LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Yucatan salad with fruit, veggies, and a bit of spice


Yucatan salad Photos Susie Iventosch

We were serving our Citrus Trio Turkey Tenderloin (Lamorinda Weekly August 19, 2020 issue) for a dinner party last week, and were coming up short on what to serve as a salad with it. The marinade for this turkey dish is vibrant and zesty with lime, lemon, and orange juice, plus lots of different spices! We wanted something equally bright and fruity, while still being a little bit spicy. So, we set about finding a fun recipe that would complement the main course and discovered the idea of a Yucatan salad, made with a variety of fresh cut veggies, cabbage, lettuce, fresh pineapple, avocado, and lots of fruit juices including grapefruit. We absolutely loved this combination, and it was perfect with the turkey.

We also had a little bit of extra salad dressing, so we marinated shrimp in it and barbecued it along with a little bit of blue cheese in a tin for an appetizer. And, if you are looking for a fun complementary cocktail, especially with the warmer weather coming, try our Yucatan Martini! It's also made with plenty of fresh squeezed citrus juices. You ll definitely get your share of Vitamin C with this dinner!

Yucatan Salad

INGREDIENTS

1/2 jicama

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 orange bell pepper

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 1/2 cups finely shredded green cabbage

1 cups mixed baby greens (or arugula)

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves,

15 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple

1 avocado

1 ear grilled corn, cut off the cob

Garnishes: lime wedges, avocado slices and crispy tortilla strips

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. Lime juice

1 tbsp. grapefruit juice

1 tbsp. orange juice

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 1/2 oz. feta cheese

1 1/4 cups loosely packed fresh

cilantro leaves

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. Spanish paprika

1/2 tsp. pink Himalayan salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1/3 jalapeno, diced

1/2 chipotle pepper in adobe sauce, smashed

DIRECTIONS

To make the crispy tortilla strips, cut your corn or flour tortillas into two-inch strips about 1/4-inch wide. Heat a little bit of olive oil in a skillet and add the tortilla strips. Cook over medium-low heat until golden brown and crispy. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place all ingredients for the dressing in a mini food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Place romaine lettuce, cabbage, and baby greens in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Layer the remaining ingredients on top. Gently toss with dressing and garnish each serving with extra avocado, a lime wedge, and crispy tortilla strips.

Yucatan Martini

INGREDIENTS per drink

Fresh Squeezed Juices:

1 tbsp. grapefruit juice

1 tbsp. orange juice

2 tsp. lime juice

1 tsp. lemon

2 oz. gin

1/2 crushed ice

Garnishes:

5-10 juniper berries

1 slice or twist each: grapefruit, orange, lemon, and lime

1 sprig cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Set up your glass with the juniper berries in the bottom of the glass. Place crushed ice, juices, and gin in a martini shaker. Shake until icy cold. Pour over juniper berries and watch the berries float to the top. Then garnish with fruit slices and cilantro. Cheers!