Mango is the perfect foil for hot or spicy meats. Its cool sweetness helps cut the pungency and adds interest to the palate and the plate. As mangoes are becoming increasingly available at neighborhood grocers and supermarkets, North Americans are looking for easy ways to use it in their meal planning and cooking. Raw mango is a delicious snack, and can be eaten by the slice, cubed for fruit salads, or pureed for use in smoothies. This recipe combines mango with dark leafy greens and poached chicken for a mouth-watering main meal. Prepare it for your next romantic dinner – it serves two. It is a great way to use up leftover chicken that has been cooked earlier in the week – I always cook more than I will need so that I can use the leftovers in a soup or salad. If company is coming, simply double or triple the recipe so your guests can enjoy it too!
Ingredients:
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded with two forks
1 ripe mango
4 cups of mixed field greens, baby greens or mustard greens
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/4 cup of whole or chopped walnuts
For Dressing:
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp horseradish mustard (1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard with 1 tsp horseradish)
2 tbsp organic or homemade yogurt
fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Method: For the Mango – How to Peel a Mango: Wash the mango, and hold it on its side. Use a sharp knife to slice lengthwise about 1/3 of the way into the flesh, just avoiding the large pit. Turn the mango over and do the same thing on the other side. Then use the knife to make a criss-cross pattern across the skin without cutting through the flesh. Begin to pull on the skin – you will see a lot of diamond shapes starting to pop out – cut them off close to the peel and voila, you now have mango cubes to work with!
Once your mango is chopped, use a medium bowl and a wire whisk to combine all the dressing ingredients. Wash and dry your salad greens and divide them between two large dinner plates. Sprinkle chopped celery pieces over the mixed greens. Place the shredded chicken, walnuts, andmango cubes on each plate, and drizzle with dressing. Serve with extra dressing in a small pitcher on the table. NOTE: pecans can be substituted in for the walnuts. The cilantro and mango make an excellent flavor combination.