Mango Muffins

We have a mango tree in our backyard. Mango season in Hawaii is in the summer, so we have been enjoying amazing mangos! They taste so incredibly good straight from the tree. They are slightly warmed from the sun (I know warmed mango sounds gross, but it's so good). We have probably had about 50 mangos from our trees so far, and probably another 50 to go. My husband eats 3 a day!
We have breakfast for dinner at least once a week in our family. I decided to make these muffins to go with our eggs and bacon. Muffins are a great way to have something sweet on side, when you don't want to make pancakes. Plus, we eat the leftover muffins the next day for breakfast. I think this muffin base is good for any fresh fruit. I packed mine FULL of mangos. My husband said they tasted like mango/peach cobbler. I guess that's a compliment??? if you do not have or like almond extract, leave it out. But, you know how I love anything almond!

Mango Muffins

2 mangos, peeled, and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 c shredded coconut
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c oil
2 eggs
1 c milk
1 tbs vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

In a separate measuring cup, measure milk and vinegar, stir, and then let sit. (You are creating your own buttermilk) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray, set aside. In a medium bowl combine sugar, oil, and eggs, mix well. Add vanilla and almond extract, mix. Combine salt, baking soda, and flour in a bowl. Add milk and flour a little bit at a time, until combined. Stir in chopped mango and coconut. Fill muffin tins to the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until done.

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

We had some corn on the co leftover from Memorial Day, and I decided to make a corn salsa with it. This is super simple, and you don't have to use fresh corn. You can buy frozen petite white corn, and it will taste super fresh as well. I served this with my fish tacos recipe found here. This would be good as an appetizer with chips or on top a salad with grilled chicken. You could use pinto beans instead of black beans, and you could also use lemon juice instead of lime juice. I used whatever I had on hand. There are so many versions out there, but this is the one I made. I decided against adding any heat, so that my kids could eat it. But, adding 1/2 a jalapeno would make this really good and spicy. The key to a good corn salsa: acidity and salt.

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

2 ears of corn (already cooked) or 1 c frozen white corn, defrosted
1 large tomato, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 c cilantro, minced
1/4 c onion, minced
1/2 tsp garlic salt
juice of one lime
salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients all together. Salt and pepper to taste. Let sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Stir before serving.