Since last month’s inaugural blender experimentation with what I’ve come to call my “Everything But The Kitchen Sink” smoothie (Jamba Juice I am not), I’ve attempted to refine the contents of my concoctions to come up with fruits that complement each other. It may seem like a no-brainer that grapefruit and banana or apple and tangerine or carrots and sugarsnap peas and sweet peppers — or all of them together — don’t play the best together, but I was ever game to give them a go.
Today, though, I crafted my masterpiece: one mango, two bananas, one cup of light vanilla yogurt.
Like I said: a no-brainer that mango and banana would make a great team. Sometimes it just takes me a while.
And Damn! I may have to double up these ingredients, whip up a batch, infuse it with a shot or several of dark rum, stow it in the fridge overnight and serve it up the next day with a straw and a hibiscus garnish.
The secrets to this success are mango availability and the proper tools. Blessedly, Costco sells boxes of fresh and ripening mangos from Peru for like $7. And the right and righteous implement is only a click away: the Oxo mango splitter.
Sure, I was skeptical at first as I eyed the contraption in whatever magazine I was perusing. After all, how hard can it be to cut up a mango. Well, certainly it’s doable, but it can also get pretty juicy. So, what the hell, we brought one home and the thing is just a wonder of convenience. Basically you stand the fruit up on its stem, place the center of the splitter over the center area of the mango (make sure the seed is oriented in the same direction as the splitter’s center hole) and push down evenly. You’re left with two precious and perfect halves of mango goodness and the monster seed is ready to be tossed. The instructions then dictate how to cube up the mango matter, but if it’s ripe enough I prefer to just divy the thing up into slices and spoon-slice the stuff away from the skin.
From a dieting perspective, while not at all unhealthy, this is a calorie-rich beverage. Mangos hit at 135 calories, bananas — times two — are knocking on the 200 door, and the light yogurt is 110. At 430 calories it’s not the most filling, either. But Ooooo… perhaps a scoop of a chocolate-flavored protein powder might make it so?
Oh yeah, baby.
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