TGIF! Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner and you know what that means – Margaritas! In the interest of having a good time research, my trusty pals and I decided to go in search of the new perfect margarita. Sure the lime margarita is delicious and traditional but why limit yourself? One click of the keyboard and a multitude of exotic possibilities lay before me-strawberry, blackberry, cucumber, pomegranate, cranberry, mango-avocado, papaya, hibiscus, watermelon and mint! Who knew there were so many? Obviously, a lot of research has already been done on this subject. Since we had fresh mango and pineapple in the refrigerator, we decided to start there.  After much testing and tasting we came up with a fabulous Mango Margarita, which is cool and refreshing with just the right amount of sweet-the perfect grownup dessert, like a mini vacation for your tastebuds. Take me away Calgon…

Crunchy, salty tortilla chips, warm from the oven, topped with spicy, smoky, sweet pineapple salsa are a perfect pairing for the ice-cold mango margaritas.  Sure it’s easy to just pick up a bag from the store (I do it all the time), but making them yourself out of good quality (non GMO) tortillas is so much tastier!  It’s easy too and only takes 15 minutes or so, depending on quantity.  Each 6 inch tortilla makes 6 chips, so do the math to figure out how many you need. (I would say 2 tortillas per person).  This is also a great use for stale or dried out tortillas, so don’t throw those out!  The grilled pineapple salsa is the creation of my son, Eric. Grilling the pineapple is pure genius!  It adds a nice smoky quality and softens the pineapple so that it picks up the other flavors nicely.  His version included habanero peppers and was delicious but pretty spicy (our lips were numb), so I have toned it down with mildly spicy jalapeno peppers.  If you like things super spicy (like my Dad) increase the amount of peppers or add spicier varieties.  This is also a good appetizer for my Fish Tacos, Chile Rellenos or Black Bean and Mango Salad with Avocado Ranch if you want to continue the Mexican theme.

Tips:   You can buy mango pre-cut but it’s very easy to do it yourself if you know the right technique.  How to cut a Mango.  If you like your margies really thick and frozen, you can buy frozen fruit or cut the fruit into chunks, lay them on parchment or waxed paper and freeze them for a half hour or so.  Using frozen fruit reduces the amount of ice you need, resulting in a thicker, fruitier beverage.