Mango Chow

Finally some warm(ish) weather on the East Coast! Bring on the tropical fruit!! I got some mangos that weren't quite ripe yet. Well being the impatient woman that I am, I decided to make mango chow, instead of waiting for them to get ripe :) #fooddiva 

Time: 20 minutes  

Ingredients:  

• 4 large mangos (almost ripe but still hard)
• Juice of half a lemon  
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper, sliced with seeds removed  
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• Salt/pepper to taste  
• 1 large handful cilantro, finely chopped

Recipe: 

1. Peel & slice the mangos into chunks.
2. Put all ingredients in a large basin & toss to coat the mango.  
3. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the flavors combine.  

Chickpea Quinoa Cilantro Salad

Who's doing Meatless Monday's??   Add this to your lunch menu!  It's a fast salad that you can make the night before and bring to lunch.  You can play around with ingredients/spices but the best part is, it tastes great cold or hot!   We love versatile lunches!  

Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa (organic whole grain preferred!)
• 1 can chickpeas
• 2 Garden Burger veggie burgers
• 1 handful fresh cilantro
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Grape or cherry tomatoes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Recipe:

1. Make quinoa according to instructions on your packet.  Flavor with salt & pepper.
2. Strain and wash the can of chickpeas - also season with salt & pepper.
3. Use a knife to cut your veggie burgers into bite-sized pieces (while they're still semi-frozen).
4. In a medium frying pan, pan-fry the veggie burger pieces until golden brown (I sprayed a little cooking spray in the pan first, so I didn't have to use any extra oil). 
5. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together until well-combined.  Drizzle olive oil over the mixture and toss lightly.  Enjoy! 

Bowtie Pasta Salad

Simple lunch recipe bursting with flavor!

Time: 30 mins + time for water to boil

Ingredients:

• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup farfalle (bowtie) pasta (from a box, dried)
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 1/4 cup diced cucumbers (peeled)
• 1/4 cup asiago cheese cubes
• 1/4 cup grape/cherry tomatoes (or as many as you like)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Bunch of fresh or dried basil leaves (if fresh, break them apart to smaller, bite-sized pieces)
• Bunch of fresh cilantro leaves 
• Salt/Pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Boil water with about 2 teaspoons of salt
2. Add pasta and cook until al dente (not mushy but cooked through)
3. While the pasta is cooking, mix all other ingredients together in a bowl (except the salt, pepper, and cilantro) - the olive oil will help incorporate everything. 
4. Strain pasta and it to the bowl of mixed ingredients
5. Sprinkle salt/pepper and fresh cilantro if desired.
6. Enjoy!