Disclosure: This post is in collaboration with The National Mango Board and The Motherhood in an effort to share tips and recipes on cooking with mangos. All opinions expressed are my own.
If you follow me on Instagram, you saw me post several pics of a fun #MakeItMango event that I recently attended with my 5 year-old, Jacob. We were hosted by the National Mango Board at The Culinary Center of Kansas City and got to hang out with some amazing bloggers along with their sweet kiddos - all in the name of MANGOS!
Now, truth be told, I was already a HUGE fan of mangos. I love the fruit and the flavor. Case in point: I probably own at least a dozen mango lip balms. Seriously. So, as you can imagine, I was very excited to be able to attend this fun night - especially because I rarely get to have one-on-one time with my 3rd born. But what is really so surprising is that for as much as I love mangos, there's a whole lot I didn't know about them.
Mangos are a Superfood
Yep, that's right. Mangos are a true superfruit, as they contain over 20 different vitamins and minerals, and each serving is fat, sodium, and cholesterol-free. Just one cup provides 100% of your daily vitamin C and is just 100 calories! Ahem, all great reasons to incorporate them more into your cooking and recipes!
Mangos are in Season Year-Round
This is by far the most exciting fact I learned all night. Because the source countries harvest mango crops at different times of the year, we can enjoy them year-round! This means their ALWAYS in season and available at your local grocer for a reasonable price.
Cutting a Mango in 3 Easy Steps
I have to admit, before attending this event, I had little knowledge about how to cut a mango. But, as it turns out, I was totally overthinking it. It's actually super simple to cut a mango. Check out these 3 quick steps to doing just that:
Step 1: Stand the mango on your cutting board with the stem end down and hold. You'll notice that the bump, also referred to as the "eye" of the mango, should be on top. This is what you'll be cutting around, as most of the mango seed is in the center. You'll want to cut on either side of the "eye", slicing the outer "cheeks" of each side of the mango.
Step 2: Cut parallel slices into the mango flesh, being careful not to cut through the skin. Think of it like making "score" marks - a series going horizontal, and a series going vertical.
Step 3: Scoop the mango slices out of the mango skin using a spoon.
Easy Mango Recipes - Kid Friendly and Delicious
I'm so excited to share 3 fantastic, easy, and kid friendly mango recipes that you are going to love. During our event, we had the splendid pleasure of sampling these tasty treats and now I'm passing the recipes along to you to share with your family.
Easy Mango and Banana Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 mangos, peeled, pitted, and diced
- 3/4 cup low fat milk
- 1 cup ice
- 1/2 banana
- 1 tsp. honey
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in blender. Pulse until desired consistency. For thicker smoothie, add more ice.
>> TIP: One of the best tips I learned for this recipe is that instead of ice, you can use frozen pieces of mango in place of it. This not only makes for a more delish smoothie, but less water content.
Frozen Yogurt Dipped Mango Pops
Ingredients:
- 2 large mangos
- 1 cupe Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- toppings - mini chocolate chips, salted cashews, sprinkles, or others as desired
Directions:
With a sharp knife, slice off the sides of the mango, avoiding the large seed in the middle. With a large spoon, scoop the mango away from the peel. Slice each mango half into thirds and skewer each slice onto a toothpick or wooden skewer.
In a bowl, stir to combine yogurt and honey. Dip each mango into the yogurt until coated. You may need to use a spoon to help spoon yogurt onto the mango slices evenly.
Sprinkle desired toppings onto each mango slice and place mango slices on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place in the freezer until mangos are slightly frozen and yogurt has set, about 1 - 2 hours. Serve and enjoy.
Cinco de Mango Quesadilla Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 1 dried ancho/pasilla chile pepper, stemmed and seeded
- 4 burrito size flour tortillas
- 6 ounces thinly sliced or shredded Jack cheese
- 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
For the mango salsa:
- large mango, peeled, pitted and chopped
- 1/3/ cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- 1/2 TBSP. chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 TBSP. lime juice
- pinch or dash of salt
Directions:
Cook chicken on a lightly oiled grill over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side or until lightly charred and cooked through. Let cool slightly and cut into bite size strips. Puree the tomato sauce and dried pepper in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add grilled chicken to pan and toss well to coat; season to taste with salt. Place flour tortillas on a flat surface. Top half of each tortillas with equal amounts of cheese, mango, bell pepper, green onion and chicken; fold over tortillas. Cook in a large skillet on both sides until cheese is melted and tortilla is crisp, about 5 minutes on each side. Serve with mango salsa.
Mango Salsa Recipe: In a small bowl, stir together mango, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.
While I can't guarantee you'll have a cutie like my sweet boy to serve up your delicious quesadilla, I can promise you it will be scrumptious!
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