Make Salad:
In a large bowl, combine the jicama, cabbage, and red bell pepper.

Make Dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well, and chill until ready to serve.

Short-Cut Tips

Substitution: If you can't find jicama in your market, the closest substitute in texture is water chestnuts.

Measurement savvy: One pound of jicama equals about 3 cups, chopped.

Time Saver: To "julienne" is to cut foods into thin sticklike strips. Crunchy vegetables such as the jicama and bell pepper used in this recipe are great to cut this way.

Poster's Notes: This is from Florence Henderson's Short-Cut Cooking. If you are old (or young) enough to remember her as Carol "Mom" Brady, you may be skeptical. I know I was. But the book (and the PBS series she did) is full of really good ideas and recipes; either she's one heckuva cook or her ghost food writers are....

BTW, I don't know if jicama is available anywhere outside the western US. In 23 years on the east coast I had never heard of it until I arrived in California to visit my sister and her then toddler son (whose own son is now writing school essays, which should give you an idea how long ago THAT was!) Henderson describes it: "Jicama is a bulbous root vegetable looking somewhat like a potato, has a sweet, nutty flavor. It is good both raw and cooked, in salads, soups and stews. Just peel it by pulling the thin brown skin off with a sharp knife."

While this isn't exactly TNT, my stepson (who believes that at 19 he has tasted everything and if he hasn't tried it yet it's because he can't possibly like it) dislikes mayo based salads and he enjoyed this immensely. (We told him about the jicama later....)

Posted by Gypsy/Phyllis Wilson