Grilled Steaks with Mango Chimichurri #SundayFunday

Grilled T-Bone Steaks are a treat in their own right but when you add this crazy good Mango Chimichurri on top it takes it right over the top!!

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are serving up Mangoes today.......

Sourdough Mango Scones #BakingBloggers

These quick, simple, flaky scones start with your sourdough discard.  I chose to dice up some dried mango to fold into the dough.  The results were amazing!!

The Baking Bloggers are sharing Scone recipes this month........

Mango Gazpacho with Shrimp #SoupSaturdaySwappers

This month's Soup Saturday Swappers is being hosted by Paula of The Saucy Southerner.  Paula says that Summer can be soup season and challenged us to share Chilled Soups.

Interested in joining Soup Swappers?  Just leave me a comment with your blog url and email and I will be happy to add you to the group.  We post a soup/stew recipe on the third Saturday of each month, taking turns choosing themes and hosting.

I was excited when Paula chose this theme.  I had been sitting on a Mango Gazpacho recipe for the past few months but hadn't found the time or occasion to make it.  This challenge gave me the incentive I needed to make this creamy, delightful soup.

To make this bright citrusy soup even better, you top it with plump, perfectly cooked shrimp.  The addition of cilantro and mint combine to make it a perfect summery treat.  The recipe, which I found in Lee Bailey's Long Weekends, also included a cube of Grapefruit Jalapeno Ice.  I'm sure that this would have been an amazing addition, however I took this soup with us to our friend's, the Greens, lake house and had no way to transport the ice without it melting, so I omitted it.

The only other adaptations I made to this recipe was to double it as we were feeding a crowd and, since I was using my Vitamix, I just peeled the oranges and limes and pureed them with the mangoes, instead of juicing them.  I also added some mint to the the mixture which I think added a wonderful layer of flavor.

Mango Gazpacho with Shrimp

adapted from Lee Bailey's Long Weekends

3 seedless, navel oranges, peeled and cut into chunks

3 1/2 limes, peeled and halved

6 ripe mangoes, peeled and seeded

1 lg.handful cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1 sm. handful mint leaves, finely chopped.

1/4 of an English cucumber, finely chopped

1/2 of a red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped

4 t. sesame oil

2 T. rice wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. medium shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined

Place the oranges, limes and mangoes in a heavy duty blender and puree until smooth.  Stir in the cilantro, mint, cucumber, red bell pepper, onion, oil and vinegar.  Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or until well chilled.  When ready to serve, pour into shallow bowls and top with 3 or 4 shrimp. Print Recipe

More Wonderful Chilled Soups

An InLinkz Link-up

Tropical Fruit Salad #MexicanRecipes #FoodieExtravaganza

This is day 3 of the Cinco de Mayo party hosted by Sue of Palatable Pastime and it is also the day that we get together each month to celebrate National Food Holidays with Foodie Extravaganza.  This month my friend, Cam, of Culinary Adventures with Camilla is hosting.  She went to the nibble and discovered that May is National Salad Month.

I decided to combine both of these events by making a Tropical Fruit Salad.  Every party needs a fruit platter or fruit salad for the beauty and color it offers to the serving table or buffet.

I combined all the fruits that make me think of being in Cozumel, enjoying a day of diving and a night of feasting.  We eat a lot of fruit while on dive trips.  There is always an abundance of fruit at the breakfast bar, they serve us fresh fruit between dives and, of course, there are all of the fruity margaritas and rum punches when the dive day is through.

Make sure you scroll past this easy peasy and gorgeous salad recipe to see what the others have brought to the Fiesta and more terrific salad recipes that are sure to keep you happy all summer long.

Tropical Fruit Salad

1 pineapple, cored, peeled and cut into chunks

2 mangoes, cored, peeled and cut into chunks

2 kiwi, peeled, halved and sliced into half moons

1 pt. strawberries, hulled,  halved or quartered depending on size

half of a small seedless watermelon, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 c. mango juice

1/2 c. pineapple/orange juice

1/4 c. honey

1 T. poppy seeds

1/2 shredded coconut

Place the pineapple, mangoes, kiwi, strawberries and watermelon in a large bowl.  In a small bowl whisk together the juices, honey and poppy seeds, pour over the fruit.  Add the shredded coconut and gently toss the fruit to cover in dressing and distribute the coconut.  Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.  Print Recipe

More Fiesta Fare

• Tropical Fruit Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Taco Salad Boats from Palatable Pastime
• Champurrado from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Shrimp Veracruz from the Tip Garden
• Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken from Cooking With Carlee
• Mexican Street Corn Salad from Caroline's Cooking
• Cilantro Lime Rice from Books n' Cooks
• Frozen Peach Margaritas from Family Around the Table

Check back each and every day for new recipes by following along with the hashtag #MexicanRecipes on social media. Are you a food blogger interested in posting within our blogging community? Find out more by joining us online: Holiday Fun with Our Blog Friends.

The Salad Smörgåsbord

• Avocado Egg Salad by Making Miracles
• Carrot Raisin Salad by Hardly A Goddess
• Cilantro Lime Cucumber Salad by Cookaholic Wife
• Crunchy Salad by Sneha's Recipe
• Lahpet Thoke by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Mexican Street Corn Salad by Caroline's Cooking
• Taco Salad Boats by Palatable Pastime
• Tortellini Cesar Salad by Fearlessly Creative Mammas
• Tropical Fruit Salad A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Warm Steak and Sweet Potato Salad by Our Good Life

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays or cook and bake together with the same ingredient or theme each month. This month Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla is hosting. She encouraged us: "Let's celebrate all things salad. Green salads, pasta salads, potato salads...whatever you want!"

Posting day for #FoodieExtravaganza is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

Mango Peach Margarita #MexicanRecipes

Welcome to Day 2 of our Cinco de Mayo Fiesta.  Senorita Sue de Palatable Pastimes has asked us all to share our favorite Mexican Recipes as this holiday approaches.   I, for one, am very excited because there is no such thing as too many Mexican Recipes.  We love Mexican food and eat it quite often, both at home and out to restaurants.

Of course, no fiesta is complete without a Margarita.  We love our margaritas around here and have shared several with you. My personal favorite is Frank's Fantastic Margarita but I certainly wouldn't turn down a Blueberry Margarita or this Mango Madness Margarita.  Nor would I turn down this Mango Peach Margarita that I am sharing with you today.

I cannot wait for Peach season to strike in Michigan this year so that I can use our local, fresh, juicy peaches in this drink.  It will be perfect, poolside on a hot summer day.  I am getting giddy just thinking about it.  

The secret to a good margarita is to use the best quality ingredients you can find.  In this household that means Cuervo Gold Tequila, Grand Marnier, and in this case, fresh frozen fruit as it is not stone fruit season locally.  Of course, if you can find some nice, ripe, juicy mangoes in the market you can use half fresh and half frozen until the peaches are ripe.

Mango Peach Margaritas

2 medium mangos or 4 c. frozen mango slices

3 peaches or 1 1/2 c. frozen peach slices

1/2 c. tequila

1/4 c. orange liqueur

1/4 c. freshly squeezed lime juice

10 c. ice if using fresh fruit, 3-4  c. water if using frozen fruit

sugar for rimming glasses, if desired

lime wedges or mango slices for garnish, if desired

Place the mangoes and peaches in the bottom of a heavy duty blender or into a food processor.  Add the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and ice or water.  Puree until smooth adding additional water if too thick.  

Rub a lime wedge around the edge of four margarita glasses and dip into sugar that has been placed in a shallow dish.  Divide the margarita mixture between the glasses and garnish with a slice of lime or mango, if desired.  Print Recipe

More Marvelous Mexican Recipes

• Mango and Peach Margarita from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cheese Enchiladas Rojas from Palatable Pastime
• Zippy Tortilla Chips from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas from Frugal Pantry
• Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Peppers from The Chef Next Door

Check back each and every day for new recipes by following along with the hashtag #MexicanRecipes on social media. Are you a food blogger interested in posting within our blogging community? Find out more by joining us online: Holiday Fun with Our Blog Friends.

Oven Baked Tropical Pancakes for #BreadBakers

This month's Bread Bakers is brought to you by Mayuri of Mayuri's Jikoni.  Mayuri chose the theme of pancakes......YUM!!  Mayuri invited us to go sweet or savory, suggesting items like crepes, blinis and gozleme.  Yes, I had to look up gozleme too.  It is a traditional, savory Turkish flatbread.  Mayuri encouraged us to go global with our choices.

Since I have sunshine and blue skies dominating my mind this month as we get ready to head to Dominica for a dive vacation, I decided to go tropical with my pancake.  Since we are posting on Valentine's Day I made them into hearts and topped them with some red currant syrup.

A couple of years ago, Frank and I took a road trip through our home State, staying at different B&B's along the way.   Our last stop was in Pentwater, MI where we stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast called Pentwater Abbey.  The owner, Karen Way, served us a wonderful Baked Pancake and was gracious enough to share the recipe.  The recipe is a photocopy of a page from an undisclosed cookbook.  I wanted to give credit to the original source of this recipe for "Fruited Buttermilk Oven Pancakes", so I did a google search.  I found Karen's entry in the Michigan B&B association website where she gives credit to BHG.  No wonder it was so good. 

I decided to take this recipe and make it my own by adding the tropical flavors of Mango and Coconut.  How did it turn out?   I'll let my favorite, little Valentine show you.

These baked pancakes are perfect!  You can use any fruit you want.  Choose what is seasonal or what your family loves.  Choose for the holiday, strawberry and blueberry for 4th of July was my first thought.  Each pan makes 4-6 servings that are ready at one time so you don't have to worry about keeping the first batches warm while cooking up the rest.  

Tropical Baked Pancakes

adapted from Pentwater Abbey

1 1/2 c. flour

2 T. sugar

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

pinch of salt

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 c. buttermilk

3 T. cooking oil

1 (15 oz) can diced mango, drained

1/2 c. shredded, sweetened coconut

Cinnamon Sugar (2 T. sugar + 1/2 t. cinnamon)

Combine flour, sugar, soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  In a 2 c. measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, egg and cooking oil.  Pour into the dry ingredients all at once.  Stir until just mixed. Spread the batter in 15x10x1 jelly roll pan (cookie sheet) that has been treated with baking spray. Sprinkle the mango and coconut evenly over the batter and then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Place into a preheated 350* oven for 12-15 minutes.  Pancake will spring back when touched and the edges will be lightly browned.  Cut into squares or desired shapes and serve. Print Recipe

Pancakes, Pancakes and More Pancakes

• Alagar Kovil Dosai from Sara’s Tasty Buds
• Blueberry Dutch Baby from Hostess At Heart
• Brown Rice Dosa (Indian Savory Crepes) from Spiceroots
• Buckwheat, Blackberry and Saffron Drop Scones from A Shaggy Dough Story
• Chinese Scallion Pancakes from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Corn Pancakes from Kids and Chic
• Crepes from A Baker’s House
• Dutch Baby from Herbivore Cucina
• Galettes de Sarrasin from The Bread She Bakes
• Greek Tiganites from Gayathri’s Cook Spot
• Hotteok (Korean Pancakes) from Cook’s Hideout
• Hotteok (Korean Stuffed Pancakes) from Passion Kneaded
• Kabalagala (Ugandan Pancakes) from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Keralan Yeast Appam from Food Lust People Love
• Malpua (Sweet Indian Crepes) from SimplyVeggies
• Oven Baked Tropical Pancakes from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pannukkau (Finish Pancakes) from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Potato Latkes (Jewish Pancakes) from Sneha’s Recipes
• Savory Finnish Baked Pancakes(Pannukakku) with Smoked Salmon from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Srilankan Hoppers from I camp in my Kitchen
• Strawberry Nutella Crepes from Spill the Spices
• Swedish Pancakes from Palatable Pastime
• Sweet Potato Pancakes with Brown Sugar and Pecan Sauce from A Salad For All Seasons
• Wholegrain Yeast Pancakes from Ambrosia

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page.
We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

Mango Madness Margarita and The Weekly Menu

The other day we were having our friends, John and Kirsten, over for dinner.  Kirsten's mom, Caroline, and Kirsten's twin, Katrina were in town.  We are family so we couldn't let them be in town and not spend time with them.

John and Kirsten love going to a local restaurant, Catch 22, as do we and we often go together after Mass or during the week when they get home from a long day at work.  The food at Catch is wonderful but John and Kirs love, love, love the Mango Margaritas that they serve.

Frank, bartender extraordinaire, decided that he was going to make some for the gang when they came for dinner.  Frank had just bought me a vitamix for my birthday so making frozen drinks has just become very easy around here.  Our old blender did not have the strength to puree the ice and ingredients together so nicely.

He prepped everything ahead of time.  He borrowed a tip from Ree of The Pioneer Woman and rimmed the glasses with a mixture of sugar and lime zest. He also used her tip about using canned mangoes....I never even knew there was such a thing!!

When our guests arrived all Frank needed to do was fill the blender to the top with ice and let it puree away.  Kirsten took a drink and said "Oh, mango", she took another sip and proclaimed "These are better than Catch 22 and they had the best".  Oh yeah.......Frank rocked the house.  He ended up making a second pitcher full and it disappeared as quickly as the first.

Mango Madness Margaritas

created by Frank with some help from The Pioneer Woman

zest and juice of 1 lime

1/4 c. sugar 

3 (15 oz) cans mango, drained

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. tequila

1 1/2 c. triple sec

Ice

Combine the lime zest and 1/4 c. sugar and place on a plate.  Rub a slice of the lime around the rim of 8 glasses and then dip the rim into the sugar mixture to coat.  Set aside.

Place the mangoes, sugar, tequila, triple sec and juice from the remaining lime in the pitcher of a blender.  Fill the blender to the top with ice.  Seal and puree until thick and smooth.  Pour into the glasses and serve.

We did a lot of entertaining last week and choir started up again.  Those hazy, crazy, lazy days of summer are at an end. Life will be busy now until after the Holidays so I better get my self geared up.

This afternoon we are heading over to take care of Angel Face while Tingting works after which we are invited to Frank's cousin's house for a Wine Tasting.

Tomorrow we will be going over to celebrate Frank's brother's birthday.

Sunday we are hosting a Soup Swap.  I will be telling you more about that during the week.

Monday, I have to call and see if I have to serve on jury duty.  I am hoping not, mostly because we are closing on the sale of this house and on the purchase of the new house this week and don't want to be tied up during the day.

Thursday is choir practice and then Friday we are leaving for the weekend to go to an air show on the west side of the State. We will leave in the morning unless I am stuck in jury duty, in which case we will leave as soon as we are able.

So here is the Weekly Menu....Don't forget to stop back by to hear all about our soup swap and find out if I had to fulfill my civic duty.

Saturday
Dinner at Dan's party

Sunday
Soup Swap

Meatless Monday
Mujaddara

Tuesday
Stuffed Sole
Steamed Asparagus
Acorn Squash

Wednesday
Beef Roast
Roasted Root Vegetables

Thursday
Meatloaf
Green Beans
Carrots

Friday 
Out of town for the Weekend