Another heat wave…another flex alert. I needed to put a quick snack together and the mango I had bought a while ago was finally ripe. Time for mango salsa made with chopped red onion and a little jalapeno from the freezer. Seasoned with salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Wait! Where’s my protein? A can of tuna was perfect for this 5 minute preparation. Simple meals don’t always require cooking.
Here’s an example of how I usually use a piece of jalapeno from the freezer. Frozen, I cut off a sliver appropriate for my purposes. In this case, a quarter inch was sufficient. Chopped fine and tossed with the mango, it defrosts immediately and it’s awesome. If I were making a pot of chili, I might use a whole jalapeno. But I would treat it the same way by taking it out of the freezer just when I want to use it because otherwise it will turn soft by defrosting in the refrigerator. The same goes for ginger, which I also keep in the freezer. Frozen, I cut off just the amount I want to use in a given dish and put the rest back into the freezer. Chop it up while it’s still firm because chopping things that have gone soft is much less convenient. Simple meals begin with a well stocked freezer and pantry.
Mango Jalapeno Trio
- ripe mango
- jalapeno
- can of tuna
- chopped red onion
- salt
- lemon juice
- olive oil
Ready for another cool, refreshing meal without cooking? Please read Simple Ceviche next.