Mad for Mangoes: Mango Lassi & Mango Beet Smoothies

Two mango smoothies, one a Mango Lassi with Fresh Mint, another that mixes mango and beets, creating such beautiful color and best of all, plant-based sweetness without refined sugar. Who's mad for mangoes? Are you? (I am too!) Do you have a "mango story"? (I do!)

~ Skip Straight to the Recipes ~

~ Mango Lassi with Fresh Mint ~
~ Mango & Beet Smoothies ~

This recipe is so quick and easy
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What's Your Mango Story?! Here's Mine.

So everyone remembers their first time – or at least so says the National Mango Board about our first taste of fresh mango. (What, you thought some other first time? Really?!)

“Everyone’s got a mango story,” said the board’s marketing director during a St. Louis stop in May. “What’s yours?”

Swoosh! I hadn’t thought of my “first time” story for years but once she asked, suddenly there I was, whisked back in a mango time machine to the Washington Mall on the 4th of July where a man with a pushcart was selling mango and papaya so ripe, we bent at the waist to stop the juices from dripping to our elbows.

So yeah, that’s my mango story, what’s yours?

A Funny Mango Moment

Ever wonder what three food media people might do before tasting a dish? Pull out our cameras, of course!

Last month, the National Mango Board came to town pitching mangoes. Two top St. Louis chefs, Josh Galliano of Monarch Restaurant and Nick Miller of Harvest were charged with creating dishes that captured the "local" flavors of St. Louis. Judging the event were me (on the left in the mango-colored sweater, of course!), Evan Benn (in the center) who writes the Hip Hops beer blog for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Katie O'Connor (on the right) from the wonderful Sauce Magazine. When the first dish came out, each one of us, without prompting and without realizing the others were doing it too, pulled out our cameras.

St. Louis photographer Jonathan Gayman caught the moment! (More pictures? See Jonathan's blog, Shoot to Cook.) I was also pleased to meet two new-ish St. Louis food bloggers for the first time, Natalie McLaury of The Sweets Life and Libby Tempel of Cafe Libby.

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MANGO LASSI with FRESH MINT

An Indian-inspired mango smoothie

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 10 minutes
Makes 2 cups

• 1 mango, cubed (about 4 – 5 ounces)
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/3 cup low-fat yogurt
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla to taste
• Pinch cardamom, optional
• 3 or 4 small leaves fresh mint, optional but marvelous
• Sugar to taste

If you like, set aside a few cubes of mango for garnishing. Mix all the ingredients except the sugar in a blender or food processor. Take a taste, then decide how to proceed, sugar may not be needed at all. Serve and enjoy!

ALANNA’s TIPS A Mango Lassi is an easy addiction! If you can’t find fresh mangoes, look for jars of mango slices in the produce section of larger supermarkets or cans of mango purée in a market that sells Indian ingredients. Trader Joe’s some times sells bags of frozen mango pieces, they’re great. For an extra-special treat, when making the Mango Lassi, substitute a dollop of sour cream for the yogurt. Delicious!

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Half Cup: 57 Calories; 0g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 2mg Cholesterol; 46mg Sodium; 10g Carb; 1g Fiber; 9g Sugar; 3g Protein WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS Old Points 1 & PointsPlus 1 & SmartPoints 3 & Freestyle 3

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MANGO & BEET SMOOTHIES

Beets add jewel color & sweetness

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 10 minutes
Makes 2-1/4 cups

• 1 mango, cubed (about 4 – 5 ounces)
• 1 cup low-fat goat milk (or skim milk)
• 3 small canned beets (about 3 ounces)
• Juice of a fresh lime, about 1 tablespoon

Mix the mango, milk, beets and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Serve and enjoy!

ALANNA's TIPS Who else is a fan of the low-fat goat milk at Trader Joe's? Love this stuff, here it's a great substitute for skim milk, really adds to the earthy flavors. Beets might seem like an odd addition for a smoothie but they really work. Beets are sweet – so offer up a plant-based source of unrefined sugar. And the color is gorgeous! Some of the natural earthiness comes through but it’s really the mango that carries the flavor. Not up for a Mango & Beet Smoothie? Okay, how about a Banana Mango Smoothie? or a Cantaloupe Smoothie?

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Half Cup: 50 Calories; 1g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 2mg Cholesterol; 58mg Sodium; 10g Carb; 1g Fiber; 8g Sugar; 2g Protein WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS Old Points 1 & PointsPlus 1 & SmartPoints 2 & Freestyle 2 SMOOTHIE FOR DIABETICS? Others may have the same experience as here. Drunk slowly, a full cup of this smoothie sweetened only with beets, no refined sugar, did not create a sugar spike.

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Seasonal Cooking: This Same Week, Across the Years

Trio of Salad Dressings Bloody Mary Salad Rhubarb Country Cobbler Tropical Pork Tenderloin Roasted Rhubarb Spiced Banana Ice Cream Mad for Mangoes: Two Mango Smoothies Tourlou Tourlou (Greek Baked Vegetables)

This Week, Elsewhere

~ Buttermilk Panna Cotta ~
from Truffles
~ more St. Louis Restaurant Recipes ~
My Weekly Column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

~ Jicama Slaw ~
~ Vegetables 101: What Is Jicama? ~
~ more Recent Recipes ~
A Veggie Venture

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More Mango Recipes

(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)

~ more mango recipes ~
~ more smoothie recipes ~

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Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ mango recipes ~
~ beet recipes ~
~ yogurt recipes ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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