Tag Archives: Mango

Strawberry, Blueberry & Mango Galette

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With so much going on in life and with Calla, my last few posts have been a little emotional, I know.  It’s hard not to talk about anything else, and I’m ok with that, but I’m sure you might like to hear about something else.  So today I’d like to talk about the Galette. In case you’re unfamiliar with what this is; it’s a round, freeform rustic tart.  It may include a sweet filling like summer berries, stone fruit, fall harvest apple and pears, or tart rhubarb.  It may also be savory with fresh herbs, squash, tomatoes, cheese or the traditional ham with an egg baked on top.

It may seem quite intimidating especially with words like Pate Brisee, but I assure you it’s not.  Pate Brisee is simply the name for a pastry crust that’s used as the base, and won’t puff up.  It’s easily adaptable for quiches, chicken pies and even lemon meringue pie. Brushing the edges with an egg wash gives this tart a crusty, golden yet still buttery and flaky texture.

Let’s talk sweet for the filling.  I’ll have to hold back on my savory ideas until I’ve yet made a savory Galette.  For sweet though, I think you can be quite experimental.  The amount of sugar you add with depend greatly on what you choose to use.  Since I went with a sweet mango and berries, I only used 1/4 cup sugar, however it could have been less still.  For a more tart fruit like rhubarb, you may wish to add a little more.

And finally the serving companion.  Ice Cream, of course.  Vanilla would be my choice for this particular tart.  However, a dab of fresh whipping cream would also be quite perfect.  Yogurt, tea, coffee, flavored ice cream, cool whip, or simply served solo, the choice is yours.

Cornmeal Pate Brisee (adapted from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook)
(makes 1 9inch single crust)

1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Cornmeal
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Sugar
1 Stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1/8 – 1/4 cup Ice Water

Place flour, cornmeal, salt and sugar in a food processor. Pulse to combine.  Add cut butter pieces and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Keep machine running, and pour ice water through feed tube slowly. Continue until dough just holds together, but do not process for more than 30 seconds.

Turn out onto a clean work surface. Form into a flat disk, wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day.

Strawberry, Mango, Blueberry Galette

All Purpose Flour, for dusting
(Above) Cornmeal Pate Brisee
2 Cups Fresh BLueberries
1 Mango, peeled and sliced
2 cups Fresh Strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup Sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 tbsp)
2 tbsp Cornstarch
Pinch of Salt
1 Large Egg, lightly beaten
Sugar for sprinkling, optional

Remove dough from fridge and roll out to a 14 inch round, about 1/8 inch think, on a clean, lightly floured surface. Transfer to large parchment lined baking sheet.  Return it to fridge and store there until ready to use, up to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a large bowl, gently toss together blueberries, strawberries, mango, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and salt. Remove dough from fridge and arrange fruit on top (starting in the middle working out), and leaving a 2 inch border all the way around. Fold border over the fruit mixture, overlapping where necessary and pressing gently to adhere the folds.

Brush edges with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, if using. Bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Coconut Rice & Chicken

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Brown rice simmers in a bath of coconut milk.

Sliced chicken breasts give in to a healthy dose of cajun seasoning before blackened.

Sweet, juicy ripe mango is peeled, sliced, and sliced again into long strips.

2 Lovely Green Avocados are pitted before slicing into strips as well.

Crunchy green onion & vibrant red pepper become diced into equal size pieces.

All being prepared to meet each other in a perfectly balanced, fresh and colorful dish.

My mouth waters just thinking about it.

The combination of spicy chicken with fruity mango, soft avocado and creamy rice is so enticing, its frequently made in our house.

Coconut Rice With Chicken, Mango & Avocado (adapted from Chatelaine)
3 Chicken Breasts, sliced
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tbsp cajun, optional
1 400ml can Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1 1/2 – 2 cups Water
1 Cup Brown Rice
1/2 tsp Hot Chili Flakes
3 Green Onions, diced
1 Ripe Mango, peeled and cut into long strips
1 Avocado, sliced
1 Red Pepper, cored, seeded and diced
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp unsweetened coconut, optional

In a large saucepan, add Coconut Milk and water.  Stir in rice and chili flakes. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked and liquid in absorbed.

Heat a medium pan on high heat.  Add oil and garlic.  Let cook a minute or two.  Once pan is hot, add chicken and cajun seasoning, if using, and cook on high for a few minutes until blackened.  Flip and repeat.

Once rice has cooked, stir in red pepper.  Let cook for just a few minutes until just barely soft. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken, avocado, mango and green onion.  Garnish with unsweetened flaked coconut. Serves 3-4

Mango Salsa

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Ah Mangoes! So bright, exotic, fruity and sweet.  So full of Vitamin A, and beta-carotene that is higher than most fruits. So deliciously high in fiber, vitamin C and b, iron, potassium and protein.  So great for moms and baby’s alike….unless you’re Calla and would rather spit it out and eat broccoli instead.  Ah what a girl, can’t complain though, at least she’s eating broccoli :)

With Calla not being interested in these beautifully ripe mangoes, and me being super stoked on the Watermelon Salsa last week, I decided to try my hand at Mango Salsa, and it was delish!

In lieu of eating with tortillas, I toasted a whole wheat bun, mashed avocado on it, and slathered with salsa.  It was so good, I ate it for breakfast, lunch and would have had for supper, but ran out of avocado. Darn!

Mangoes are the most difficult fruit to cut.  I know there is a technique to it, I’ve just never got around to learning it.  I usually peel first, then gradually cut pieces away from the pit.  It’s not a pretty technique, especially if the mango is perfectly soft and ripe.

Mango Salsa

My general rule, is start with less, than add more.  It’s easier to add to a dish, then try to take away too much flavor.

2 Mangoes
2 Firm Medium Tomatoes
1/2 Jalapeno, finely chopped (seeds removed if you want less spice)
1/4 Red Onion, finely chopped
1/8 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 Lime, juiced

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning.
Serve with tortillas or with yummy Avocado Toast.

If serving Mango to a little one;

Peel mango and cut around the pit, then chop into small cubes.
(1) Either puree until desired consistency, adding liquid if needed
(2) Mash with a fork
Or,
(3) Chop into very small pieces for finger food.  It’s pretty amazing the littlest pieces she can pick up with her thumb and pointed index finger (the pincher grasp)

Summertime Spring Rolls

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Hello Summer!! That’s how I feel when I look at these and eat them! They taste like summer.  So bright, fresh, flavorful and easy.  Oh boy, they were so easy to make.

I have a little confession to make.  This was our wednesday night meal this week, however instead of wednesday, we actually made them on thursday. Oops.  You’ll forgive me right?

I know we will eat these a lot this summer and I think they would be great for a summer potluck, bbq or picnic as well. You could easily change up the sauce for a sweet chilli or thai peanut sauce.  The ingredients could be changed as well. All veggie, adding chicken or using white fish. We had just run out of avocado, but I think that would be a key ingredient in the future.

If you make them ahead of time, I would cover them with a damp papertowel or cloth so the rice paper doesn’t dry out too much.

(Adapted from Food52)
For the Shrimp
16 ounces water
Washed peel of 2 mangoes
1/2 lime, cut in 1/4″ slices
1/2 yellow onion, cut in 1/2″ slices
Salt
Pepper
2 tsp dried chili flakes
1 Bag of shrimp, uncooked, deveined and peeled

For the Filling
1/2 package rice noodles
1 Mango, peeled, sliced in 1/4″ pieces
2 Green Onions, diced
1/2 Cucumber, peeled and sliced in 3″ x 1/4″ pieces
2 Handfuls spinach, washed and dried
1 Red Pepper, cored, seeded removed and sliced
Rice Papers
9″ Cake or frying pan with 1/4″ warm tap water
Handful Cilantro, diced

For the Sauce
1 Mango, peeled and fruit removed from pit
2 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Lime, Zested & Juiced
2 tbsp Fish Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tsp Sambal Oelek Hot Chili Paste

In a medium saucepan, fill with 16 ounces of water, mango peel, sliced onion, sliced lime, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Let it come to a boil.  Once boiling, add shrimp and let cook until pink on the outside and still a little grey in the middle.  Remove from element, drain in colainder and let cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.  Cook rice noodles according to package directions.  Let cool.  Slice mango, cucumber, red pepper, green onion and cilantro. Set aside all ingredients.

In a blender or food processor, add 2nd mango, sesame oil, soy sauce, lime zest and juice, fish sauce and chili paste.  Pulse until smooth.

Using a 9″ round cake pan or frying pan, fill with about 1/4″ warm water.  Working with 1 rice paper at a time, place into pan for about 15 seconds or until soft and pliable.  Gently remove from pan, let drip a few seconds then place on a wood cutting board or work surface.  Start layering.  The order you work in is up to you, here is what we did.  Start by laying down a few spinach leaves, then rice noodles, sprinkle cilantro, layer of cucumber and mango, then a slice or two of red pepper.  Add a few diced green onions and 2-4 cooled shrimp.  Either add a tbsp of sauce to the wrap or use as a dipping sauce, or both.  Tuck in the short ends of the wrap, then roll one side over the ingredients, tuck in and roll completely closed. Repeat until all ingredients are used.  Makes about 8-10 wraps.