Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa
Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes
For the salsa, combine: 2 mangoes, peeled and chopped; 2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro; ½ teaspoon oregano; ½ tablespoon chopped green onion; 2 tablespoons lime juice; 2 tablespoons orange juice; and ½ teaspoon honey in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. Drizzle the chicken breasts with a little olive oil. Rub in the jerk seasoning (even under the skin). Roast chicken in oven at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Broil for the last 2 minutes of cooking time to brown the top. (Or grill for 15 minutes per side.) Top with salsa and serve with a side, such as roasted potatoes. Serves 4.
Shrimp, Avocado, and Mango Quesadilla
Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 6 minutes
Toss 1 lb large shrimp with a little olive oil and salt (add a little cumin and chili powder to kick it up a notch). Sauté in a pan for a few minutes until pink, or place on panini maker, close the lid and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove and let cool. You can cut into smaller pieces or keep whole. Chop 1 avocado and squeeze a little lime juice on top. Set aside. Mix a chopped mango with juice from half of a lime, 1 tablespoon chopped red onion,
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Place avocado on half of a tortilla. Top with shrimp, mango mixture, and Monterey jack or pepper jack cheese. Fold over tortillas. Use heated panini press, quesadilla maker, or a heated heavy-bottom skillet to press quesadillas. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp. Serves 4.
Crab, Mango, and Avocado Salad
Prep time: 15 minutes
For the dressing, combine 3 tablespoons orange juice, 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon honey, and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cut half of a red onion into paper thin slices. Add to dressing and let marinate for about 15 minutes. Carefully pick over 1 lb crab meat looking for any shells. Combine with 1 avocado and 1 mango, each peeled and sliced, in a large bowl. Add dressing and onion to bowl and gently toss. Serve in shallow bowls over bed of romaine lettuce, with crumbled tortilla chips on top. Serves 4.
Tequila Seafood Sauté with a Sweet Mint Salsa
Prep time: 30 minutes, plus 1 hour to marinate Cook time: 6 to 10 minutes
Peel and dice 3 mangoes and 3 avocados, and combine with ¼ cup chopped shallots, 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped, ¼ cup of chopped dried mint, and ¼ cup lime juice. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve (make up to 3 hours in advance). Whisk together ½ cup shallots, ¼ cup lime juice, ¼ cup tequila, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2 teaspoons cumin, and 1/3 cup olive oil. Whisk until emulsified. Place 1½ lb shrimp in a zip-lock with half of marinade and 2 lbs scallops in another zip-lock bag with the rest of the marinade. Refrigerate for twenty minutes to an hour. Strain scallops and shrimp, reserve marinade and pour into a small sauce pan. Boil marinade. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat. Add scallops and sear for 2 minutes per side (until brown on each side). Remove scallops to a bowl. Lower heat to medium-high and add shrimp and green onions. Cook shrimp for two minutes per side. Add scallops and boiled marinade. Simmer until seafood is cooked through (2 to 3 more minutes). Serve with a side of black beans. Serves 8.
Don’t Fear the Fruit
Is the mango one of those fruits? You know, the kind you slink by thinking you wish you had the guts to buy, but you don’t know how to pick or cut the darned thing. Fear no more:
Selecting
A ripe mango will give slightly to a gentle squeeze and sometimes have a fruity aroma at its stem end. Do not judge by color.
Cutting
1. Hold the mango with your index finger at the stem and your thumb at the base. Using a serrated-edge knife, slice off each side of the mango (called a cheek), leaving the flesh-covered pit in a center section.
2. Hold a cheek, flesh-side-up, and with a paring knife, make shallow cuts in one direction and then in the other to make
a grid.
3. Pull the skin sides back to pop up the flesh in cubes. Slice off the cubes of mango or serve as is. Repeat with the other cheek.
4. Peel the skin off the center section that still holds the rather large pit of the mango. Next trim around the pit to remove as much mango as you can.
