Vegetables 101: What Is Jicama?

So many vegetables, so many that are unfamiliar! This is the first of an occasional series of posts, quick, easy and practical information about out-of-the-ordinary vegetables. Recipe suggestions included!

WHAT IS JICAMA? Jicama is a large, bulbous root vegetable. A bulb may weigh one or two pounds and has a rough 'n' tough brown skin which should be peeled before eating or cooking. Inside, the flesh is white, wet and crunchy, similar to a raw potato but wetter and crunchier. The flavor is slightly sweet, a little nutty. It's good both raw and cooked, although my own favorite is raw, since it keeps both its crispness and its color over time. Look for it in the produce section

HOW TO PRONOUNCE JICAMA? The word is pronounced [HEE-ka-ma] or [HIK-ka-ma].

OTHER NAMES FOR JICAMA Jicama is also called yambean, Mexican potato and Mexican turnip.

JICAMA & YOU I've listed some good recipes for jicama below but am curious, what do you most like to do with jicama? What do you think about it? Is it easy to find? Do you grow it? Share your story! Bloggers, feel free to share links to your own jicama recipes.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
(How many calories in Jicama? How many Weight Watchers points in Jicama?) Per 1/4 pound: 43 Calories; 0g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 4mg Sodium; 10g Carb; 5.5g Fiber; 2g Sugar; 1g Protein; Weight Watchers Old Points 0, PointsPlus 1 (although defined as "free" since it's a vegetable)

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Jicama Slaw ♥

A fresh take on coleslaw, substituting wet and crunchy jicama for cabbage. It's a really summery coleslaw, light and bright tasting. Delicious!

~recipe & photo updated and republished 2011~
~more recently updated recipes~

2006: When a guy -- a GUY! -- writes, "I just adore this recipe", it's gotta be good. And let me tell you, Matt Bites is right. I adore this recipe too. (And have you seen his food blog? I adore IT, too!) It's simple. Wet and sweet with jicama. Bright and fresh-tasting. A tad unusual. Low in calories. Low in carbs. It is a perfect make-ahead salad for outdoor picnics. It has no mayonnaise and pairs beautifully with other picnic food like fried chicken, sandwiches, etc.

2011: I'm always pleased -- so pleased! -- when I remake a recipe and find it just as refreshing as its memory. Such was the case with this jicama slaw. It's completely a coleslaw, thanks to the texture, but jicama is a sweet surprise, wetter, brighter, softer than coleslaw. I'll say it again: "I adore this recipe."

WHAT IS JICAMA? I've started a new series of posts, quick introductions to unfamiliar vegetables.
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Hurry Curry!

'The hotter the better' my hubby says, while I prefer the kind that is rich, a bit spicy and a lot flavoursome! We both agree, life is not the same without curries!

My first exposure to the wonderful world of curry was in the 90's when my beautiful and talented Mum went through a phase of cooking recipes by Madhur Jaffrey [an indian actress turned celebrity chef]. She even had us eating vegetarian and not complaining!

Curry is becoming one of the favored comfort foods in our house, and is one of the frequented go-to dishes when we don't know what to cook. Until recently, I'm ashamed to say I hadn't experimented far with curries - the occasional red or green curry paste out of a jar (the shame!), or the only recipe I knew... Jamie Oliver's "Favorite Curry Sauce" - http://homepage.mac.com/kevinread/blogwavestudio/LH20041008194501/LHA20050312184224/index.html, which is versatile, easy, and super tasty... and most of the ingredients are easy to find in the local supermarket.

After spending some time recently in Melaka (Malaysia), where we ate curry four meals a day, I have decided to learn more about curries - and what better way than to get cooking!

Here is a recipe I'm loving at the moment - have substituted chicken once and it was great too:

Lamb Pasanda
According to my highly reliable and accurate google machine, Pasanda is a popular North Indian and Pakistani dish, derived from a meal served to emperors. The word 'pasanda' is derived from the Urdu word 'pasande' meaning "the favorite one" which refers to the prime cut of meat traditionally used when preparing.

Serves 4-6.

Ingreds:
- 600g bonelss shoulder or leg of lamb [I have used cheap cuts and chops - as well as the cut per recipe, both delicious - just cook for longer [and slower!] if you have cheaper/tougher cuts].
- 2 tbsp Garlic and Ginger paste (this is just 1:1 mix of garlic and ginger - I do it in the food processor/bamix but you could use mortar and pestle or just cut  really finely if you're camping in the outback and don't have the above options at your disposal.
- 55 g ghee (of 4 tablespoons veg oil or groundnut oil) - I think its worth finding ghee - it has an interesting aroma and doesn't burn like butter.
- 3 large onions, chopped.
- 1 fresh green chilli, deseeded and chopped (use 2 if you like to taste the hotness!)
- 2 green cardamom pods, bruised (assume there is a technical way to do this, but i just press on it with the side of the knife blade)
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half (last time I made this, I didn't have any sticks, so used a teaspoon or so of ground cinnamon - which worked okay)
-  2 tsp ground coriander (I like to use the whole seeds and give them a bash in the mortar and pestle - fresher or something)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 250 ml water
- 150 ml double cream
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garam masala
- paprik and toasted flaked almonds to garnish.

1. Cut meat into thin slices, then place slices between clingfilm and poud with a rolling pin or meat mallet to make them even thinner [I have made this about 4 times and never bothered - keep it simple!] ut the lamb slices in a non-metallic bowl, add the garlic and ginger paste and use your hands to rub the paste into the lamb. Cover and set aside in a cool place to marinate for 2 hours (at least!)

2. Heat a large frying pan with a tight fitting lid over a medium-high heat, then add the ghee. Add the onions and chilli and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-8 minutes until the onions are golden brown.

3. Stir in the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, coriander, cumin and turmeric and continue stirring for 2 minutes or until spices are aromatic.

4. Add the meat to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until it is brown on all sdes and the fat begins to separate. Stir in the water and bring to the boil, still stirring. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting, cover the pan tightly and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the meat is tender.

5. When the lamb is tender, stir the cream and ground almonds together in a bowl. Beat in 6 tablespoons fo the cooking liquid from the pan, then gradually beat this mixture back into the pan. Stir in the sale and garam masala. Simmer for a further 5 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.

6. Garnish with paprika and toasted flaked almonds and serve immediately. Great for leftovers too.

I like serving this one with red quinoa - it is nutty, gluten free and just super tasty. It doesn't clag together like rice, and I think it reheats better too.

I also love a little raita with this...
grab a small frying pan on medium heat - when the pan's hot, throw in a dozen peppercorns and a teaspoon of whole cumin seeds. Jiggle the pan, toasting until they release their aroma - should be less than one minute. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then bash them up in your mortar and pestle. Peel and cut a small cucumber into small pieces (remove the seeds if you like, but I like it with them in). Place 175g natural yoghurt, 1/4 teaspoon raw sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a small bowl and mix well. Mix the bashed up spices into the yoghurt and serve with a pinch of paprika over the top. Pappodums add value too!         from Curry Bible by Love Food

Tonight I am trying my first Beef Madras, from the same book:

This one originates from southern India, getting its name from the city of Madras, now known as Chennai.

1-2 dried red chillies (I used 3)
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp black mustard seeds (I only had brown)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp pepper
140g creamed coconut, grated, dissolved in 300ml boiling water (i don't even know what this means, I used coconut milk from a can instead)
55 g ghee or 4 tbsp veg oil or groundnut oil
2 onions, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
700 g lean stewing steak, trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes (I used what I had, 300g chuck steak, and 400g scotch fillet - hoping they work out alright!)
250ml beef stock
lemon juice
salt

1. Chop chillies and put them in small bowl with coriander, turmeric, mustard seeds, ginger and pepper. Stir in a little of the coconut milk (or whatever you decide to use!) and make a thin paste.

2. Heat a large frying pan with a tight fitting lid or a flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat, then add the ghee. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown. Add the spice paste and stir for 2 minutes, or until you can smell the spices.

3. Add the meat and stock, and bring to the boil. Recude the heat to its lowest level, cover tightly and simmer for 90 minutes, or until the beef is tender. Check occasionally that the meat isn't catching on the base of the pan, and stir in a little extra water or stock if necessary.

4. Uncover the pan and stir in the remaining dissolved coconut cream with the lemon juice and salt to taste. Bring to the boil, stirring, then reduce the heat again and simmer, still uncovered, until the sauce reduces slightly, serve immediately.

Thanks to Wiki, and 'Curry Bible' by Love Food

...

Now sitting eating the Madras... the full can of coconut milk made it a bit runny, and had to cook it off - would use half next time, and use coconut cream if possible. Other than that, very enjoyable! Having steamed green beans, and toasted naan as the support act.

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Easy Coleslaw with Blue Cheese & Apple ♥ Recipe Plus The Economics of Bags of Coleslaw

Today's easy coleslaw recipe: A quick coleslaw made from a bag of coleslaw (or chopped cabbage) and blue cheese dressing with a few apples tucked in for crunch and sweetness. Plus a lesson in coleslaw economics and a smart shopping tip!

So if you could buy cabbage for $.66 or $1.89 or $2.52 a pound, which one would you choose?

For $.66 a pound, buy a cabbage, wash, trim and quick-quick chop it. Assume 11% waste -- but I accounted for that in the price.
For $1.89 a pound (that's almost three times as much), buy a 16-ounce bag of cabbage slaw, already chopped with a little carrot and red cabbage included for color. No waste – just be sure to rinse the cabbage in cold water to freshen it up.
For $2.52 a pound (that's almost four times as much), buy a 12-ounce bag of finely shredded cabbage – that's the only difference between the two bags, well, except price.
Want to see how the two bags were placed side-by-side in the grocery store? Here's my photo on Flickr. I wish I could say it was "accidental" – but see just too many instances where grocery stores seem to intentionally display products, including produce, in ways that influence our choices to the higher-margin product.

Still, life isn't always about cost and there's no doubt that "convenience" matters. So no judgment, we each get to make our own decisions, what's right for us. Some nights? A bag of coleslaw is as good as it's gonna get.

And this coleslaw is worth making – no matter who does the chopping. Summer easy, 'tis the season.
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How to Eat More Vegetables: Tip #13

We all know we should eat more vegetables. But how, how do we do that, really? What real-life tips and ideas work? How can we build our lives around the healthiest of all foods, vegetables? Every Saturday, the 'veggie evangelist' shares practical tips and ideas from her own experience, her readers and other bloggers.

And now for this week's tip:

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Clean-Out-the-Veggie-Drawer Soup with a Don't-Throw-It-Away Secret Ingredient ♥

Don't pitch the Parmesan rind!

Today's concept recipe: A quick, easy and flexible way to use up the last bits of vegetables from the vegetable bin, just before the next trip to the farmers market, the next CSA delivery.

So if I told you that this soup costs absolutely ZERO to make, would you believe me? It's true.

You see, we vegetable lovers, we can't help ourselves: when fresh produce is so fresh and beautiful, we buy more than we can ever consume in the few days vegetables stay quite fresh. ("Another eggplant? Sure, isn't it pretty?! And oh, did you see the carrots? We must have a few of those too.") CSA subscribers, I'm told, love getting a new stash of fresh vegetables but feel guilty when some of last week's delivery (and the week's before too?) languishes in the vegetable bin. Too often, we let the vegetables hang around too long, past saving.

This recipe -- one of the "concept recipes" that we all love so much -- is my latest way to "save" all those last bits of vegetables, not gone bad but none-too-fresh either, from the compost pile or the garbage can.

But the secret ingredient? I bet lots of people throw it away too, since it really isn't edible anymore.
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How to Eat More Vegetables: Tip #12

We all know we should eat more vegetables. But how, how do we do that, really? What real-life tips and ideas work? How can we build our lives around the healthiest of all foods, vegetables? Every Saturday, the 'veggie evangelist' shares practical tips and ideas from her own experience, her readers and other bloggers.

And now for this week's tip:

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How to Shop at a Farmers Market: Thoughts & Tips from a Veteran Shopper

The country is exploding with new farmers markets! More and more of us are shopping at farmers markets -- many of us for the first time. How's it done? What's it like?

My first memory of farm-fresh vegetables comes from a decidedly unbustling place, a farm stand that stood hot and unprotected from sun and road dust at the edge of the still-unpaved road to the lake, a small space carved out of a farm field, the farmhouse itself hidden behind trees up a long driveway. The wooden stall was unmanned and payment was on the "honor system" -- a coffee can with a slit in the plastic top, cash only, of course, except for the occasional IOU. I suspect that the stall double-dutied as a school bus shelter during northern Minnesota's long winters.

These days, farmers markets are big business but mostly, still-charming and local endeavors that rise to life one day a week during the growing season. Many towns, even small towns, have their own farmers markets. When I started writing A Veggie Venture in 2005, there were two farmers markets in the St. Louis area -- the granddaddy of them all, Soulard Market, which claims to be the oldest farmers market west of the Mississippi River and a weekly year-round Saturday stop for me during my first ten years living here; and my hometown market, Kirkwood Market. Now St. Louis has 39 markets -- 39! -- across the metro area. (Here's St. Louis Post-Dispatch list of local farmers markets.)

With the explosion of new farmers markets, this means that many of us are venturing into farmers markets for the first time, not knowing exactly what to expect, what we might encounter, what's there to bring home. I've been writing this post in my head for three years, collecting tips and ideas in pixels the whole time and now, have finally put them all into cogent (I hope!) form.
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How to Eat More Vegetables: Tip #11 (Ask for Help)

We all know we should eat more vegetables. But how, how do we do that, really? What real-life tips and ideas work? How can we build our lives around the healthiest of all foods, vegetables? Every Saturday (well, except when she takes a little break), the 'veggie evangelist' shares practical tips and ideas from her own experience, her readers and other bloggers.

And now for this week's tip:

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Miss Jennie's Famous Benedictine Spread ♥ Recipe

Just in time for Derby Day, a famous recipe from Kentucky, the heart of horse country. It's a "skinny" dip, bulked up with grated cucumber and pretty pale green in color.

Never ever did I dream I'd keep green food coloring on hand. Never never ever. But then last summer, my friend 'moo' – that's short for Margie Olsen Olson, yes it happens, an Olsen married an Olson; have I told you about my girlfriend Cary who met and married a man also named Cary? so yes it happens – responded to my call for cucumber recipes with the note, "What about cucumber/yogurt soup [with buttermilk] and a cream cheese spread for tea sandwiches, called Benedictine?" I already had a dreamy cucumber soup recipe, Cool-as-a-Cucumber Avocado Soup but the Benedictine cream cheese spread, it caught my eye.

A little google action turned me onto the history of Benedictine spread. Between the 1890s and the 1920s, "Miss Jennie" Benedict of Louisville (for full effect, pronounce this with a flat Kentucky accent, loo-a-vil) was a successful businesswoman, the editor of the local paper's household section for a time and a community volunteer. She operated a catering business and several tearooms. In 2008, her 1922 cookbook was republished, The Blue Ribbon Cook Book. (Source: Louisville Courier-Journal)

Back to the spread, which in MIss Jennie's world was used for tea sandwiches, and the green food coloring. Sure, you can make it without the food coloring, I did, just once. And no kidding, the green food coloring makes the creamy stuff taste better! That pale green color is so appealing, it just goes to show that our food tastes are based as much on the eyes as the taste buds.

I love this stuff: it mixes up in a few minutes, it needs no rest time although sure, make it ahead of time if you like. I've been making it since last summer but have yet to tuck it into sandwiches but the next time I host a tea party, sure, I will, and yes, moo, you and the OCHER-YaYa's are invited, gloves and hats expected.
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