While I have been enjoying the pleasures of eating mangoes, evidenced by my frequently juice-stained hands to my orange-yellow stained t-shirts, I have also been drinking my mangoes, in a variety of ways. Today I am sharing with you four of the ways in which I have been drinking my mangoes and hopefully you will be inspired to join me.
Shakes
In the mornings I make a breakfast Shake consisting of ripe mangoes, a banana, ground oats, (or ground barley), yogurt, and milk along with a little water to loosen things up. Sometimes, I add a bit of honey.
I also make this shake if I have had a long day and did not have a chance to have a solid or hot-cooked meal. The Shake is very satisfying, delicious, and nutritious too. It keeps you up for a long time. Try it. Add quantities of ingredients to suit your taste.
Definitely play around with other combinations to make shakes.
Cocktails
These days there are so many options and variations as to what one can do with fruits in combination with alcohol and a sweetener. Take Daiquiri for example. The original Daiquiri is a mixture of lime juice, sugar and rum poured over ice, today, you may still find the original but thanks to bartenders/mixologists, you can have a different Daiquiri for each day of the week!
Frozen Daiquiris are fun whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic. It’s like having a big slushy. I save this drink for the weekends when liming with friends. Here’s how I make mine in a large blender.
INGREDIENTS
· 1½ cups mango pulp
· 2 cups ice cubes
· ¾ cup dark rum
· ¼ cup fresh lime juice
· Simple Syrup (I add to taste)
DIRECTIONS
1. Put everything in the blender, cover and blend until smooth.
2. Garnish with slices of lime, sprigs of mint or maraschino cherries.
Note: to make simple syrup simply add (by volume) equal parts sugar and water to a pot over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar and bring to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer for 2 minutes, remove from heat and cool completely before using.
Try adding mangoes to any of your favourite frozen blender cocktail concoctions or better yet, create one! And don’t be stingy, share (lol).
Fruity drinks
One of the things I like about the weekends, especially growing up, was the homemade fruit drinks that would accompany the Saturday Cook-up Rice, the weekend bakes of Coconut buns and cake as well as the Sunday lunch feast. The drinks were always made of whatever fruits were in season. It was especially a treat for us because during the week we would only have water. My Mother was strict that way.
About five years ago whilst enjoying a bounty of mangoes and coming up with all sorts of combinations of beverages for fruit drinks, I decided to combine mangoes with guava. Oh. My. Goodness. I saw on this occasion that I do have the ability to be selfish. Usually, when I make stuff, I am always sharing it with my neighbours and friends, but I tell you, this time, I did not want to share. These two powerhouse fruits when combined were indescribably exquisite. Rich, thick, just the right amount of sweetness and full of flavour, you at once wanted to drink it quickly to refill your glass yet take your time to sip and savour. I tell no lie; I reluctantly gave a bottle to my best friend to take home. Her eyes opened wide when she first tasted it at my place, and as we sat eating and drinking, we both kept eying the jug on the table as the drink in our glasses disappeared down our throats.
To make this drink, simply blend together guava and mangoes with sugar to taste along with water until smooth and well mixed. Pass through a sieve to remove the guava seeds. Do not add any essence or extracts, to do so would ruin and muddle the taste of the fruits.
Dessert in a glass
Fruity, sweet, creamy, and spiced with cardamom, Mango Lassi is my idea of dessert (in a glass). As you know, I don’t have a sweet tooth so decadent sweet treats are not my thing, therefore, Mango Lassi is light enough for me to enjoy as a sweet treat. The rich thick texture of Mango Lassi, if chilled well, could be thought of as a type of soft-set pudding, though it is categorised as a drink.
This is how I like mine but please use proportions to suit your taste.
INGREDIENTS
· 1½ cups chopped ripe mangoes
· 1 heaped cup whole milk yogurt or 1 cup Greek yogurt
· Sugar to taste
· ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom/cardamom powder
· Whole milk (enough to produce your desired consistency of mixture)
DIRECTIONS
1. Add all the ingredients to a jug blender and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust to suit your taste and consistency – sugar/honey, yogurt, and milk.
2. Cover jug tightly and refrigerate until ready to use, or transfer to individual glasses, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
NOTES
· Water can be used in place of milk to thin out the shake, but the richness would not be the same.
· If serving immediately, add ice cubes to the blender with the other ingredients and blend well. However, if you can, make ahead and let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. Give the mixture a good stir before serving, or if you stored it in the blender, pulse it a few times to mix again.
· Do not add ice cubes if not serving immediately, however, if you do, then be sure to stir the mixture before pouring and serving.
· Optional garnishes – cubed ripe mangoes, chopped pistachios (salted or unsalted), saffron threads
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
www.tasteslikehome.org
