Whether you are looking to adopt a nutrient-dense, plant-based diet or are just trying to find healthier alternatives to some of your favorite dishes, we have great recipes on our site to suit your tastes! Some of our recipes can look a little intimidating, though. That’s why we created a weekly segment called RecipEASY — to make healthy eating easier. We (Kate and Kayla) make a recipe from our site and break it down to give you helpful tips and modifications. Since neither of us are professional chefs, we are always looking for ways to simplify healthy recipes!
This week we made…
Jamaican Me Crazy Salad
Toss the croutons and sink the iceberg, the captain of salads is back!
Yes, we chose this salad because the name is amazing (and it called for mango!). Salads are great lunch options because they can be inexpensive, quick, and easy -- and there are endless possibilities! For this salad, our shopping list included: lettuce, jalapeno, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, corn, scallions, cilantro, limes, mango, plum tomatoes, red onion, black beans, and garlic. Find the full measurements here.
We decided to make the salsa first, instead of last as the recipe instructs. In the past, we had issues with our salsa being too foamy, so we wanted to make sure we let it sit and cool off. We started by chopping the mango, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and cilantro. I had never cut a mango before and was surprised by how much of the mango was taken up by the core. We were glad we bought two!
Although we put the mangoes in the blender first, we would suggest putting the tomatoes on the bottom, followed by the onion, garlic, cilantro, mango, and then squeezed lime. Our mango was already somewhat falling apart and didn’t need to be blended as thoroughly as some of the other ingredients. We also added a little more mango to the salsa than the recommended ¾ cup (we do love our fruit). When the salsa was done, we stuck it in the fridge to cool.
Then we chopped some more: jalapeno, cucumber, and scallions. We drained and rinsed the black beans (and corn while we were at it) next. With all of our ingredients ready, we were good to go! Lettuce went down first, then we added everything else, saving the salsa for the top.
It was a very colorful salad! Even though at first the ingredients seemed like a strange combination, they nicely complemented each other. Next time we make this salad, we will probably add more mango. The mango helped balance the flavors, and we would have liked a tad bit more!
Try it out for yourself and let us know what you think!
