In the Lime-Light - recipes - includes related article on cutting mango - Brief Article

Vegetarian Times, July, 1999 by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

A summer favorite gets a low-fat makeover

What's more refreshing on a sweltering day than a slice of sweet and tangy Key lime pie? But delight can quickly turn to horror when you learn that each slice contains 489 calories and 26 grams of fat.

But relax! This is what we're here for. In our delectable adaptation, we've lightened up the traditional super-rich filling of sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and lime juice and made the dessert dairy-free by replacing the milk and eggs with low-fat soy milk thickened with agar-agar flakes and arrowroot. Pureed mango gives an exotic flavor boost, and the result is a luscious low-fat filling. For the crust, a mixture of graham cracker crumbs (choose a brand that contains whole-grain flour and other high-quality ingredients), shredded coconut and a sweetener makes a deliciously chewy exterior that's a cinch to put together. Finally, this tropical dessert is topped with fresh mango and kiwifruit slices, making it as scrumptious to look at as it is to eat.

Go ahead, indulge: This summertime treat is now practically guilt-free eating.

Mango-Key Lime Pie

8 SERVINGS DAIRY-FREE

Smaller and more tart than the familiar Persian limes, Key limes were once grown exclusively in the Florida Keys but now flourish in the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Mexico. They give this dessert its characteristic flavor, but if you can't find them, you can substitute regular limes.

Use a sweetener of your choice: Rice syrup creates a filling with an authentic pale yellow color, but maple syrup tastes the best.

Coconut Crust

1 to 1 1/4 cups graham cracker
  crumbs
  cup shredded unsweetened
  coconut
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
  cup brown rice syrup or
1/3 pure maple syrup
2 medium ripe mangoes
1 1/2 cups low-fat soy milk
2 Tbs. agar-agar flakes
  (see glossary, p. 103)
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. arrowroot powder
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from 5 to 7
  Key limes or 3 regular limes)
1/2 cup brown rice syrup or
  pure maple syrup
3 kiwifruits, peeled

Prepare crust: Preheat oven to 350 [degrees] F. Lightly oil 10-inch pie pan and set aside.

In food processor, combine graham crackers and coconut and process to fine crumbs. Blend in oil using on/off pulses, then blend in syrup. (The mixture should hold together when squeezed between your fingers; add more sweetener if necessary.) Press mixture into bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool. If crust buckles, gently press it back down after it cools.

Meanwhile, dice 1 mango (see "How to Cut a Mango," p. 58) and process in food processor until pureed. Set aside.

In small saucepan, combine soy milk, agar-agar and salt, stirring to submerge agar-agar. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Reduce heat to low and simmer until agar-agar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

In cup, dissolve arrowroot in water to cover. Add to milk mixture and whisk over low heat until slightly thickened and smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in lime juice, 1/2 cup syrup and mango puree. Spoon filling into prepared crust. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface and refrigerate until set, 45 to 60 minutes.

To serve, thinly slice remaining mango. Arrange mango slices on top of pie, spoke-fashion, slightly overlapping. Thinly slice 1 kiwifruit and arrange into flower petals in center of pie. Chop remaining kiwifruit, then scatter over mango.

PER SLICE: 286 CAL.; 4G PROT.; 8G TOTAL FAT (3G SAT. FAT); 50G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 171MG SOD.; 3G FIBER Recipe adapted from Sweet and Natural by Meredith McCarty (St. Martin's Press, 1999).

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Cut a Mango

1 Place mango on its narrow side. Cut one side of flesh off the pit, making a vertical slice about 1/2 inch from the center so the knife clears the pit. Repeat on other side. Cut off remaining flesh from around the pit.

2 To dice, hold each half, skin side down and make crosswise cuts through the flesh just to the skin.

3 Turn the skin inside out and holding the knife at an angle, cut the mango cubes from the skin.

4 To slice, make lengthwise cuts through the flesh just to the skin. Holding the knife at an angle, cut the mango slices from the skin.

Kathy Farrell-Kingsley is food editor of Vegetarian Times.