Yucatan Time

By Cheryl Forberg, RD

My husband and I took our first cruise together early last year, before the pandemic ended all travel plans. We chose to visit the Yucatan Peninsula, with stops in Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico. The Mayan Ruins were amazing. Swimming with dolphins was unforgettable.

Unfortunately, my desire to explore the cuisine of the Yucatan was not fulfilled. Even though our cruise ship's food was absolutely amazing, I quickly learned that a ship that feeds nearly 1,000 people per day does not have time to pick up fresh produce in every port of call. Had I known that, I would have made a concerted effort to make dining plans on our days ashore. But then I might have missed out on riding horseback on the beaches of Roatan or swimming with those dolphins.

When we returned home, I made a concerted effort to study the fabulous cuisine of the Yucatan. I am so glad I did. Today, I will share a simple recipe inspired by the fresh ingredients found there, and I hope you will enjoy this as much as we do.

Yucatan Jicama Salad
This refreshing salad is crunchy, tangy, spicy and delicious. Great to serve with anything grilled. I served this with grilled chicken that I seasoned with Melissa's Safari BBQ Spice Grinder – scrumptious!

Ingredients:

 

8 ounces trimmed jicama, cut into matchsticks
½ small red onion, julienned
½ medium red bell pepper, finely diced
½ medium yellow bell pepper, finely diced
1 serrano pepper, finely diced (optional; do not use this if you do not like spicy!)
½ large avocado, peeled, diced; tossed in mixture of 1 tablespoon lime juice, pinch of salt and pepper
1 medium tomato, diced
½ cup crumbled Queso Fresco
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a 2 to 3 quart bowl, measure the first nine ingredients. Start with two tablespoons of lime juice and toss gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add more lime juice to your liking.

Makes about 6 cups