Saturday, August 21, 2010

Mango Salsa


My attempt at making the plate look nice! Look how the salsa is draped over the dry burger. ;)


I've tried out a few vegetarian burger recipes, but never seem to have much luck, except for these mushroom pecan burgers which are so flavourful, moist and tasty. My burgers always seem to be too dry or too crumbly or not flavourful enough. I guess the other problem is that I either bake them (which dries them out too much it seems) or pan fry them with a minimal amount of oil (which is never enough oil to do a good job). So it could very well be me that is the problem and not the recipes! I've saved tons of burger recipes but only rarely feel inspired to try them.


Anyway, so I tried out the Anaheim black bean burgers from the Rebar cookbook, with high hopes as Rebar is one of my absolute favourite cookbooks. The burgers didn't turn out so well, but the mango salsa that they suggested pairing it with was amazing. And that most delicious mango salsa is what I'm sharing with you today. Fresh salsa is one of my very favourite things to eat (so it's actually surprising that I never make it - I guess I'm scared of messing it up even though I know it's so simple).

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Hummus
Beet Raita
Olive Tapenade
Grape Tomato Salsa

Mango Salsa
Adapted from Rebar

2 mangoes, finely diced
1/4 red pepper, finely diced
1/4 red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, mix together and season with salt. Serve immediately or refrigerate to serve later.

11 comments:

Jessica said...

What an Adorable kitty! I love that little face!

And your mango salsa sounds delicious!

Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets said...

Mm I love mango and I bet it adds such a tempting sweetness to the salsa.

Wendy said...

How interesting that you had little luck with that recipe.. I have that book (actually - some of your posts inspired me to pick it up!) and that recipe is my absolute favorite. So many people have asked me for the recipe. I even had my once-extremely-carnivorous boyfriend tell me that he prefers those burgers to any burger with meat, any day. Play around with it again. I subbed a couple ingredients that were easier to find. I also freezed them first and cooked them from frozen, pan frying them in oil (not a ton..but enough) and made sure not to flip them too soon. Freezing homemade burgers before cooking them probably isn't the preferred method for a lot of people but it has absolutely helped me to keep them from falling apart on the stovetop or the grill. Seriously, try them again though. They are amazing once you get them right!

Meryl said...

Hi,
Try these - I've made them many times, and they're delicious!

BLACK BEAN PATTIES WITH CILANTRO AND LIME

Make sure you do not drain the black beans!

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil (I used 2 Tbsp)
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (I omitted this)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (I used 1 cup)
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper (I used 1/2-2/3 Tbsp)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt (I used about 1/6 tsp)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 3 large)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, UNDRAINED
1 1/2 cups dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (I usually use cheddar)
Vegetable cooking spray (I used olive oil)
2/3 cup salsa (I omitted this - see note below)*

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 8 ingredients (onion through garlic); sauté 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add beans; sauté 1 minute. Combine bean mixture, breadcrumbs, cornmeal, cilantro, and lime juice in a large bowl; stir well. Place 1 cup bean mixture in a food processor, and process until smooth. Add pureed bean mixture and cheese to remaining bean mixture; stir well. Divide mixture into 10 equal portions (I divided into 6 equal portions), shaping each into 3-inch patty. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Coat skillet with cooking spray, (I used two nonstick skillets with 1 tsp oil in each one), and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add patties, and cook 3 minutes (total) or until browned, turning patties carefully after 1-1/2 minutes.

Serving Ideas : Serve with salsa.

*(I served this with a yogurt dip/sauce (nonfat plain yogurt, chopped cilantro, ground cumin, and Cajun hot sauce), along with chopped red onion and chopped tomatoes on the side.

From Cooking Light
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=665259

Homemade Heaven said...

This is lip smacking goodness. Mangos are not in season yet, but when they come in - this is on my list to try.

kimberleyblue said...

I have the same problem with veggie burgers. The only one that I've ever loved has been a mushroom one.

That salsa looks gorgeous though! Bright and colourful.

I also find the photo of Abby hilarious, especially because you make no mention of it and it was completely unexpected after that salsa pic.

eatme_delicious said...

Meryl: Thanks so much for sharing your recipe with me!! I'll make it when I'm feeling brave. :)

Meryl said...

You're very welcome, Ashley!

Deborah said...

I was just craving peach salsa, but this one sounds so good!

Sparkle said...

Hi...just discovered your blog and it's great. I'm in Vancouver for a few days filling up my daughter's freezer with new vegan recipes that i've tried and love, but i'm from Victoria and we're huge REBAR fans. I've tried many of their recipes and love them, and i just have to say that of all the black bean burgers i've tried, that recipe is my absolute favorite...i even crave them sometimes! i also froze mine, and they held together well, so maybe that's the secret. My other two fave cookbooks for savory are Vegan Yum Yum and Veganomicon, my go-to everyday recipe book! Keep creating wonderful healthy food!

eatme_delicious said...

Sparkle: Hmm yea I should give the Rebar bean burgers another chance. I've been making more burgers recently and I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I love Vegan Yum Yum too! Veganomicon is okay but I prefer Appetite for Reduction and Vegan with a Vengenace from that author. Your daughter is very lucky to have you filling up her freezer with yummy vegan food!! :)