Jicama Slaw

My husband is always finding great recipes.  He bought a jicama and found this slaw recipe to go with grilled steaks.  It is healthy and colorful and would be good with a variety of meals. 

Jicama Mango Slaw Salad

What is Jicama?
Jicama, also known as yam bean, is a round, fleshy taproot vegetable of bean family plant. Its underground starchy root is one of the popular edible root vegetables grown in many parts of Central American, South Asian, Caribbean, and some Andean South American regions. It's refreshing; crispy, ice-white fruit-like pulp can be eaten raw or cooked in a variety of sweet and savory dishes worldwide.

Some of the common names of this tuber are Mexican water chestnut, Mexican turnip, sengkwang, yacon…etc. It is pronounced as hecama.

The most distinguishing feature, however, is that it bears globular, fleshy, turnip-like starchy edible root below the ground surface. Unlike other starch roots like potato, and sweet potato wherein the peel may be eaten; jicama features thick dust-brown color inedible skin (be sure not to eat the skin) Inside, its white starchy flesh has crisp texture and fruit-like succulent, sweet-starchy taste.

Health benefits of Jicama

• Jicama is very low calorie root vegetables; contains only 35 calories per 100 g. However, its high quality phyto-nutrition profile comprises of dietary fiber, and anti-oxidants, in addition to small proportions of minerals, and vitamins.
• It is one of the finest source dietary fiber and excellent source of oligofructose inulin, a soluble dietary fiber. The root pulp provides 4.9 mg or 13% of fiber. Inulin is a zero calorie, sweet inert carbohydrate and does not metabolize in the human body, which make the root an ideal sweet snack for diabetics and dieters.
• As in turnips, fresh yam bean tubers are rich in vitamin C.
• It also contains small levels of some of valuable B-complex group of vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid and thiamin.
• Further, it provides healthy amounts of some important minerals like magnesium, copper, iron and manganese.

from www.nutrition-and-you.com/jicama

Ingredients:

• 2 mangos, peeled and cut into matchstick julienne
• 1 carrot, cut into matchstick julienne
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick julienne
• 1/2 large jicama, peeled and cut into matchstick julienne
• 1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon lime zest 

Directions:

Combine the mangos, carrot, red bell pepper, and jicama in a large bowl.  Whisk the vinegar, lime juice, agave nectar, and olive oil together in a separate bowl; pour over the mango mixture.  Sprinkle the mint and lime zest over the mixture; toss to mix. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.  This recipe was found on line at HECO>jicama mango slaw @ www.hawaiianelectric.com

Printable version of recipe: Jicama Mango slaw

Gather the ingredients for the slaw.

Gather the ingredients for the dressing.

Zest the lime.

Whisk the vinegar, lime juice, agave nectar, and olive oil together in a separate bowl.

Prepare the mango by peeling and cutting  into long slices.
To peel and cut a mango click here... Peel and Cut mango

Juliene the carrot, red bell pepper, and  jicama.

What is julienne?

To julienne something is to cut it into long, thin strips, like matchsticks. While there is some discrepancy over the exact width of a julienne cut, it is the smallest of its category, generally agreed to measure around 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch. (from cookthink.com)

Combine the mangos, carrot, red bell pepper, and jicama in a large bowl.

Pour vinegar dressing over the mangos and vegetable mixture.

Sprinkle the mint and lime zest over the mixture.  Garnish with more mint leaves.

Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

More on Jicama:

Preparation and serving methods of Jicama:

Wash in cool running water and dry mop like in other tubers. Peel off thick fibrous skin using a vegetable peeler or paring knife. Peel and other plant parts containrotenene, an organic poison; and therefore, should be discarded. It then can be cut into cubes, sliced, or chopped to fine sticks in a ways desired. It then can be cut into cubes, sliced, or chopped to fine sticks in a ways desired.

Fresh jicama is used much like a vegetable and is an important starch source in much of Central America. It stays crisp when cooked, making it one of the wonderful vegetable in stir-fries.

for more go to: Jicama nutrition facts

It is always fun to try new foods and flavors.  This salad would appeal to many palates.

Enjoy!