Kiwi-Mango Jam

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups sugar
4 cups cubed kiwi
2 cups cubed mango (about 3 large mangos)
juice and zest of 1 lime
juice and zest of one lemon
1 box liquid pectin (6 oz, 2 packets)

Directions:
Prep jars/lids. Set aside. Place the sugar, juice/zest, kiwi and mango in a pot. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 15 minutes. Stir in both packets of the pectin. Boil for 1 minute. Ladle into jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.

Note: A great source for canning information is the Blue Book guide to preserving. I highly recommend it for learning how to can.

My thoughts:

It is that time in the winter when I am really craving something fresh and summery. Luckily I have few qualms about buying non-local produce in the winter because nothing is growing locally. Normally, I'd make jam with fruit I picked myself but hey, buying some truly lush kiwi and mangos was easy and made for a satisfying quick project. A little bit of sunshine in January if you will. Mango is a fairly low acid fruit so I added citrus just to make sure the acidity was at a safe level for boiling water canning. I also think it helped the jam maintain an attractive color, kiwi tends to turn sort of yellowish when cooked.

Tropical Fruit Ice Box Pie

Ingredients:
2 3/4 diced fresh pineapple
2 cups diced kiwi
3/4 cup diced mango
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon butter

1 9-inch graham cracker crust


Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of the mixed fruit, half of the juices and the sugar to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining juice, set aside. After the mixture comes to a boil, stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook 2 additional minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining fruit and the butter. Pour into the prepared pie shell. Refrigerate for about 5 hours or until set. Best served the day it is made.

My thoughts:

I am all for eating locally grown fruits and vegetables but there is something about tropical fruits that just screams summer to me. Luckily the the fruit I can get are super fresh and lush. This pie is pretty lush itself. It is also on the juicy side, so it really is best the same day you make it. It is tasty the next day but the crust does get a little soggy overnight. Honestly, though, I don't think you will have any problem finishing this pie off in a single day! It is fresh and fruity and I love the slightly crunch the kiwi seeds provide. It just tastes like summer!

Hawaiian Inspired Spam & Beans

Ingredients:
1 can Spam, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1/2 mango, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb navy beans
1/2 cup cup chili sauce (like Heinz)
6 oz pineapple juice
1 tablespoon five spice powder
1 tablespoon rum
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon hickory liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon allspice
sea salt
freshly ground pepper


Directions:
The day before you want to serve: Place the beans in a pot and fill until the beans are under about 4 inches of water.

The next day: drain the beans and pour them into the slow cooker. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the spam. Cook on low 8-10 hours or until the beans are soft. Fry the Spam in a nonstick skillet until quite crisp and nearly caramelized around the 7 to 8 hour mark. Thoroughly drain the spam on paper towel lined plates. Stir into the Spam. If the beans are looking a little dry and are not quite done, add a little water or pineapple juice. Continue cooking at least 1/2 hour after adding the Spam. Stir before serving.

My thoughts:

Okay, I am normally not a Spam eater much less a Spam enthusiast but when I was trying to think of easy, won't heat up the house side dishes to serve with a vaguely Hawaiian themed meal I was making for friends, baked beans came to mind. I made these tropical baked beans in the slow cooker a few years back (and a version of them appears in my cookbook--which is shipping out now BTW--) and loved them. It is really easy but a little nerve-wracking because the beans go from being pale and not quite cooked to brown and soft and baked bean-y looking really late in the cooking process. But it always seems to work (as long as you keep an eye on how dry they look towards the end, some batches of beans absorb more liquid than others and you don't want them to burn) and the result is always tasty. Anyway, I was doing a pineapple pork thing (recipe to come) that seemed Hawaiian so I was thinking about Hawaiian foods. Now I've never been to Hawaii but it seems like they love the Spam. The popularity (the existence even) of Spam musubi is enough to convince me of this but the fact that there is an event called the Spam Jam in Waikiki clinched it. I had to make a dish with Spam. But what? I didn't want to serve meat with a side of meat so I had to incorporate the Spam into something to stretch it out a bit. Then I remembered my idea about making baked beans and thought if people can eat beanie weenies, then they can sure eat Spam & beans! And you know what? It was the surprise hit of the evening. The trick, I think, is to thoroughly fry the Spam (and a dry nonstick pan is fine for this, the fat in the Spam renders pretty quickly and you really don't want to add more) until it is really crispy and drain, drain, drain it on paper towels so it doesn't make the dish seem greasy. It added a salty-smoky flavor that is similar to what actual ham would have but the softer texture was really nice with the beans. It is a total fluke, novelty recipe but honestly, I am tempted to make it again.

Spicy Mango-Pineapple Hot Dogs

Ingredients:
8 hot dogs
8 buns

for the mango-pineapple salsa:
1 mango, cubed
1 cup cubed pineapple
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons minced jalapeno
juice of 1/2 lime

for the jalapeno sauce:
5 jalapenos, seeded
3 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 shallot
juice of 1/2 lime
salt
freshly ground black pepper


Directions:
Place all of the sauce ingredients in a blender (I used my Vita-Mix) and pulse until very smooth. Set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the salsa ingredients. Set aside. Broil or grill the hot dogs. Place in buns, top with the fruit salsa and drizzle with sauce.

My thoughts:

I am obsessed with reading about regional hot dog varieties. It is amazing that so many cities all over the world do so many different things to hot dogs! I've never been to Hawaii but I am already making a list of Hawaiian hot dog joints to visit when I finally get there. A common theme on the menu are fruit topped hot dogs which intrigued me. I figure if I can't go to Hawaii, at least I can have a fun hot dog. And really, these are some of the tastiest dogs around!

Mango Ginger Lime Sorbet

Ingredients:
5 large very ripe mangos, cubed (I used Hayden)
zest and juice of 2 limes
1 inch knob ginger, sliced
1/2 to 1 cup water

Directions:
Add the mango, lime and ginger to a food processor or blender. I used my Vita-Mix. Add 1/2 cup water. Blend until very smooth. Add more water as needed to thin the mixture out. Pour into a ice cream maker and churn according to package instructions. Freeze in a freezer safe container until ready to serve.

My thoughts:

When the mangos on my counter got so ripe it smelled like I was living in a mango grove, I knew I had to do something with them. I had actually made a mango sorbet last week for my lunch (it was hot out!) but didn't pay attention to exactly what I did because I thought I had already posted a mango sorbet recipe. When I was going through and adding tags to recipes this weekend I realized I hadn't. I mentioned this to my husband and he insisted I make the sorbet again since the last time he didn't get to have any and I'd have something to post. Win-win. This isn't exactly how I made it last time but I think it might actually be better. Adding the ginger gave it a subtle spice that accented the mango flavor without overpowering it. Just take care that it gets really pulverized in the mixing process or you will end up with little bits suspended in the sorbet.

Mango Ketchup

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
1 shallot, chopped
1 inch knob ginger, chopped
1 scotch bonnet pepper, chopped
2 cups cubed mango (I used Alfonso mango)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 tablespoon pepper sherry
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves


Directions:
Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until really, really smooth. Pour into a small sauce pan and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

My thoughts:

As anyone who knows me (or is a long time reader) knows ketchup, traditional, tomato ketchup is one of three foods (along with pumpkin pie and cantaloupe) I absolutely will not eat. It is so cloying and sweet it hides that flavor of whatever you put it on. Not my style. I prefer sauces that accent flavor, not obscure it.

I dip my fries in frites sauce (homemade or the ones I brought back from Belgium) or spread my burgers with blue cheese dressing, a variety of mustard or mashed up avocados and my seafood with r�moulade, cocktail or tarter sauce. But no ketchup. Although ketchup is most commonly tomato, it doesn't have to be. When I was in Miami for the mango festival a few years ago I tried mango ketchup for the first time. Not too sweet and no tomatoes. This isn't an exact replica, I can't quite remember what was in it but I've had the kept the idea of making a mango ketchup of my own in the back of my mind every since. I finally had the opprotunity to do it and I am glad I did! My mango ketchup is spicy, gingery and full of bright mango flavor. Perfect for your tropical influenced sandwiches.

Cara Cara Mango Shrimp

Ingredients:
2 lb peeled shrimp
2-3 mangos, cubed (try Tommy Atkins or Francis)

marinade:
1 shallot, minced
2/3 cup cara cara (or regular navel) orange juice
3 tablespoons mango juice (homemade*)
3 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons oranges
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
Prepare grill to manufacture's recommendations. Brush the grill rack with oil. Whisk together the marinade in a large bowl. Add the shrimp. Marinate the shrimp for 10 minutes. Reserve the marinade. Thread on bamboo skewers alternating with mango. Grill, flipping once and brushing occasionally with reserved marinade, until the shrimp is fully cooked.


*I just squeezed juice out of some mango scraps into a measuring cup.

My thoughts:

I am excited to finally start posting grilling recipes again! I've been grilling like crazy (even in drizzling rain) for the past few months developing new recipes to post here this summer. I have a lot of great recipes lined up. As I have done the last couple of years, I plan on posting a new grilling recipe every Friday from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Last year I was so busy writing my cookbook and posting twice weekly new recipes on C&L (I developed 300 recipes between May and October last year for the book) that I dropped it down to a new grill recipe every other week. I am happy to say that despite some other big projects in the works, I am going to return to the weekly posts.

For my first recipe of the unofficial summer season, I had to share this shrimp dish. It is so good. I love grilling with mango, during the caramelizing process it get so sweet and juicy. Cara cara oranges are a new favorite. Giant sized, they are more floral tasting and less acidic than other oranges. Their juice paired wonderfully with the mango. I had asked for requests over at the Coconut & Lime Facebook page when I announced the return of my grill Fridays and someone wanted a good grilled shrimp recipe. I think this fits the bill! Shrimp can be tricky to grill because they cook so quickly but in this case that is not a problem because the mango also cooks quickly. I served them with a side of rice which was merrily being made in our rice cooker while we grilled. No muss, no fuss!

Mango-Chile Ice Box Pie

Ingredients:
4 mangos (about 4 cups mango flesh)
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup tequila
juice of 1 lime
zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1 9-inch graham cracker crust

Directions:
Place all ingredients (EXCEPT the crust!) in a blender or food processor (I used my Vita-Mix) and pulse until it is very, very smooth. Pour into the crust. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.

My thoughts:

A mini-heatwave struck Baltimore this weekend bringing with it high temperatures and even higher humidity. While the weather was unexpected and unwelcome for so early in May, it did remind me that ice box pie season is here. As long time readers I know, I love ice box pies. Any dessert that doesn't require using my oven in my 1930s un-air-conditioned kitchen when it over 90� goes right to the top of my list. Over the last six years I've made and posted blueberry-ginger, kiwi-lemongrass, blackberry meringue, and perhaps the most popular ice box pie, key lime in both regular my brother's favorite chocolate pie (technically a freezer pie) and coconut versions. For this pie, I drew inspiration from spicy Mexican paletas which combine fruit or vegetables with spices for a frozen sweet-spicy treat.

Anyway! This is a super simple pie, just make sure you take the time to thoroughly blend the ingredients together, not only will the pie be smoother and more consistent but if you have a fibrous mango, you want to really pulverize it or the pie will be stringy. I loved the pie because it was creamy with a downright velvety texture without being rich and had a very pure mango flavor. The spice sort of hits you after you swallow your bite which I enjoyed but the spice phobic might want to halve the chipotle, it isn't blisteringly hot but I think a lot of people are not used to spicy pie! But please, try and make this pie, it is the best mango pie I've ever had!

Me? On the Martha Stewart Show? - {Chocolate, Mango and Coconut Cream Cake}

Over a red sky, the sun sets paints the cars ahead of me as muted silhouettes. The median's green trimmed grass has lost its brightness in comparison to its pavement cell walls, and the tall untamed trees beyond the shoulders have darkened under the pressure of brilliantly illuminated jet streams. Across the way, cars and trucks speed eastward, away from the sun, discernible only by pairs of

Mango & Calamansi Salmon

2 1/2 lb salmon
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup calamansi juice
1 large ripe mango, cut into strips
3 Thai bird chile, sliced
2 1/2 tablespoons coconut vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Rip off a length of foil about twice the length of your fish. Place on a baking sheet, leaving just enough to cover the pan on the pan and the rest flopping off. Place rings of onion in a single layer on the foil, about the length of the fish. Place the fish, skin side down, on the onions. Layer the mango on top. Sprinkle evenly with chile pepper rings. Pour the juice and vinegar over top the fish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then drizzle with olive oil. Fold the foil over and crimp close on all sides. Bake for 20 minutes or until the salmon is fully cooked.

My thoughts:

I was so excited to win a box of calamansi from a fellow food blogger. Living in the mid-Atlantic we don't get some of the more exotic citrus out there. I have been dying to try calamansi after reading what seems like dozens of Filipino cookbooks and using up half a bottle of calamansi soy sauce. The cookbooks always say you can just use lime or lemon (or a combo of the two) but I really wanted to try the real thing. As it turns out, calamansi tastes more like a cross between a clementine and a kumquat. It also ended up being a really great pairing with mango. The tropical sweet-tartness accented the creamy floral note in my Kent mango. Serving the two over salmon might seem a bit unusual but it works, the salmon stays tender and moist and takes on a subtle fruity flavor. The cooked mango was delicious as well. I need to incorporate more fruit into my dinners! All in all, a fresh tasting, easy yet impressive dish.

Mango Pork Tacos

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs pork loin cut into 1/2 " to 3/4" cubes
3 mangos cut into small cubes
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato-based salsa*
1/4 cup superfine flour (AKA Wondra or gravy flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon ground chipotle pepper
1/2 tablespoon New Mexican chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
juice of a lime
juice of an orange
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper,ground chipotle pepper, chili powder and oregano. Add the pork loin cubes and toss until the pork is evenly coated with the flour and spices. Heat the oil in a wide, tall sided pot. Brown the pork on all sides in a single layer; working in batches if needed. Remove the pork from the pan and saute the garlic and jalapenos for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add the pork back to the pan along with the mango, lime and orange juice and the salsa. Stir the ingredients briefly and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat stirring occasionally until the pork is fork tender and the mixture has thickened.

*Our favorite? Mrs. Renfro's Habanero

My thoughts:

I was having a fit of food ennui so after some back and forth emails about technique my husband thankfully made this for dinner. It was so good! It is sort of riff on carnitas; cubed, browned pork with crispy edges but braised in a spicy fruity mango sauce instead of its own fat. It is so good and though thoroughly porky, not heavy or greasy. The best tacos I've had in ages, just the perfect match of fruity, spicy and meaty.

Summer Fruit White Tea Sangria

Ingredients:
1 bottle fruity red wine
1 cup brandy
1/2 cup triple sec
2 mangos, cubed
1 crisp apple, small dice
1 apricot, peeled and diced
1 large orange, halved and sliced
1 cup boiling water
1 white tea bag
2 teaspoons sugar


Directions:
Pour the boiling water into a cup with the sugar and tea bag. Allow to seep 3-4 minutes. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour the wine, brandy and triple sec into a large pitcher. Stir. Add the tea and the fruit. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving or overnight.

My thoughts:

This is a smooth, not too sweet sangria that is perfect for summer sipping. We had tea infused sangria for brunch at a restaurant one day and I thought we could make an equally or possibly more delicious version at home. And we did. It is immensely sippable drink pairing wonderfully with almost any summer meal from breakfast (ahem, brunch) to dinner. It has a tropical sort of feel and the tea, although present, isn't a overpowering force.

Ginger Spice Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
3 lb pork loin
1/3 cup chili sauce (like Heinz)
1/3 cup pomegranate infused red wine vinegar
1/3 cup spiced ginger preserves
2 tablespoons ginger juice
1 1/2 tablespoons mango-habanero hot sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke
1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon celery flakes
1 teaspoon ground jalapeno
juice and zest of one lime
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Directions:
Add all ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on high for 6-7 hours. At this point the pork should shred easily with a fork. Remove the loin to a plate and shred with a fork. Mash any solids in the slow cooker. Return the pork to the pot. Toss to evenly coat with sauce. Serve immediately or turn to low and cook for 1 additional hour.

My thoughts:

Longtime readers know of my deep and abiding love of pulled pork. I didn't grow up eating it but once I found that it is one of the easiest (and best!) things to make in a slow cooker I can't get enough. For this version, I upped the spicy and the ginger components and kept it pretty simple. Perfect for sticky-sweet-hot sandwiches topped with a bit of coleslaw.

Note: In the days after this recipe was featured on Saveur, I've received a few emails about the availability of some of the ingredients. While they may be unfamiliar to some, I purchased all of the ingredients for this recipe at my local (and rather small) Safeway. The spices are all from McCormick, the ginger preserves were MacKay's brand but is also available from other companies, the vinegar was made by Pompeian (and only cost $1.40!) and while you can buy the bottled Ginger People ginger juice, I make my own using the juice left from grating fresh ginger. Enjoy the recipe!

Mango & Coconut Lumpia

8 lumpia wrappers
1 mango, sliced into strips
1 cup macapuno*
canola oil
sesame seeds (optional)


Directions:
Heat about 3 inches of oil in a deep pan. Meanwhile, dampen the outer edges of the wrapper with water.



Place 2 slices of mango and about 1/4 cup of macapuno towards the bottom of the wrapper (optional: sprinkle with sesame seeds.



Then roll them egg roll style-bottom towards the middle, then fold in each side, then fold the top triangle down to cover.



Place the wrapped lumpia on bottom half of a second wrapper and repeat.




Set aside. Repeat until all of the wrappers are filled. Fry until crisp and golden brown. I used my Fissler pressure skillet which in addition to being a pressure cooker is the best pan I've ever fried in.




Drain on a paper towel lined plate then serve.



Yield: 4 lumpia



*Most often found jarred, it is a type of coconut that is grown in the Philippines. I've seen it labeled as "string coconut". It normally comes in a sort of thick syrup/jelly.

My thoughts:

I've mostly had savory lumpia but I have had some sweet banana a mango lumpia in the past (I've also heard the sweet ones referred to as turon)that was pretty good. While I love mango, I am not a big banana eater so I never made them but I kept the idea in the back of my mind. Recently I came across a jar of macapuno and I knew what I had to make: mango and coconut lumpia. They are so tasty and positively oozing delicious Keitt mango and coconut juices. They were also surprisingly quick to make, we spent only about 15 minutes on them from start to finish. Another great thing about making dessert lumpia is that while you want the filling to be hot, there is nothing in them (like egg or meat) that you wouldn't want to eat raw so you really can take them out of the oil

Note:
I like to wrap my lumpia in two wrappers because they are less likely to fall apart and I think it makes them a little crunchier. The two layers sort of meld together when cooking so it isn't noticeable.

Gingered Tropical Fruit Kabobs

Ingredients:
2-3 mangos, cubed
6-8 kiwi, peeled and halved
1 pineapple, cubed
8-16 fresh lychee


syrup:
1 inch knob peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
juice of 1 lime

8 bamboo skewers (soak in water for 15 minutes prior to use)

Directions:
Bring the syrup ingredients together to a boil. Allow to boil for a few minutes until it reduces. Strain into a bowl. Discard the ginger. Allow to cool. Thread the fruit on the skewers and brush with syrup.



Place on the grill and allow to cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until the fruit has softened and is caramelized. Serve immediately.

My thoughts:

Making these kabobs (or kebobs) made my hands very, very sticky but it was worth it. Fruit, especially fruits with a high sugar content, really do well on the grill. The sugars caramelize and the fruit takes on a velvety texture. I brushed on the ginger syrup to help insure caramelization and to add a bit of ginger flavor to the kabobs. There is something a little decadent about eating fruit fresh from the grill despite it being a very healthy choice for dessert.


Quick tips:
Only fairly firm kiwifruit will stay on the skewer. Look for kiwis that are just barely ripe. The lychee worked well, but I found it was best to leave the large pit inside and thread the skewer next to pit and then advising people of the pit's presence when it came time to eat. The hole left by the removal of the pit was much wider than that of a standard skewer.

Tropical Fusion Baked Beans

Ingredients:
16 oz dried navy beans
1 large onion, sliced
1 mango, cubed
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup chile sauce (like Heinz)
1/2 cup water
2 inch knob of fresh ginger, sliced
4 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon pineapple juice
1 tablespoon grainy mustard*
2 teaspons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground chipotle
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions:
The day before you want to serve: Place the beans in a pot and fill until the beans are under about 4 inches of water.

The next day: drain the beans and pour them into the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook on low 8-10 hours or until the beans are soft**. I'd check in on it around the 7 to 8 hour mark if possible. If the beans are looking a little dry and are not quite done, add a little water.


*I used the Original Mister Mustard Hot but any grainy, deli-style mustard would work.

**Or up to 12 hours, they just get softer and more intensely flavored the longer they cook.

My thoughts:

I had never made baked beans before but I had heard that using the slow cooker was the way to go. I have to agree. The prep was extremely easy and by dinner time they were done. Added bonus: I didn't have to heat up the house making a side dish on a steamy Summer day. They were also very forgiving, they ended up cooking for almost 12 hours and were still the perfect texture and flavor, which would make them perfect for cook outs or parties-you make them early in the day and then they are ready whenever you are.

I didn't want to make the typical Boston or New England style baked beans so I went for a more Caribbean/tropical influenced version that went well with the rest of the meal. I ended up with beans that still had the texture and look of traditional baked beans but with a spicy, fruity edge. Having never made baked beans before, I was a little nervous but they turned out really well. I sort of approached them like I would pulled pork- lots of spices (but in small amounts because I knew the long cooking time would intensify the flavors) and just enough liquid to keep it from drying out. I don't like super sweet baked beans so I used just a bit of molasses and came up with the idea of using a mango for some natural sweetness. The mango ended up being the perfect addition, it totally "melted" into the beans and added a slightly sweet, almost citrusy flavor that was hard to put your finger on. No one guessed the "secret ingredient" was mango! Despite my deep and abiding love for pork products, I relied on spices and fruit for flavor, not meat, so these beans are a perfect example of an "accidentally" vegan side dish. Even people who didn't normally like baked beans liked these.

Mango, Coconut & Carrot Spice Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups shredded carrot
1/2 cup cubed mango
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour or line 20 wells in a muffin tin. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and all of the spices. In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, oil, sugar, applesauce and vanilla. Pour into the dry mixture and mix thoroughly. Fold in the carrots, coconut and mango. Fill each well 3/4 of the way full and bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the center muffin comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

My thoughts:

These are super moist and flavorful muffins. The combination of fruits, vegetables and spices might seem odd, but it totally works, I promise! These muffins also freeze well, we like to make a batch on the weekends and then freeze the rest in a single layer. They defrost really quickly once you take them out of the freezer without any change to the texture or flavor.

Cinco de Mango: Chicken Mango Burritos

Ingredients:

for the beans:
15 oz canned pinto beans, drained
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 onion, minced
leave of 2 springs thyme
1 clove garlic, minced

for the chicken:
2 cups shredded poached or roasted chicken
15 oz canned diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced
1/2 onion, minced
1 garlic cloved, minced

for the mango salsa:
1 large mango, cubed
1/2 cup fire roasted corn*
1/3 cup diced red onion or shallot
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle
juice of one lime


the extras:
cooked white rice tossed with the juice of 1 lime
sour cream
burrito sized tortillas

Directions:
For the mango salsa: toss all ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

For the chicken: Heat oil in a small saucepan. Saute the onion, pepper and garlic until fragernt. Add the tomato and hot sauce. Simmer until the liquid as evaporated. If there are very large chunks, mash them with a potato masher. Toss with shredded chicken. Set aside.

For the beans: Heat oil in a small saucepan. Saute the onion and garlic until fragernt. Add the beans and thyme. Simmer unitl the beans are heated through.


To assemble: Place a small portion of rice middle of a warm tortilla. Top with beans, chicken, sour cream and salsa. Fold the top and bottom towards the center, then wrap the sides towards the middle to close.



*Available frozen at Trader Joe's (thaw before use) or roast your own! Brush one cob with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place a skewer in one end and hold over the stove burner for 1 to 2 minutes rotating so all sides are toasty. Remove the kernels from the cob.

My thoughts:

Mango might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to burritos but maybe it should be. I wasn't sure how they would taste but they were actually really good; very fresh tasting. The fruity sweetness of the mango and roasted corn contrasts nicely with the spicy sauced chicken without any one flavor dominating. I'd also like to point out that while it looks like many individual parts, the mango salsa comes together in seconds and you can easily cook the rice, chicken and beans all at the same time.

Five Spice Duck with Roasted Mango Sauce

Ingredients:
1 5 lb duck

for the dry rub:
zest of one lime
2 tablespoon 5 spice powder
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

for the mango sauce:
1/2 cup cubed mango
1 whole mango
1 1/2 inch knob fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon bourbon
zest and juice of 1/2 lime


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Place the whole mango on a pan and bake 1 hour or until soft. Remove and allow to cool for one hour. Meanwhile, whisk together the rub the dry rub into the skin of the duck. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Reduce heat to 325. Place the duck on a roasting rack on a roasting pan and roast for 2 hours or until cooked though*. Meanwhile, scoop the roasted mango out of the skin. Place in a saucepan with the cubed mango, cornstarch, ginger, bourbon and soy sauce. Heat, stirring occasionally until a thick sauce forms. Serve with the duck.



*If you would like to reserve the duck fat for another recipe, drain it off the bottom of pan every 1/2 hour to 45 minutes and pour into a heat safe container. Duck fat is amazingly tasty to cook with.

My thoughts:

My husband is obsessed with duck. Obsessed! But it is somewhat hard to find at the store and often very expensive. We've been wanting to make one for ages as I had actually never cooked a duck before and he loves them so. We had come across a reasonably priced duckling during a free trial visit to a big box store and snapped it up. I wanted to make sort of a modern version of the kitschy '60s staple duck a l'orange and thought mango would be perfect fruit to pair with duck. After attending the mango festival last year I have become a firm believer that everything tastes better with mango! So I decided to make "duck a la mango" with a Chinese twist instead of a French one. The roasted mango has an almost caramelized flavor and soft texture that is wonderful in the sauce while the fresh mango provides some texture contrast. The duck, of course, is excellent. Succulent and with just a hint of spice.

Smoky Mango Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
3 lb boneless pork shoulder roast (trim off excess fat)
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup bourbon
1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce
2 teaspoons smokehouse black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoon mesquite liquid smoke
1 1/2 teaspoon Mexican hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon chipolte chile powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 habanero peppers, seeds removed and chopped
juice and zest of one lime
1 large mango, cubed
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil


for the spice rub:

1 teaspoon Mexican hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon chipolte
1 teaspoon smokehouse black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Directions:

Mix the spice rub ingredients together. Rub them on the pork. In a large skillet heat the oil and then brown the roast well on all sides. Place roast in slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on high in the slow cooker 6 hours*. When done, meat should shred easily with a fork. Remove roast from slow cooker. Shred with a fork (or use your fingers) and set aside. Mash any solid bits of the sauce with a potato masher. If the sauce is very thin, heat it in a saucepan until it thickens**. Return the pork and the sauce to slow cooker, and toss to evenly coat. Serve on rolls.


*Or on low for 8-9 hours.

**I actually didn't need to do this step, but I find pork gives off a lot of water when cooked in the slow cooker and you might need to do this so the mixture isn't too soupy.

My thoughts:

This is one of those recipes that I made by running around the kitchen like a crazy person and trying to use whatever I have on hand. Thankfully I bothered to write down my measurements because this possibly my favorite of all of the recipes I've posted this year and I can't want to make it again.

Normally when I make pulled pork I saute the onions and garlic and let the pork sit overnight in the dry rub. However, I was running low on time and just tossed the raw cloves in whole, cut the onion into 8 pieces (instead of chopping them) and didn't let the meat sit with the spices at all-just a quick rubdown followed by a quick sear. I was worried the pork would suffer but it turned out great. Better than great, actually this is literally the best pulled pork I've ever eaten-the perfect combination of sweet, tart, fruity, smoky and spicy flavors. Matt loved it; we've never been so sad about finishing leftovers before. I wish I had some right now, and every day after that. It is just that good! And one of the easiest things you can make for dinner tonight, the prep is so quick it can be done in just a few minutes before heading off to work. You won't be sorry!