Mangos come in several varieties, but the most common and those grown in the USA, are the Haden and the Tommy Atkins.. Their skin is a dark red blush with green and yellow shading. They are relatively large in size and contain a very large flat pit running through the middle of the fruit.
Here are some other fun facts you may not have known about mangos-
1. They are related to the pistachio and cashew.
2. While Florida is a mango producing state, most of our grocery store mangos are imported from Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Guatemala and Haiti.
3. India is the largest mango producer in the world.
4. A mango tree can grow as tall as 100 feet.
5. Even the inedible parts of the mango have a usefulness. The most interested is the pit which has the ability to marinate or soften meats.
6. Mangos are incredible rich in flavor and nutrients. An immature mango is very high in vitamin C. As it matures and ripens the level of viatmin A heightens and the vitamin C decreases.
To learn more about the mango check out this great website. http://www.mango.org/
Mangos are reasonably priced at your local grocery today. Peek season runs from April through July. Pick some up today and give this recipe a try.
Spinach Salad with Mango Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach
1 1/2 ripe mangos, peeled, pitted and cubed
1 medium tomato, cored, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/3 cup green onions, sliced
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
freshly ground pepper to taste
Mango Vinaigrette
1/2 mango, peeled, pitted and pureed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
To Prepare the Salad:
Place spinach, mango, tomato walnuts and green onions in a large bowl. Drizzle with Mango Vinaigrette and toss well to coat. Add blue cheese and toss again very lightly. Serve immediately with freshly ground pepper.
To Prepare the Mango Vinaigrette:
Combine mango, extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar and salt in a blender container or small food processor; blend until smooth.
Nutrition:
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: Calories: 300, Calories from Fat: 180, Total Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 420mg, Total Carbohydrate: 30g, Dietary Fiber: 6g, Sugars: 18g, Protein: 6g, Vitamin A: 70%, Vitamin C: 80%, Calcium: 15%, Iron: 15%
Recipe courtesty of www.mango.org
