Champagne mangoes are little midget mangoes from Mexico that contain more vitamin C than most other types of mangoes. The inside is incredibly sweet and juicy, and the best thing about this type of mango is that it has minimal fibrous texture making your mango experience that much more enjoyable. If you're having a difficult time imagining the texture (not taste), think canned peaches minus the additives. Yep, that's how velvety smooth it is! Amazing.
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| Pineapple Mango Salsa in a Pineapple Boat |
I've had mango salsa before, but I've never tried making it with pineapples. Actually, the only reason why I threw in the pineapples was because I had this urge to make a pineapple boat for my mother's meeting and didn't know what to do with all those pineapple chunks. Well, after putting all of my ingredients together, the salsa came out amazing! Pineapple has officially made its way into my recipe forever.
I also decided to add some balsamic vinegar because it really brings out the flavors in fruits, especially in strawberries and mangoes. In fact, whenever I make my fruit salad, I always try to push my mangoes to the bottom so that they would absorb the vinegar by the time I reach them. My only concern with adding balsamic vinegar to this recipe was that it could potentially turn the salsa brown, so I only added a teaspoon. A little splash goes a long way!
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| This recipe fit perfectly inside the pineapple boat |
Pineapple Mango Salsa:
2 cups champagne mango, chopped
1 cup pineapple, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tsp serrano peppers (or jalapeno), minced
2 tbs cilantro
2 tsp peppers, minced
1 tsp balsamic vinegar*
1 tbs fresh pineapple juice
1 lime, juiced
1/4 tsp ginger (optional)
1) Cut out pineapple boat following the directions below
2) In a medium-sized bowl, mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (longer the better) to allow flavors to blend. Serve chilled inside pineapple.
*If the balsamic vinegar makes the salsa darker than you prefer, put some of the salsa aside before adding the vinegar and place it on top when plating.
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| Find a stable side of the pineapple where it naturally stands, then turn it to its side to cut off the opening/filling side (about 1/2 - 3/4 inch from edge). I did not cut my pineapple in half because I wanted the "boat" to hold more salsa. |
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| Using a smaller knife, cut out an oval inside as close as you can to the skin. Angle your knife towards the center of the pineapple for easy scooping. Slice out 1 inch cubes. |
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| Scoop out the pineapple cubes and juice and set aside. |
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| Pineapple Boat! Feel free to scrape and dig out more pineapple from the sides. |
Pineapple Shopping Tips:
from 12,167 Kitchen and Cooking Secrets by Susan Sampson
1) The crown is compact
2) Leaves are green and moist
3) Leave in the center of the crown releases with a gentle tug
4) The stem end smells sweet, not fermented
5) There's a slight "give" when pushing on skin
6) Feels heavy
7) Eyes (thorny studs in the skin) are protruding of weepy
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