Mango custard with fruit

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Fruit salad with custard. It was a given that when you went for Goan party, dessert would include a fruit salad with custard. In my home, it’s now a nice option for when the kids want a quick snack. Use low fat milk, let the fruit sweeten the sugar, and now you have a healthy snack or even breakfast option!

Custard, a creamy milk dish, was traditionally made with milk, cream and eggs. Today, the fastest (and eggless way) to make this is by using custard powder. I often buy Brown & Polson’s custard powder, as that’s what I remember my mom and grandma using. It’s easily available in Indian grocery stores and is a quick option for when the kids want something for a snack or a dessert when guests swing by. The addition of milk and a variety of chopped fruits give it a ton of nutritional benefits. For a twist, I will use unsweetened mango pulp for mango-flavored custard. I hope this becomes a regular at your home too.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup custard powder ( I use Brown & Polson vanilla custard powder)
  • 2 cups 1% milk (3 cups milk, if you don’t want to make a mango custard but prefer a vanilla custard)
  • 1 cup unsweetened mango pulp (omit if you just want a vanilla custard and increase milk to a total 3 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar ( or reduce it to 1 tablespoon and let the fruit sweetness take centre stage)
  • Fruit for serving – blueberries, chopped banana, apple, grapes, strawberries, pomegranate arils

Method

  • In a bowl, mix 4 tablespoons of the milk with the custard powder to form a smooth plaster and set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan, boil the remaining fill on medium heat. When the milk reaches boiling point, stir in the sugar and the mango pulp.
  • Turn the heat to low, and add the custard paste and continue stirring until it thickens. The consistency should be almost like a sauce.  You don’t want this to burn so continue stirring until it reaches that consistency.
  • Turn off the heat and cool. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
  • Serve with fresh fruits like blueberries, chopped strawberries, apples, bananas, grapes and pomegranate arils.

Chickpea Cucumber Salad

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A refreshing salad that is healthy and big on taste – perfect as a side salad or grab a bigger portion for a complete meal. This invigorating salad has a zesty taste with a capers, lemon and jalapeno dressing.

Servings: 2 Time: 20 minutes including 10 minutes resting time

Ingredients

  • 1 15 ounce can chick peas, rinsed
  • 1 pound Persian cucumbers
  • 2 medium tomatoes or 16 oz grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, for serving
  • 2/3 cup parsley, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced
  • 1/4 cup red onion, diced finely
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1.5 tbsp capers, drained and chopped alternatively 1.5 tbsp finely chopped dill pickles
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper to taste

Method:

  • In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil and honey together. Add in capers, oregano, salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine.
  • Dice the cucumbers and add to the bowl along with tomatoes, onions, jalapeno and parsley. Toss all the ingredients and let sit for 10 minutes, at least before serving.
  • Top with feta cheese before serving.

Mango Pineapple Salsa

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Sweet, tangy, healthy, fresh mango, pineapple salsa will have you dreaming of the tropics with a single bite. This salsa is the perfect make-ahead appetizer or a topping for fish, tacos, grilled chicken or pork. Best of all, it comes together in minutes.

We often make salsa for fish tacos or as a quick snack for when the kids come home from school. This mango and pineapple salsa brings vision of glorious summer days. I sometimes add a dash of Tagin, a Mexican seasoning available in ethnic grocery stores, and just dig in with a spoon – why waste calories on chips?!!

Prep: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups diced Pineapple
  • 2 cups diced Mangoes (see notes on chopping a mango easily)
  • 1 small Red Pepper
  • 1/2 small Red Onion, diced fine
  • 1 Jalapeno, diced fine (deseed if you don’t like it too spicy)
  • 1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh Lime juice
  • 1 tsp salt

Method:

  • In a bowl, mix all ingredients well
  • Serve with tortilla chips or over tacos, chicken, fish…. or just grab a spoon and dig in
  • Refrigerate to keep fresh up to two days

How to chop a mango easily:

  1. Wash and dry the mango
  2. Place the mango upright on a cutting board, supporting it with your non-dominant hand
  3. Hold a sharp knife in your other hands
  4. Cut the thickest (widest) side of the mango, cutting from top to bottom as close to the pit as you can
  5. Repeat on the other side
  6. These sides are called “cheeks” – so you end up with two cheeks and a pit that still has a bit of flesh around it
  7. Use a knife to make lengthwise and crosswise cuts in each cheek, being careful to avoid cutting through the skin. Now, press the skin side of the mango cheek to turn it inside out, to resemble a porcupine. Scoop out the cubes off the skin using a knife or skin
  8. Peel the skin of the remaining middle piece and using a paring knife, cut as close to the pit as possible. Cut the remaining fruit flesh into cubes
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Orange Date Salad

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How about a vitamin-rich salad that transports you to a land of sunshine and warmth? Citrus fruits are a source of vitamin C, folate, potassium, and calcium. And I’ve also heard that the vitamin C helps the body absorb the iron from the spinach better.

Years ago while living in Toronto, a friend Michelle stopped by. As the two of us tried to rustle up a meal with what we had in the fridge, she showed me this simple orange and spinach salad and taught me how to whip up a salad dressing that was so simple and yet, so light. The dressing avoided oils and fats and was sooo delicious. This salad is a riff on that one – some more ingredients but still just packed with vitamin C and good for us ingredients and is the perfect side dish that’s easy to put on the table.

Servings: 4 Time: 10 minutes

Dressing:

  • 2 tbsp orange juice (squeeze half an orange)
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp French mustard

Salad Ingredients:

  • 3 large oranges
  • 5 oz spinach, arugula mix
  • 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup pistachios, or almonds or a combination
  • 1/4 pitted Medjool dates, chopped

Method:

  1. Prepare dressing: Whisk the orange juice, honey and mustard and set aside
  2. Prepare salad:
    1. Peel the orange and cut into big chunks
    2. In a large salad bowl, layer the spinach and arugula mix
    3. Layer the orange chunks, red onions
    4. Sprinkle the nuts, cheese and dates
    5. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss just before serving

Nutrition: Approximate estimates only

Per Serving: Calories: 238.5 Carbs: 52 Fat:3.5 Protein: 5.25 Sodium: 112.75 Sugar:43.75  

Watermelon Salad

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This watermelon salad is the perfect way to cool yourself on a hot summer day. The combination of watermelon, feta cheese, mint and lime juice looks lovely on the table or at a BBQ cookout.

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients

  • 6 cups cubed, seedless watermelon
  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 whole lime, juiced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 red onion, cut into fine long slices (optional)
  1. Cut rind from the watermelon, then chop the fruit into 1 inch chunks.
  2. Place chunks into a salad bowl
  3. In a small bowl, whisk lime juice, salt and black pepper. Pour over the watermelon cubes
  4. Combine the mint leaves, feta cheese and onion (if using) with the watermelon
  5. Refrigerate for an hour and serve