Pineapple Mango Pico De Gallo shared by Christina Paulsen

But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart.

I am so excited to receive this SHARE recipe from my niece Christina.  Christina married my nephew, Matthew, and I am so thankful that 22 years ago they tied the knot and she became a Paulsen!  This recipe and the pictures she sent look fantastic.  I am looking forward to trying it myself.  We have a mango just waiting for such a recipe as this!  Christina is this amazing women who has more talents than I can count!   She is an awesome mother of two girls, a model parent (in my ever-to-be-humble opinion) a lovely wife, a talented cook, seamstress, knitter …. well take a look for yourself at http://secretyarnings.wordpress.com – you’ll see what I mean.  Oh yeah, and did I mention she can WRITE HTML COMPUTER code???  Yes, that is right, when I was fussing that my PICTURE THIS page wouldn’t picture anything — Christina said, “Let me take a look.”  At the time I didn’t really know what that meant, but I was hoping for some suggestions.  Instead, what I received was a three page, step-by-step, “how to” directions on writing the HTML code that would make my page look like I wanted it to.  I was absolutely stunned.  In addition, she made a PICTURE THIS page on her own blog, just for me to look at and see if that is what I wanted. Thank you Christina, you are a women after my own heart!  While Christina and I were emailing back and forth getting the HTML code set straight one of the things she said to me was “Now I remember why I learned all of this in the first place …… Creating feeds my soul.”  I so get that.

A Shared Recipe By Christina Paulsen

**Pineapple Mango Pico De Gallo
**

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh chopped pineapple
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped peeled mango
• 2 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt divided

Combine all ingredients and set aside for about 20 minutes.

Serve over chicken tacos. 🙂

For the chicken taco’s, I use a precooked rotisserie chicken* from my local grocery store (or you can cook your own chicken the way you like.)

Shred the chicken and season to taste with Ms. Dash garlic and herb seasoning blend.

Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Mango Pico De Gallo

Serve with warmed corn tortillas and rice.

This is a family favorite!

PINEAPPLES … Did you know?

Pineapple juice is excellent when used as a marinade. In fact, the pineapple’s bromelainenzyme is so powerful in breaking down tissue that those who work with the fresh fruit in the fields and canneries must wear gloves to protect their skin. The juice not only tenderizes tough meats, but also adds a taste of the tropics to recipes.

The same bromelain enzyme in fresh pineapple will cause gelatins to fail to firm up and dairy products to separate. Cooking nullifies the enzyme, so use canned instead of fresh pineapple in your gelatin molds.

Pineapple juice is also an excellent choice as an acidulator to keep fruits and vegetables from oxidizing and turning brown, but use canned rather than fresh so it will not soften the foods soaking in it.

Some chefs advise slicing off the green leafy top and standing the pineapple upside-down on the cut end for half an hour. This lets the sweeter juices on the bottom travel to permeate the rest of the fruit for a sweeter overall end product.

The tough core that is usually discarded or pressed for juice can also be sliced lengthwise and used as stirrers for fruit drinks.

Hollowed out pineapple boats make a lovely edible presentation for cold salads, vegetables, or fruits.