Mad About Mangos

First grown in India over 5,000 years ago, mangos have emerged today as the world's most popular fresh fruit! They're a great source of immune-boosting vitamins A and C and are also low in calories and rich in fiber. Their versatility can't be beat. We love them as a snack or blended into sweet, refreshing smoothies. They also work wonders in sensational summer salsas. In fact, we recently created a recipe for Mango Cilantro Salsa, perfect as a topping for grilled seafood, beef, pork, or poultry. If this recipe is a tad too sophisticated for your kids, leave the red onion out. Or let loose and add a minced jalapeno for a bit more of a kick!

Mango Cilantro Salsa
Makes 5 to 6 Servings

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small red bell pepper, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 lime (the zest and the juice -- about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoon minced red onion, optional
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix together well. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate about 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 60 calories, 0g total fat, 180mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 0g protein, 25% vitamin A, 40% vitamin C

Click here to watch a video of our Mom's Mango Smoothie recipe at http://www.mealmakeovertv.com/

For more delicious mango recipes check out http://www.mango.org/

Fishing for Compliments!

When we each received our Master’s Degrees at Boston University back in the 1980s, we didn’t expect to return 20 years later to teach a cooking class for 25 members of the National Fisheries Institute. But that’s just what we did last week. And what a fun time we had! After showing folks how to dice a mango, cut a sweet potato, and juice a lime, we all went into the commercial kitchen and cooked up a storm.

We all prepared and then enjoyed an appetizer of Crispy Shrimp with Garlicky Sautéed Spinach, followed by Almond Crusted Tilapia with Mango-Cilantro Salsa, Sweet Potato Fries, Mesclun Salad with Simply Sweet Vinaigrette, and ended with Chocolaty Coconut Torte with Fresh Raspberries. We ended our meal with a hilarious contest to see who could hand whip cream fastest to serve with the torte.
Here’s one of the favorite recipes that we invite you to try. We guarentee you'll love it!

Crispy Shrimp with Garlicky Sautéed Spinach

Makes 5 Appetizer Servings

1 pound jumbo raw shrimp (15 count), shelled and deveined

1 large egg (preferably an omega-3 egg), beaten
1 cup Panko (Japanese style) bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
One 10-ounce bag prewashed baby spinach
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 lemon cut into wedges

Flatten each shrimp gently with a mallet or rolling pin and set aside. Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and ground flaxseed in a shallow bowl. Place the egg in a separate bowl. Dip each shrimp in the egg, then coat evenly with the bread crumb mixture. Arrange on a plate. Heat the oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until crispy and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. You may need to cook the shrimp in two batches depending on the size of your skillet.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in another large nonstick skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Add the spinach, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, divide the spinach and shrimp evenly onto five plates, and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 290 calories, 14g fat (3g saturated, 1.9g omega-3), 170mg cholesterol, 430mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 26g protein, 50% vitamin A, 25% vitamin C, 30% iron

"The Moms" Meet Mom's Best

It's not everyday you get to tour a cereal factory and see a wind turbine but that's exactly what we did last Tuesday in Northfield, Minnesota. As guests of the Mom's Best Naturals cereal company, we donned hairnets, safety goggles, ear plugs, and lab coats (see our ready-for-primetime photo below!) and went behind the scenes as thousands of pounds of hot and cold cereals were cooked up at the plant. Seeing raw wheat turned into one of our kids' favorite cereals, Sweetened Wheat-fuls, was a real treat. After the tour, we headed over to a wind turbine that is part of the network that generates 100% of the electricity used to create Mom's Best. How cool is that?

Mom's Best Naturals creates value-priced cereals (costing 20 to 50% less than comparable all-natural brands) that are made without artificial colors, flavors, or trans fats. You can see why we love them! For more information check out http://www.momsbestnaturals.com/. To see a video demo of our yummy Toasty-O-Granola recipe using Mom's Best Toasty O's, visit http://www.mealmakeovertv.com/.

Summer Camp Kebabs

Summer is in full swing and by now, some of you may have come to the realization that YOU'RE STILL PACKING LUNCHES for the kids! If PB&J is all you can muster up (let's face it, after a school year of stuffing lunch boxes, you may be a tad bit fried), try our Fruity Chicken Kebabs. With the season's freshest berries, grapes, and melon, these fun kebabs add flavor, fun and great nutrition to any camper's lunch box.Visit our new website, http://www.mealmakeovertv.com/ and be sure to watch our video of Fruity Chicken Kebabs to see how easy they are to make.