Jicama

Jicama

Jicama [hee-kuh-muh, hik-uh-muh] is one of my favorite root vegetables. Not known for its beauty, jicama can be intimidating, hence, most shoppers bypass it. Yet, 1 medium jicama yields high amounts of vitamin C (221%), iron (22%), vitamin B-6 (15%), and magnesium (19%). It contains 4.7g of protein and a whopping 32g of fiber! 

It is referred to as a Mexican yam or a Mexican turnip. One medium jicama has 58g of carbohydrates along with 12g of sugar. An average serving will be about 1/4 or 1/5 of the jicama. The fiber helps to offset the carbs, but the addition of sauces and dips will make a small portion go a long way. 

jicama — noun 

1. the large, edible, tuberous root of a tropical American plant, Pachyrhizus erosus, of the legume family, eaten as a vegetable eitherraw or boiled.  (Dictionary.com)

I watched enough YouTube jicama videos to earn a girl scout badge! Videos demonstrate cutting techniques, food styling, and easy recipes. One gal began her vegetarian video by pronouncing jicama with an English "j" as in Joyce. In some cases, I knew more than the presenter.

Jicama is 86% to 90% water which makes it a great addition to one's diet. It contributes to healthy brain function, weight management, digestion, blood pressure and circulation, strong bones, and the immune system.

Typically, I julienne cut the jicama and pair it with a variety of dips. I have also stir fried it, made jicama fries, and used it in salads. 

A Mexican tradition is sprinkling cut jicama with lime juice, chili powder, and salt. This is simple to put together. Even easier is using Trader Joe's Chile Lime Seasoning Blend. This seasoning on top of chilled jicama is quite refreshing and provides an easy appetizer for entertaining guests.

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Asian Goulash

My dad had a tradition of making Matheny Goulash—named for our family. I clearly recall the aroma and anticipation. He used whatever he found in the pantry and fridge, and created a simmering pot of goodness! Rice, beef, and tomatoes were staples in the meal, but no 2 goulashes were the same.

I am not eating rice these days, but riced cauliflower provides a perfect base for anything! This dish has a decidedly Asian flavor! I used only what I had on hand. All measurements are approximate because I cooked instinctively. I also used my Pampered Chef Food Chopper to achieve texture.

ASIAN GOULASH

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 pound of ground beef—not lean
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped raw zucchini
• ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons of grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 package (about 3 cups) of Trader Joe's Organic Riced Cauliflower—thawed
• Coconut aminos
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the butter up in a wok and add the ground beef. Add salt and pepper. Cook just until the pink disappears.
2. Add the onion, zucchini, red bell pepper, garlic, and fresh ginger. Allow the small pieces to become tender.
3. Stir in the toasted sesame oil.
4. Introduce the cauliflower. Drizzle an ample amount of coconut aminos over the top of the goulash and stir.
5. Cook long enough for the flavors to marry.

Serves 4

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Bacon Onion Rings with Simple Sriracha Dip

French fries may be high in carbs, but I do not regard them as taboo. I save them for special treats — especially sweet potatoes fried in duck fat.

Onion rings require more caution. Traditional recipes contain wheat and gluten. Low-carb versions use coconut flour, almond flour, or crushed pork rinds in place of bread crumbs.

Enter Bacon Onion Rings with Simple Sriracha Sauce! Raw bacon is wrapped like a wreath around onion hoops. Thick-cut bacon yields rings that are more like a meal. Standard bacon (1/16 of an inch) creates rings that are light and crispy. Partnered with the dip, this appetizer is a novelty!

NOTE: Trader Joe's Sriracha Sauce contains 1 gram of sugar per teaspoon. The carbs will mount quickly, so I mix it with avocado oil mayonnaise for a healthy low-carb dip!

BACON ONION RINGS WITH SRIRACHA DIP

INGREDIENTS

THE RINGS

• Several large onions. (You will only be using the outer rings, so estimate how many bacon onion rings you would like to make.) 
• Thick or thinly sliced bacon without nitrites/nitrates—preferably sugar-free. (Thin slices will require about 1½ slices per ring; thick slices about 2½.)

THE DIP

• Trader Joe's Sriracha Sauce
• Avocado oil mayonnaise
• Dried marjoram, parsley, or chives.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 275˚.
2. Cut the ends off of the onion(s) and then slice the onion(s) in half across the equator.
3. Slice each of those halves in half, cutting in the same direction. The rings need to be about ½ inch tall.
4. Separate the rings by 2's. I use 4-6 outside rings, depending on the onion's size, reserving the rest of the onions for something else.
5. Wrap each of the double rings with bacon. The bacon will cling to itself. Tuck the ends underneath the rings.
6. Using a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, you can place the rings directly on the foil or use a greased rack. Both ways work for me.
7. Place rings in the oven and bake for 60-90 minutes. Thick bacon will require the full 90 minutes —  maybe less for thin bacon. 
8. For crispier rings, place them under broiler for a few minutes at the end of cooking. Stay with them to prevent burning.
9. The Sriracha Dip is a blend of avocado oil mayonnaise and sriracha sauce. The ration is 3 parts mayonnaise to 1 part sriracha sauce. Make as much as you need. Add a dried herb for more gusto.

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Curry Cauli-Rice Salad

A well-stocked fridge, freezer, and pantry can spark some amazing dishes! Since I hate to be wasteful, I frequently improvise with what I have. This can sometimes sacrifice color, but never flavor. 

Hint: Do not hesitate to tweak leftovers if you feel that the original can still be enhanced. Some of our favorite meals were toyed with before I was satisfied.

CURRY CAULI-RICE SALAD

• 2 packages of Trader Joe's frozen Organic Riced Cauliflower (yields 6 cups)
• 2 heaping tablespoons of Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayo
• 1 tablespoon of natural stone ground mustard
• 2 nitrite/nitrate free hot dog weiners, sliced
• ½ of a large onion, diced
• 1½ cups of mixed small red and yellow tomatoes, sliced in halves or quarters depending on size
• 1 heaping tablespoon of curry (I used Muchi curry)
• Italian seasoning to taste and a little for garnish
• Maldon salt to taste (I rub it between my fingers while sprinkling)

1. Follow the directions on the riced cauliflower to defrost in the microwave.
2. Allow the riced cauliflower to cool. 
3. Add the remainder of the ingredients. Stir well and refrigerate to allow flavors to marry.

Again, I used what I had. I plan on adding red and green bell peppers along with some fresh herbs next time. The mayo and mustard dressing makes a wonderful base, not to mention the healthful benefits of avocado oil.

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Getting Spicy | Sumac

My husband, Barry, enjoys cooking low-carb breakfasts! He has customers who fill his empty cartons with fresh eggs from their own chickens! We are happy recipients! Yet, Barry does have a bad habit of not telling me when he has used the last of something. Today, I had butter melting in a pan only to discover that we were out the eggs!  

Accepting that my fried eggs and cream cheese would have to wait, I shifted gears. (I'm well-practiced!) The butter was sizzling, so I grabbed what we had: celery, a yellow bell pepper, onions, and natural beer bratwurst. 

I used Sumac—from Trader Joe's The Spice Route—to season my pan-fried dish. Sumac is often sprinkled on top of hummus. Its tart flavor makes it an excellent replacement for lemon. With a little Maldon salt and some chopsticks, I had a sumptuous feast!

Smiles,

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Getting Spicy | Ras al Hanout

Ras al Hanout | Wikipedia
Photo by Sarefo

I enjoy stirring up culinary creativity—especially when the ingredients are easily accessible! My July 8th post, Playing With My Food, mentioned a Trader Joe's exotic spice set called The Spice Route. I promised that I would explore each of the 4 spices, starting with Ras al Hanout. (Read the post for further information.)

FACTS:

• Click HERE for pronunciation.
• North African spice mix that is similar to garam masala in India.
• The name is Arabic for "head of the shop" or akin to the English "top shelf."
• It is most commonly associated with Morocco.
• The mixture often contains over a dozen spices—the proportion of those spices varying from region to region.
• It is used as a rub on meat and fish—couscous and rice.
• Traditional ingredients include cardamom, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, mace, nutmeg, coriander, chili peppers, ginger, turmeric, fenugreek, paprika, and peppercorn. Often regional ingredients like chufa, galangal, and monk's pepper will be used.
• It once contained aphrodisiac properties.

As a low-carber, I will be trying each of The Spice Route blends on riced cauliflower or cauli-rice, primarily because it can be transformed with little effort. I also intend to experiment with spiralized root veggies, in addition to meat dishes.

CRUSTED SEARED SALMON WITH RAS AL HANOUT

Adapted from a recipe by Tanya Holland

Show: Melting Pot

INGREDIENTS:

• Grapeseed oil
• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin removed
• Trader Joe's Ras al Hanout

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan. 
2. Season fish with salt and pepper and roll in spice mixture, using just enough to lightly coat fillets. 
3. Sear over medium high heat for 3 minutes on each side. Fish should be medium rare.

Spicefully Yours,

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Quick Kick Salad!

Summers are not always as leisurely as I would like. I curate at a museum in an old gold rush town; my husband delivers frozen foods to customers in Idaho's Treasure Valley and Boise National Forest; and our youngest son is busy with high school football, summer camps, and a cute girlfriend. Much of the time, I just want simple. 

Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch collection can be embellished in a myriad of ways. Featuring kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, green and red cabbage, it is awaiting whatever whim I come home with.

One of our favorite preparations is Quick Kick Salad! It is low-carb, delicious, and filling.

QUICK KICK SALAD

Note: Adjust the ingredients to your personal taste.

Ingredients:

• 2 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise
• 1 heaping teaspoon of stone ground mustard
• 1 heaping teaspoon of muchi curry (in the bulk section of a natural grocery store)
• flaky Maldon salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, curry, salt, and pepper together in a separate bowl. This ensures that the dressing is distributed evenly. Taste it first and then blend it with the Cruciferous Crunch in a larger bowl. 

Eat it right away or allow the flavors to marry in the refrigerator.

Kickingly Yours,

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Playing With My Food

Once I have begun a culinary adventure, I ask myself this question: "Where else can my tastebuds go?" Ethnic cuisine is important to me, so I need to find ways to enjoy it on a low-carb lifestyle. 

Trader Joe's carries this exotic spice set called The Spice Route. It consists of Ras El Hanout, Sumac, Zhoug, and Pilpelchuma. I am familiar with sumac—used in Middle Eastern cooking—but the others are new to me. I often buy spices before I know what to do with them, and then I research their history and use. Such is the case now.

In my next few posts, I will be focusing on one individual spice and suggesting ways to incorporate it into cooking.  If any of you have suggestions or tips, please feel free to share them in the comment section.

Getting Spicy,

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Organic Mango & Chile Black Tea

My secret weapons with low-carb are lots of fat and flavor. Thank God that I have moved beyond tasteless diets that never satiated me!

Beverages are a biggie with me and I especially love tea. Year round, I usually buy bottled Tejava and add it to tall glasses of ice. However, I enjoy brewing flavored teas as well.

As a fan of Trader Joe's, this newcomer caught my attention. Here is how TJ's describes it...

A long, long time ago we started selling Dried Chile Spiced Mango. Something about the combination of sweet, juicy mango and the heat from dried red chiles made this product irresistible. And now, with Mango Season upon us, we transformed these flavors into a unique, new product: Trader Joe’s Organic Mango & Chile Black Tea. 

Our Organic Mango & Chile Black Tea is made of high-grade black tea, and then flavored with organic dried mango pieces and organic dried red chile. All three of the ingredients in this tea are grown and processed in Sri Lanka, the world’s fourth largest producer of tea—so they really know their stuff. 

The dried mango pieces give a tropical sweetness to the classic, strong flavors of black tea leaves, while the dried chile adds a little kick to the finishing taste. These three ingredients—and only these three ingredients—are mixed and sealed in pyramid-shaped bags that allow for excellent steeping. 

To brew this tea, pour boiling water over one tea bag and steep for 5-7 minutes. Add a splash of Trader Joe’s Coconut Creamer or Coconut Milk for a creamy tropical twist. Or, brew as an iced tea—a sweet and spicy summer treat! 

For $3.49, you can pick up a 1.4 ounce tin (20 bags) of Trader Joe’s Organic Mango & Chile Black Tea. Or two. Or three. This special, limited item will be gone in the blink of an eye—or in the sip of some tea, if you will.  

INGREDIENTS
Organic Black Tea, Organic Dried Mango, Organic Dried Red Chile. 

NOTE: Since posting, the details of this item may have changed due to fluctuating market prices, federal regulations, currency rates, drought, pestilence, bandits, rush hour traffic, filibusters, clowns, zombie apocalypse, punctilious product developers... Contact our Crew for current price and availability.

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