture, adobo chili powder, cumin, and corriander.

Stack tortillas flat, and wrap in damp paper towels; microwave on high for 1 minute to soften. Working with one tortilla at a time, dip in salsa mixture, lay flat, and fill with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Roll up and arrange, seam side down, 8 enchiladas lengthwise and 4 crosswise in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with remaining salsa mixture, then cheese.

Bake until cheese is browned and salsa is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes; let rest 10 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with cilantro, if desired.

This recipe made enough for 17 enchiladas, maybe I didn't put enough filling in each one-but I thought they were a good size. So even better, I put the rest in the freezer for another time.