Mango Dango!

Ok, if you are a fan of mangos then you may enjoy this!

My husband and I both enjoy mango milkshakes, which we usually get when we are out for Indian dinner.  Mangos are one of those fruits that are a little labor intensive, so we’re never really excited to make the milkshakes ourselves.  I just discovered a quick and easy solution!

Easy Mango Milkshakes(!!)

• 2 scoops Mango Sorbet (Haagendaz Fat Free Mango Sorbet is what I used)
• 1 cup Milk

Add sorbet to blender.  Add Milk a little at a time until milkshake has reached desired consistency.  Voila!!  This is very good and fat free if you use skim milk!  I bet you could also use plain yogurt and make a lassie if you prefer!

Sugar

So now that I am cooking for one (as Chris has fled the country…haha), I’m experimenting a little with my meals.  I have recently made a wild mushroom strudel, based on the mushroom strudel recipe in the Moosewood Cookbook.  Oh, and a Russian appetizer called Mushroom Julienne that we enjoyed at several restaurants when we were in Moscow.  I’ve been on a mushroom kick for some reason. 

I have a huge crush on the fresh pasta case at my grocery store, particularly the mushroom and cheese tortellini (I’m sure all you homemade pasta gurus are cringing right now).  Makes a quick meal and is easy to prepare smaller portions. 

The other night I decided that, rather than just throw some butter and fresh Parmesan on my tortellini, I would “create” my own pasta sauce.  Thinking back to a recipe I found in the Silver Palette Good Times cookbook, I decided on a tomato tarragon cream sauce.  After improvising on the ingredients and preparation, it didn’t taste quite right…but I couldn’t quite figure out what was missing.  I used it anyway, theorizing that I could completely mess it up by trying to find the elusive missing ingredient.  And I was hungry!  It didn’t taste awful, just not quite what I had projected. 

After reheating the sauce for another lunch of tortellini, I tried it again.  This time I was standing at the kitchen island, and in my line of sight:  the sugar bowl.  Eureka!  It needed sugar!  I always forget that just because a recipe is savory, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t need  a little sugar.

Here’s my “recipe”:

• 1 can of diced tomatoes (if you use fresh, I think you need to peel them first)
• dried taragon to taste…I used probably 2 teaspoons (crush it with your fingers as you add it to release the goodness)
• touch of olive oil
• salt
• light cream
• sugar

1. Heat the first 4 ingredients.  Pour into blender or food processor to puree until smooth.
2. Return the puree back to the pan and stir in some light cream.  I probably used a 1/4 cup.  Although I would just add a little at a time until it tasted/looked light enough for me. 
3. Add sugar to taste.
4. Add to favorite pasta and enjoy!