Jicama and Grilled Pineapple Salsa, and FSTG Guacamole Chips

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

A few weeks ago, the good people over at Food Should Taste Good reached out to see if I would be interested in trying out a few of their products. I jumped at the chance, and at their request, I’ll be sharing a couple of recipes, as a well as a few beer pairings, that I think serve as wonderful accompaniments to the flavors of chips that they sent to me. So – full disclosure – this is technically a sponsored post, because they reached out to me, and I got some free chips out of the deal. Booyah.

Food should taste good. I’ve said it before in previous posts, and I arrived home a few days ago to find a box on my doorstep filled with bags of chips created by a company named just that. The first thing I realized is that – based on the stuff they sent me – the company is named appropriately. The four kinds of tortilla chips contained in the shipment – sweet potato, blue corn, jalapeno, and guacamole – were all tasty, though I was immediately drawn to that last one.

Frankly, I was surprised to find that they actually taste like guacamole, as is so often not the case with “flavored” products. But it was true: the subtle nuttiness of avocado is distinct, and is enhanced by the sweetness of cilantro, a hit of serrano spice, and what tastes like a citrusy zip of lime. Yum.

Yes, they can stand on their own, but I had to set upon my task before consuming the entire bag (although it would be okay – they’re healthy chips). So I set out to make a simple, enjoyable recipe that would play on the aforementioned flavors.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, and the provided guacamole-flavored munchies, I aimed for a sweet, crowd-pleasing dip that’s easy to make and fun to share: jicama and grilled pineapple salsa.

 

This salsa is sweet and refreshing, with just enough spice and crunch to keep you on your toes.

I paired this delightful dip, and the Food Should Taste Good Guacamole flavored chips, with an ice-cold Pacifico in honor of Cinco de Mayo.Sure, it’s not a craft brew, but I figure if you’re going to eat light, refreshing salsa, you might as well enjoy it with a light, refreshing beer.

Salsa Ingredients:

• 1 fresh pineapple – sliced, grilled and cubed
• 1/2 a fresh jicama – peeled, and cubed (about 1 – 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes – quartered
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
• 1/4 cup red onion – diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 jalapeno – seeded and diced (leave the seeds in for a spicier salsa)
• 1 Anaheim pepper – seeded and diced
• salt and pepper

Directions:

• To grill the pineapple, cut off the outer skin, and slice the fruit into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Grill the rounds over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side, which will give you some nice grill marks, soften the fruit, and bring out the sugars. Cube the grilled pineapple, making sure to cut out the core.

• Jicama is a tuber common in Mexican cuisine. It’s rich in Vitamin C, Potassium and fiber, and it needs to be peeled before it can be used. Slice off the skin with your kitchen knife (don’t use a peeler) before you cube it up.
• Prepare the rest of the ingredients as listed.
• This is simple: Mix it all together in a big bowl, and season it to taste.
• That’s it! Crack your beer, cut a wedge of lime, and serve it all up!

Salud, and once again, Happy Cinco!