Mango Salsa - Video Recipe

This is my favorite Salsa to make at home. Just watch the video below for my Mango Salsa, and see how easy it is to do,  enjoy.

Mango Salsa - Video

             Play it here. video runs 1 minute, 53 seconds.

Typical salsas are made with tomato and/or chili, instead of fruit. And I've made all kinds of salsas from scratch, just click on any name to view: tangy Roasted Salsa Verde (tomatillo,) Red Chili (2 dried types - but the same recipe,) Pico de Gallo, and Peach Salsa.

I first made Mango Salsa with Coconut Crusted Fish almost a decade ago, and I keep coming back. There is just something about scooping up sweet-tangy salsa on a tortilla chip and chowing down. Light sweetness sure goes with heavy-flavored pork Carnitas, or spicy Chicken Tinga, tacos, and burritos.

Guests go crazy for my Mango Salsa. Every time I bring a bowl it becomes the standout dish and the first one to disappear, at a party. It's also an aphrodisiac for date night with your amour.

Mangos used to be as expensive as avocados, and I'm lucky to live in Los Angeles where I can now get them two for a dollar at my local Latin market, Superior Grocers. I know they are expensive in other communities but do try this recipe sometime when they show up on sale at your local grocery store.

Click on any photo to see larger.

In the above photo, I show two types of mangos I find, Manila Mangos cultivated in the Philipines, and regular Mangoes.  If you ever find Manila Mangos give them a try, while smaller than a typical Mangoes the flesh is sweeter to my taste.

Try out this recipe with fruit that shows up at your local farmers market or roadside produce stalls. Could you make a Strawberry, Blueberry, Pineapple, Peach, or even Kiwi Salsa? You can only find canned fruit cocktails, peaches, and pineapple slices to work with? Sure, go for it!

A mango is ripe when it's slightly soft to the touch. When very ripe they do get messy to work with. Under my Directions below I show you how I peel one.

The other Mango Salsa ingredients are cheap enough. I use purple onion, but you can use cheap white or yellow onion. Cilantro and fresh jalapeno peppers are showing up in most neighborhood groceries these days.

Typical salsas use lime juice but I like to mix it up with lemon juice sometimes (plus I have a lemon tree by the laundry room here, so they are freeeeee!)

I used fresh jalapeño, but you can use it from a jar as well. The jalapeños may have a vinegar taste, but that's okay, just drain them first.

 I also remove the jalapeño seeds, but you can leave them in for a fiery Mango Salsa.

Of course, cheap 99c only Store Tortilla Chips are what I serve with Kiwi Salsa, but if you have a Latin Grocery then get them freshly made. They cost an extra buck or so, but for a special occasion with friends or family, I would indulge.

My Mango Salsa travels well to your neighbor's or friend's party. Just remember to bring a bag of tortilla chips!

Ingredients

• 2  mangos - peeled and diced. About 1 1/2 to 2  cups.
• 1 cup of chopped onion - red, white or yellow. Add more or less to suit your taste.
• Cilantro - 2 tablespoons chopped.
• Juice of a lemon or lime- or 2 tablespoons from a jar.
•  Jalapeño -  about a teaspoon, chopped. Add a little at a time and taste, until the desired spiciness is reached. Okay to use jalapeño from a jar, just drain off pickling vinegar.

Directions

Mangoes are a bit messy and slippery to work with. They should be ripe first, with a slight softness, and yellow or reddish color, depending on the type of mango.

There are a few ways to peel a mango. I've seen them sliced in half, lengthwise around the large seed, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Below is how I do it.

I like to peel them this way. First I slice into the skin from top to bottom four times. Make sure to slice intersecting at the top and bottom.

Now just peel each segment to remove half of the skin, at the widest half of the mango. The mango seed is flat and wide so you want to slice off the most flesh along the seed. The seed will guide your blade, just follow the seed as you slice.

Once one side is stripped of flesh, then peel the other side and repeat, slicing along the length of the seed. You can keep slicing around the seed to get all the mango flesh. Now just cut the mango flesh into bite sizes.

Chop the onion into small pieces. I used about a quarter of a large red onion. You can add more or less onion to taste. 

Chop enough cilantro leaves to fill 2 tablespoons. Okay to add more or less to taste.

Add cilantro and onion to the bowl with mango.

Squeeze in the juice of one lemon or lime. Normally lime is used for salsa, but I used what I had on hand. Okay to use juice from the jar or plastic. 

A good trick to get lemon or lime extra juicy is to slice it in half, then microwave it for about 10-20 seconds until warm. This will release more juice.

Mix mango, cilantro, and onion with the lemon or lime juice.

Finally, add jalapeño.

When handling jalapeño make sure not to touch your eyes or lips or you will get burned. Be sure to wash your hands with soap after working with a jalapeño. The oil from a jalapeño is very hot to delicate body parts!

When handling jalapeño make sure not to touch your eyes or lips or you will get burned. Be sure to wash your hands with soap after working with a jalapeño. The oil from a jalapeño is very hot to delicate body parts!

I like to slice the jalapeño lengthwise to cut out the white pith and remove the seeds. Discard the stem. You will have a little spiciness from jalapeno flesh, but not as much as when adding the seeds.

I used about a quarter of a large jalapeño, or about a teaspoon when chopped. If you like your salsa hotter then add more chopped jalapeno, or add jalapeño with the seeds.

If you are unsure about how much you spiciness you can take, just add a little chopped jalapeño at a time and mix, then try salsa.

Serve Mango Salsa with tortilla chips, on a taco, or in a burrito. Keep Mango Salsa in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can make it a day ahead, as it will keep for several days. 

Hindsight
This recipe is easy to double or quadruple for more guests.

You can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste - add more mango or less jalapeño, more cilantro or even leave out the onion.

Another way to peel a mango is to just slice it lengthwise against the seed, skin, and all. Now you can just scoop out the flesh from half-slices with a spoon. Chop into bite-size pieces.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Peach Salsa

Peach are not only for pies, it makes a great salsa, too. This refreshing recipe combines the best of two worlds, sweet peaches from the South and spicy jalapeño from Mexico.

I've made all kinds of salsas from scratch, just click on any name to view: tangy Roasted Salsa Verde (tomatillo,) Red Chili (2 dried types - but same recipe,) Pico de Gallo, and Mango Salsa.

I leave the skin on my fruit, but you can remove it if you like. But do make sure the peach is a ripe one. My local Latin market carries them for less than a dollar per pound, and if you live in the Georgia, then you know where (and when) to get them for sure.

I used fresh jalapeño, but you can use it from a jar as well. The jalapenos will have a vinegar taste, but that's okay, just drain them first.

 I also remove the jalapeño seeds, but you can leave them in for a fiery Peach Salsa.

The other ingredients come cheaply and are easy to get. Cilantro is now carried by most groceries these days. I used red onion, but you can use cheaper white or yellow onion.

For my last taco party I set out a bowl of Peach Salsa and regular Red Chili Salsa. Guess which one vanished first - yep, it was the Peach Salsa.

For a fresh take on traditional tomato-based or red chili salsas, give my Peach Salsa a taste. All it takes is a little chopping.

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2 ripe peaches - about 2 cup chopped. My peaches were medium size (in peach country they can get quite large, so maybe one will do.) Okay to peel peaches, I left the skin on. It's okay to use canned peaches, too. Just drain them. (I would make a cocktail with the peach liquid, ha!)
• 3/4 cup onion - chopped. I used a red onion, but okay to use white or yellow onion.
• Lemon or lime juice - I used the juice of one whole lemon. May need more juice depending on ripeness of fruit. Okay to use juice from a jar, about a tablespoon.
• 2 tablespoons cilantro - chopped. Okay to add more or less to taste.
• 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño - optional. Okay to use jalapeño from the jar. I removed seeds, but leave them in for extra spicy. Okay to use more or less to you spice level.

Directions
Use ripe peaches. Prepare peach by cutting around peach and pulling it apart to remove the seed. Slice and chop peach into small pieces, like you would for a tomato based salsa.

I left the skin on the peach, but you can remove some or all the skin. If your cutting board has any peach juice left, just pour it into the salsa bowl.

Add chopped peaches to a bowl.

Chop the onion into small pieces. I used about a quarter of a large red onion. You can add more or less onion to taste.

Chop enough cilantro leaves to fill 2 tablespoons. Okay to add more or less to taste.

Add cilantro and onion to the bowl with peaches.

Squeeze in the juice of one lemon or lime. Normally lime is used for a salsa, but I used what I had on hand. Okay to use juice from the jar or plastic.

A good trick to get you lemon or lime extra juicy is to slice it in half, then microwave it for about 10-20 seconds until warm. This will release more juice.

Mix fruit, cilantro and onion with the lemon or lime juice. Finally add the chopped jalapeño.

When handling jalapeño make sure not to touch your eyes or lips or you will get burned. Be sure to wash your hands with soap after working with a jalapeño. The oil from a jalapeño is very hot to delicate body parts!

I like to slice the jalapeño lengthwise to cut out the white pith and remove the seeds. Discard the stem. You will have a little spiciness from jalapeno flesh, but not as much as when adding the seeds.

I used about a quarter of a large jalapeño, or about a tablespoon when chopped. If you like your salsa hotter then add more chopped jalapeno, or add jalapeño with the seeds.

If you are unsure about how much you spiciness you can take, just add a little chopped jalapeño at a time and mix, then try salsa.

Finally give your Peach Salsa a final mix to incorporate all the jalapeño.

Serve with chips, on a taco or in a burrito.

Hindsight
This recipe is easy to double or quadruple for more guests.

You can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste - add more peach or less jalapeño; more cilantro or even leave out the onion.

BBQ Lemon Marinated Chicken

When chicken comes on sale I fire up the grill, especially during the summer months. Lucky for me I also have a lemon tree across the way, so there are always a few lemons on my kitchen windowsill. If you have a BBQ grill, it couldn't be simpler to do a quick BBQ Lemon Marinated Chicken recipe.

Tart lemon and juicy chicken belong together. Sure it's sour, but when exposed to heat and mixed with poultry flavor and char, the taste mellows and give grilled chicken pieces the right amount of lemon tang.

I used fresh lemon from a local tree, but it's okay to use those plastic lemon-shaped juice vessels. You can also use lime juice. I get my plastic lemon from the 99c only Stores.

Chicken is the cheapest protein and I use it a lot. I get mine from my local Latin market. Whole leg quarters come on sale in 10 pound packages for 49 cents per pound; even half breast with skin and bone can be found there for 99 cents per pound. But my favorite deal is skinless and boneless leg quarters for 99 cents per pound!

To keep it cheap use leg quarters that include thigh and leg meat combined. It's easy enough to pull off the skin and slice out the bone. It doesn't have to be a perfect fillet, as long as the meat will not slip through the grill grating when barbecuing.

White meat is the easiest to fillet. The breast meat practically slides off,  when you cut along the bone. In both cases you do want to use a fairly sharp knife blade. I have a cheap sharpener and always give my main knife blade a few drags through it when it comes to deboning chicken

Remember, it's easy to debone breast meat, but takes a bit more blade maneuvering for dark meat leg quarters - but with some practice, you will get better at it.

Of course it's okay to just leave the chicken skin on and bones in - it's all good!

So next time you fire up the grill, get out the lemons for BBQ Lemon Marinated Chicken.

Ingredients

• 4 pieces of chicken - I used 2 skinless and boneless leg quarters (leg plus thigh). Okay to use chicken with bones and skin.
• 1/4 cup lemon juice - about 2-4 lemons, depending on juiciness. Okay to use store-bought lemon or lime juice.
• Salt and pepper - to taste.

Directions
Slice lemon in half and microwave for 15 seconds or so, to get the most juice. Squeeze lemon juice over the chicken pieces.

Salt and pepper pieces of chicken to taste. Mix well. Let chicken marinate in refrigerator for at least half an hour. You can let it go longer, up to a couple of hours.

Simply grill chicken over medium heat. It took my gas grill about 20 minutes total to cook chicken all the way. Depending on the fire-heat it can be quicker or slower to cook. Chicken with skin and bone will take longer - about 10 minutes more.

If you are cooking chicken skin-on, make sure to have a spray bottle with water handy for fire flareups that can blacken grilling chicken too much.

To check for doneness, just slice into thickest part of chicken . Chicken color should be white or light brown - there should be no pink juices or color. Final check is internal temperature at 165 degrees.

Onion and Parsley Salad Dressing

Sometimes The Miserly Vegetarian abandons meat and digs into a salad. My wife has a large selection of bottled salad dressings stored in the refrigerator door. Most of them are way too sweet and loaded with additives. Hey, I still use them all the time, but I like to make my own on occasion.

The base ingredients are blended oil, vinegar, a fresh herb and an onion. The onion gives my homemade Salad Dressing a creamy texture and a fresh herb adds fragrance and color. For this recipe I used fresh parsley, but you could also use basil, oregano, sage or any favorite herb. Parsley is quite mild so I added a lot; for other herbs you may want to half the amount I have listed below. (Or add a little at a time when blending.)

If you have an herb garden like me then you can't get herbs any cheaper. Onions and lemons are on sale often enough -- while olive oil is the most expensive item, you are not using that much.

My Onion and Parsley Salad Dressing can be added to sandwiches as well. It would pair perfectly with my Veggie Wrap ( for recipe click here.) Store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container and you may find yourself reaching for it more than those bottled, sugary, mystery salad dressing blends.

So check out the list of salad recipes that would host my delicious dressing. And click on a name to see the recipes of: Under 2 Minute Salad, Thai Cucumber Salad, Watermelon, Mango & Spinach Salad, Warm Steak Salad, Cuban Salad, and a Beet & Tangerine Salad. (Wow, I just noticed how short the list is -- I need to remedy this and come up with more...so do check back for healthier leafy fare.)

Ingredients (about 6 servings)

• 1/2 onion - any type. I used a yellow onion
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 bunch parsley - about a cup.
• Juice of one lemon - about a 2 tablespoons, fresh or from jar. Okay to substitute with vinegar.
• Salt and pepper to taste - optional.

Directions
Remove longer stems from parsley. Roughly chop 1/4 onion so it fits into a blender or food processor.

Add both to the blender or food processor. Pour in olive oil. Squeeze in lemon juice (filtering out seeds.)

Pulse/blend until onion is pulverized into a creamy liquid. Parsley is cut into small flakes. Oil and vinegar will be well mixed.

Ready to serve when blended. To store, refrigerate in a container with a tight top so you can shake it before each serving. Will keep for about two weeks, or until herbs start to turn brown.