Jicama Tacos
Did you know that jicamas are native to Central- and South America? Well, I didn’t until recently when I looked up some information about this delicious vegetable. Its crisp texture and mellow, sweet flavor make it a perfect addition to a raw veggie platter or salad, and I enjoyed it many times this way. As I just learned, it can also be cooked in stir fries and curries; definitely something to experiment with in the future. Since jicamas are a staple food in Mexican cuisine, I really wanted to present them accordingly. So what could have been more appropriate than tacos? Besides being quite handsome, these guys are incredibly tasty, nutritious, gluten free, and so easy to make!
Ingredients:
- 1 recipe ‘Mexican Quinoa Salad‘ (ready in about 30 minutes)
- 2 medium size jicamas
- water for cooking
Preparation:
Make ‘Mexican Quinoa Salad’.
Peel jicamas and cut into thin slices, less than 1/8 inch /2-3 mm.
Because the slices should be large enough to be stuffed like tacos, I diced the smaller top and bottom ends and added them to the quinoa salad. I ended up with 18 usable ‘taco shells’.
In a medium size pot, bring sufficient water to a rolling boil, add jicama slices, and blanch for 2 – 3 minutes until slices are flexible. Use a slotted spoon and transfer slices onto a plate to cool down.
Stuff with quinoa salad and arrange like tacos. Serve remaining salad on the side and enjoy with anything Mexican or just by itself!
Notes:
- Choose medium size jicamas for this recipe. If they are too small, you can’t really stuff them. The really big ones kind of lose their crisp texture.
- This is a wonderful centerpiece for a Mexican-themed buffet or dinner table. Perfect to bring along to a potluck!
- Jicama tacos could be a beautiful and extravagant way to serve your homemade guacamole too.
- Since jicama has such a non-intrusive taste with this nice, crisp texture, you could actually use it not just for Mexican-themed salads. Feel inspired to try something new!
