What could be better than a simple, thrifty treat in the middle of the week? How about if that same thrifty, simple treat required no stove or oven time and was just as easy to serve to a crowd as it is to make for yourself. This mango dessert is all things to all people, and before you protest that you cannot tolerate spicy food let me assure you that this is spicy in only the most mildest of forms. I am the sort of person who finds radishes to be tad too piquant, raw onions to be nearly too asserting, and too much black pepper, well, spicy. You can control completely the relative spiciness of this dish so that a three year old would find it palatable. And indeed, I did.

To me, this dessert is pure summer. The idea for this dish came to me by combining my two favorite summer time treats: fresh fruit sprinkled with lime and chili and the farmer’s market and my local bagel shop’s creamy mango smoothie. Let the powers of dairy, mango and chili lime combine in one fabulously easy, seasonally thrifty, delicious mango dessert.

Ingredients:

• Mangoes, half a large mango per person
• Tajin, a Mexican chili-lime spice combo found in the grocery store or by ordering online. I buy the one chili pepper version that is not, in any way, truly spicy.
• Whipped cream

Method:

– Slice your mango into perfect squares, as the photo above proves I was able to do one time, or into rough chunks.

– Once all the mango you need is chopped, put in a bowl and toss with a coating of Tajin.

– Fill each serving dish or glass with a layer of whipped cream.

– Add your speckled chunks saffron yellow mango to each dish.

– Garnish with a few more sprinkles of Tajin. This dish can be enjoyed at room temperature or chilled. I like it both ways. After eating a few chunks off the top I like to swirl the cream over the the top of the mango and mix it in a bit. Heavenly.