5 ways to dress up dinner with mango salsa
I’ll admit it, I’m a tad obsessed.
I’ve got it bad for mango salsa.
I love how easy it is to whip together. I love how the juicy sweet-yet-tart mango bits add burst of technicolor flavor to otherwise basic fish, chicken, shrimp, and well, pretty much everything else.
I love how the cooling-yet-complex cilantro adds a bit of Caribbean flavor. And I love the added zip the lime juice provides.
But most of all – I love seeing my picky four-year-old grab fistfuls of it, and whatever I’ve put it on, and gobble it up.
He eats it on fish (which means he eats fish!). He eats it on chicken (which means he eats chicken!). He eats it on rice and beans (which means he eats rice & beans!).
You get my drift.
It’s been so wonderful to see his palate expand beyond pasta.
My Recipe & Instructions
Seven minutes is all you need to whip up this magical concoction. Oh, and 1 ripe mango, 2 limes, a small bunch of cilantro, 1/2 an onion, and salt.
Dice the mango (if you need a mango tutorial like I did, this one from Simply Recipes a good one), squeeze the juice out of the 2 limes, chop the cilantro and the onion. Dump all the ingredients into a bowl and stir. Add salt to taste. Add more cilantro to taste (I usually use about 1/3 of the cilantro from the big bunch I get at the local farmer’s market).
You can prepare it ahead of time…or not. I’ve tried it both ways and it’s always delicious.
Here are four fabulous variations on the theme from talented food bloggers I follow (and think everyone else should too).
1. Kiwi Mango Salsa
(yes, as a fellow, or rather, former Iowan – I can attest mango salsa is definitely not just a coastal thing). The addition of kiwi is a brilliant touch. These two tangy and sweet fruits are just made for each other. I have not made this twist yet – but cannot wait to try it this week. Thanks Kristin at Iowa Girl Eats for the great idea.
2. Cucumber Mango Salsa via Imperfect Homemaking
Kelly at Imperfect Homemaking adds cucumber to her recipe. I imagine that it adds an extra dose of cool and crunch. Yum.
3. Avocado Mango Salsa
I love avocados. So do my boys. But until I saw this recipe by Lindsay on Pinch of Yum, I had not thought to add them. This is definitely an addition worth testing – perhaps I will make this tonight. If you have a spicy dish, it would be an absolutely perfect pairing.
4. Spicy Mango Salsa
This is one dish that I must make for my husband. He already loves mango salsa – but adding a touch of jalepenos? He would think he had died and gone to heaven. I also love the sweet and fiery roasted pork Gina at Skinny Taste pairs it with.
