ANZAC mango cheesecake

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In what can only be described as a momentary lapse in judgment, I decided to do our weekly grocery shop with three kids in tow today. You see, I normally do my weekly shop online. Items are ordered from the comfort of home, they arrive the following day and are delivered literally to my kitchen bench. How easy it that!?

I’m not really sure why I decided to ignore my weekly ritual today.  I did tell myself that it might be nice to do a little aisle wander, see what was on special and what new items had arrived on the shelves. How naïve was I!

For what actually ensued was 3 bored kids who argued and moaned the moment we selected a trolley,  and were well and truly over the whole experience before we even got through aisle 1. It also meant that way too many treats snuck their way into the trolley – and the bill at the end was much more than I would ordinarily spend.

One saving grace was the lovely mangoes we picked up – at a price indicative that the warmer months are coming. And they quickly reminded me of this lovely little cheesecake we made a while back for our Father’s Day linner.

With ANZAC biscuits as the base, this no-bake cheesecake was jazzed up with a jelly layer and topped with fresh mango and passionfruit. I followed this recipe , substituting the lime jelly for mango jelly, and foregoing the mint leaves (only because I didn’t have any on hand).

The result was a beautifully tropical dessert that was pretty easy to pull together – and that could be made a day in advance.

But yes, in case there is any doubt, I will be going back to my regular online grocery order from next week…

Cocktail Hour: Mango Margarita

We are really fortunate to have made some great friends in our street. Two couples who have kids of a similar age – living only a few houses away.  Despite all being rather busy with work, and life, we’ve been making a point of catching up when we can. For playdates here and there, or for family-friendly lunches on the weekend when the kids can run amok while the adults catch up on the happenings of late.

This last weekend, we did just that. It was our turn to host, and while I initially thought of putting on a BBQ lunch, I ended up going with a Mexican theme instead. Specifically – pulled pork made in the slow cooker – with tortillas, coleslaw, rice and other trimmings on the side. In fact, it ended up being a rather perfect cosy lunch as temperatures had dropped and the rain fell heavily outside.

And what better way to accompany a Mexican lunch, than with some mango margaritas!

Made with tequila, Cointreau, frozen mango, orange and lime juices – blended to icy perfection.

Served in a lime and salt rimmed glass, and well they were a great start to a wonderful afternoon with friends.

The added bonus being that it was only a short walk home for our guests!

 

Print Recipe
 Mango Margarita
Course Cocktail
Cuisine Drinks
Servings
glasses
Ingredients
Course Cocktail
Cuisine Drinks
Servings
glasses
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.
  2. Serve in glasses rimmed with lime and salt.
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Mango and Lime Salsa

While I am 100% on board the ‘fresh is best’ wagon, sometimes ingredients may not be in season, or may be too expensive.

Such was the case when I had a craving for mango recently, and wanted to create a fruity salsa to serve alongside some spicy chicken and beans. With not a fresh mango in sight, however, I turned to tinned mango instead – which meant that we could have a summery dish even though the temperatures were still in single digits outside.

Combined with cucumber, spring onions, lime, red chilli and fresh mint – we soon had ourselves a lovely sweet and spicy salsa.  I think avocado would also be a nice addition…next time perhaps?

Although this was a relatively simple dish, it was definitely a hit, and will almost certainly be making further appearances when mangoes come back into season!

Print Recipe
 Mango and Lime Salsa
Course Side dish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Course Side dish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients and season to taste.
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Dreaming of summer with this Mango Cheesecake

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IMG_4288 What a wonderful family weekend we’ve just had. My mum was in town, as were some of Mr BBB’s extended family. We had 12 (!) people around for dinner on Saturday night, where I sang the praises of our slow cooker (it was Irish stew on the menu, with olive sourdough and garlic-lemon beans). And there was cake.  Of course there was cake. A summery ‘completely out of season’ mango cheesecake, to be precise. IMG_4293 For, just a moment, we could pretend that it wasn’t freezing outside, and ignore the piles of jackets, scarves and gloves that inevitably clutter the hooks by the front door whenever Winter strikes. IMG_4294 Nay – we could be taken back to warmer times – when BBQs are favoured over stews, and rekindle memories of being able to dine alfresco . IMG_4295 For thanks to the abundance of tinned fruit, I was able to create this summery dessert – even though a fresh mango was nowhere to be seen. You can find the recipe here noting I substituted tinned mango for fresh, and also added a little mango puree to the cheesecake batter itself. What about you? What is your favourite cheesecake flavour?

Mango salsa

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IMG_6426 I realise it has been a little quiet on the ‘food’ aspect of this blog  for a while now, but rest assured that the BBB kitchen has been in full swing this Summer. Lots of salads, BBQs and fresh ingredients – and lots of meals spent with friends and family. Recently, we hosted a “Pre” New Years Eve dinner with some dear friends, where my aim was to keep the cooking outside given the temperature forecast of 34C. I marinated some pork tenderloin in a “jerk” marinade, and Mr BBB was tasked with basted and BBQing it throughout the afternoon. IMG_6433 And, as for me, well all I had to do was put together the accompaniments. High on the list…..mango salsa! IMG_6423 Simply, diced mango, red onion, chilli, capsicum, spring onions, mint and lime zest / juice. Thrown together, given a good stir, with the flavours allowed to develop over an hour or so. IMG_6424 Aside from looking rather colourful and vibrant – the flavour was spot on (and had even a mango-hating friend going back for seconds…) IMG_6428 Served on the sliced pork, with a simple rocket salad and some basmati rice that I had mixed with black beans, lime juice and a little butter. IMG_6436 And our Summer dinner was complete (with not an oven in sight!) Mango salsa

  • 1 mango, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 red capsicum, diced
  • 2 spring onions, sliced thinly
  • 1/4 cup shredded mint leaves
  • 1 lime, zest and juice
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and diced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and set aside in the fridge for an hour for the flavour to develop. What about you? Cooked anything fun on the BBQ lately?

Mango rocket salad

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Thankyou for your helpful comments re yesterday’s post. The more people I talk to about my ‘walking pains’, the more I am becoming certain that they might be braxton hicks contractions. Who knew!They are certainly not too painful, just annoying more than anything. Pregnancy talk aside, after a big late lunch today, I did not feel like a heavy dinner. Just salad and a bit of protein was what I went in search for when we returned home after our evening walk. And, the world’s largest mango proved to be the perfect ingredient for a summer salad. Just 4 ingredients. IMG_4394 Mango, rocket, feta and french vinaigrette. IMG_4396 And with a few (oh how very Australian) rissoles on the side, dinner was complete. IMG_4397 I loved the freshness of the salad, which had a nice mix of sweet (from the mango), salty (from the feta) and pepper (from the rocket). I am really loving fruit in salads at the moment! What about you? Are you a fan of fruit in salads?