Pineapple-Mango Salsa

A few weeks ago, my mom and I enlisted the help of my big brother to assist in putting together the menu for my bridal shower luncheon. I requested lots of fruit and veggies, easy finger foods, and minimal use of the oven. If I do say so myself, we ended up with a lovely Bridal Shower Menu:

• Veggie Crudite
• Chips & Dips (Pineapple-Mango Salsa, French Onion Dip, Pepperoni Dip, and Avocado Mousse)
• Crostini with Lemon Mascarpone spread and Roasted Red Peppers
• Heirloom Tomato Tart in a Parmesan Crust
• Antipasto Misto of Grilled Zucchini, Portobello Mushrooms, and Eggplant
• Pesto Shrimp and Cherry Tomato Kebabs
• Wheat Berry Salad
• Chicken Orzo Salad
• Italian Sausage and Eggplant Baked Rigatoni
• Roasted Pork Tenderloin

To drink we had Watermelonade and White Sangria with Strawberries, Peaches, and Mango.

And dessert. Don't even get me started! My mom made her famous Flan, full of deep, caramel flavor, we also had a rich Dark Chocolate Cake glistening with ganache, Pineapple Angel Food Cake, a Nectarine-Allspice Cake, and my favorite, a Frangipane Tart with Poached Pears that my Auntie Betsy made. Uh…so much for wedding diet.

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Big Bro Salsa-Making

Today, I thought I'd share the stellar Pineapple-Mango Salsa my Big Brother T whipped up. This easy recipe for fancy-pants salsa is a keeper. First of all, it is just so pretty looking with all the bright, summery colors of the fruits and veggies. Secondly, the flavor is a knockout. Bright and fresh, it's amazing that all you really need is that citrusy lime flavor to really bring out the best in these ingredients.

Makings of a bright bold salsa

The key to this simple recipe is chopping all the ingredients finely and uniformly so that you get that beautiful confetti-like feel to it. You can certainly bust out the food processor for a quicker prep, but be careful not to over-process it. You don't want to end up with a puree. I go old school style on this and just hand chop so I can control the texture.

On cutting a mango

If you've never cut a mango before, here's a neat trick. The pit of a mango is a long, flat, oblong shape. Make two slices, on either end of the flat sides of the pit, so that you end up with two semi-circles. Then, cross-hatch the flesh with your knife, and pop it open. You can easily remove flesh now in a neat dice using the edge of a large spoon, scraping where the peel and flesh meet.

We devoured this salsa with Tostito Scoops. If you have some leftover, it's also great over some grilled salmon, or served with quesadillas.

Quesadilla with Pineapple-Mango Salsa

Pineapple-Mango Salsa

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:
12 oz. fresh pineapple
2 large mangoes
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 small red onion
1 serrano pepper (optional if you want more heat – I prefer omitting it)
zest of 3 limes
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon OJ
salt, pepper, chili powder to taste

Preparation:
1) Finely dice the pineapple, mangos, peppers, and onion to about the same size.
2) Mix together with lime zest, lime juice, and OJ. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and chili powder.

Note: Can be made a day or two in advance and stored in an airtight container.

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Bridal Shower Menu & Pineapple-Mango Salsa