This was an interesting meal. Everything we made was the first time we tried it.

First, the Jicaletas. The recipe is below. These are a traditional mexican streetfood. We did not have the type of chili powder it called for so we just used regular chili powder. Maybe we didn’t do it properly, but neither Meredith nor I were overly impressed. I think it was my first time eating jicima. It had a texture not unlike water chestnuts. We may play with this but no hurry.

The roasted asparagus tacos were really good. We basically followed the recipe as stated. We used a caribbean tofu on it which we put in with the cherries. We picked that one simply because it was a firm variety. The thing was, the asparagus got very mushy and springy. I do not know how to really avoid this, but next time we make it, we will chop them first so you do not pull them all out. We meant to top them with some cheese but forgot.

Finally, we made the asparagus salsa as suggested. We really followed this one recipe pretty closely. We added a bit more salt to taste. It was not the most flavorful thing but it wasn’t bad. It was a nice addition to the tacos. Maybe next time we will use hotter peppers to give it some zing.

This meal was big and fairly low in calories!

Jicaletas (From The Kitchn)

“In your own kitchen, you can try cutting jicama into spears, sticks (if the full lollipop size is intimidating) or skewer them up (because what food isn’t better in stick form?), squeeze lime on top and give them a sprinkle of chili con limon (found in most grocery stores). You can also dip them in cajeta (goat’s milk caramel), dulce de leche (cow’s milk caramel), or pureed fruit…. even Kool-Aid powder for a more carnival-ish type feel.”

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Roasted Asparagus and Cherry Tacos (From The Kitchn)

makes about 8

1 pound asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed or snapped off
Olive oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound cherries, halved and pitted
Corn tortillas (or flour, if you prefer)

For garnish
Asparagus salsa
Queso fresco
Cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Arrange asparagus spears in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet. Drizzle just enough olive oil to lightly and evenly coat, and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Place in oven.

After about 10 minutes, turn the asparagus spears and add the cherries to the pan.

Continue to roast until asparagus is just tender and browned, about 20 minutes.

To serve, place a few asparagus spears and cherry halves in the center of a tortilla and garnish with asparagus salsa, queso fresco, and cilanto.

Variations:
• Grill instead of roast: Asparagus may be cooked straight on a hot grill and cherries should be grilled inside an aluminum foil “bowl” so they don’t fall through the grate.
• Add fried tofu squares for protein and crunch.

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Asparagus Salsa (From The Kitchn)

makes about 2 cups

1 pound asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed or snapped off
1/2 white onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeño chile, cored and seeded, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican) (optional)
Pinch of salt

Blanch the asparagus: Have ready a bowl of ice water. Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Add a tablespoon of salt and the asparagus and boil just until tender and bright green, about 1-2 minutes depending on the thickness of the spears. Remove the asparagus spears with tongs or a slotted spoon and plunge them into the ice bath to cool.

Remove the cooled asparagus spears from the water, pat dry, and chop into 1-inch pieces. Place in a blender along with the other ingredients and purée until smooth. If mixture seems too thick, stir down with a spoon, add 1-2 teaspoons of water, and blend. Repeat if necessary.

Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

Serve with tortilla chips or as a garnish for tacos, burritos, tostadas, etc.