Mango salad hearty enough for summer meal

Sweet, juicy mangoes are in season now. They’re a treat, and a sweet and colorful addition to this salad supper.

Here are some tips on how to handle a mango.

Mangoes continue to ripen after they are picked. Keep them at room temperature until they yield to gentle pressure. To speed up the ripening, place mangoes in a covered bowl or paper bag.

The recipe calls for mango cubes. Here is a quick way to make them.

Slice off each side of the mango as close to the seed as possible. Take the mango half in your hand, skin side down. Score the fruit in a crisscross pattern to the skin. Bend the skin backwards so that the cubes pop up. Slice the cubes away from the skin. Score and slice any fruit left on the pit.

Helpful Hints:

• If mangoes aren’t available, use ripe peaches.
• You can use reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing instead of the recipe given.

Mango and Feta Cheese Super Salad

Yield 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer.

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup sliced red onion

2 cups mango (cut into 1-inch cubes)

1 cup avocado (cut into 1-inch cubes)

1 cup cucumber (cut into 1-inch cubes)

1 cup tomato (cut into 1-inch pieces)

1/2 cup sliced radish

1/2 cup reduced-fat feta cheese (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)

4 cups lettuce cut into small pieces

2 whole wheat pita breads

Whisk balsamic vinegar and olive oil together in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add red onion, mango, avocado, cucumber, tomato and radish slices to the bowl. Toss well to coat all ingredients with the dressing. Toast pita breads in a toaster oven or under the boiler until slightly crisp. Remove and cut into triangles. Divide the lettuce between two dinner plates. Spoon salad on top of the lettuce. Divide feta into two potions and add to the plates. Serve with pita triangles.

Per serving: 616 calories (41% from fat), 28.4 g fat (8.6 g saturated, 12.6 g monounsaturated), 34 mg cholesterol, 17.6 g protein, 82.8 g carbohydrates, 17.2 g fiber, 664 mg sodium.