Mango Chutney (Tusker House, Animal Lodge WDW)

This relish is wonderful with Naan bread, any other flatbread or specialty bread or crackers. As with any relish, it's not complicated but the attention to detail and the combination of flavors makes it taste so good. Watch closely and stir while cooking to avoid sticking and scorching. Note when planning a Disney vacation: take the culinary tours! You won't be sorry!

Mango Chutney (yields 3c) 

Mango Chutney (on the right) and 2 other dips from the culinary tour

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds (5 each) mangos (small diced)
• 1 small green pepper (small diced)
• 1 small onion (small diced)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 large jalapeno pepper (chopped fine)
• 1/8 cup fresh ginger
• 2 cloves chopped garlic

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients into a large pot, and add enough water to cover.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to a simmer until all the liquid is cooked to about the thickness of honey.
4. Do not overcook, as the mixture will thicken as it cools.

African House Salad (from Mara, Animal Kingdom Lodge)

Another delicious treat from Animal Kingdom Lodge, this time from Mara. This salad is filling and complex - a taste for the senses. The dressing is scrumptious.

African House Salad

Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients

• 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1/4 cup julienne carrots
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper strips
• 1/8 cup julienne fennel
• 1/4 cup julienne sweet potato
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 cup cooked lentils
• Grilled chicken strips to taste (optional)

Ginger-soy dressing

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar 
• 1/2 cup safflower oil

Directions

1. In a medium-size bowl, combine lettuce, carrots, bell peppers, fennel, sweet potatoes, red onions and lentils.
2. In another bowl, combine, ground ginger, garlic, coriander, sugar, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.
3. Whisk until well blended.
4. While constantly whisking, add oil in a slow, steady stream.
5. Ladle some of the dressing over the vegetables and lentils.
6. Add chicken, if desired.
7. Toss ingredients with tongs and divide among serving plates.
8. Add additional dressing to taste.

Mango Lassi (Smoothie) (Sanaa, WDW Animal Kingdom Lodge)

Here is a delicious, nutritious type of smoothie which is sweet, creamy and refreshing. Claimed by several countries, it's a wonderful treat no matter where it originates.

Mango Lassi

Ingredients

• 2 c ripe mango, chopped
• pinch of salt
• 1 c chilled whole milk
• 1 c whole-milk plain yogurt
• 2 to 3 tbsp sugar, optional

Preparation

1. If mango has stringy fibers, push through a nylon sieve with the back of a spoon. The remaining mango should not contain stringy pulp.
2. Combine mango, pinch of salt, milk and yogurt in a blender and puree until smooth. Add sugar to taste. If you would like it a bit cooler, add about 8 ice cubes to the blender and process. Can be refrigerated up to 24 hours.

Cobb Salad with

Cobb Salad with French Dressing Hollywood Brown Derby, Disney-MGM Studios  Ingredients 1/2 head iceberg lettuce 1/2 bunch watercress 1 small bunch chicory 1/2 head romaine lettuce 2 medium tomatoes, blanched and peeled 1 1/2 cups cooked turkey breast, diced 1 avocado 3 eggs, hard-cooked 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled 6 strips crisp bacon, crumbled 2 tbsp. chopped chives Preparation Finely chop all greens, reserving some watercress for presentation. Arrange in salad bowl. Cut tomatoes in half, remove seeds and dice one. Also dice the turkey, avocado and eggs.  Arrange the above ingredients, as well as the blue cheese and bacon crumbles, in straight lines across the greens.  Arrange the chives diagonally across the above lines. Present the salad at the table, then toss with the dressing (below) and place on chilled plates with a watercress garnish. Serves six. BROWN DERBY OLD-FASHIONED FRENCH DRESSING 1/2 cup water 1/2 tsp. sugar 1 1/4 tbsp. salt 1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 clove garlic, chopped 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar Juice of 1/2 lemon 1/2 tbsp. ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. English mustard 1/2 cup olive oil 1 1/2 cups salad oil Blend together all ingredients, except oils, then add olive and salad oils and mix well. Blend well again before mixing with salad.

Cucumber Salad (the Sci-Fi)

A cast member shared this recipe with me, and I am forever grateful. Deliciously cool and refreshing on a hot, humid day.

Cucumber Salad
Ingredients

• cucumbers,very thinly sliced and soaked in lightly salted ice water to keep crisp
• red onions, very thinly sliced
• apple cider vinegar
• sugar to taste

Preparation

1. Drain cucumbers and place in a large bowl
2. Stir in thinly sliced red onions
3. Mix apple cider vinegar with sugar (to taste) and toss all together.
4. Chill in fridge and serve with hamburgers, sandwiches or hot dogs. Best served cold and fresh.

Tonga Toast - the best stuffed "French Toast" ever

I had this for breakfast one morning at the Polynesian and I promise you, everyone around me was drooling! It truly is a delicious type of Polynesian "stuffed French toast."


Tonga Toast Kona Cafe, Polynesian Resort 

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 loaf of sourdough bread (8 inches long)
• 2 bananas, peeled
• 1 quart canola oil, for frying

Directions

1. Mix the sugar and cinnamon with a fork until thoroughly blended, and set aside.  
2. Slice the bread into four two-inch-thick slices.  
3. Cut each banana in half crosswise.  
4. Place a bread slice flat on the counter and tear out just enough from the middle (do not tear all the way through) to stuff half a banana into; repeat with each bread slice.
5. In a large pot or a deep fryer, heat the oil to 350 degrees; use a candy thermometer to make certain the oil does not get any hotter, or it will burn.  
6. Gently place one bread slice into the oil for 1 minute or until light brown.  Turn and fry for another minute on the other side.  
7. Remove bread from the pot and toss it in the sugar and cinnamon mixture.  
8. Repeat for each piece.  

Serves 4.

Beignets (Fried Dough) from the French Quarter

These are a New Orleans staple: a light, tasty variation on fried dough. Delicious!

Beignets

From Port Orleans French Quarter Food Court

Ingredients

• 1 pk Dry yeast
• 1/2 C Sugar
• 2 lg. Eggs
• 7 C Flour
• 1 1/2C Warm water
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 C Undiluted evaporated milk
• 1/4 C Soft shortening
• Oil; for frying
• Confectioner's sugar

Directions

1. In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over water, stir to dissolve.
2. Add sugar, salt, eggs, and milk. Blend with rotary beater.
3. Add 4 cups of the flour, beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and thoroughly blended. 
4. Beat in the shortening, then add the remaining flour, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating it in with a spoon until it becomes too stiff to stir, then working in the rest with your hands.
5. Cover and chill overnight. 
6. Roll out on floured board to 1/8" thickness. Cut into 2 1/2" squares. 
7. Deep fry at 360 degrees 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides. 
8. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle heavily with confectioner's sugar.

Makes about 5 dozen.

Zebra Domes: a taste of Africa

Here is the first of some absolutely delicious treats from Walt Disney World. We fell in love with this treat on a culinary tour of Boma at Jambo House..

Zebra Domes
From Animal Kingdom Lodge

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound milk chocolate
¼ cup espresso coffee
5 egg yolks
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
6 sheets gelatin
½ cup Kahlua Liqueur
4 cups heavy cream
¾ cup white chocolate ganache
¼ cup dark chocolate ganache

Directions:

1. Melt milk chocolate.
2. Whip heavy cream to soft peaks.
3. Mix yolks with sugar.
4. Soften gelatin leaves in cold water.
5. Mix gelatin with Kahlua and coffee. Set bowl over hot water bath to dissolve the gelatin.
6. Fold 1/3 of whipped cream into the chocolate.
7. Add the yolks, then the gelatin mixture.
8. Fold in the rest of the cream.
9. Pour mousse in flexipan domes almost to the top.
10. Place sponge circle (1/4" thick yellow cake cut in a circle) on top. Leave in the freezer to set.
11. Once hard, unmold and place in glazing racks.
12. Make white chocolate ganache and chocolate ganache.
13. Put chocolate ganache in a pastry bag. Ladle white chocolate ganache to cover each dome. Simultaneously, pipe a stripe design of chocolate ganache over the dome.
14. Refrigerate to allow the glaze to set.
15. Decorate the bottom edge with coffee crunch.
16. Place a chocolate covered coffee bean on the center of each dome.

Note: One sheet of gelatin is equal to one teaspoon of unflavored powdered gelatin dissolved in ¼ cup of water.

Ganache

Ingredients

9 oz bittersweet chocolate (or white chocolate), chopped

1 c heavy cream

1 tbsp dark rum (or Kahlua for this recipe)

Directions

1. Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching carefully so it doesn't overflow the pot. When the cream comes to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth. Stir in liquor (if desired). 
2. Allow the ganache to cool slightly before covering cake or cookies, starting at the center of the cake and working outside. You can also allow it to cool until thick and then whip with a whisk until fluffy to use in other recipes.