Jicama

Nice with the chicken, as a side dish for burgers, or on its own as a snappy vegetarian main course.

Jícama spears with lime juice and chili powder are a popular street snack in Mexico — crunchy, sour, and spicy all in one bite.

The dressing can also be used for Chinese chicken salad or as a basting sauce for grilled steaks or chops. Look for rice vinegar in the Asian foods section of the supermarket.

This clever combination of tastes and textures features hominy, cilantro, jicama, jalapeños, lime juice and cumin.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here's a bright and refreshing salad. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

The flavors of this salad go well with honey-glazed grilled chicken or pork chops.

Here's a unique no-cabbage slaw with a dressing that is spicy and a little sweet.

This variation on the Chinese classic incorporates jícama, which retains the crisp texture of water chestnuts even when cooked.

If you can't find jícama-a sweet, crunchy root vegetable eaten raw-use English-cucumber rounds or put the crab mixture in a bowl and serve it with tortilla chips. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Sweet and crunchy jicama and smoky grill-roasted peppers and green onions combine in this attractive side dish.

This unusual salsa calls for canned or bottled nopalitos, the stems of the prickly pear cactus. Available in the Mexican section of many supermarkets, they're sometimes labeled natural tender cactus. If you cannot find nopalitos at your local market, simply substitute cooked green beans. Use this tasty salsa as you would any other--with meats, chips and tacos.