Gluten Free Mango Squares Recipe
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Standardby carynfasko2 Comments

Over this past weekend, I found myself cutting up 5 mangoes that my in-laws dropped off. Additionally, I will be getting 6 more in my produce box that is set to be delivered on Saturday. Good thing we like mangoes. Eating them fresh, baking or cooking with them…we will eat them all. One of my absolute favorite ways to enjoy mango is to make a mango avocado salsa to top fish. And if I am baking with mangoes, my new favorite recipe is gluten free mango squares, which I am about to share with you.

Gluten Free Mango Dessert

My gluten free mango square recipe is made with a delicious almond crust, topped with a sweet mango filling, baked, and then sprinkled with shredded coconut. It’s basically a tropical version of lemon squares.

And if you are wondering if mangoes are healthy, my answer is a resounding “YES!” I often hear that certain fruits are not “good for you” due to their sugar content. First off, sugar is not “bad” or anything to be feared. Sugar powers our brain, and gives us energy to move. Some people may process sugar a little differently due to medical conditions, and may have to watch how certain foods affect their blood sugar levels, but that can be managed with the help of a doctor, dietitian, and close monitoring.

Gluten Free Mango Squares

Oh and I forgot to mention, my gluten free mango squares also freeze well, just in case you want to make an extra batch to save for later. Simply take them out of the freezer 15-20 minutes before you plan on eating them so they can thaw out a bit.

Gluten Free Mango Squares

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/2 Cups Almond Flour

1/4 Cup All Purpose Gluten Free Flour

1/4 Cup Sugar

6 Tablespoons Cold Butter

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Filling

1 Cup Pureed Mangoes (1-2 Mangoes)

3 Eggs

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

1/2 Cup All Purpose Gluten Free Flour

Pinch of Salt

Unsweetened Shredded Coconut to Sprinkle on Top (Optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 square glass baking dish with parchment paper. Add almond flour, 1/4 cup gluten free baking flour, sugar, and salt to a bowl to make the crust. Mix together. Mash in cubed butter with a fork until mixture is crumbly. Mix together well to form a dough. Press crust dough into bottom of parchment lined pan, can go a little up the sides. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Mix remaining ingredients, except for the coconut, until smooth to form the filling. Pour over crust as soon as it comes out of the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is set and no longer jiggles. Pop out of the baking dish by pulling up the parchment paper and allow to cool on wire rack for about an hour. Refrigerate another 1-2 hours and sprinkle with shredded coconut if desired. Cut and serve. Return any extras to the refrigerator or freeze.

Gluten Free Mango Squares

Need more mango recipes? Last year I did a mango roundup that includes more than 30 dietitian approved recipes that you can check out here. Or you can go straight to my Avocado Chicken Salad or Coconut Mango Rice.

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Healthier Red Skin Potato Salad
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Standardby carynfasko1 Comment

I originally posted this healthier red skin potato salad recipe all the way back in September of 2016 but wanted to give it a bit of an upgrade. While the recipe remains the same (I just remade it and it was delicious), I wanted to update the post with some new thoughts and pictures.

For me, like chicken salad, potato salad can either be delicious or severely disappointing, no middle ground here. I like a lot of flavor and just the right amount of mayo. Bland potatoes drowning in mayo tends to be what I find in many store bought potato salads, although I tend to be overly critical and easily disappointed with foods.

Since I’m not a fan of store bought potato salad, I have to make my own. But…I hate peeling potatoes. I feel like it is a waste of the limited time that I have. Especially since we are all stuck in the house together due to the quarantine. My main duties now include entertaining a 3 year old all day, and keeping her away from my husband who works at home, and taking care of a newborn. It’s not exactly how I envisioned my maternity leave going, but its much better than many other families are fairing right now, so I will count my blessings. I did end up purchasing a lesson plan from Busy Toddler for my 3 year old so I could have activities planned without having to think too much, and it has been really helpful. I got very tired of hearing her ask me what can she do next….

Anyways, red skin potatoes have a softer peel than regular white potatoes, so its totally cool to keep the skin on. Plus, it adds extra nutrients and I probably should not be peeling potatoes in my sleep deprived state anyways..

Healthier Red Skin Potato Salad

Healthier Red Skin Potato Salad

Serves 6
Ingredients
1.5 lbs Red Potatoes ( I just bought a 3lb bag and used half)
3/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Teaspoon Dried Dill
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Chives
1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 Cup White Wine Vinegar or Champagne Vinegar
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

 

Directions
Chop potatoes into bite size pieces (no need to remove skin) and place in a saucepan with water covering potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 min. While potatoes are cooking, mix mayonnaise, dill, chives and mustard in a small mixing bowl and refrigerate. Drain potatoes after they are done cooking and place in a large mixing bowl. Add vinegar, pepper and salt to potatoes, toss to coat. Allow potatoes to cool and then add refrigerated mayonnaise mixture to potatoes. Mix gently and refrigerate until ready to serve. Feel free to add celery or onions if you like a little crunch in your potato salad.
 

If you want more potato recipes, try my Crustless Quiche with Potatoes and Spinach or my Sweet Potato Pasta Salad.

Healthier Red Skin Potato Salad

Need more vegetables in your diet? Then don’t forget to subscribe to my email list to get your free copy of “6 Easy Ways to Add More Veggies to Your Day!”

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Easy and Healthy Pasta Salad
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Standardby carynfasko0 Comments

Originally Published in May 2015

Last weekend I turned 30 (old lady now…) so we thought we would do a beach party on Saturday to celebrate. So of course I wanted to make some nutritious and delicious food to bring. I had to think of something I could keep cold in a cooler and that would be refreshing and not too messy or complicated. Pasta salad seemed to be an easy solution…so my recipe for sweet potato pasta salad was born!

I used whole grains (good carbs for sustained energy and fiber), olive oil (good fat, anti-inflammatory properties), and fresh veggies (lots of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals). I was able to keep it in a large aluminum tray in the cooler and it did stay cool until we were ready to eat. I also made a fruit salad to bring because it is super easy to just chop up some melons, grapes and strawberries….and who doesn’t love cool, fresh fruit on a hot day? Plus…it has a ton of nutrients and can help keep you hydrated. My pasta salad turned out really delicious and fed about 16-20 people so keep that in mind when you see the large amounts of ingredients.

Sweet Potato Pasta Salad

Sweet Potato Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

32 oz Dry Whole Grain Pasta (I used Brown Rice Pasta to make it Gluten Free)

2 Large Sweet Potatoes

1 Head of Broccoli

4 Large Tomatoes

1- Fresh 8 oz Bag of Baby Spinach

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3/4 Cup Champagne or White Wine Vinegar

Juice from 2 Lemons

1 Tablespoon Chopped Garlic

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Sugar

Ground Black Pepper to Taste

Directions:

  • Cook pasta according to package directions in a very large pot.
  • While pasta is cooking, clean off sweet potatoes and poke several holes through the skin with a fork. Microwave on high for 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are cooked through.
  • Rinse broccoli and tomatoes and start chopping into pieces while sweet potatoes and pasta are cooking.
  • Remove sweet potatoes (be careful they will be very hot) and let cool.
  • Put chopped broccoli in the microwave on a microwave safe plate on high for 2 minutes…but only if you are like me and prefer your broccoli to be slightly cooked but still firm and crunchy. If you prefer it raw you can skip that step.
  • By now your pasta should be done cooking; drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking and add to your aluminum tray or serving dish.
  • Add the bag of spinach to the warm pot you just removed the pasta from and put back on burner on low heat stirring occasionally to warm and wilt spinach until it shrinks to about half.
  • Add warm spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes to pasta.
  • If your sweet potatoes are cool enough, peel off the skin and chop into bite size squares. If they still feel hot please be patient and let them cool down more… you can get burned by hot potato steam. The potatoes should peel very easily with a knife now that they are cooked.
  • Add the sweet potato pieces to the pasta mixture.
  • Mix together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt and sugar in a small bowl and pour over pasta. Mix well and add ground black pepper to taste.
  • Refrigerate until ready to eat, can be made the day before.

Healthy, Sweet Potato Pasta Salad, Whole Grain, Easy

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