Jicama Salad- Yum!

[Holly in KC]

I'm usually pretty adventurous when it comes to food, but I had never tried Jicama before. Based on the CL suggestion for the Barbecue Roasted Salmon (Back to the Best, 5/01), I tried a jicama salad (found it on the FoodTV site). It was really good (better than the salmon, we thought!)-- I'll be making this one often this summer! Attached is a link (I hope) www.foodtv.com/recipes/re-c1/0,1724,218,00.html (http://www.foodtv.com/recipes/re-c1/0,1724,218,00.html)

Yeah! It worked. And by the way, I omitted the cilantro... can't stand the stuff. The recipe still works great without it!

[This message has been edited by Holly in KC (edited 04-29-2001).]

[Jen]

I recently tried a jicama slaw that I found on the 3 fat chicks web site (http://www.3fatchicks.com) - I'll go see it I can find it...here it is!

Jicama Slaw with Chipotle Dressing

5 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. honey
5 garlic cloves
2 tsp. minced canned chipotle chilies
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 large green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
12 ounces jicama, peeled, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Purée first 6 ingredients in blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Toss bell peppers, jicama and dressing in large bowl to coat. Season slaw with salt. Cover and refrigerate until vegetables soften slightly but are still crunchy, about 4 hours. Mix chopped parsley into coleslaw. Serve at room temperature.
Serves 8

PER SERVING: Calories 55, Fat 0.3, Sat Fat 0, Protein 1.3, Fiber 2.9, Sodium 90, Carbohydrates 13.5, WW points 1

It was really yummy! And the serving sizes were very generous. I love the crunchiness of jicama - I wish I had more simple ways to use it!





[This message has been edited by Jen (edited 04-29-2001).]

[WeekendCook]

I love jicama, and this recipe looks great! Thanks for sharing it. I keep telling my husband that I think he would like jicama, if he would only just try it. I'll try this salad, since it has a lot of his favorite veggies in it!

[Holly in KC]

Jen -

Thank you for posting this recipe!! I'm excited to try another Jicama recipe now that I've "discovered" it... and with garlic and chipotle chiles. I'm drooling.

[chefbec]

Holly, thanks for this recipe. I love jicama and I also love cilantro!

[Chef Cindy]

The Jicama looks really good. Can't wait to try it. It will be perfect for the hot weather comming up. Refreshing.
I worked with a guy that was from Mexico and he is the one that introduced me to jicama. In Mexico they have a snack that has jicama and mango cut into sticks. They place them in a paper cone and drizzle lemon or lime juice on them, with a sprinkle of salt and dash of hot sauce or chile powder. It is served very cold. Sounds good but I haven't tried it yet.

[gertdog]

These jicama recipes sound so good! Thanks for posting them. I just had a jicama slaw with chipotle dressing at a deli recently... I'm so excited to try making it myself!

One way I like jicama is dressed in lime juice, a tiny bit of oil (I use canola), salt and chile powder. It's a great crunchy snack.

[Wienie]

I've never tried Jicama, but this salad looks great. Can anyone tell me how to pick out a decent Jicama. I don't have a clue what to look for.
Thanks, Jeanne

[gertdog]

Jeanne,

While I'm not a jicama pro, I usually look for one that is firm all over, no soft spots, with relatively unblemished skin. The skin should be smooth (wrinkles would mean it had gotten a bit dehydrated) and tan in color; you can remove it with a vegetable peeler.

[Wienie]

Originally posted by gertdog:
Jeanne,

While I'm not a jicama pro, I usually look for one that is firm all over, no soft spots, with relatively unblemished skin. The skin should be smooth (wrinkles would mean it had gotten a bit dehydrated) and tan in color; you can remove it with a vegetable peeler.
Thanks gertdog. The grocery stores around here have them on sale for Cinco de Mayo. Thought it was a great chance to try this salad.
Jeanne

[Donna P]

Here is the recipe from the Food TV site:

JICAMA SALAD
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay
1 large jicama, julienned
2 large carrots, julienne
1 cup red onion, finely sliced
1/2 red pepper, julienned
1/2 yellow pepper, julienned
1 tomato, julienned
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of cayenne
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Combine jicama, carrots, red onion, both peppers, tomato in a medium bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, honey, olive oil and cayenne and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the cilantro and let sit for 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 1 hours 0 minutes