Last week, my friend Christy e-mailed me this really tasty sounding Mango Salsa recipe that she serves with salmon. I was all set to try it with grilled chicken when I realized I forgot to buy a mango at the store. I was really bummed about that and sighed dejectedly, as I had already really developed quite the taste for that dinner and couldn’t really think of anything else to make.
I started rummaging around the kitchen for a suitable mango substitute. I think even the last of a frozen bag of mango chunks from Trader Joe’s had been pilfered already for a pitcher of Mango Margaritas a few weeks back.
Then I spotted jwa’s fruit stash for his cereal in the morning. He had some really nice looking white nectarines from Limbo. Hmmmmm, as Mr. Burns would say, “Excellent.” So, I used those to come up with this, as a quick, mango-less substitute for Christy’s Mango Salsa recipe.
Ingredients:
2 Ripe Nectarines (White or otherwise)
1/2 of a jalapeno (seeded and diced into very small pieces)
A handful of cilantro, washed and chopped
The juice of 1 orange
The juice of half a lime
1/4 of a small sweet onion, diced finely
Mix everything together, salt to taste. I stored mine in the fridge for about an hour — I think the flavors got a chance to kind of meld together and develop a bit more that way.
On to the trusty grill pan. Ahhhh…my grill pan. I love my grill pan. It is this one and I got it a few years ago. The grill marks make everything taste better! Chicken, tuna, veggie burgers, eggplant slices, portobello mushrooms! Seriously, I love my grill pan. I would marry my grill pan if Rick Santorum would let me.
Ahem, so, I grilled the chicken breasts (which I had marinated in an Orange-Mango sauce — a bottled concoction from Jake’s) in the grill pan for about 6 minutes per side. Until the trusty meat thermometer said 160. Then I took them out, put them on a plate and covered with foil to rest and increase a few degrees in temperature to around 165-ish. Thank you, America’s Test Kitchen.
Couscous was quickly made using chicken stock and the juice of an orange. Dinner was served. All were happy.
Tomorrow, along with probably everyone else in Portland, we’re heading to the beach to try and escape the heat. Hopefully, next week, there will be a post about my favorite restaurant on the coast, The Pacific Way Cafe. They seem to have a Web site here — but they haven’t really done anything with it. Maybe it’s coming soon?
PS: Maybe if Christy’s really nice, she will post her Mango Salsa recipe in the comments!
I’ve been deliquent on the recipe because I’ve been in Vegas baby! Here it is for all the fabulous readers.
1 10-ounce mango, peeled, pitted, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons minced seeded serrano chili
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
This recipe is from epicurious. I used a few jalepeno slices instead of serrano chili. The mango over salmon was amazing. I used peaches instead of mango over halibut, and though it was tasty, not the same as mango.
Thank you!! I so want to try this soon 🙂