Share

Tweet

Pin

Hello! I am back from an “interesting” weekend spent mostly in DC. It ended with eating raw mango tarts, so it can’t have been that bad =].

On Friday evening I took the train down and headed to my friend’s place. We went to sleep at 9 in eager anticipation of our 5:30 wakeup. Here was the fun surprise: my friend’s neighbors decided to throw a party that night! They kept us awake on and off until 3 am, drunkenly singing along to Hall and Oates (hey, they definitely could have picked worse music).



The next thing I knew, I somehow got up for my 5:30 alarm and I was running the race! It went really well at first, but unfortunately, at around the 14-mile mark my IT band flared up for the first time in over 2 months, and I ended up struggling across the finish line. I will say this: though I was disappointed that my ITB issues prevented me from running a competitive time, considering that 3 months ago I could barely run at all, to cross a marathon finish line in 4:22 makes me feel grateful and blessed. I will never take for granted that I have two working legs and that I am in a position in life to sign up for a marathon and complete it.

The nice thing is, the ITB only hurts when I’m actually running. After getting some food and water, and finding one of my best friends from Baltimore who came down to meet me, we headed to the Navy Yard for the Shamrock Beer Bash. It was 60 and sunny and the perfect way to spend my afternoon. Did I feel the effects yesterday of marathon + beer + tacos + Thai delivery food after I got back to Baltimore that night? Definitely. But hey, it was already planned to be a recovery day…

Speaking of recovery, I thought I’d share a little something healthy today – tropical raw mango tarts. These raw tarts are very satisfying and filling, but won’t leave you feeling heavy. They use frozen mango and pineapple (except for the optional kiwi topping), so they can be enjoyed any time of year! I find that I really need this tropical inspiration right now because we got more snow last night… and spring supposedly starts in 3 days!

Print Sugar-free Tropical Raw Mango Tarts These sugar-free raw tropical mango tarts are a decadent treat made from whole foods with no added sugar or oil. One serving (1/4 of the tart) is filling and satisfying. Ingredients Crust (makes enough for one 5-inch tart): 1/4 cup pitted dried prunes heaping

1/4 cup raw walnuts heaping

generous pinch sea salt Filling (makes enough for one 5-inch tart): 2 tbsp macadamia nuts

2 tbsp full-fat flaked coconut

1/2 tbsp flaxseed meal

1/2 cup large frozen mango chunks thawed and drained

1/2 cup large frozen pineapple chunks thawed and drained

pinch sea salt Topping/garnishes (optional/flexible): 1 kiwi sliced into semicircle shapes

Freshly grated lemon or lime zest

Dark chocolate shavings Instructions Prepare the crust: Prepare a 5-inch foil tart pan, or a reusable pan with a liner. Add the ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse until the mixture appears crumbly, but sticks together easily. Press the crust into the prepared pan in an even layer, coming up about 1 and 1/2 inches around the sides. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before filling. Prepare the filling: Add the macadamia nuts and coconut to a blender or food processor and process them until as smooth as possible (for large food processors, you may not be able to get them very smooth because the volume will be too small, unless you scale this recipe to make more than one tart). Add the flaxseed meal, mango, pineapple, and sea salt (if using), and process until completely smooth. Let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes, then scoop it into the prepared crust, and return the entire tart to the freezer. In about an hour the tart should be firm enough to serve, and the crust should easily pop out of the tart pan. Top with any garnishes that you're using, slice, and serve. Store leftovers in the freezer. Recipe Notes To use fresh mango or pineapple, reduce the amount by volume to account for the water that drains from the frozen fruit. I had no problem eating the extra filling with a spoon, but I actually saved most of it for topping my morning oatmeal =]

P.S. Yes, you CAN eat the outside of kiwis! I spent so much of my life scooping out kiwis with a spoon but I recently learned that the skin is completely edible and you can eat them like an apple! Be sure to thoroughly wash the kiwi first, and if it isn’t organic, you should also scrape off the fuzzy part.

Shared on Healthy Vegan Fridays.