I love fruit salsas. This one plays off the spice of the chicken nicely, adding a bit of heat, crunch, and sweetness. As the sun creeps out and we finally hit spring, people here on the West Coast will be digging out their barbeques, hoping to catch a bit of summer flavour as early as possible. Do you barbeque in the rain, too?
First, the chicken.
Chicken Ingredients:
2 whole chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tsps olive oil
1 tbsp melted butter
3 tbsps honey
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp cumin
2 tsps paprika
Mix all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a bowl until it's well blended together. Pour over the chicken in a glass dish, making sure that it's coated evenly, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for about 3 hours at least, or overnight.
Take the chicken out of the marinade, and cook on your BBQ or on a foil lined pan at 400 F in your oven, for about 15-20 minutes or until the juices run clear and it's cooked through. Meanwhile, prepare the salsa.
Now, I don't have a recipe for mango salsa, but I don't think you need one. Just chop up the following and toss together in a bowl:
Mango Salsa Ingredients:
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped
red onion (about 2 tsps, very finely chopped)
1/2 sweet red bell pepper (I used a tiny bit of yellow pepper that was hanging out in the fridge. Even orange would look pretty.)
2 plum tomatoes, chopped finely
1/2 seeded jalapeno pepper, very finely minced (less, if you don't want much heat)
2 tbsps finely minced fresh cilantro
sprinkle of sea salt
zest and juice of 1 lime
Set all this aside and allow the flavours to come together.
Serve together, spooning the salsa over the slices of chicken, at your plate.
Makes 4 servings
Note: the salsa doesn't keep very well and is best eaten soon after it's made.
Serve Coconut Mango Butter Cookies for dessert, to continue the mango theme!
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