Mango & Tomato

3/18/16

TGIF: Mocha Slush Recipe with Halo Top Ice Cream

Sometimes I get lucky :) Last week I came home to a shipment of Halo Top Ice Cream! SURPRISE!!

How fun are these containers? Not only do they look cute, but they also have only 240 calories per pint. You read right: per pint! Not per cup, but the entire container!

No, I did not eat the entire container of ice cream at once. In fact, most of these containers are still sitting sealed in my freezer: remember I told you about my whole "let's eat better and move more" attitude?

Still, I wanted to do something fun with a few flavors of Halo Top Ice Cream and ended up turning leftover iced coffee into a slush!

While Halo Top is low-calorie, high-protein, and low-sugar, we use only the best, all-natural ingredients to craft our ice cream so that it tastes just like regular ice cream. We know it sounds too good to be true, so don’t just take our word for it – dig in and see for yourself just how good healthy ice cream can be!

Mocha Slush Recipe with Halo Top Ice Cream
1 part chocolate mocha chip Halo Top Ice Cream flavor
1 part vanilla bean Halo Top Ice Cream flavor
1 part iced coffee
1 part ice

Add all ingredients into a blender and pulse until you reach a slush consistency.

Drink up!

This slush was refreshing and slightly sweet with a kick of caffeine! I cannot wait to try the other flavors, especially the lemon cake and the birthday cake!

Thanks Halo Top friends for letting me try your product! {I am not paid for this post!! All opinions are mine.}

3/17/16

Let's Move Visit To The White House & Recipe For Rainbow Salad

I still cannot believe that I visited THE WHITE HOUSE this past Tuesday. Who would have thought starting a blog six years ago would give me such an incredible opportunity?

Together with about 150 bloggers and social media mavens, I attended a #LetsMove event at The White House where I learned about the program started by Michelle Obama, watched The White House Executive Chef Cris Comerfod demonstrate a quick and nutritious Must Have Tuscan Kale Salad To Go and listened to remarks by Dominique Dawes, Dr. Karen DeSalvo, and other women from the USDA passionate about health and fitness of today's youth.

Although I'm not a mother, trying to eat healthier and increasing my physical activity is something that has been on my mind for years. In fact, recently I started seeing a weight management specialist. No drastic changes so far, but I'm trying to be more mindful of what/when/why I eat, taking stairs instead of elevator, and trying to do something active while watching Bravo and Food Network. Of course, there are always walks around my neighborhood and Friday salsa dancing nights.

During the visit, I marveled at the beautiful library (see more photos on my instagram), stunning flower arrangements, pretty wallpaper in the bathroom and massive chandeliers. I also had a chance to visit White House Kitchen Garden. Look at the green cabbage! It'd perfect for today's St. Patrick's Day!

Here are a few major points from the Let's Move! campaign:

1.6 million kids attend healthier daycare centers
2 million kids now have a Let’s Move! Salad Bar in their school
Over 10 million kids attend Let’s Move! Active Schools where they strive to get 60 minutes of physical activity each day
Over 30 million kids have access to healthier school meals
Nearly 80 million people live in a Let’s Move! City, Town, or County
200 corporate partners have made commitments for a healthier America

Let's move to a healthier future!!

Last night I was inspired to create a healthy dinner with many flavors, colors and textures.

Rainbow Salad

Ingredients

1 small red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 endive, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

14.5 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained {or use any other beans you like}

1 cup diced fresh pineapple

to season: toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar

Directions

Combine the vegetables, beans and pineapple in a large bowl and drizzle with toasted sesame oil, say sauce and rice vinegar to taste.

I served the salad with a boneless pork chop.

Make sure to check out Let's Move! website for more information, motivation, and ways you can improve your health and health of your children.

Special thanks to SheKnows for including me in this event!

3/11/16

Happy Spring Weekend

3/10/16

Vegan Indian Cauliflower With Tomatoes & Peas: Easy, Freezes Well, Healthy

I can't remember whether I saw the recipe for Cauliflower with Indian Spices by The Masala Girl on twitter or pinterest, but I printed it out immediately and knew I'd be making it soon. I love cauliflower. I love Indian food. I love tomatoes.

I also, as you know, love making changes to existing recipes and putting my own spin on them.

In this particular recipe, I increased the amount of tomatoes, added fresh ginger and peas (defrosted), and played around with spices. I ended up creating a great vegan side dish that freezes well and is satisfying, pretty, and good for you!

Vegan Indian Cauliflower With Tomatoes & Peas: Easy, Freezes Well, Healthy

Makes 3-4 servings

Adapted from The Masala Girl

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoons mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces

14 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes

1 cup defrosted peas

salt and red pepper flakes to taste

fresh cilantro

rice to serve {I cooked mine with cumin and mustard seeds and turmeric}

Directions

1. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet. Add cumin and mustard seeds, turmeric, and ginger and saute for about a minute. Add cauliflower and mix everything together.

2. Stir in tomatoes, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Occasionally stir the vegetables.

3. Add peas and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Heat through.

4. Serve on top of rice sprinkled with cilantro.

3/8/16

Dinner at Red Rooster in Harlem, New York

This weekend I took Amtrak to New York City for a reunion with my friends Jenny and Laura whom I've known for 14 years!!! I've seen these girls individually over the years, but we haven't been together in the same place in FIVE years. It was time for the reunion of the three musketeers.

We talked. Ate. Watched movies. Hung out with the cutest dog named Otis (check out my instagram feed).

We also went to the 9/11 Memorial and Cloisters. Cooked brunch. Watched HGTV. And went to Red Rooster for dinner.

Red Rooster was the only requirement I had on my list of things I wanted to do. It's a restaurant in Harlem run by Marcus Samuelsson that has quite an eclectic menu, great vibe, and live jazz music on Sundays. I'm glad Jenny made reservations! The place was packed.

Below are some photos, but first a few of my thoughts:

1. Make reservations.
2. Have a few cocktails at the bar: I had Uptown Girl that had the sweet smell from the honey, the sharpness of the apple and a few bubbles.
3. The service was a bit lacking. Practice your patience.
4. Please try the appetizer of fried chicken and waffles for me when you are there: we could not order it because at 7:00pm the restaurant ran out! Sigh.
5. MUSTS: cornbread (sweet with butter), fried green tomatoes, deviled eggs!!!
6. Make sure one of your friends orders shrimp and grits: the portions are generous for sharing with others ;) The shrimp was spicy and perfectly charred.
7. Laura and I shared the lamb shank with mashed plantains: great presentation and flavors, but alas the temperature of the dish was lukewarm. We did not send it back.
8. Order dessert! The sweet potato doughnuts were superb and, lucky for me, the cinnamon sugar did not overwhelm these fried pillows. If the restaurant has red velvet cake, get it. You will not regret it.
9. Go to the bathroom. Yes, seriously! The bathroom at Red Rooster is gorgeous. See the photo below.
10. Make sure you come back for brunch: that's on my list of things to do the next time I'm in New York.

3/3/16

How To Make Popcorn At Home: A Quick Tip

I've been living without a microwave for a bit over 5 years, so whenever I crave popcorn, I make it on the stove. No big deal, really.

A few nights ago, I came up with a brilliant idea, if I say so myself ;) Instead of using a heavy pot with a heavy lid, I used a skillet and a splatter guard! This is perfect if you are making a small portion of popcorn.

The skillet is not as heavy as a pot, and the splatter guard allows you to see what's happening inside and how many more kernels are left unpopped. Try it out!!

A video posted by @mangotomato on Mar 2, 2016 at 5:36pm PST

As a bonus, check out my recipe for Smoked Paprika, Black Pepper & Parmesan Popcorn!

2/29/16

Banana Bread With Dark Chocolate, Walnuts & Cranberries

Molasses cookies
Roasted salmon with olives, artichokies and sundried tomatoes
Chocolate flourless cookies
Pizza
Chocolate stuffed challah French toast
Banana bread with dark chocolate, walnuts and cranberries

What do all these dishes have in common you may ask? Well, at one time or another, I've made these recipes for the men I was dating. The two most notable recipes are the molasses cookies and banana bread. Why? Because I strongly dislike both.

Alas, I liked the men who liked molasses cookies and banana bread.

Neither one is in the picture any more. One, for over 10 years; another, for a few days.

But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a recipe for banana bread if you like that sort of a thing :)

Thanks to my friend Laetitia for sending me a copy of the recipe from Cook Something. I used buttermilk instead of sour milk, all-purpose flour, and added 3/4 cups of frozen cranberries.

Banana Bread With Dark Chocolate, Walnuts & Cranberries

2/26/16

Happy Weekend

2/25/16

What To Do With Snowpeas: Quick & Easy Blackened Snowpeas With Creamy Mustard Sauce

I love snowpeas. I usually eat them raw dunked into Ranch dressing. Last weekend, however, I decided to turn them into a side to go along with an open faced sandwich of toasted challah, mayonnaise, lettuce and smoked turkey.

This cooking method can be repeated with other vegetables: think about asparagus, green beans, and edamame.

What To Do With Snowpeas: Quick & Easy Blackened Snowpeas With Creamy Mustard Sauce

1. Blanch snowpeas in salted boiling water: you only want to keep the snowpeas in the boiling water for about 3 minutes. Then, drain the snowpeas and add to a big bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Once you take the snowpeas out of the iced water, remove as much moisture as possible with paper towels or a clean (duh) kitchen towel.

2. Heat olive oil in a hot cast iron skillet. Add snowpeas, season with salt and pepper and saute until they are blackened (or charred).

3. Make creamy mustard sauceb by combining 3 parts plain (full fat) Greek yogurt and 1 part stone ground mustard and seasoning with a bit of salt and adding freshly chopped cilantro.

You are done!

The creamy mustard sauce can also be used on sandwiches or a baked potato or as a salad dressing.

I ate the whole thing ;)

Happy almost weekend!

2/22/16

Vegan Spiralized Zucchini & Beets With Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Sauce

Have I mentioned how much I love my spiralizer attachment? I do ;)

Below is another quick dish I created using the spiralizer to make zucchini and roasted beet spirals and a recipe for a quick tomatillo sauce. Please don't make the-less-than-awesome photo of the final dish deter you from making this vegan dish that's perfect for Meatless Monday and is creamy and satisfying with very few calories.

Vegan Spiralized Zucchini & Beets With Creamy Avocado Tomatillo Sauce

Ingredients

tomatillo sauce
6 tomatillos, skins removed
1 white onion, cut into wedges
salt & red pepper flakes to taste
1 avocado

the rest
olive oil for sauteeing
1 zucchini, spiralized
1 roasted beet, peeled, spiralized (I used a golden beet)
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup chickpeas
salt to taste

Directions
1. Heat a cast iron skillet. Do not add any oil. Place tomatillow and onion wedges into the skillet and char until most of the vegetables are black.
2. Cool tomatillos and onion and add to the blender with avocado, salt and red pepper flakes. Puree.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Saute zucchini and beets with garlic slices for about 5 minutes. You don't want the zucchini to turn into mush. Add chickpeas and heat through. Season with salt.
4. Add tomatillo sauce and coat the vegetables. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

What are you making/eating for this Meatless Monday?

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