Recipes: Mango Lassi and Mel's Mango Chicken

Q. While in London I had a mango drink in an Indian restaurant and the waiter said it was mango and yogurt. Got the blender out and made it. It looked right and tasted almost right except I couldn't get the tang out of the yogurt. Any suggestions to neutralize the tang? — Roz, Miami

A. Indian mango lassi drinks are made with mango and yogurt, but they also need some other key ingredients: Milk or water, honey or sugar, and usually cardamom and perhaps a bit of salt. The standard recipe here can be altered to your taste — if you are watching calories, use ice or water in place of the milk and an artificial sweetener in place of the honey or sugar. I've also had the drink with a dash of almond extract and even a jigger of dark rum!

Mango Lassi

Makes about 2 cups, 2 servings.

1/2 large mango, peeled and pit removed, chopped (you should yield at least 1 cup)

1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup milk

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon honey or sugar, or to taste

1. Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and let machine run until mango is liquefied, about 2 minutes. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar or honey if desired.

Per serving: 118 calories (23 percent from fat) 2.9 g fat (1.5 g sat fat, .8 g mono fat), 32.3 mg cholesterol, 3.6 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, .6 g fiber, 283 mg sodium.

Q. When you can't get mangoes, peaches are just as good for this recipe. I am 80 years young, but have only been cooking for about 20 years, since I retired. — Mel

A. I can see why people ask you for this recipe. The chicken turns out moist and the sauce is fantastic spooned over rice.

Mel's Mango Chicken

Makes 8 servings

1 chicken, cut up, or 8 breasts, or whatever pieces you like

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste

2 large mangoes or 4 peaches, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Cooked rice

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Put the chicken in a single layer in the pan. Mix the brown sugar with the curry powder with a fork. Sprinkle about half on top of the chicken. Place mango slices on top and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mix. Cover with foil. Bake, spooning pan drippings on top from time to time, until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes for boneless breasts or 1 hour for bone-in pieces. Check for doneness. If you like browner chicken, remove foil halfway through cooking time.

2. Just after removing from oven, squirt lemon juice over all. Pour off the pan drippings and thicken with cornstarch dissolved in water, heating as needed until desired consistency. Serve sauce over rice. Per serving (Assumes use of skinless, boneless chicken breast): 277 calories (6 percent from fat) 1.6 g fat, (.4 g sat fat, .4 g mono fat) 68.4 cholesterol, 27.6 g protein, 38 carbohydrates, 1.0g fiber, 85.8 mg sodium.