Jicama – Cucumber Salad with Citrus Dressing

This recipe was a hit this afternoon at my Ladies Who Launch ‘reunion’ BBQ out in beautiful Sausalito. Our theme was Mexican food. Perfect, sunny day in paradise. Love my LWL girls. (Girls? We’re all over 30 but who’s counting?)

I fell in love with jicama (pronounced “hekuhmuh”) during our March trip to the Yucatan. The fruit plate I’d get would have jicama in it, and now I just cut it up and eat it like a fruit, although it’s really a root vegetable. Root veggies – like beet roots, celery root, sweet potatoes – are generally associated with winter months and warming dishes. The great thing about jicama is that you can have your root and eat it too – in the summer! Sooo refreshing, especially for the warmer months.

Great source of fiber, low glycemic, naturally low calorie, filling, crunchy, sweet, no need to cook it – what more can a busy girl ask for?

And it’s super easy to make:

Jicama – Cucumber Salad with Citrus Dressing
Makes enough as a side for 6, or 2-3 meal-size salads

Ingredients

1 medium jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved horizontally, and cut into thin half moons
1/2 small red onion, peeled, quartered, and sliced into very thin moons
leaves from 1/2 bunch of cilantro, washed, finely chopped
leaves from 1/3 bunch of fresh mint, washed, finely chopped
the juice of 1 lime
1 large or 2 small oranges, peeled, cut into wedges/ segments, without the membrane (watch this stop-action “video” to see how – just like on the cooking shows! http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=preptip&dbid=94)
1/2 tsp sea salt; more later, to taste
2-3 cranks of freshly ground pepper
1 tsp canola oil

Directions

1. Gently ‘massage’ the red onions with the sea salt, to mellow out their acidity and flavor (both my grandmothers’ trick)
2. Add the remaining ingredients
3. Toss!
4. Add more sea salt, to taste

Variations

• Great with shredded chicken
• Add 1/2 bunch of watercress for a peppery kick
• Spice it up with some chili powder
• Add some sweet color with some red paprika powder (caution: nightshade)
• Add pumpkin seeds for crunch and protein

That’s it! Enjoy!

If you share this recipe, please include this blurb with it:
This recipe shared with you courtesy of Delicious Health, Inc.
Find us at www.enjoydelicioushealth.com or www.delicioushealthblog.com. Have a deliciously  healthy day!

Turkey – White Bean Chili over Greens with Caramelized Sweet Potato

I created another impromptu recipe last night from my Mariquita Farms organic veggie box and some staple pantry items.

Here’s the treasure trove of veggies we got in this week’s $25 box (I don’t want to hear anymore that “organic is too expensive” — rubbish! blasphemy! untrue! More proof coming soon…): http://www.mariquita.com/Farmers%20Market/mystery%20lists/Piccino5-28-09.pdf. See this blog post for more info on eating organic for cheap:  https://delicioushealth.wordpress.com/2009/02/21/magical-mystery-box-of-veggies/

This is also a great “chili” recipe for those who can’t eat nightshade vegetables – it has no tomatoes, peppers, or white potatoes. Also great for allergen-free, delicious eating for autoimmune and the allergy-prone. For those careful of the oxalate levels (oxalic acid) in their diet, you can replace the chard with lower-oxalate greens such as the greens of bok choy.

This recipe is very filling, with LOTS of fiber, protein, immune system protectors, phytonutrients, and is a perfect warm/cold combo for a spring-into-summer dish!

If you share this recipe, please include a link to this posting and credit to Delicious Health, Inc. Thanks!

Turkey &  Navy Bean “Chili” Over Greens with Caramelized Sweet Potato
from www.enjoydelicioushealth.com

Generously serves 2

Ingredients

1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
8 small spring shallots (can use 1 medium regular shallot instead), finely chopped
4 small spring /green onion purplettes (can use 1 small or 1/2 medium red onion instead), finely chopped
1/4 lb. ground dark meat turkey
1/4 lb. ground white meat turkey
1 can organic navy or any other favorite beans, rinsed and drained (I recommend the brand Eden)
2-3 TBS of water or broth, optional
3 TBS fresh winter savory, finely chopped (can replace with fresh rosemary or thyme)
1/2 bunch fresh basil, leaves rolled and sliced into strips
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
6-10 shakes of Umeboshi Plum Vinegar – can replace with juice of 1/2 lemon plus sea salt to taste
Additional sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

2 medium sweet potatoes , scrubbed/washed, and punched with a fork all around

1 bunch raw baby chard, washed and torn into bite-size pieces, hard stems torn off and discarded (can use any baby or delicate greens, like spinach, or arugula, or watercress for a more peppery punch)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place prepared sweet potatoes on parchment paper on a pizza pan or cookie tray and let cook for 1 hour. Reduce heat to 400 for another 30 minutes. Then turn heat down to 200-350 until the rest of your food is ready to serve.
2. Warm olive oil over low heat in large saute pan for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add shallots and red onions, saute until tender.
4. Add ground turkey and saute until browned.
5. Add water / broth if pan too dry.
6. Add savory or thyme / rosemary, cumin and turmeric
7. Stir in the beans. Cook until thoroughly heated.
8. Season with umeboshi plum vinegar or alternative (lemon juice + sea salt).
9. Before removing pan from heat, stir in basil and let cook for 1 more minute.
10. Add black pepper and/or additional sea salt to taste.
11. Line half of plate with the prepared raw baby greens.
12. Serve chili on top of the greens. The greens will wilt and shrink in size.
13. Cut sweet potato open and place on other half of plate. No need for brown sugar, butter, or salt. You’ve got all the natural sugar, flavor, and fats you need in this dish.

ENJOY!