Mango Salsa / Dressing / Chutney

This is one of those times I just want to go nutso and say ALL THE THINGS at one time!!!  This is such a great recipe that I want everyone to know about it right. now.  Deep breath...

Last weekend I had the opportunity to help teach a paleo cooking class with my friend Adam, a personal trainer and health coach.  He had several clients who were coming in to learn recipes and leave with food for a week of healthy meals.  My role was to provide the kitchen tools and help everyone use them.  (A fun afternoon with great people making awesome food and showing Pampered Chef products?  Sign me up!)  Anyway, we got to this mango dish, and the uses were being explained - eat as a side, put on top of steak, etc. - and all I could think was, This would be great with pita chips!  Now, I may not know much, but I do know that yelling out about pita chips at a paleo cooking class is a pretty good way to never be invited back.  I held my tongue, but I knew these ingredients would end up on my shopping list for the week along with... pita chips.

Get ready for what I think might be the best summer salsa I've ever had in my life!

 

Mango Salsa / Dressing / Chutney

chefjennylyn.com

1 large mango, cubed
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, cubed
1 cucumber, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Juice of one orange if doing chutney

Salsa: Combine all ingredients, mixing to incorporate.  Serve immediately

Dressing: Smash the ingredients, and add more olive oil

Chutney: Heat ingredients to simmer, and add juice of 1 orange.  Shake in a few pepper flakes if desired.

Do the bright colors of the ingredients make you happy?  They do me!  Cilantro is draining in a Stainless Mesh Colander, and olive oil is measured into the Mini Easy Read Measuring Cup.  My produce is on the Large Grooved Cutting Board with the flat side up, and I've got the Bamboo Grinder Set standing by for the sea salt at the end.  Then I have my Manual Food Processor, a Bamboo Specialty Tool, my Avocado Peeler, and my Mango Wedger.  This is going to be fun!

The great thing about the Manual Food Processor is that you can do multiple ingredients at the same time.  Red onion and cilantro: BEFORE.

Red onion and cilantro: AFTER.  Just a few quick pumps, and I'm done chopping herbs and onion.  On recipes where you need a bunch of an herb, this thing just can't be beaten.

I sliced my cucumber into chunks using my favorite knife, the 5" Santoku from the Forged Cutlery Collection, and now I'll finish the job with the Manual Food Processor.

Have I mentioned that I use this tool all the time?

The recipe calls for a large mango, but I don't like mango as a star ingredient.  I opted for the smaller size, but you can see that the Mango Wedger can fit all types.  This really is one of the most amazing tools I've ever seen.  The thing just finds the pit, cuts around it, and reduces waste.  Awesome!

To finish the job, score the mango two ways, and then just cut it right off of the peel.

I use the Avocado Peeler constantly during the summer.  I love avocado on salads, but I also have a thing with fresh guacamole.  By a thing, I mean an addiction.  Anyway, I think this is the best tool ever because it goes through the skin of the fruit without being sharp.  Read: You won't cut yourself.

Score the avocado two ways, making squares, and pop it out of the peel.  Here's a tip for when you only use half at a time.  Save the remaining half with the nut still inside, and cover it with plastic wrap that actually touches the green side.  That prevents air from getting against the meat, which keeps it from turning brown.

The Garlic Press!  You don't have to peel the garlic, people.  Fresh garlic changes everything, so get a garlic press and start taking advantage of the most inexpensive ingredient ever.  Everything here is in a Stainless Mixing Bowl, by the way.

I can't say enough about the Citrus Press, but this was mentioned in an awesome article I read recently on tools chefs can't live without.  This maximizes the juice you get out of citrus without letting seeds into your dish.  When one small lime is $.69, I want all the juice.

This is a great thing to have as a snack, take to a party, or make your kitchen smell fresh and delicious.  Whatever.  Just trust me when I say it's a winner.  Please, please, please make it sooner than later!  Ok, I'm going to stop before I say too much.  Just... please?

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E-mail me: chefjennylyn[at]gmail.com

Call me up: (205) 585-2464

Gazpacho

A few years ago my sister-in-law Shannon made gazpacho for a party, and it made me a believer. The stuff was so good that I had to get the recipe two years later and make it for myself no more than two years after that, which was a couple of weeks ago. I know it's lame for me to sit on a recipe I know I love, but sometimes I'm a moron. The bottom line is that I finally made it and kicked myself for waiting so long before getting my act together. Now the ball's in your court, so make gazpacho.

Gazpacho

chefjennylyn.com

1 cup each, chopped:

Red onion

Bell pepper

Cucumber

Tomatoes, peeled

1 1/2 tsp. garlic

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. vinegar

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 cup tomato paste

3 cups tomato juice

Thyme sprig

Mix all ingredients, and refrigerate overnight. Blend thyme sprig.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield 8 cups

Pretty complicated, huh?

One thing I love about this recipe is its color. Just look at all the vegetable action in my kitchen! Here's a tip on bell peppers. In this case, I'm using the whole thing, but if I needed to save half, I would save the part that still has seeds in it. This just makes it last longer in the fridge. All of this crazy cutting is on the Large Grooved Cutting Board, and I'm using the 5" Santoku Knife from the Forged Cutlery Collection to make it happen. See those peeled tomatoes? The Vegetable Peeler is an amazing tool, and it makes quick work of tomatoes and even apples... not just the standard carrots, cucumbers, etc.

Dear Veggie Wedger: I'm sorry I thought you seemed kind of stupid when I first saw you were introduced to the product line. I'm glad I got you for zero dollars as a consultant and that I got to experience just how great you are. I was wrong, and I love you.

The Manual Food Processor blows my mind. This recipe is ridiculously easy because of this tool. Look at how easily it chops the vegetables without turning them to soup! It's kind of funny for me to say that considering I'm turning them to soup.

And so all the beautiful colors come together! The Mini Mix 'n Scraper is the perfect size for the Manual Food Processor, even when the blade's in the base. I'm adding everything to the Large Stainless Mixing Bowl, and then I'll put the lid on it to store my soup overnight.

Check out that Smooth-Edge Can Opener! I hope I never get over how great this thing is. Smooth edge means no danger. No food on the can opener means no nasty crust. No lid in the can's contents means no... lid in the can's contents.

So here's something really cool about the Measure-All Cup. It has tablespoon measurements. Half a cup plus two tablespoons is 10 tablespoons, so there you go! Then there's the Mini-Measure All Cup (no longer pink) with tomato paste in it.

Most lemons yield about 2 tablespoons of juice, so you're pretty safe to cut it in half when you need one tablespoon. However, if you're not using a good Citrus Press, you may end up using the entire lemon to get the same amount. See how good tools help in the kitchen? I'm measuring into the Easy Read Mini Measuring Cup.

Garlic Press. That is all. Ok, it's not, but just ask someone who has this if it's not the most amazing garlic press in the world. He or she will answer yes every time. You don't have to peel the garlic, people! I repeat: You. don't. have. to. peel. the. garlic!

Take all of this, add it together, and give it a good stir. It's good right after you do that, but it's magic if you wait until the next day. Everything marries, and flavor babies are born like crazy! Tomato juice (which can be tricky to find - thanks, Publix) is in the 4-Cup Easy Read Measuring Cup, and cayenne pepper is in a Pinch Bowl. Vinegar is in a Measuring Spoon, and the Classic Scraper is covered in tomato paste beside it. I've explained everything else, so I won't make you endure it again. You're welcome.

So here's the bottom line on this soup. It's good, and you'll agree if you make it. Unlike many gazpacho recipes, this one doesn't require breadcrumbs. Don't ask me why, but that's a win. Also, this originates in Spain, and Spain is a great country. I love that place and everyone in it! Treat yourself to gazpacho soon, and let me know when you do.

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Shop Online 24/7 at pamperedchef.biz/jennylyn

E-mail me: chefjennylyn[at]gmail.com

Call me up: (205) 585-2464

MFP Fresh Tomato Salsa

Make salsa, not war. Confession: I ate an entire batch of this in two sittings spaced about four hours apart. It's addictive, I tell you - addictive! Let's start with this - the Manual Food Processor (MPF). It's a new product that has already changed my life. I got one free when it first came out (yes, I get a lot of free stuff, and you can too), but then I bought myself a second one because I felt the need for two. It's that good. The best part? It includes a recipe card for this salsa. Seriously, this is wonderful, and it's embarrassingly easy. Let's dive in!

MFP Fresh Tomato Salsa

chefjennylyn.com

1 small onion, quartered

1 jalapeño, stemmed, sliced in thirds

1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups grape tomatoes

Place onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in Manual Food Processor. Pump until coarsely chopped. Gradually add tomatoes, pumping between, until desired consistency is reached. Yes, it's that easy.

Aren't the ingredients pretty? Tomatoes are in an Easy Read Measuring Cup, and cilantro is in a standard Measuring Cup. I'll be using the 5" Utility Knife from the Forged Cutlery Collection for a bit of slicing, and the Bamboo Grinder will grind the world's best Salt into the recipe. Everything is displayed on the Cutting Board.

The recipe instructs to quarter the onion, but the Veggie Wedger cuts into sixths, which is even better in my book. Seriously, this thing is awesome. Also new, it makes quick work of lemons, limes, tomatoes, onions, or anything else you want wedged evenly. Why didn't we think of this sooner?

The recipe also instructs that you use whole garlic cloves, but here's a secret: They're getting chopped up anyway, so why not save the hassle of peeling and just mince them on in? The Garlic Press is one of my favorite tools because it allows me to use fresh garlic in all my cooking without the annoyance of, "Oh, but now my hands stink." Lemon juice is no problem with the Citrus Press, a heavy-duty tool that forces lemon submission. Just compare the juiced slice to the whole slice. See a difference? Ok, so I'm just throwing all this stuff into the Manual Food Processor, which I'll explain in a minute.

The Manual Food Processor is making waves. I've enjoyed mine, and I've heard great things from others as well. There are three pieces to this: The base/cylinder thing, the blade, and the top/pump mechanism. That's all! You just put ingredients inside and press the pump for quick, easy chopping. There are also measurements on the cylinder, and it includes a non-skid grip around the bottom. Can it get any simpler?

I think this picture should have been horizontal... Oh, well. Anyway, the new Mini Mix 'n Scraper was designed specifically to fit the Manual Food Processor, but I've found it to be handy for tons of things. Besides, it's just so cute!

This is every bit as good as it looks. Now that grape tomatoes are becoming more abundant, I plan to make this a regular on my keep-on-hand list. Warning: If you don't like spicy things, seed the jalapeño. This is quite the spicy salsa when prepared as-written. (Again, this is in a Dots Pasta Bowl from the Simple Additions Collection.)

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Shop Online 24/7 at pamperedchef.biz/jennylyn

E-mail me: chefjennylyn[at]gmail.com

Call me up: (205) 585-2464