Summer Thai Mango Salad w/ Asian Grilled Chicken

Summer Thai Mango Salad

This is a nice summer salad that I first had at a Thai restaurant on Yonge Street. Since then it's one of our "go-to" summer salads. We like to have it with asian marinated or spice-rubbed grilled chicken but it goes equally well with grilled shrimp, steak or pork chops.

You can't lose... it's a nice combo of sweet, tart and spice!

Ingredients

• 2 limes

• 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 red Thai peppers (seeded and minced)

• 2 tablespoons peanut (or canola) oil

• 2 ripe but firm mangoes

• 1 red bell pepper

• 2 green onions (thinly sliced)

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)

• 1/4 cup fresh mint (chopped)

• 1/3 cup chopped peanuts (toasted)

• salt

Prep

Zest peel from 1 lime and place in a measuring cup along with 1/4 cup of lime juice.

Whisk in fish sauce, sugar, honey and thai pepper until sugar is dissolved.

Gradually whisk in peanut oil until blended.

Set dressing aside.

Peel mangoes, then cut away chunks of fruit from pits then, cut into thin strips (julienne, or use grater) and place in a large bowl.

Seed sweet pepper, cut into very thin strips and add to mangoes.

Add half of green onions, and cilantro. Toss gently until combined.

Add dressing and a pinch of salt, toss until mixed. Let sit for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Serve and sprinkle with nuts and remaining green onions.

Mango Bruschetta

Sometimes it's fun to change up the "old reliable". Bruschetta is classically made with roma tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and some balsamic vinegar (hopefully from Modena, Italy).

But since "bruschetta" is originally from the Italian "bruscare" meaning "to roast over coals"... we can substitute what we want to. For this appetizer I used fresh mangos as a base. Instead of basil I used cilantro, and made a "vinaigrette" from fresh lime and orange juice. Finally I made a small dice with some onions and red peppers for some crunch and piled it high on a crusty toasted Tuscan bread. This one is super-simple, and a real treat with dinner. You can make it ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of days.

The Mango Bruschetta is shown here with a panko-crusted Tilapia and dilled tartar sauce.

Mango Bruschetta

Crusty Italian bread

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 Tablespoon butter

2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 Tablespoons finely chopped red pepper

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix ingredients together and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Butter toasted bread and top with mango mixture.

Dilled Tartar Sauce

2/3 cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons diced dill pickle

1 Tablespoons diced white onion

Freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

Stir together the mayonnaise, pickle, onion, and lemon juice. Chill and serve.

Panko Crusted Fish

Ingredients

1 pound piece boneless, skinless tilapia

1 cup panko (Japanese coarse bread crumbs)

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus for seasoning

2 large eggs

Freshly ground black pepper

Canola oil, for frying

Directions

Prepare a paper towel-lined baking pan and set aside. Toss the panko, flour, and 2 teaspoons salt in 1 shallow bowl or pie plate, and beat the eggs lightly in another.

Heat about 1/4-inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the fish all over with salt and pepper, dip in the eggs, and then press into the panko mixture to coat evenly, shaking off any excess. Carefully place the fish in the hot oil, taking care not to crowd the pan. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a constant sizzle. Fry the fish, turning once, until evenly brown, about 2 to 3 minutes total. Transfer to paper towels to absorb excess oil, and, if necessary, keep warm in the oven on the rack. Repeat with the rest of the fish. Serve hot with the tartar sauce.

Southwest Corn, Mango & Black Bean Salad

My sister Tracy is going on a camping trip and asked if I had a salad idea that will travel well. I thought my Southwest Corn, Mango & Black Bean Salad would do the trick. This is one of the most colorful salads you'll ever see... yellow, red, white, purple, orange, green, and brown. It's also one of those concoctions that gets better the longer the ingredients are sitting together. You can easily stash it in a tupperware dish and throw it in a backpack or cooler.

For those of us that prefer a less rustic experience, try it at home with a mesquite rubbed chicken breast.

Southwest Mango, Corn & Black Bean Salad

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons canola oil

• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels (from 3 ears)

• 1 1/2 tsp Club House seasoning - Spicy Mesquite or similar flavour

• 1 large ripe mango (about 1 pound), peeled and diced

• 1 15-ounce or 19-ounce can black beans, rinsed

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion

• 1/2 cup diced red & yellow bell pepper

• 3 tablespoons lime juice

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 jalepeno, seeds and ribs removed

• 1 small canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, drained and chopped

• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add corn and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle with Club House seasoning and sauté for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer the corn mixture to a large bowl. Stir in diced mango, beans, onion, jalepeno, red & yellow bell peppers, lime juice, honey, chipotle, cilantro, cumin, a couple shakes of the Club House seasoning and salt.