Tropical Thai Salad

I wanted an interesting side dish to serve with the Chicken Thai Salad. Something refreshing and palate-cleansing, yet something unexpected. I was thinking Thai, I was thinking tropical, and I wanted crunch and surprise. And so I whipped up Mango, Pineapple, and Jicama Salad.

I assembled this using my patented "cook to the pot" method, meaning I add ingredients until they fill the pot (or in this case, the bowl). The trick here is to make sure no one main ingredient dominates: the mango, pineapple, and jicama should all shine, and the sweetness and crunch should play off each other nicely. If your pineapple is on the small side, you may want to use the whole thing. 

And don't dare use canned fruit.

Mango, Pineapple, and Jicama Salad

Copyright © 2008 Mallory McCreary/SnobbyAvocado.com

2 mangos, peeled and sliced

Half a pineapple, cut into chunks

1 1/2 to 2 cups jicama (a little larger than a baseball), cut into thick matchsticks

1/2 Tablespoon Djon mustard

1/8 cup sweet white wine, such as Moscato

2 Tablespoons or more of olive oil, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cilantro

Mix fruits together in a serving bowl. In a separate bowl, mix mustard, wine, and olive oil, adding more oil if desired to your taste. Pour dressing over fruit and dress with freshly cracked ground pepper and cilantro.

Serves 6 to 8.