Mango Lassi with Coconut

Do you know what a mango lassi is? I might have never known what it was, if I had not been introduced to Indian food. Some close friends and I used to get together at Akbar, a great Indian restaurant in Columbia, MD. Whenever I visit the restaurant, I order a mango lassi with my meal. They are so good!
Traditionally, a lassi beverage is yogurt-based and mixed in with water and spices. A mango lassi is a yogurt-based drink with mango (of course). I have tried a couple times to recreate the mango lassi in my kitchen with not so great results. Not until today that is....

Greg has been out working on our deck since morning, and hopefully he has accomplished something. My point is, he has been outside and I have been in the kitchen, so I have had the chance to make a lot of different recipes. Today I made the batter for coconut macaroons, some tomatillo salsa, some cilantro-peanut sauce, AND a mango-coconut lassi. The lassi was amazing. I added a tablespoon of condensed milk and a tablespoon of coconut to it, and it made the flavor extra tasty (I was making the lassi simultaneously with the coconut macaroon batter). 

I love the thickness and sweetness of the lassi. I almost feel like I'm in a tropical paradise while sipping on it. Almost...

I hope you will also fall in love with the lassi. Enjoy! 

Recipe for Mango Lassi with Coconut 

INGREDIENTS:

3 ripe mangos, chopped

1 1/4 cups of milk

1/3 cup of granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. of condensed milk (if you don't have this on hand, add an extra Tbsp. of sugar)

1 Tbsp. of sweetened shredded flaked coconut

1/2 cup of Greek yogurt

Crushed or Cubed Ice

DIRECTIONS:

Put all ingredients EXCEPT for the ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Place the blender in the fridge for 30 minutes. If desired, pour over ice when ready to sip.

***Original Recipe***

NOTE: When you are ready to drink the mango lassi, you might want to put it back on the blender and mix for a few seconds. This drink is best when it is sipped with a straw - even better when sipped with a bright and colorful straw.

Congrats to the Contest Winner & A Tribute to Coconut

Thank you to everyone who participated in this week's contest. The lucky winner is Dustin, who posted about the coconut truffles. Dustin wrote: "The Coconut Truffle is AMAZING! It's a lot like a Mounds bar. Try it! You will not be disappointed."
Congratulations, Dustin! I hope you use the Amazon gift card to buy yourself something nice, or maybe you can use it to buy something nice for your wife.
So in case it hasn't been made completely obvious yet, I love coconut. I have posted recipes for the coconut truffles and coconut cupcakes, but I am still craving more coconut. During the past couple days I have seen some great coconut recipes on different cooking blogs. Today I came across this recipe for coconut white chocolate chunk cookies from Two Peas and Their Pod, which sound incredible. And, on Our Best Bites, I found this recipe for coconut-lime cupcakes. YUM. I would totally love to try both of those recipes soon.
I am thinking I need to whip up some coconut macaroons this week. They are easy to make & incredibly delicious. Stay tuned for the recipe!

*Do you love coconut? What is your favorite coconut treat to make?*

Mango & Avocado Salad

Recently I posted a recipe for sweet potato tacos, courtesy of Paladar Restaurant. If you haven't had a chance to look at the recipe yet, I suggest you do! A really nice addition to the sweet potato tacos is this mango and avocado salad. This salad actually is a great side for many meals.
I love it because it is simple to make and super healthy. The most difficult part about making the salad is cutting up the mangos! I have had several close calls while chopping them; so take the extra time and learn how to cut them properly ahead of time.
I also love this salad because it is so bright and colorful. It makes me happy to just look at it, but of course it makes me happier while I'm eating it up! I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do.

Mango & Avocado Salad Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
2 - 3 ripe mangos, cut in to 1-inch chunks

1 - 2 ripe avocados, cut in to 1-inch chunks (to be cut and added right before serving)
2 limes, juiced
2 tsp. of canola oil
1 Tbsp. of granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes (leave this out if you don't like spicy)
Sprinkling of Kosher salt
Sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Make the lime dressing. In a medium container, add the lime juice, canola oil, sugar, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir together well. Add in the mango slices, sprinkle the mango chunks with a little bit of salt, and then coat with the dressing. Cover the container and put in fridge for about an hour. Right before serving the salad, add in the avocado pieces and mix together. Enjoy!

***Original Recipe***

NOTE: Have leftover mango & avocado salad? Add in some canned black beans, and then use it as a filling in a tortilla. Makes a nice lunch!

Paladar's Sweet Potato Tacos

Please visit my new blog, Make It and Bake It with Beth, for the sweet potato tacos recipe. 

Soba Noodle Salad

The other night I got excited about making a recipe for a sweet and spicy chicken with a soba noodle salad, but unfortunately only the soba noodle recipe was successful. The chicken was a bit of a disaster (I'm going to blame Greg & the 2 other men in our kitchen discussing AC quotes, standing almost right next to me as I'm trying to broil chicken breasts)! Ok, maybe the sauce didn't taste so great either...
Luckily the soba noodle salad turned out really well, since that was the only thing we ate for dinner that night. Soba noodles can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores. They are made of buckwheat flour and they have a nice consistency. This soba noodle salad has a little bit of heat and the crunchiness of the veggies compliment the texture of the noodles nicely. I would definitely make this recipe again! Now I just need to find a better sweet and spicy chicken recipe...anyone willing to share one with me?

Soba Noodle Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
1 13.5-oz package of soba noodles
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 head of baby bok choy, cut in to small pieces
2 Tbsp. of canola oil
2 1/2 Tbsp. of rice vinegar or seasoned rice vinegar
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. of Sriracha sauce
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a pot of water to boil, and cook soba noodles according to package directions (they cook quickly - 4 minutes or less). Meanwhile, chop up the peppers and baby bok choy.
When noodles are done cooking, drain them in a colander and then rinse cold water over them until they are cool. Drain again. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl.
Add in the red pepper, baby bok choy, canola oil, rice vinegar, Sriracha sauce, and the kosher salt. Toss to combine. Can be eaten immediately, or it can be set in the fridge for 20 - 30 minutes first to allow the flavors to meld together. Enjoy!
Recipe Adapted from Real Simple Magazine, Spring/Summer 2012 

NOTE:
Soba noodles contain many health benefits. They provide us with essential amino acids, essential nutrients, and antioxidants. Soba noodles are naturally gluten-free, but sometimes wheat flour is added to them - make sure to check the ingredients if you are on a gluten-free diet. 

Strawberries Tossed in Vanilla Sugar

Since peak strawberry season ends next month, I thought I would post another tasty strawberry recipe. This recipe is very simple to make, but it can be impressive - especially if you top it with the fresh whipped cream. The berries sit in the vanilla sugar mixture first for about a half hour, and the result is a very flavorful berry in an amazingly sweet juice. The vanilla just adds something so special to the strawberries. It's a little addictive, but that's ok - strawberries are good for you! I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Enjoy!

Strawberries Tossed in Vanilla Sugar
INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of strawberries, stemmed, sliced thinly & then cut in half

1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Freshly whipped cream (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Place sugar in a medium bowl. Scrape the inside of the vanilla bean with the back of a small spoon to get out the beans, and then add them to the bowl and incorporate in to the sugar. Discard the vanilla bean. Add the sliced strawberries to the sugar and vanilla and coat them well. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Top with freshly whipped cream, if desired. Yum!
This also can be made ahead and put in to the fridge for up to 24 hours before serving.

NOTE: 
Vanilla beans can be very pricey at the grocery store, sometimes running as high as $8 - $10 per bean. Save money by buying in bulk. I was able to find 8 vanilla beans for $12 at Costco - what a deal! Make sure to call your local Costco store ahead of time to see if they carry the product, sometimes they are only sold during the holiday months.

*Looking for more strawberry recipes? Check out the chilled strawberry soup or the strawberry-balsamic sauce.

Strawberry-Balsamic Sauce

There are things in life that we all know go well together. Peanut butter and jelly, milk with cookies, salt and vinegar - you get the point. There are other things in life that are kind of surprising when they go well together, such as strawberries and balsamic vinegar. I never would have thought it up myself, but luckily there are geniuses out there who can think of those tasty combos and then share them with people like me! They really do go very well with each other.
I first sampled strawberries and balsamic together in a strawberry caprese salad from Pink Parsley. That lead me to want to search for more strawberry and balsamic combinations, and I stumbled across this recipe for strawberry-balsamic sauce. It is a super tasty sauce and it goes well on vanilla ice cream, Greek yogurt, spinach salads, pancakes, or anything else you can dream of. Greg and I loved the sauce on vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Strawberry-Balsamic Sauce Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of thinly sliced strawberries, stems removed
2 Tbsp. of Balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
2 small fresh basil leaves, torn in to small pieces

DIRECTIONS:
Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and set the pan over medium-high heat. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring almost constantly until the mixture reaches the consistency of s a syrup. Remove from heat. Serve warm or cool over pancakes, toast, yogurt, ice cream, or other favorites. Store in airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe Adapted from: Savory Sweet Life

NOTE:
Strawberries are the best when they are in their peak season, which is between April and July. To get the best bang for your buck, purchase strawberries from your local growers. Purchasing from local growers will ensure that the berries will be very flavorful and fresh. Look for berries that are red in color and very shiny. Remember that smaller berries usually carry the most sweetness. If you would like to find farmers markets near you, check out the USDA farmers market search.