Recipe: Tropical Paradise Salad

Tropical Paradise Salad
Source: Chopstix cookbook
Serves 6 as the salad course

Salad
2 ripe avocados
Juice of one lemon or lime
2 vine-ripened tomatoes or 1/2 cups thinly sliced jicama
2 ripe mangoes, peaches, nectarines, or papaya
2 tbsp. unsalted, roasted peanuts

Dressing
2 tbsp slivered fresh basil leaves
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce*
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp Chinese chili sauce, to taste

Seed, peel, and thinly slice the avocados. if done ahead, squeeze a little lemon or lime juice over the avocado. Thinly slice the tomatoes.

Peel the mangoes, then cut the flesh from the pit in large sections and slice thinly. Place the peanuts in a food processor and chop finely.

Combine the dressing ingredients, stirring well.

On each salad plate, fan sections of avocado, tomato (or jicama), and mango. Spoon the dressing over the salad, sprinkle on the peanuts, and serve at once.

* Fish sauce can usually be found in the oriental food section of your grocery store. If not, try a Vietnamese or Chinese grocery.