What is a Jicama

I found a lot about jicama's on the internet yesterday as I was searching the best way to peel one. For those of you who are wondering what the heck a jicama is I came across this great article explaining what it is and it's nutritional properties. Some things not mentioned in the article below was that they are also great eaten plain with a little lime juice, use in replacement for water- chestnuts, use in salads, and they are great in stir fry's.

So now you know how wonderful these little roots are, quick run get some for dinner! :)

SITE:

Jicama is a semi-sweet, root vegetable often found in Mexico. Often, it's used as a replacement for potato dishes. That makes sense because it looks a lot like white potatoes!

Why not potatoes though? Although they have some nutritional value—Vitamin C (if you eat the skin), some minerals and a tiny bit of protein, white potatoes are mostly starch. Moreover, the glycemic load for potatoes is 29 out of 250 and the inflammation factor is -179 out of 50. Although, these are just numbers, essentially- potatoes spike your blood sugar and increase inflammation in the body.

Compare that to jicama with a GL of 2 and inflammation factor of 1. This means jicama doesn’t spike your blood sugar and it’s actually mildly anti-inflammatory. Not to mention, it tastes great and has all the minerals that potatoes have!

Glycemic load has recently been recognized as a more accurate factor for determining blood sugar effects, more than glycemic index.So, it's a key factor to look at if you're trying to lose weight, treat/prevent diabetes, or get on a healthier track. Jicama makes for a great replacement for white potatoes...it gives you a similar taste, texture, and nutrient value without the starchy bonus.

Quick beef and jicama soup

Recipe:

1 large jicama, peeled and chopped

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2 onion, diced

1 can beef chunks, drained and rinsed

1 can undrained stewed tomatoes

1 can green beans, drained

3-4 beef bullion

2 shakes basil

To Make:

Place carrots, jicama, onion, and bullion in a large pot of boiling water. Cover and let cook until vegetables are tender. Add the rest of ingredients and warm through.

Loaded pork chops

Recipe:

4- pork loin chops, boneless

1/2 red and yellow bell peppers, sliced

1 large handful of fresh spinach, washed, and cut up

1 tsp Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

To make:

Heat a large skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add a little extra virgin olive oil and place pork in the pan to cook. Cook for 3-5 min on each side depending on the thickness of your pork chop. Remove the meat and cover. In the pan add the bell peppers, spinach, and seasonings and saute until tender and spinach is wilted. Place over pork chops and add low fat mozzarella cheese (optional).

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FOCUS:

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BBQ turkey pitas

These are soooooo simple to make. Great when you are in a hurry and dinner should have been an hour ago :)

Recipe:

2-3 slices of deli sliced turkey breast, diced

2 TBS Favorite BBQ sauce

3 sliced red bell peppers

3 chunks dole pineapple, cup up

grated cheese

To make:

In a small sauce pan place all ingredients except the cheese. Heat through and place in a warmed pita. Top with cheese and enjoy :)

Turkey Sausage scramble

Recipe:

2 large egg whites

2 oz smoked turkey sausage, cubed

1 handful of spinach, washed, and chopped

2 tbs salsa

1/8 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

To Make:

Heat a nonstick skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk the egg whites together and pour in the skillet. When they are partially cooked add the rest of the ingredients and mix together. Finish cooking the egg whites through and enjoy a breakfast sure to give you energy all morning long.

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Green Beans and Feta Cheese

Recipe:

2 cups Green beans ( I used frozen green beans)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup Feta cheese

salt and pepper to taste

To Make:

Bring a pan of water to boil and add some salt. Blanch the green beans in the water for about 3 minutes, drain and immediately put into ice water to cool. Once cooled, drain and set aside to dry. Heat a large sauce pan on med heat. Add extra virgin olive oil and the garlic. Saute the garlic until it's brown. Add green beans and then cover and steam, stirring occasionally until beans are heated through and tender. Stir in Feta and season with salt and pepper.

*Putting the beans in ice water immediately after cooking stops them from continued cooking and sets the color.

Oat bran muffins

I found this recipe in the Cooking Light cookbook. It is full of good stuff that is so good for you!
It also makes a little over 2 dozen, but they freeze well for breakfasts. And my kids enjoyed them, so huge plus!

Recipe:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1-3/4 cup oat bran

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup nonfat dry milk

1/4 cup flaxseed

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded carrot

2 cups chopped Granny Smith apple

1 cup raisins (I used dried cranberries )

1 cup fat-free milk

1/4 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large egg whites

1 thin-skinned orange, unpeeled and quartered

cooking spray

TO MAKE:

preheat oven to 375. Combine the flour and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in carrot, apple, and raisins/cranberries.

Combing milk, oil, vanilla, egg whites, and orange in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Make a well in center of flour mixture; add milk mixture and stur until moist.

Spoon batter into each of 26 to 28 muffin cups coated with cooking spray or lined with paper liners. Bake at 375 for 20 min or until muffins are browned and spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately and place on a wire rack.

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Pork chops with balsamic glazed apples

This recipe was Fantastic!! I was in such a hurry to get to work and I had unthawed the pork chops for dinner. What I usually do is bake my pork chops with apples and they turn out so tender but I didn't have time! So I put this together in the skillet and it was ready and on the table in less than 1/2 hour. And the pork chops were tender and so much flavor. Our family loved it and I hope yours will to!

Recipe:

4 pork loin chops

1 apple sliced

1/2 small onion sliced or diced

1/2 Tbs Rosemary

1 tsp brown sugar

1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

1 Tbs olive oil

To Make:

Heat a large skillet and spray with nonstick cooking stray. Drizzle the olive oil in the pan. Use a paper towel and dry the pork chops ( this helps them to brown nicely) and using olive oil gives the pork time to cook without burning. Place the pork chops in the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook on each side for about 5 min. When pork is cooked through remove it and place it on a dish and cover with tin foil or place it in the microwave. In the pan combine the apple slices, sugar, rosemary, onions, and balsamic vinegar. Cover and let it reduce. When the apples and onions are tender remove from stove and top the pork chops.

Mock Calzone Pizza

Recipe:

1 large handful of washed spinach - chopped

2 Roma Tomatoes-diced

1/2 red bell pepper- diced

1/4 yellow bell pepper-diced

Turkey pepperoni - how many depends on your preference. I used 4 to 5 per tortilla

1/4 cup Feta Cheese

1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese grated

1/4 to 1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

TO MAKE:

Add all ingredients into a bowel and mix. Place the mix in tortilla and fold over. Spray both sides with nonstick cooking spray and cook until cheese is melted.

Mock French Dip

To assemble this classic sandwich:

Heat a few slices of deli sliced Roast Beef.
The bread is a pita pocket cut in half. Place a slice of light swiss cheese on the pita and pile on the meat. I placed the sandwich in the oven at 350 until the cheese was melted.

Chicken Parmesan

Recipe:

2 egg whites

1/4 cup pureed spinach

1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs with seasoning ( recipe below)

Tomato sauce

1/4 to 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese.

To Make:

Beat the egg whites and pureed spinach together

Dip the thawed chicken in the egg white and spinach. Then coat in the bread crumbs.
Place in a heated skilled sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and a 1 Tbs of olive oil. Brown chicken on both sides. Then place the chicken on a cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Top with the tomato sauce and grated cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese is browned and chicken is cooked through.


Bread Crumbs:

The bread crumbs I use is from my homemade whole wheat bread. I take the heals and any bread that gets dried out and place it in a blender. I add seasoning like garlic powder, italian seasonings, oregano, and some basil. I freeze it and use when I make this dish.