Mexican Radish Salad

Tacos have been on my mind for a long time now. Well, they are always on my mind to be honest. Tacos have been probably on my top three things I would want to eat everyday, and the reason is an obvious one. It is because you can fill a taco, soft corn tortillas, lightly grilled to be exact, with pretty much anything you desire. For me, it is simple. Marinated and braised meat, fall apart tender, lightly grilled to a slight texture change, and topped with fresh cilantro, onion, and a lime wedge. I could live off of these things, and almost feel guilty when I sit there and question if I should have another taco.

There is just something to be said with that questioning. You know something is just that darn delicious when you almost feel guilty trying to answer it. My quest in making tacos is also creating really vibrant toppings to go with them, and recently I have been fine tuning my red and green salsa, experimenting with a new kind of salsa, and working with other toppings besides my favorite cilantro and diced onion. It was not too long ago, and I often enjoy the fact that people tell me they make my recipes for their parties, that I made a Mexican tinga with pickled red onions. As great as the tinga was, it was the accompaniment of the pickled onions, that in my opinion, made theses tacos shine.

It was the same when I made this Mexican radish salad to go with my shredded mixture of beef and pork tacos.

Ingredients:

• 12 whole radishes, washed and trimmed, thinly sliced
• 1 whole cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cracked black pepper

Begin by slicing the radishes and cucumbers as thin as possible. I recently purchased, and highly recommend, a mandoline slicer, which allowed me to slice as thin as I wanted. If not, take your time, use your knife skills, and slice the radishes and cucumbers the same. Add these to a mixing bowl, along with the remaining ingredients. Toss well, transfer to a sealable bowl, and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

The array of texture and flavor really make these tacos awesome. You get the warmth and great smell of the corn tortillas, the softness and flavor from the shredded meats, and the nice crunch and mild flavors from the radish salad. A salad that is phenomenal on the taco, but can also be enjoyed as a small side salad, much like my mother-n-law enjoyed on a relaxing Saturday afternoon.

However you do your tacos, give this one a try, and I bet you will get plenty of questions from your friends, and more importantly some real satisfaction from them.