Sweet and Spicy Mango Jalapeno Jam #FreakyFriday

This sweet and spicy Mango Jalapeno Jam is simple to make and incredibly versatile: pour it over cream cheese as a dip for crackers; spread it onto a quesadilla; or spoon it over roasted pork or chicken. It's delicious any way you use it!

 

My blogger buddy—Michaela, from the wonderful An Affair from the Heart—is the creator of Freaky Friday, a very fun food blogger event. On this special day, 16 bloggers do a recipe swap: we are each assigned someone else's blog and we select a recipe to try and then share. It's all a big secret who is assigned to which blog. Until now! Drum roll, please, for the big reveal... 

I was lucky to be assigned The Flavor Bender. The creative brain behind this fabulous food blog is Dini. Not only are her recipes often wildly inventive—fantastic combinations of flavors and ingredients—but her photos are just stunning. To be honest, I was a little intimidated to tackle one of her recipes! The funny thing is that, for a previous Freaky Friday, Dini was assigned to the Full Belly Sisters blog. She made a gorgeous vegan version of my Raspberry Cannoli Cream Crepe Cake; I felt honored by her beautiful post.

So, how to choose just one of Dini's amazing recipes to make and share here? I was overwhelmed by the abundance of tempting recipes: Easy Fruit Sorbets; Teriyaki Flank Steak Sushi Burgers; and Cranberry, Cheese, and Turkey Filo Rolls all looked amazing. 

But then I found her recipe for Mango Jalapeno Jam and I knew I'd found my recipe. Not only do I adore mangoes, I'm also a sucker for sweet and savory dishes. Plus, I thought it would be great for anyone looking for a last-minute Superbowl party appetizer! Yup, this recipe was calling my name.

Mango Jalapeno Jam
Ingredients
adapted slightly from The Flavor Bender

• 10 oz. mango, chopped finely
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• zest of 1/2 lime
• juice of one lime  
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
• 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced 
• 2 Tablespoons boiling water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Put the mango, vinegar, lime, soy sauce, ginger, and sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat a bit and simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes, until it begins to thicken. Add the minced jalapeno and simmer for another 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the boiling water. Whisk into the mango jalapeno mixture and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened. It should take about 10-15 minutes.

Once you've made your sweet and slightly-spicy Mango Jalapeno Jam, you can use it in a lot of different ways. Try spooning it over a log of plain, softened goat cheese or cream cheese, topped with some fresh, chopped scallion greens—served with crackers, it's an easy appetizer for any party.

Or use this luscious jam in an easy and tasty quesadilla. For my yummy lunch, I used a 10-inch tortilla; 1/2 cup of shredded, extremely sharp cheddar; 2 Tablespoons of the Mango Jalapeno Jam; and 1/4 avocado, diced. Place the fillings on half of the tortilla, fold it over and cook in a pan until the quesadilla is golden brown on both sides (2 or 3 minutes on each side should do it). Spoon some extra jam over the top of the hot quesadilla. How fab is that?

So, how will you use this Sweet and Spicy Mango Jalapeno Jam?

 

Check out all the fantastic bloggers participating in this Freaky Friday event: A Dish Of Daily Life || An Affair from the Heart || Cooking on a Budget || Full Belly Sisters || LeMoine Family Kitchen || Pic-Nic || The Foodie Affair || Who Needs A Cape || Wildflour’s Cottage Kitchen || Aunt Bee's Recipes || Honey & Birch || The Flavor Bender || A Kitchen Hoor || Belle of the Kitchen || The Magical Slow Cooker || Lisa's Dinnertime Dish ||




 

An InLinkz Link-up