Jicama – Cucumber Salad with Citrus Dressing

This recipe was a hit this afternoon at my Ladies Who Launch ‘reunion’ BBQ out in beautiful Sausalito. Our theme was Mexican food. Perfect, sunny day in paradise. Love my LWL girls. (Girls? We’re all over 30 but who’s counting?)

I fell in love with jicama (pronounced “hekuhmuh”) during our March trip to the Yucatan. The fruit plate I’d get would have jicama in it, and now I just cut it up and eat it like a fruit, although it’s really a root vegetable. Root veggies – like beet roots, celery root, sweet potatoes – are generally associated with winter months and warming dishes. The great thing about jicama is that you can have your root and eat it too - in the summer! Sooo refreshing, especially for the warmer months.

Great source of fiber, low glycemic, naturally low calorie, filling, crunchy, sweet, no need to cook it – what more can a busy girl ask for?

And it’s super easy to make:

Jicama – Cucumber Salad with Citrus Dressing
Makes enough as a side for 6, or 2-3 meal-size salads

Ingredients

1 medium jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved horizontally, and cut into thin half moons
1/2 small red onion, peeled, quartered, and sliced into very thin moons
leaves from 1/2 bunch of cilantro, washed, finely chopped
leaves from 1/3 bunch of fresh mint, washed, finely chopped
the juice of 1 lime
1 large or 2 small oranges, peeled, cut into wedges/ segments, without the membrane (watch this stop-action “video” to see how – just like on the cooking shows! http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=preptip&dbid=94)
1/2 tsp sea salt; more later, to taste
2-3 cranks of freshly ground pepper
1 tsp canola oil

Directions

1. Gently ‘massage’ the red onions with the sea salt, to mellow out their acidity and flavor (both my grandmothers’ trick)
2. Add the remaining ingredients
3. Toss!
4. Add more sea salt, to taste

Variations

• Great with shredded chicken
• Add 1/2 bunch of watercress for a peppery kick
• Spice it up with some chili powder
• Add some sweet color with some red paprika powder (caution: nightshade)
• Add pumpkin seeds for crunch and protein

That’s it! Enjoy!

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This recipe shared with you courtesy of Delicious Health, Inc.
Find us at www.enjoydelicioushealth.com or www.delicioushealthblog.com. Have a deliciously  healthy day!