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Being that tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, I thought it only appropriate to share this delicious and fresh salsa that's an alternative to the classic tomato version. Obviously, fruit in salsa is not new, but I came up with this combo after I found my favorite kind of mangos on sale at the market. These mangos are not the traditional green and red skinned ones usually found in the produce aisle, these are champagne (or ataulfo) mangos that have a deep yellow hued rind that is more pliable and thin than the other variety. They are also a bit smaller and I find that they are much more tender and sweet, making them perfect for a spicy, chunky salsa.
This is the kind of salsa you can make for many different dishes and although I could've gone completely mexican with my meal, I decided to stray a bit from the norm. I'll have plenty of time to eat enchiladas and drink margaritas later. For now, let's get a little bit thai.
Coconut milk is amazing. It's creamy, flavorful and absolutely delicious. I love it in my coffee, and especially in my smoothies, but now my favorite place to put coconut milk is in rice. I cooked brown rice in a lot of canned coconut milk and a little bit of water, then drizzled the fluffy rice with more of the thick white liquid. I served it with a grilled piece of halibut, steamed green beans, and a huge spoonful of the Mango salsa. O.M.G.
The next day, I took the leftover rice, green beans and salsa and had one of the best lunches of my life. Light, healthy and bursting with unique flavors that you just don't get to enjoy everyday. Please try this meal! Or at least the salsa. Or at least the rice. Again, the salsa would be great for a Cinco de Mayo party. Serve it with tortilla chips, or even better, some fresh shrimp tacos and some tequila.
Mango Salsa2 Champagne mangos, diced1/4 of a small yellow onion, minced1 T fresh cilantro, chopped1/2 - 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (use less if you like mild, more if you like spicy)Juice of 1/2 a limesalt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. That's it! The easiest way to dice a mango is to slice each side slightly off center (to avoid the seed, which is much smaller in champagne mangos). Then score the flesh like a checker board, turn the halves inside out and use your knife to carefully cut the mango away from the skin.
Coconut Brown Rice1 C Brown jasmine rice
1 C canned coconut milk (plus more for drizzling)
3/4 C water
pinch of salt
1 inch peeled chunk of ginger
Combine the rice, 1 cup of canned *coconut milk, water, salt and ginger and stir. If you are using a rice cooker, like I did, just turn it on. If you are using a saucepan, cook exactly like you would regular rice. Allow the liquid to boil, then turn the burner all the way down and simmer about 45 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Once cooked, fluff the rice, remove the ginger and drizzle in another 1/4-1/2 C of coconut milk, or the rest of the can if you'd like. This gives the rice a super creamy, almost risotto-like texture.
*a note on canned coconut milk..you can use the lite version if you'd like, but the full fat one imparts the best flavor and texture of rice. Use an organic brand if possible and be sure to shake the can well before opening as it often settles at the bottom of the can.
Enjoy!
The last 10 days have been a serious celebration. It was my birthday week, and as you can see from the giant platter of sushi that I consumed mostly by myself, we went all out. From a weekend in Vegas where I ate, drank, danced and laughed to family get togethers to work parties and a surprise trip to Disneyland, I have had one fantastic week!
Maybe you remember how I said I love lavender. Maybe you remember the above photo from my Lavender Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. In that post I mentioned how there are countless things you can flavor with this special flower. And this here is one of my favorite obsessions, lavender cocktails. They are rare, and when I see one on any menu, I must order it. The lavender cocktails I have enjoyed are mostly made with Gin. I believe this is because Gin has a very floral flavor already, so they pair very nicely together. Let's imbibe.
I had this baby bottle of Bombay Sapphire hanging around and I couldn't decide what to make with it. I had my little tin of Lavender out while making some yummy thing and I thought, why not infuse the gin with the pretty purple buds?
I let it sit overnight to steep.
Then I strained the lavender buds out of the gin, which turned a tea-like color and smelled absolutely amazing. And tasted even better.
I love love love sparkling water. I also love love love lemons....so naturally my first thought was to make a Tom Collins. This is a very classic old cocktail that usually has gin, lemon juice and club soda.
So, the day after I had visited the juice bar, I put together my own version based on what I knew was in the smoothie from the menu. I pulled together a few things I had on hand, as seen above, and voilà ...
The perfect recreation in all it's green, bubbly glory. This smoothie was so delicious, quick and easy and it's seriously good for you. If you want to have it as a meal, throw in some protein powder or any meal replacement powder of your choice that is flavorless. Most of the items I used to make this drink are available at Trader Joe's, but you can certainly find them at any well stocked market or health food store. 
With tropical flavors like banana, coconut and pineapple, it's only fitting to drink this bad boy out of one of these right? 
Yep, totally.
Breakfast: Plain, nonfat, Fage greek yogurt with grapefruit wedges, a sprinkling of instant oatmeal and a swirl of raw honey. Plus a cup of one of my favorite teas, Tazo Rest, which smells amazing and tastes like a rose garden.
Lunch: The best meal ever! Coconut brown rice, green beans and Mango lime salsa. I posted the recipe for this one on my blog last week. Right here.
Afternoon Snack: One of my all time favorites, Graham Cracker with Natural, unsalted peanut butter and a banana. That was way under ripe. I didn't finish it.
Dinner: Italian Chicken Wraps. So yummy! Basically, grilled chicken, homemade creamy italian dressing and a simple salad wrapped up in a soft tortilla.
I had basically one of every vegetable in my crisper leftover from various other recipes I'd made all week. Luckily, the meal that came out of them was sooooooo delicious, easy, AND bonus: vegetarian! Hooray for forced creativity!
I chopped up all of the veggies to roughly the same size, browned and cooked them down until they were tender. Then I deglazed them with white wine and added in some good old marinara sauce and herbs. 
I reduced that down on a low simmer for about 30 minutes and had a fabulous, thick gardeny sauce ready to go in under an hour. I boiled some whole wheat spaghetti, drained it and dropped it into the Veggies to finish cooking. Oh and I added lots of cheese. You can never have too much cheese.
This is a method you can do with any veggies you have in the fridge. Broccoli would be great, as would different types of squash or even celery. Be creative. You'll save a trip to the store, not to mention, money!