Strawberry-Mango Compote

8 servings 

• 2 cups ripe chopped mangoes
     (or a 26 oz jar, drained & chopped)
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•    dash of ground nutmeg

The secret of slicing a ripe mango: Peel the mango with a paring knife. Cut a small slice off the stem end. Stand the mango on its cut end, a narrow side facing you. Cut one side of flesh off the pit, making a vertical slice about 1/2-inch from the center so the knife clears the pit. Repeat on other 3 sides. Now slice, dice, chop or puree.

Combine strawberries and mango in a medium bowl; toss gently. Cover and chill thoroughly. Combine yogurt, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir well. Chill.

Spoon fruit mixture evenly into 8 compotes; top each serving with 1 Tbs yogurt mixture.

* One pint of fresh strawberries equals 1 basket, or about 3 1/4 cups whole berries, or 2 1/4 cups sliced berries, or 1 2/3 cups pureed berries, or about 12 very large stemmed berries, or about 36 smaller berries.

Storing and Preparing Strawberries:

1. Before using or storing, sort through the strawberries and separate the soft ones from the firm, fully ripe berries. Discard any mushy or spoiled berries.


2. Store them in a colander in the refrigerator. This allows the cold air to circulate around them. Do not cover them.


3. Remove caps from strawberries only after washing. Prepare strawberries for serving by rinsing with caps still attached under a gentle spray of cool water; pat dry with a paper towel. (Don't remove the caps before washing; the caps keep the water from breaking down the texture and flavor inside the berries.). Wash the berries just before you plan to use them. Use as soon as possible; strawberries ripen no further once picked.


4. To keep strawberries from absorbing large quantities of water when washing them, place in a salad spinner to remove excess water.

Bon appetit!