Mango Parfait with Coconut Crunch

I have been addicted to mangoes lately.  When I carry a basket brimming with mangoes around the grocery store, it attracts countless weird stares and a few comments.  One cashier asked what I was making; another asked if mangoes were on sale as if I knew something he didn’t.  My favorite response was from a woman who looked into my basket of 15 unaccompanied mangoes and just said, “Simple”.

With my recent mango kick, I’ve been eating a lot of mono meals. When I eat just mangoes, I acknowledge how exquisite they are in their unadultered state – perfection that is easily hidden by other ingredients.  The most exciting part is that mangoes aren’t technically even in season yet, which means they are only going to get better as the days get warmer.

So the recipe for today: plate + mangos…

Not really.  While I do believe this is a perfect meal, I can be a bit more creative than that.

Maybe it’s all in my mind, but when food is visually appealing it always seems to taste better.  That’s why I love parfaits.  I can’t resist the look or taste of a jar brimming with ripe fruit and nutty crunch.  I layered banana puree in between the mango instead of the typical yogurt or cashew cream.  Refrigerating the bananas (already ripe and spotty) for a few hours makes for a thicker texture that is a fabulous replacement for yogurt.  It is naturally sweet, naturally creamy, and nothing but fruit.

So here is my little homage to the sweet, creamy delicacy that is the mango.

Mango Parfait with Coconut Crunch

1 serving

2 bananas

2 1/2 cups chopped mango (frozen and thawed or fresh)

1/4 cup almonds

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1. Puree the bananas in the blender and set in the fridge to thicken a bit.
2. Puree 2 cups of mango  Reserve 1 TBSP and set the rest in the fridge as well while you make the crunch.
3. Place the almonds and coconut in the food processor and pulse briefly to chop the nuts into large chunks.
4. Add 1 TBSP of mango puree to the food processor and process briefly to evenly distribute so the almond and coconut are covered and a bit sticky.
5. Dice the remaining 1/2 cup mango.
6. Remove the banana and mango from the fridge and find yourself a beautiful parfait glass or jar.
7. Layer banana, diced mango, pureed mango, crunch, repeat.  Or whatever order you like; it will be beautiful regardless.