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Easy-peasy Paleo/Whole30 appetizer: salami & mango

We have some great friends we've known for ages, and we have a collective birthday dinner every April. And we've done this every year, starting before we all had kids -- more than 24 years ago!

Usually we go out, but sometimes we pull together a collective gourmet meal, and with the hubs and I doing Whole30 this month, eating at home is always easier than eating out, so we invited everyone over.

We all chipped in on some pricey but oh-so-amazing steaks from Whole Foods, which my hubs grilled up to absolute perfection. Joni brought a dish of baked asparagus with tomatoes and sundried tomatoes -- sprinkled with Parmesan for the rest of them, served without for us Whole30-ers. And I didn't miss the cheese at all; it was delish! Cindy brought a tasty selection of fresh fruit for dessert; I made some banana ice cream to go with it. (The Kitchn has a recipe that just uses bananas, but I added some coconut milk and a splash of vanilla. Toasted pecans were a nice topper, too.)

For the appetizer, I threw together this incredibly simple dish. It sounds like a weird combo, I know -- I got a skeptical look from at least one person when I described them -- but the combination of the salty salami and the sweet mango just works! 

Here's how you do it.

First, cut the cheeks off a mango. I find the kind with yellow skin is usually smoother than the red/green skinned kind. They're sometimes called "champagne mangos." Whatever.

This video shows how to cut a mango; you just need to watch from 0:39 to 1:14 -

Then, leaving the skin on, cut very thin slices diagonally, not cutting through the skin, as shown in the video. He used a spoon to scoop them out; I use a knife.

You want your slices really think; about 1/16" of an inch. 1/8" will be too thick, because it'll be harder to get the salami to stay folded.

Then taking one salami slice at a time, add a couple slices of mango, put a small smear of guacamole or smashed avocado next to it -- this is the glue the holds it together -- then fold it over.

Repeat with the remaining slices. You should be able to get about a dozen pieces out of one mango, maybe more.

To make sure this is Whole30 compliant, look for sugar-free salami if possible, with minimal processing and chemicals.

It makes a beautiful  plate, and the contrast of flavors is quite happy! It would also be at home on a brunch or luncheon table. And it's so super-simple, I sometimes have it for an afternoon snack. Try it; I think you'll be hooked, too!

Whole30/Paleo dinner: Meatballs with marinara and Italian roasted cauliflower

What happens when you combine...

- Nom Nom Paleo's Asian meatballs (made more multi-cultural by replacing the cilantro with parsley and omitting the fish sauce);

- A homemade or otherwise sugar-free marinara (this is the recipe I use);

- Zucchini noodles made with this nifty tool?

One yummy, tasty, Whole30 dinner!

For the side dish: - Roasted cauliflower - skip the Parm but sprinkled with garlic salt and Italian seasoning mix. Make sure the seasoning mix is sugar free, corn free, etc. Better yet, make your own. You can find plenty of recipes, but in a pinch, just throw together some dried basil and oregano in generous portions, some garlic powder, and then a little rosemary, thyme, and/or marjoram, if you've got 'em.

How to make this an easy, throw-together weeknight meal: Make up a whole batch (or two) of Michelle's meatballs on your day off, and keep them in the freezer in serving-size packs. Four per person works nicely in our house. Make up a batch (or two) of that easy marinara sauce, and freeze it in one- or two-cup units. Cut up the cauliflower the night before, if you want to save that time. Then everything comes together quickly! 

And -- did I mention -- yummy?!