mango iced tea.

With the hot weather lately, I very frequently crave fruity and cold beverages. It was 95 degrees here in Portland yesterday, so it seemed like the perfect day to make a nice chilled drink. I had a big bag of frozen mango in the freezer that had been sitting there for awhile and remembered a recipe from Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill for Mango Iced Tea that I had bookmarked awhile back, so I went for it.

The taste of the tea reminded of an Arnold Palmer, although obviously mango-flavored instead of lemonade. If you don't like a strong black tea flavor, just let the tea steep for a shorter length of time. Serve this in a big glass pitcher garnished with a big flower for a summertime gathering or barbeque.



Mango Iced Tea: from Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill

Ingredients:

1 1/2 quarts cold water
6 high quality black tea bags
2 cups mango nectar (you can make your own by pureeing fresh or frozen & thawed mangoes)
Sugar
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Thinly sliced mango

Directions:

Bring water to a boil, turn off heat add tea bags and steep until tea is dark, about 5 minutes. Remove bags, add mango nectar and add sugar, to taste. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Place in pitcher and add mint leaves. Pour over ice and garnish with mango slices.