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I’m Back with a Tangerine and Jicama Salad Recipe!

December 19, 2007 by Nicole 73 Comments

Peeling a Tangerine

Sorry for the unannounced disappearance!

The move back to the states, living out of a small bedroom with two animals, and being without a steady means of transportation has made it difficult for me to concentrate on blogging! On top of that, all of my spare time lately has been spent house hunting and Christmas shopping.

Luckily, we did find a nice house, but for now it’s empty since our furniture is still on its way back from Sicily! But Smack and Thumbelina have moved into the new place and Justin has been sleeping there on an inflatable mattress so that his commute to work is shorter. The animals are happy to have the run of the house after being mostly confined to one room for the last month! I’ve been borrowing a car when I can and splitting my time between my sister’s place and the new house. Hopefully the furniture and my car will arrive sometime in January.

Tomorrow, I am heading back up to central California to spend Christmas and New Year’s with the rest of my family. I will have my sourdough starter in tow and plan on making a sourdough swap with some Bay Area relatives! If everything goes well, I’ll be returning with a new (to me) starter that has been in my cousin’s family for decades (maybe centuries)! I’ll know more about the history of it soon.

Phew! Now you’re all caught up.

So, what have I been doing, foodwise, in San Diego? Eating out a lot, unfortunately! Don’t get me wrong, I do like to eat out occasionally. But now that my body is used to eating good, home cooked meals, it doesn’t like it when I eat out too much! Not only have I been packing on the pounds (something that happens every time I come back to the states), but I haven’t been feeling that great either. But I have to admit that despite my increasing waistline and that not-so-healthy feeling, I’ve been enjoying eating out at some good Mexican, Greek, Chinese, and American restaurants!

One healthy thing I have been eating a lot of lately is the wonderful tangerines off the tree in my sister’s backyard. The oranges aren’t quite ripe yet but the tangerine tree is loaded with super sweet, perfectly ripe, seedless tangerines! Mostly we peel and eat them right off the tree but we’ve also been enjoying them in salads and even muffins!

My favorite salad so far was made of tangerines and jicama with garlic, olive oil, cilantro and crushed red pepper. This was actually one of the first things I created after arriving in San Diego and it was made with a bag of tangerines I found sitting on the kitchen counter one day (this was before I realized that my sister’s tangerines were ripe). I wasn’t sure who the fruit belonged to, but I figured that they were free for the taking since they had been left on the counter! I later found out that they were a gift from my brother-in-law’s aunt. Thanks, Aunt Monica!

The salad is a simple creation but peeling and sectioning the tangerines might seem intimidating if you’ve never done it before. Although some might think that tangerines don’t yield enough fruit to make this method worth the effort, I disagree! It really didn’t take much time at all and I enjoyed this salad even more than the orange salads I usually make! Here are some step-by-step photos to show you the process:

1. Cut off the top and bottom of the tangerine.

Cut ends off Tangerine

2. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the peel in sections, being sure to remove all of the white pith as you go.

Peeling a Tangerine

3. Continue until the tangerine has been peeled completely.

Peeled tangerine

4. Holding the tangerine in one hand and a paring knife in the other, carefully remove each section by cutting just inside the white membrane on either side.

Sectioning the Tangerine

5. Don’t throw away any of the peels or empty membranes, you’ll be salvaging the leftover juice from these later!

Leftovers

5. You should end up with perfectly smooth, bite-size, membrane-free tangerine pieces. I peeled and sectioned 4 or 5 tangerines to get this amount (enough for my lunch!):

Tangerine pieces

Next comes the jicama! If you aren’t familiar with this slightly sweet, crunchy root, Wikipedia offers a good explanation. It might not be the prettiest thing to look at, but jicama is wonderful in salads!

Jicama

I usually shred it, but this time I decided to try it cubed.

Cubed jicama

I wanted to have equal parts tangerine and jicama but I just eyeballed the amount instead of actually measuring.

Tangerine and Jicama

Next, I chopped up a handful of cilantro leaves to sprinkle over the top.

Cilantro

Tangerines, Jicama and Cilantro

Now for the dressing. Hopefully you listened to me and saved that pile of tangerine peels and mebranes! You want to squeeze every last bit of juice from that mess! You can even pour off the juice that has collected on the cutting board and whatever has collected in the bowl or plate of tangerine sections. You should be able to salvage about a tablespoon of juice per peeled tangerine. Exact amounts aren’t important, just collect as much juice as you can and put it in a bowl. This is about a quarter cup of juice:

Tangerine juice

Next, pour in an equal amount of extra virgin olive oil:

Tangerine Juice and Olive Oil

Then add one a clove or two of fresh chopped garlic (I used one clove for 1/4 C. juice and 1/4 C. olive oil):

Tangerine Salad Dressing

Finally, whisk it all together! If you don’t have a cute little whisk like this one, don’t worry! A fork will do just fine.

Whisking Dressing

To finish your salad, sprinkle the plate of tangerines and jicama with fresh ground black pepper, sea salt and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper (if you like it spicy, add lots of crushed red pepper, it’s great that way). Pour a few spoonfuls of dressing over the salad and reserve the rest for another use.

Tangerine Jicama Salad

Now it’s time to eat!

Tangerine Jicama Salad with Fork

Tangerine and Jicama Salad with Garlic and Cilantro

4 or 5 tangerines, peeled and sectioned
equal amount of cubed jicama (eyeball it)
handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
pinch of sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
pinch of crushed red pepper
dressing to taste (recipe follows)

Combine tangerine pieces and jicama in a bowl or on a plate. Sprinkle with cilantro, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Top with a few spoonfuls of Tangerine Garlic Dressing. Serves one or two.

Tangerine Garlic Dressing

1/4 C. fresh squeezed tangerine juice
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

Whisk together all ingredients.

Now I’m ready for some oranges! Although the oranges on my sister’s tree aren’t quite ripe, I know I’ll have access to plenty of fresh oranges once I get up to Madera tomorrow. My goal is to create a few new recipes using some of our wonderful California oranges when I get there. In the meantime, here are some orange recipes from last winter!

Blood Orange Salad Blood Orange and Green Olive Salad

Orange Cranberry SaladOrange Cranberry Salad with Walnuts and Blue Cheese

Orange Mini Cheesecake Mini Orange Cheesecakes with Grand Marnier Cream

And it turns out that someone did try making my Lemon Sugar Cookies with oranges instead of lemons like I had suggested after seeing that Patricia had tried them with Limes. Well, she actually used clementines but I think it’s close enough! Check out Allison’s Clementine Sugar Cookies at A Day Late and a Dollar Short.

One last thing! I want to send out a huge thank you to Ben Lew, the very talented designer who created the original Pinch My Salt theme for this blog. He is the one responsible for the new winter colors which showed up at the beginning of the month. If you only read my posts through a feed reader, stop by and check out the new look! If you are looking for a designer, Ben’s portfolio, resume, and contact info can be found at BenLew.com

Filed Under: Herbs and Spices, Sauces and Dressings, Side Dishes, Tips and Tricks, Vegetarian

Previous Post: « It’s Time for Giving
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laurie Kendrick says

    December 23, 2007 at 4:57 pm

    Nicole, Just wanted to wish you and your readers the merriest Christmas ever and here's hoping that that 2008 will allow us all to find peace of mind. Thanks for your support this past year. Getting to know you through your wonderful blog was one of the high points for me. All the best, Laurie Kendrick
    Reply
  2. VegeYum says

    December 23, 2007 at 7:32 pm

    Beautifully illustrated - a wonderful step by step guide. I am glad you are back. It is 24th Dec here, and so time for me to wish all of my blog friends a wonderful time with family and friends tomorrow. May it be a peaceful and blessed day for you, where each of us can give a lot of joy to those around us. Have a great day.
    Reply
  3. Jonathan says

    December 24, 2007 at 3:12 pm

    WOW!!!! Fantastic. Can I put some shrimp in there too? Beautiful shots as usual. Catching up on all my reading after exams. Whew!
    Reply
  4. Cynthia says

    December 24, 2007 at 4:51 pm

    These are some lovely pics, Nicole and the salad, so healthy and flavourful. Happy Holidays to you and the family.
    Reply
  5. rebecca says

    December 24, 2007 at 4:53 pm

    impressive photos! i don't even like tangerines, and yet i want to eat your creation. lovely =)
    Reply
  6. Graeme says

    December 25, 2007 at 3:54 pm

    Great salad. I love Tangerines. Cool whisk too, lol.
    Reply
  7. Lisa says

    December 26, 2007 at 9:22 am

    Your salad looks gorgeous! Reminds me of my mother's fennel-and-orange salad. I must try this soon. Happy holidays!
    Reply
  8. Gretchen Noelle says

    December 26, 2007 at 6:13 pm

    Lovely looking salad! I am in need of some great salad recipes and although I do not have jicama here, I may try experimenting with some local ingredients. Can't wait to hear more about the starters, I am eager to try making my own!
    Reply
  9. sugarlaws says

    December 26, 2007 at 7:11 pm

    i have almost the same picture, from peeling oranges for our (forthcoming) Christmas fennel-and-orange salad! yours looks great!
    Reply
  10. Rhonda says

    December 26, 2007 at 11:08 pm

    I adore jicama and I am excited to try this!!
    Reply
  11. Terry B says

    December 27, 2007 at 9:04 am

    Welcome back, Nicole! I'm glad life is at least approaching normal again for you. What a huge move. The salad looks beautiful and delicious. Thanks for the great photos and clear directions!
    Reply
  12. Nicole says

    December 27, 2007 at 11:32 am

    Patricia: Thanks! Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season! Janelle: Thanks! San Diego is a beautiful area and the weather is gorgeous all the time. I have to say I'm pretty lucky to be there! David: What do you put in your jicama salad? Lia: Glad you like it! I haven't forgotten about the braise but it might not happen til next year :-) Padmaja: I think the red pepper flakes make this salad so much better! I hope you try jicama, I think you'll like it! It doesn't have a radish taste, it's very mild and just slightly sweet. LK: Thanks! It's been wonderful getting to know you and I'm looking forward to another year full of laughs :-) VegeYum: I hope you had a wonderful, warm Christmas! Jonathan: You can put shrimp in your salad but keep it out of mine! :-) Cynthia: Happy holidays to you, too! Rebecca: Thanks! I actually prefer oranges to tangerines most of the time but the tangerines I've been eating in San Diego are so good and sweet! Graeme: Thanks! My grandma gave me that little whisk and I love it! Lisa: I made a lot of fennel and orange salads in Sicily and I love the combination! Gretchen: Sliced fennel would be a nice substitute if it's available. I can't wait to delve a little deeper into your blog and learn more about Peruvian cuisine! Sugarlaws: I love fennel and orange salad, can't wait to see it! Rhonda: If you like jicama, you'll love this :-) Terry B: Not quite normal yet but I think it's within reach! I hope you and your family are having a wonderful holiday season!
    Reply
  13. mansi says

    December 28, 2007 at 11:03 am

    wow Nicole, those tangerines look so refreshing! glad to have you back..and hope you get settle soon! wish you happy Holidays and 2008!:)
    Reply
  14. evie says

    December 28, 2007 at 3:36 pm

    Nicole, You always have the most timely recipes! Right now in the fridge I have a bunch of tangerines. Now, thanks to you, I have an interesting way to eat them. I have never tried to use jicama so that will be an adventure in and of itself! Hope you're doing well, friend. BTW, I bought myself the 50mm 1.4 lens for Christmas and am LOVING it! :)
    Reply
  15. molly says

    December 29, 2007 at 4:51 pm

    oh man. this is a delicious recipe! thank you. Helpful Hint: search yummy recipes from your mobile phone using Boopsie. www.boopsie.com perfect for recipes on the go.
    Reply
  16. Lisa (Homesick Texan) says

    December 31, 2007 at 10:47 am

    Congrats on the new house! And I hear you about eating out too much--it's fun at first, but then you really start to crave and need some home cooking. Happy new year, Nicole!
    Reply
  17. sandi @ the whistlestop cafe says

    December 31, 2007 at 11:23 am

    I just wanted to wish y'all a very merry christmas and only good things in 2008! I am just wondering... did you get the sourdough starter past security? It would be a sin to have to leave it!!!
    Reply
  18. shivapriya says

    December 31, 2007 at 12:26 pm

    Dear Nicole, wishing you and ur family a very happy and prosperous new year
    Reply
  19. Sheryl says

    January 1, 2008 at 11:33 am

    I've just discovered your blog - its great! Looking forward to trying some of your receipes. Really envy you living in Sicily : )
    Reply
  20. jeena says

    January 5, 2008 at 4:39 pm

    Hi Nicole what a wonderful dish it looks delicious. :-)
    Reply
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