This is based on a Mexican that doesn't use oil. Jicama, a large, spherical root vegetable with a pale, brown papery skin, is a leguminous tuber. Its white flesh, which doesn't discolor, is delightfully crisp and juicy, like a water chestnut. It goes well with oranges but you could use it mixed with other citrus fruit as well, such as tangerines, grapefruit, or lime. For the juice, use a mixture of juices, such as grapefruit, lime and orange, or orange juice, tarted with a squeeze of lemon. If you don't have pickled onions on hand, omit them or simply add some finely diced or sliced raw red onion.

Ingredients:
4 navel oranges plus 1 for juice or other citrus juice
1 pound (or more) jicama root
1/2 cup mixed citrus juice (see note above)
1 teaspoon citrus zest
1 pinch red hot chili flakes
Approximately 1 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1 cup pickled red onions

First grate some of the orange peel, if using, then cut off all the peels, slicing beneath the white pith of the orange. Slice the oranges into rounds or segments and set on a platter.

Peel the jicama and cut it into cubes or strips, and add to the platter with the oranges. Make a mixture of citrus juices or use only orange juice with a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. The juice should be tart enough to be lively. Mix with the zest, chili flakes, and cilantro, then pour over the fruit and jicama. Scatter the pickled onions over all, toss lightly and carefully with your hands, and serve.

Variations: Include sliced radishes and add them just before serving. Use fresh green chilies, minced or sliced in rounds and scattered over the top. Grate some ginger and mix it with the citrus for an entirely different flavor. If you don't like cilantro, try using parsley or a mixture of parsley and dill. Pomegranate seeds scattered over the top would make a beautiful jewel like garnish.

Recipe makes 8 cups (8 servings) Orange Jicama Salad.

Nutrition information per serving (1 cup):
30 calories
0.05 grams total fat
trace saturated fat
0 milligrams cholesterol

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