Mango Rice

To me, a mango is a complicated fruit. It has a crazy large seed inside of it. When I first buy it, it doesn't seem ripe enough but then I wait too long and it is past ripeness. When I made this recipe, I picked the perfect mango. My children ate all the mango and then they ate all of my mango garnish. I liked the mango rice which is sweet with a coconut flavoring. I did skip garnishing it with coconut cream since I liked the flavor without it. The mango is used only for a side and not to flavor the rice. It is the perfect way to end a meal.

Mango Sticky Rice
2/3 cup sticky white rice
1/2 cup coconut milk
3 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
1 mango, sliced

Directions:

1. Rise the rice to clean.
2. Soak the uncooked rice in water overnight. 
3. Drain the rice. 
4. Steam or cook the rise accordingly to the package.
5. In a medium pan, heat the coconut milk, sugar, and the salt. 
6. Stir consistently until the sugar is dissolved. 
7. Bring the mixture to a boil. 
8. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 
9. Place the sticky rice into a bowl. 
10. Slowly add the coconut mixture over the rice and stir. Do not over drench the rice since the rice should absorb the coconut mixture without a wet porridge. 
11. Serve with the sliced mango on the side. 

Recipe adapted from Thaifood.com.

One year ago....................................I made Steamed Buns.
Three years ago................................I made Orange Chicken.

Did you already know................
-The color of the mango is not an indicator of ripeness since some mangos are green.
-Some 300 old mango trees have been known to still bear fruit.
-The mango is native to India and Burma.

Mango Strawberry Muffins

My son's latest amusement is to try to have both of his eyebrows touch. He hasn't succeed yet. I don't know where he got this idea from but it is funny to watch. I don't know if someone dared him to do it but it has kept him occupied for awhile now. After you try, let me know if you can do it. Unibrows do not count.

I decided to put mango and strawberries together in a muffin. I wasn't sure how it would come out but the kids liked it. These muffins are dense but moist. I liked the combination. I probably will not top the muffins with a slice of strawberry next time since it did make the top sink a little.

Mango Strawberry Muffins
1 ripe mango, cup up
1 Tbsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup strawberry yogurt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 Tbsp balking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup strawberries, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
3. Add the mango, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a food processor.
4. Pulse for about 30 seconds.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the mango mixture with milk, yogurt, butter, and egg.
6. In a larger bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
7. Add the mango mixture to the flour combination. Stir until incorporated.
8. Fold in the chopped strawberries.
9. Fill the lined muffin tins with 3/4 of the batter.
10. Bake the muffins for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
11. Allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes.

Recipe really adapted from The Pastry Queen cookbook.

Did you already know....
-Mango is the national fruit of India.
-A mango is rich in Vitamins A, C, and D.
-The skin of the mango is not edible. 
-The mango is part of the cashew family.