Mango Lassi

I am OBSESSED with mangos…I wait for this time of year (when they are in season) like it’s Christmas.  Seriously…I walked into Whole Foods last week and there was a display of “5 for $5” champagne mangos and I nearly shouted with joy.  Wouldn’t you??  No?  What if it meant you got to make this chicken salad?  Or this shrimp curry?

Or this mango lassi?

You can read all about my mango infatuation and my cooking experience with Chef Allen here.  Not sure how to cut a mango?  Watch this!  Wondering how healthy a mango is for you?  Read about it here.

Mango Lassi

makes 1 large serving

1 cup chopped mango (peeled and seed removed)
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt*
1/4  cup milk*
1/4 cup coconut water (or an additional 1/4 cup milk)
1-2 teaspoons sugar (start with 1, taste, then add more if needed)
A dash of ground cardamom (optional…I didn’t)
Ice

Put mango, yogurt, milk, coconut water, sugar, and cardamom (if using) into a blender and blend until smooth.  Add as much or as little ice as you want and blend until ice is crushed.  Serve.

Per serving (using skim milk and fat free Greek yogurt*): 212 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated), 45 g carbohydrates, 3.6 g fiber, 10 g protein (exchanges: 1 ½ fruit, 1 dairy, ½ sugar)

* I actually used whole milk and 0% Fage…I think a little fat in a smoothie is a good thing…more filling.

Mango Curry Chicken Salad

I have been waiting for this since last year…mango season!  The champagne mangos at Whole Foods are so good right now!!!  I can’t get enough of them.  I’ve been eating them plain and in my overnight oats…but this week they went in chicken salad. 

Chicken salad, as you probably know, is a staple in my diet.  And this version is delish!  So are both of these.

Mango Curry Chicken Salad
created by me

Makes 6 1-cup servings

3 cooked* boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
5 celery stalks, diced (I like to use some of the leaves too)
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 champagne mangos (or 1 large mango), diced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
juice (and zest) from 1 lime
2 teaspoons curry powder
salt and pepper

* This is how I cook my chicken:  Preheat oven to 425°F. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place on baking sheet/dish.  Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and black pepper.  Cook for about 20 minutes until until juices run clear (not pink) when poked with a sharp knife.

Once the chicken is cooled, shred it with a fork and add to a large mixing bowl.  Add the celery, bell pepper, and mango, and stir to combine. 

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, lime juice and zest, and curry powder.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the dressing to the salad ingredients; stir to combine.  Re-season with salt and pepper if needed.  If not creamy enough, add more yogurt.

Per serving (1 cup) - 247 calories, 11 g fat (2 g saturated), 9 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 28g protein (exchanges: 2 fat, 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 fruit, 4 protein)

What I Eat (Day 1)

Where, oh where have I been?  Has it really been nearly 2 months since the last time I blogged?  Um, yes it has!

I promise I have a good excuse (or actually several)!  First of all it’s summer and I have been completely out of a routine.  The recital came and went, followed by 2 weeks R&R (which I definitely needed), apartment hunting, and packing.

At the end of June we had a family beach trip.  It rained just about every day we where there (needless to say, I didn’t get very tan and need a second trip asap).

After the 4th of July, I got back to Baton Rouge and summer classes began at the studio.  I taught 2 weeks worth of kids cooking classes at Whole Foods and moved into a new apartment.  I’ve had Saintsation practice weekly (can’t wait to be back in the Dome!!), choreographed and taught 2 competition routines for a studio in Mississippi, and made a trip to Houston.

And now it is August and Fall classes start at Tari’s tomorrow.  I can’t wait to get back on a normal schedule!  And football season is so close!

As part of returning to a routine, I am going to try to blog EVERYDAY for a MONTH!  Mostly about what I eat each day…to clear up some confusion I’ve heard recently about how “perfect Blair eats”.  I get it all the time:  “you eat _______?” as someone asks me about a food that they perceive as unhealthy or off limits. 

Part of what I hate about being a dietitian is that people think I’m the food police and don’t like telling me what they eat because they think I will judge them.  My sister-in-law (Jess…also a dietitian) even does it!  But I don’t eat perfect…what is perfect anyway?!?

Sunday August 1st

• pre-run snack: 1/2 a mango
• 3 mile run
• post-run breakfast: the rest of the mango, 1/2 of a Starbucks iced coffee with a splash of 1/2&1/2 and a little condensed milk (I love Vietnamese coffee)
• lunch: from Maxwell’s…an entire West Coast sandwich (turkey, avocado, Monterey Jack cheese, tomato, lettuce, balsamic vinaigrette, on white French bread) and water
• snack: the rest of the iced coffee with a few bites of Seeduction bread from Whole Foods
• dinner: from Whole Foods…half of a broccoli cheese cake, half of a artichoke lemon fritter, and a salad (spinach, white beans, roasted cauliflower, quinoa, bell pepper, balsamic vinaigrette) and water
• dessert: about 1 cup of mango buttermilk ice cream (yep, I made it myself)

Dad was in town this weekend and was staying with me.  So after a quick workout this morning we went and had lunch and then ran some errands.  The sandwich was great!  And I was HUNGRY (I guess that’s what happens when you don’t eat enough breakfast!).  Notice the white bread…example #1 of me not eating “perfect” all the time.  I buy whole wheat bread at the store, so that’s what I eat 99% of the time, but let’s face it…this sandwich would not have been the same if it was on anything but crusty white French bread!

I needed to do my grocery shopping for the week, so after church that’s where we headed.  I love the prepared food at Whole Foods.  Makes a last minute dinner so easy!  I picked the broccoli cake and artichoke fritter because I knew I would be sharing with dad (example #2…I usually don’t get fried things when I eat out, but I will eat them).  To lighten up the meal, I made a salad at the salad bar with lots of yummy things and then added a homemade vinaigrette once we got back to the apartment.

Oh and the dessert?  Example #3…I eat dessert!  Not every night for sure (I try to do fruit on most nights).  If you have an ice cream maker, you should give it a try…2 cups buttermilk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and whatever fruit you want (about 1 1/2 cups added at the end of churning).  Low-fat, but delish!  A great way to use up leftover buttermilk.  I think next time I’ll try cutting back a little on the sugar/syrup…it was a little sweet for me!

Shrimp and Mango Curry with Mango Cashew Rice

For my dietetic internship in Houston, one of the rotations was with Supermarket Savvy.  I researched and wrote articles on food and nutrition for the monthly newsletter.  I loved it!  One of the added perks was a lunch meeting and cooking demo with Chef Allen Susser, the author of The Great Mango Book.  On the menu?  A mango lassi, crab and mango salad, shrimp and mango curry, mango macadamia rice, and a mango fool for dessert.  Its a good think I like mangos!

My favorite variety of mango, the Champagne or ataulfo mango, is in season right now.  I can find them a Whole Foods here in Baton Rouge and this past weekend at Publix in Florida.  According to the website this variety is:

“more compact compared to other varieties, it has a kidney-shaped form, with a skin that turns from green to a deep golden yellow when fully ripe. The inside is velvety smooth, with almost no fibrous texture, unlike other varieties, and a much thinner pit (about the thickness of a wafer). The taste is intensely sweet and full”

And although you really don’t need one, this is my mango peeler…another “treat” from the luncheon (along with a copy of his book).

The spicy-sweet curry has been calling my name ever since…how have a waited this long?  I’ve also been wanting to try the red rice Danielle brought me from Thailand, so I went with the mango cashew rice as well…I swapped the macadamias for cashews.

The rice recipe called for a few spices that I didn’t already have in my (previously thought) well stocked spice cabinet…cardamom and saffron.  It was my first time cooking with both.  Saffron are these tiny red threads from the stigma of a flower…they impart flavor and color (yellow) to the dish…although the red rice masked the yellow color in mine.
    
You could skip the rice recipe (and all its fancy spices) and just cook some plain ol’ white rice (or brown if you want to be healthier)…but don’t skip the curry!  It is delish!  And spicy…the original recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne, which I think is A LOT!  I used just a pinch (prob less than 1/8 of a teaspoon) and my mouth still burns a little.  I must have really strong cayenne powder. 


Mango Cashew Rice
adapted from The Great Mango Book or the National Mango Board

makes 12 servings

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup cashews (or macadamia nuts)
5 whole black peppercorns (or just 1/4 teaspoon black pepper)
2 whole cloves (or less than 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves)
2 cardamom pods
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups Basmati rice (or white rice)
1/2 teaspoon saffron, soaked in 1 tablespoon hot water
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups water
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
1/4 cup raisins (golden or brown)
3 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add nuts and continuously shake pan until nuts are golden brown. Remove nuts from pan with a slotted spoon, keeping oil in the pan, and set aside.

Add all spices (pepper through cinnamon) to the same pan and stir constantly until aromatic, about 2 minutes.

Stir rice into spice mixture. Add saffron and salt, stirring until rice is well coated. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed.

Remove from heat and stir in mango, raisins and toasted nuts. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

At this point you can add all of the onions and cilantro to the rice mixture, or alternately, garnish each serving individually.

Per Serving (about 3/4 cup) – 168 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 32 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein (exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fat; WW points: 3)



Shrimp and Mango Curry
adapted from The Great Mango Book or the National Mango Board

makes 8 servings

1 tablespoons unsalted butter (or oil)
1 small onion, diced
1 cloves garlic, minced 
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 teaspoons salt
a pinch to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 15-oz can light coconut milk
2 cups water
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 ripe mangos, peeled, pitted and diced
2 medium sweet potato, diced and boiled or steamed until tender and quickly chilled*
4 tablespoons minced green onion (white and green parts)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until aromatic, about 3 minutes. Stir in curry powder, ginger, salt, cayenne and black pepper. Add coconut milk and water; bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes.  Add half of the sweet potatoes and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add shrimp, mango and remaining sweet potato to saucepan; bring back to a simmer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more or until shrimp are pink. Stir in green onion and cilantro and serve.

Per serving (about 1 cup) – 174 calories, 6 g fat (4 g saturated), 18 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 13 g protein (exchanges: 1 fat, 1/2 starch, 1 1/2 protein, 1/2 fruit; WW points: 3)

* I steamed the sweet potato in the microwave in a covered glass dish with a little water at 3 minute intervals until tender (about 9 minutes total).  I drained them in a colander and then ran cool water over them.

Tip – I store my ginger in the freezer in a zip-top bag.  When I need some for a recipe, I take it out, peel back some of the skin with a vegetable peeler and then grate it with a Microplane directly into the dish.  It goes well with anything Asian such as Indian Lentil Coconut Soup, Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce, Shrimp Summer Rolls, and Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps.

Lagniappe...more mango recipes!

PS…this is my 100th post!