down to the core: jicama new food

Last week I looked back at the recipes I've posted and the recipes that I've been making, and I realized they are all very much of the same. As most people do, I gravitate to my favorite foods, my familiar recipes, and my go-to snacks. Although each recipe demonstrates my persistence in clean eating and homemade favorites, very rarely do I try entirely new things.

In order to step outside of my box a little, I bought the first "new" health food that came to mind. I had tried jicama (pronounced hick-uh-muh) only once before, and I didn't know much about it. So I researched the nutrition of it and some ideas on how to eat it, and I got going in the kitchen experimenting!

Jicama is a root vegetable that provides vitamin C for skin health, fiber for bowel health, and can increase absorption of certain minerals and improve nutritional intake. There is virtually no fat and few calories in a serving of jicama. Its crisp texture is comparable to that of water chestnuts, and can be eaten raw.

Some recipes I saw that used jicama included stir-fry, salsas, refreshing fruit salads (mangoes, pineapples, watermelons, cucumbers), and used as a "vehicle" for dips (I like the way that sounds). I also found various uses of jicama as a substitute for French fries, which is what I tried last night.

Here's what you'll need:

yields 2-3 servings

1 jicama root

olive oil to drizzle

spices to taste - I used paprika, cayenne, and chili powder

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Cut jicama in half, then slice into centimeter-wide slices (or preferred shape of fries). Slice off ends after cutting, or peel initially.