By: Grace Chen

The mango has a special place in our hearts.  Its meaty fruit is juicy and sweet when ripe, and is the perfect addition to chutneys when it is not.

It is also highly nutritious.  Mangos are rich in a variety of phytochemicals and nutrients. The fruit pulp is high in dietary fiber, vitamin C, and provitamin A carotenoids.  They also contain essential vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, B6, C, E, and K, as well as potassium and copper.

The recipe below is for a fresh Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Mango Salsa that is a great accompaniment to any white fish, chicken tacos, or it is a great alternative to typical tomato-based salsa.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4 (as an accompaniment to a fish entrée)

Special Utensils: brown paper bag

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe mangos, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper
• ½ cup of finely diced red onion
• 2 limes
• 1 serrano chile, de-seeded and de-veined, chopped
• ½ cup of cilantro, chopped
• Olive oil for brushing
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Brush bell pepper with olive oil and place on the grill, turning with tongs until all of the skin is blackened.  In the absence of a grill, you can also roast the pepper by holding it between a pair of tongs over the flame on a gas stove, or by placing the oven on “broil”, the bell pepper on the top rack, and turning until the skin is blackened on all sides.  Once the bell pepper has been roasted, place it in the brown paper bag and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the mangos, red onion, chile, and cilantro and mix together.  Add juice from the limes one at a time, tasting as you go to make sure it doesn’t over-power the rest of the ingredients.  Check the bell pepper- it should have grown very soft in the paper bag.  Remove it, chop, de-seed, and de-vein the pepper.  You may choose to remove the skin as well, or keep it for a smoky flavor.  Add the pepper to the salsa, toss and serve!

Till next time,

Aloha oukou