A guest post by Judith Natelli McLaughlin.
Are you afraid of the mango? Don’t be! I’m here to give you a mango primer so you don’t miss out on this delicious treat:
First, choose a mango that is a bit soft to the touch–when it is soft, it means it is nice and ripe. The mango has a flat-ish oblong pit running down its center. The objective is to cut along the sides of the pit, separating the yummy, delicious, fleshy part from the pit. First, I peel my mango, using a basic kitchen peeler (same one I use for carrots and potatoes). Next, holding the mango with one hand, I stand it on its end, STEM side down. Now, I imagine a flat, oval pit inside of the mango, running almost from top to bottom. With a sharp knife in my other hand, I cut from the top of the mango, down one side of the pit. Then I repeat with the other side. Now I have three pieces: two halves and a middle section that includes the pit. I dice up the two pitless halves and save the pit for myself! I eat the fruit right off the pit, allowing the juices to drip down my chin. YUM! —
Eat mango plain, add it to fruit salad, or try my mango salsa:
Mango Salsa
Ingredients:
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted
1 diced medium red onion, finely chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled, diced
3 T fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
3
T fresh lime juice (add some lime zest if you wish)
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste. If you want, add diced peaches, avocado or tomato!
You can check out all sorts of fruits and vegetables in my book, Poems on Fruits & Odes to Veggies.
And of course, when introducing mango to your kids, try reciting my poem first…
Mango
To do the mango tango
Buy a mango, holler, hoot
Peel and slice the magic mango
Yellow-orange, juicy fruit
With the speed of a fandango
Eat the mango, move your feet
Step out forward, then jump backward
Keeping mango tango beat
Never let your taste buds hang–oh!
In the mango tango mood
Try this tropically nutritious
Simply mangolicious food
Author/illustrator of the children’s picture book "Poems on Fruits & Odes to Veggies–Where Healthy Eating Starts With a Poem," public speaker, health food enthusiast and mom Judith Natelli McLaughlin is here to help introduce your family to some fruits and veggies they may not know about, while reintroducing them to some old favorites, too. Her goal is to educate AND entertain and get you to remember that healthy eating starts with a poem.
