Spicy Mango-Cucumber Salad - Raw

Being in Los Angeles has really made me realize that I'm truly and utterly in love with tropical fruit. Not just coconut, but mangoes, avocados, bananas, and pineapple, among others. That's something I really miss about L.A. - the convenience and availability of tropical fruits. Here, it's all in season essentially year-round, and is easily accessible at a low price. That's one food group that I don't think I could ever give up for the 100 Mile Diet.

So, in the spirit of warmer climates and taking advantage of convenience, I've made this spicy mango and cucumber salad. This salad has two kinds of heat - ginger and cayenne - but the ice cold mango with the crunchy cucumber balances it all out well. Then, topped with the silken cashew cream, this was hot weather heaven in a martini glass.

Spicy Mango-Cucumber Salad

1 mango, chunked
1/2 seedless cucumber, chunked
1/2 inch of ginger, minced, skin on
2 squeezes of lime
1 1/2 Tb. agave (less if the mango is really sweet)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (to taste)

1/2 cup cashew cream, no vanilla

Toss all ingredients together except cashew cream, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Serve in fun glasses with a drizzle of cashew cream and a slice of ginger.