Food at the speed of life: Salad has special kick

Prowling through recipes on a website the other day, I discovered a great idea: mangos and balsamic vinaigrette in a salad.

I put the two with some other ingredients and had a tasty light meal or side salad.

It’s healthy, simple and a change of pace. The sweet mango and the tangy basalmic vinegar play off each other well, and the raw spinach and cheese are good additions.

I used colby cheese, but I suspect muenster would also work well.

Balsamic Mango Salad

Per person, you’ll need:

• A handful or two of fresh spinach leaves

• About half a ripe mango, chopped into small pieces

• A couple tablespoons of colby cheese, in small cubes

• Balsamic vinegar and canola oil, or purchased balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing

Wash and dry the spinach leaves and cut off the stems. Put them on a plate. Sprinkle mango and cheese on top. Lightly drizzle the salad with the balsamic vinegar and oil or with salad dressing. Easy, don’t drown out the other flavors.

Mangoes are ripe when they’re soft and smell fruity. For cutting instructions, check out http://www.mango.org/en/retailers/mango-messages/how-to-cut-a-mango.aspx.

Argen Duncan writes for Freedom New Mexico. Contact her at: aduncan@pntonline.com