This dish received the highest honor at a Derby party this past weekend.  As I joined a group at one of the tables, one (delightful) lady remarked, “This mango salsa is wonderful.”  I thanked her before I realized that she didn’t know it was a dish I had made!  Nothing more satisfying than an “overheard” compliment.

This works well with either fresh mangos or use the almost-fresh ones in refrigerated jars in your produce section.  (A 24-oz jar yields about two cups of diced mango.)  It also works well as a salad; serve a generous half cup on a leaf of lettuce.  As a salad this would be a perfect side for a Mothers’ Day brunch to accompany a migas frittata.

Mango Orange Salsa

Serves 4 as a salad or 10-12 as a dip; makes a little over 2 cups

• 2 cups diced mango

• ½ cup minced red bell pepper

• 2 Tbsp sliced green onions, just the white and light green part

• 2 Tbsp minced poblano pepper (or green bell pepper)

• 1 lime, juice and zest
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 6 Tbsp low-sugar orange marmalade (sugar-free is okay, too)
• ¼ tsp chili powder

Combine the mango and next 3 ingredients in a bowl.  In a separate bowl mix the lime juice and zest with the next 3 ingredients, then pour over the mango mixture.  Stir.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Can be made the day before.

(Nutritional info coming soon.)

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(UPDATED, 5/5/08:  The recipes are there for viewing—beautiful pics and inspiring ideas.)

I thought of this dish immediately.  Eating more veggies (and fruits) is at the top of my healthy eating and weight management list, keeping with the philosophy to let fruits and veggies take center stage and think of meats and poultry as condiments.  Who knew?  That parsley garnish may have been the healthiest thing on the plate!

This is a favorite.  So pretty and it just looks like summer and spring fun.  It’s endlessly adaptable—add a few leftover roasted potatoes, some corn (fresh or frozen), a yellow squash.  Good for a quick weeknight dinner or a summer party.  It’s a great taste companion for grilled meats.

Summer Stir Fry

Serves 4; 15-20 minutes hands on; ready in 30 minutes

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

• ¼ lb trimmed green beans

• ¼ lb asparagus, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 medium zucchini, ½“ slices, halved
• ½ medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 4-6 green onions, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
• salt & lemon pepper
• Parmesan cheese, optional

Spray a large skillet with a lid with olive-oil spray.  Add the olive oil and heat to medium.  Then add the garlic and green beans and stir fry for 2 minutes.  Next add the asparagus, zucchini, and bell pepper and stir fry for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the green onion and tomato over the other vegetables.  Add a sprinkling of salt and lemon pepper.  Cover and reduce to very low heat.  Cook for another 5-7 minutes.  Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan or offer it at the table.

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Today there are hundreds of recipes for haroset with the common ingredients being apples, nuts, cinnamon, and very sweet wine.  This recipe uses juice concentrate and a touch of brandy flavoring in place of the wine, but would work well with wine, sherry, or brandy.  You can add any other fruits, such as mango, that appeal to you.  It’s delicious.  Hard to stop at one serving.

Haroset

Serves 4; about 15 minutes hands on time; ready in 15 minutes

• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled & chopped
• 1 lemon, zest & 1 Tbsp juice
• 1 (11 oz) can Mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 small banana, chopped
• 2 Tbsp coconut
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbsp honey
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
• ⅛ tsp brandy flavoring (extract)

Toss the lemon zest & juice with the apple.  Add oranges and next 5 ingredients.  In a small bowl, combine honey and remaining ingredients.  Pour over the fruits.  Mix well.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Per serving:  approximately 175 calories; 6.0 g. fat; 32.4 g. carbs; 3.3 g. fiber; 1.9 g. protein

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This lighter cousin to lasagna and sister to Baked Ziti weighs in at 34.6 grams of protein and a moderate 32% of calories from fat.  An added bonus is that you can prep ahead and cook when it’s almost time for dinner.  Serve with a spinach salad or steamed broccoli.

Baked Penne

Serves 8; about 20 minutes hands on; ready in 50 minutes

• 8-9 oz penne rigate or ziti pasta
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup chopped onion (a small-medium onion)
• 1.0 lb lean ground beef, 5% fat
• .5 lb sweet Italian turkey sausage, such as Jenni-O
• 1 (24-28 oz) jar tomato-basil pasta sauce, such as Classico
• 12 oz low-fat ricotta
• ¼ cup low-fat (2%) sour cream
• ¼ cup fat-free egg substitute, such as Egg Beaters
• ¼ cup + ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1¼ cups finely grated, part skim mozzarella

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, about 11-12 minutes.  Drain.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 375°.  Spray a 13×9” baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.  Set aside.  Spray a large skillet with olive oil cooking spray.  Add the olive oil and heat to medium.  Add the garlic and onion; saute until onion starts to soften, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the beef and sausage.  Saute until cooked through.  Stir in the pasta sauce and simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, mix together the ricotta, sour cream, egg substitute, and ¼ cup Parmesan.

Stir the drained pasta into the meat sauce.  Spoon half the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Top with half the ricotta mixture, spreading it into an even layer.  Sprinkle with ½ cup of the mozzarella.  Layer the remaining meat-and-pasta mixture and top with the remaining ricotta mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella then the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan.  Bake for 35 minutes until bubbly and the top just begins to brown.

Per serving, approximately 437 calories; 15.8 g. fat; 37.7 g. carbs; 2.9 g. fiber; 806 mg sodium; 34.6 g. protein

Option:  Kick up the veggies by adding one cup of finely chopped zucchini to the garlic and onion mix.

Tip:  Resist the urge to add salt to the dish or the pasta water.  The jarred sauce, beef, and cheeses add plenty of sodium.

Trivia and myth busting:  Did you know that unless you add enough salt to a pot of water to turn it into the Dead Sea or unless your pot is the size of your house that the difference in boiling times between salted and unsalted water is less than a second?

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Here’s a quick, 10-minute mousse to add to your celebrations on this great day.  It won’t leave you with images of the Left Bank or memories of that wonderful dinner in Paris.  Not even the one in Paris, Texas.  But it’s a delicious, guilt-free treat for a busy weeknight or a summer cookout.

Mousse-in-a-Minute

Makes 8 (1/2 cup) servings; 5 minutes hands on; ready in 10 minutes

• 3 cups skim milk
• 1 (1 oz) box fat-free, sugar-free, instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 (1 oz) box fat-free, sugar-free, instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup fat-free whipped topping, such as Cool Whip Free
• Optional, additional whipped topping and cocoa for garnish

Whisk together all ingredients except whipped topping.  Continue to whisk for about 2 minutes.  Fold in the whipped topping.  Refrigerate about 5 minutes before serving.  Garnish with a dollop of whipped topping and a tiny finger-dusting of cocoa.

Once again our Easter brunch menu will be ham, Jezebel sauce, cheese grits, mixed fruits with poppy seed dressing, fresh green beans (slightly over-cooked, of course), rolls, and Eagle Brand(tm) lemon pie.

Heh. I’d never realized until I typed that out just how Southern our traditional menu is. I’ll pass on the Peeps, but don’t mess with my grits! Have a lovely Easter.

Cheese Grits

16 servings; hands on time, 20 minutes; ready in 75 minutes

• 6 cups* water
• 1 1/2 cups* quick grits (six servings according to the package)
• 6 Tbsp light butter
• 1 lb low-fat processed cheese (such as Velveeta, 2%), cubed
• 2 tsp seasoned salt (such as Lawry’s)
• dash of hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
• dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute

Preheat the oven to 300* degrees. Spray a 13×9″ baking dish (glass preferred) with cooking spray. Set aside.

While the oven preheats, bring the water to a boil and cook the grits according to package directions, probably 5-7 minutes. Stir in the butter, cheese, salt, hot sauce, and Worcestershire, stirring until the cheese melts. Stir in the egg and egg substitute.

Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake for 50-55* minutes, until slightly firm. Let the dish sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

*Notes . . . cook six servings of quick grits with a bit more water than the package calls for, according to package directions. Also, you can bake the grits in a hotter oven (325 or 350 degrees) and reduce the cooking time for convenience. Just be careful that the bottom of the pan doesn’t scorch before the middle is set.

Per serving, approximately 120 calories; 3.8 g. fat; 15.0 g. carbs; .8 g. fiber; 451 mg. sodium; 7.3 g. protein

The “approved” list . . .

• Balsamic Vinaigrette, such as the fat-free one from Olde Cape Cod
• Ranch, light or low fat, prefer Hidden Valley
• Italian, light and definitely not fat-free (yuck!), Newman’s Own is the favorite here
• Hellman’s (or Best) Reduced Fat Mayo, with the green lid, the only lower fat mayo that tastes like the real thing
• Now add to this list, Ken’s Steak House Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette. It’s low-fat, weighing in at 40 calories a tablespoon which is just the right amount for 1-1/2 to 2 cups of salad greens.

We used this dressing in Cherry Walnut Green Salad (Serves 4; ready in 10 minutes)

• 4 cups Italian salad greens mix
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted
• 2-3 Tbsp dried cherries (sweet or tart)
• 3-4 Tbsp crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4 cup raspberry vinaigrette

Combine the greens and spinach; toss. Top with the walnuts, cherries, cheese, and dressing. Toss and serve.

This was t-rrific. In fact, we made it two nights in a row. And as you can see, it is so-oo-o easy and quick.

It’s also very pretty. Sighhhh. If only we could include pictures on this blog.

Oh, wait! Stay tuned for next week’s announcement about a major blog remodel.

And in the meantime, have a great weekend.

Try her Breaded Tilapia with Flax.  We loved it.  The flax wasn’t “hidden”, but it didn’t need to be.  It was a lovely and subtle taste addition.  Even better, this was quick and easy weeknight cooking.

I did wash the fish in skim milk and Egg Beaters before breading, added a dash or two of paprika to the breading mix for color, and baked at 375 degrees for 22 minutes.

Tip from an Accidental Cook?  Keep ground flax seed in the fridge for sneaking into dishes.  Since I sneak it into my breakfast grits, I bought a cheap coffee bean grinder that I use just for grinding flax seeds.  I usually keep about two months worth on hand.

So why this sudden Osmond resurgence? I think I know why.

Because the world has gone craaa-zy. Before heading out to bid this year good riddance a fond farewell, here’s a quick re-cap. We can skip the parts where Paris was in and out of jail and Britney was, hmmm, Britney. Let’s just take a look at fourth quarter craziness.

In October, the Mommy Wars escalated in a tif over the ethics of vegetables. Is it wrong to secretly smush them and hide them in the kids’ brownies? Can you go so far as to lie tell an untruth about it? And never mind that the smushed veggie recipes seemed to have been “borrowed” without giving credit.

In November, the early seasons of Sesame Street were released on dvd. They are rated “adults only.” Among other reasons, Cookie Monster exhibits addictive behavior. To sugar.

In December, the Surgeon General announces that Santa needs to lose weight. He’s a bad role model. And the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas agrees. They have pledged to lose weight before their July confab. Piling it on, one Australian department store instructed its Santas to no longer say Ho Ho Ho since this might offend some women. Can you picture a buff Santa saying Ha Ha Ha?

Now just in time for year end if you thought it can’t get any more bizarre, Britney Spears’ little sister is pregnant at age 16. And that’s not the bizarre part. The really, really bizarre part is that Mama Spears had a book deal that’s been put on hold. Her book on parenting was coming out for Mother’s Day. Please tell me there’s a punch line in there somewhere.

The “wholesome” 70’s and the Osmonds are looking pretty good right now. Retro (and veggie-free) treats sound even better. If the food police show up, tell them the white stuff is cauliflower.

Crispy PB & Chocolate Bites

Makes 64; about 15 minutes hands on; ready in 45 minutes

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3/8 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 2 cups (about 5 oz) mini marshmallows
• 3 cups crispy rice cereal
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate candies, such as M&M’s

Spray an 8″-square baking dish with butter-flavor cooking spray. Set aside. Spray a large sauce pan with butter-flavor cooking spray. Melt the butter over very low heat. Add the peanut butter, chips, and marshmallows. Stir until the marshmallows are melted, about 4 minutes. Add the cereal and candies, stirring to coat.

Press the mixture into the prepared dish. Cut into 1″ squares when cooled.

Per square, approximately 28 calories; 1.4 g. fat; 3.4 g. carbohydrates; .1 g. fiber; .5 g. protein