Slanted Door’s Grapefruit and Jicama Salad

Let’s be real – the holidays are a time to “be merry”. Translation:  skip the gym and go to happy hour, or reward yourself for going to the gym by gorging on extra cookies or carbs or booze…or all of those combined in one sitting.  Thanksgiving in particular is the biggest day of the year to throw any diet rules out the door.

I did a dessert for last year’s Annual IMAX Thanksgiving potluck amidst the peak of my obsession with pumpkin. and really wanted to mix it up for 2012.  I decided to be “that person” and contribute something healthy via a colorful salad for an otherwise really beige spread of Thanksgiving foods between the carbs, the turkey, the pies, etc.  Bernie and I had eaten at Slanted Door during a work trip in San Francisco a couple of months ago and had their grapefruit and jicama salad. I fell in love immediately – each bite presented something different with all of the different flavor combinations.

This is what I wanted to re-create:

I also must say that I am really excited that I now know how to make candied pecans, thanks to this recipe. Who knew all it took was sugar and a little bit of oil?  Oh, the simple things.

It took about 3 hours to chop, slice, and mince the various veggies into small pieces, and then to peel everything away to get to the grapefruit segments, but it was soooo worth it.  I tossed the jicama and carrots in a wee bit of oil, and didn’t put any oil in the dressing.  As a result of this, hardly any dressing was needed since it’s so strongly flavored sans oil.

Here is Charles Phan’s recipe as adapted from Epicurious. I wanted some extra protein beyond the candied pecans to go with my lunch/dinners, so I eyeballed/taste-tested a chicken marinade made out of lime juice, a little brown sugar, soy sauce, minced garlic, and freshly grated ginger.  I baked the chicken thighs at 350F for 25 minutes.  The chicken stayed really moist throughout the baking process, even though I didn’t use any oil.

Note, too, that the recipe calls for chopped mint leaves, which I used the first time I made this.  I actually think cilantro goes better with this salad.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups red cabbage, shredded or sliced thinly (about half of a large head of cabbage)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 5 cups of water
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, crushed, to taste
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 cups jicama shredded or sliced thinly (1 medium-size jicama)
• 1 1/2 cups carrot, shredded or thinly sliced (about 2 carrots)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup of coarsely chopped mint leaves (Or cilantro! Or both!), to taste
• 3/4 cup candied pecans* chopped
• 3 grapefruits, skin and membranes removed, cut into segments

*NOTE: To make candied pecans, toast them in a skillet on medium heat. Stir frequently and watch them closely to ensure they don’t burn. When they start to get fragrant and golden, add 2 teaspoons of canola oil, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to coat the pecans. Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and continue to stir for about two minutes to melt the sugar and coat the pecans. Remove from heat. Spread out the pecans on a sheet tray or piece of parchment to cool.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place cabbage in a bowl and cover with salted water. Set aside. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, chile, and lime juice. Add more lime juice to taste.
2. In a large bowl, combine jicama, carrot, and oil. Drain cabbage and crush it a bit between your hands. Toss cabbage with jicama mixture, then with soy dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide among 4 plates and top with with mint, nuts, and grapefruit. Serve.

I really love this salad.  Here’s the end product!