[gardeners] Re: Jicama recipes for George

Shantihhh@aol.com (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 21 Jan 1999 01:41:41 EST 

In a message dated 1/21/99 5:05:36 AM, owner-gardeners-digest@globalgarden.com
writes:

<<Harry Boswell <hboswell@netdoor.com>>>

This is really for George, but since Harry is rather interested here are some
jicama recipes to share.

Mary-Anne in Alamo, CA

CHULETAS DE PUERCO ADOBADOS
4 ancho chiles, lightly toasted, stemmed, and seeded
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
I tablespoon salt
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup mild white vinegar
6 thick shoulder pork chops
I small piece porkfat or up to I tablespoon lard
Apple Tamarind Sauce (recipe follows)
I cup sour cream
Jicama Pancakes (recipe follows)
Place the toasted anchos in a bowl and cover them with warm water. Soak
for about 20 minutes, then transfer with a slotted
spoon to a blender. Add the cumin seeds, oregano, thyme, salt, garlic,
and vinegar. Blend to a fairly smooth paste, but do
not overblend.
Pound the pork chops with a wooden mallet until flat. Spread a layer
of the chili paste on both sides of the chops, place
them in a large shallow baking dish and refrigerate overnight or for
24 hours, covered.
In a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, heat the pork fat until it
renders, or heat a teaspoon of the lard over medium-low heat.
Cook the chops very slowly, for about 20 minutes, turning over once.
Add more fat during the cooking time if the pan gets
very dry and the chile paste is in danger of scorching. When the chops
are done through (press them to see if the flesh
springs back), raise the heat to medium-high and quickly brown them
on both sides.
Serve the chops immediately, garnished with Apple-Tamarind Sauce, sour
cream, and pancakes.
Yield: 6 servings
APPLE-TAMARIND SAUCE
2 ounces tamarind pulp (available in Asian and Indian markets)
2 tablespoons honey
I tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Macintosh apples, peeled, cored, and cut into
3/4-inch dice
Break up the tamarind, pulling it apart into marble-sized pieces. In
a bowl, cover with I cup boiling water and leave to soak
for at least 2 hours or overnight. Strain the liquid through a medium-mesh
sieve into a large saucepan, pressing down hard
on the solids. Discard the solids. Stir in the honey, ginger, and salt.
Add the apples and place the pan over medium-high
heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered for
about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened
into applesauce


JICAMA PANCAKES
1 1/2 cups shredded jicama (see Note)
Juice of I lemon
2 tablespoons grated onion
I large egg, beaten
I tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced habanero chile
1 russet potato, peeled
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, or as needed
Toss the jicama in a colander with the lemon juice and let sit for 15
minutes. Using your hands, squeeze as much water as
you possibly can out of the jicama, a handful at a time. Spread on
a doubled layer of paper towels and blot with more paper
towels. In a large bowl, toss the jicama with the onion, egg, flour,
salt, and tossing well to be sure the chile is evenly
distributed in the mixture. Grate the potato into the bowl on the largest
hole of the grater and toss again.
In a large cast-iron skillet, heat I tablespoon of the oil over medium-high
heat until very hot. Form the mixture into 2
1/2-inch patties and saute them in batches, turning with a metal spatula
when brown on one side, until crisp and brown.
Add more oil to the skillet as necessary and keep the pancakes warm
on a paper towel-lined baking sheet in a warm oven
while you finish cooking the rest. Serve warm.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Note: remove the outer brown layer of skin from the jicama. Shred on
the largest hole of a grater.

Chicken Livers with Marsala  & Jicama

SERVINGS: 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 pounds chicken livers, well trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry Marsala wine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup 1-by-1/4 -inch jicama sticks
1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonreactive skillet. Add half of
the chicken livers in a single layer, season with salt and pepper and cook
over high heat, turning once, until well browned and medium-rare to
medium, about 2 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon of the Marsala and
cook until reduced to a thin glaze. Transfer the livers to a plate. Repeat the
process with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil, remaining livers and 1
more tablespoon of the Marsala. Reduce the heat to moderately high if the
livers start to burn.
2. Melt the butter in the skillet. Add the shallots and cook over moderate
heat, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Increase the heat to
moderately high, add the remaining 1/4 cup Marsala and boil, scraping the
skillet to loosen any browned bits, until reduced by half, about 1 minute.
Add the tomato paste and boil until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
3. Return the chicken livers to the skillet and season with the tarragon,
lemon juice, salt and pepper. Simmer to heat through, then transfer to a
platter. Scatter the jicama sticks on top and serve.


SHRIMP - JICAMA STIR-FRy

Categories: Seafood, Stir-fry, Main dish
Yield: 4 servings

Chicken broth
 2 ts Sesame seeds
 2 ts Shredded fresh ginger
 1 tb Soy sauce
 1/4 ts Hot pepper sauce
 1 ts Cornstarch
Vegetable oil for stir-fry
1 c Julienned jicama
 1 c Julienned carrots
 1 c Julienned red bell pepper
 1 lb Large shrimp, shelled and -deveined
 Garlic cloves, minced
 Hot cooked rice
 For sauce, In a small bowl stir together broth, sesame seeds,
ginger; soy sauce, pepper sauce and cornstarch until well blended. Set aside.

 In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Stir-fry jicama and
 carrots for 3 minutes, remove from pan and set aside.
Add oil if needed and stir-fry bell pepper with shrimp and garlic
for; 3 minutes, or until shrimp turn pick and opaque. Stir sauce again;
 pour into center of wok. Cook until mixture bubbles. Return jicama
<br>&nbsp; and carrots to the pan, cover and cook 2 minutes longer, until
heated through. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Jicama CevicheA healthy, fresh Mexican dish, easy to prepare.
Servings: 8 people
 Gabriela Lubezky, Puebla, Mexico
History: This dish was invented by my aunt. It follows theMexican traditon
of the ceviche.  The ceviche is a dish, generally prepared with fish or
seafood. The
fish is raw, and it bakes for a few days in lemon juice. This version uses
jicama, a very popular
and native vegetable from Mexico, that can be found these days almost
everywhere. The jicama
belongs to the potato family, but is not fattening at all. The jicama itself
has almost
no flavor, so it picks up the flavor of any other ingredient that is used with
it. It is a round vegetable, looks like a big radish, but is outer peel is
grayish, and inside thevegetable is white.

2 large jicamas
2 Tsp. of salt
2 Tsp. of pepper
2 Cups of chopped tomatoes
2 Cups of chopped onions
2 Cups of chopped parsley
1/2 Cup of chopped serrano chiles
5 Tbsp. of ketchup
3 Cups of lemon juice
1 ripe avocado
Preparation:
Chop the jicama ( peeled ) and place in a container. Squeeze the lemon
juice and mix into the jicama. Let rest for 2 hours until the jicama absorbs
part of the lemon juice. Chop the tomatoes and add. Chop the parsley and onion
and add. Chop the
serrano chiles and add. Add the salt and pepper. Add the ketchup. Mix
well. Before serving, add the avocado.

*Note: About 12 medium size lemons will yeild 3 cups of lemon juice
when squeezed.

Famous Lite Beef Chili

The variety of fresh vegetables in this unique chili give it an
original flavor. And, your waistline will smile!
Serves 6
 1 1/2 Lb. beef top sirloin steak
cut into 1/2- inch cubes or ground chuck
1 cup frozen corn
 2 (14.5 oz.) cans beef broth plus
1 1/2 cups water
 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
 6 corn tortillas, cut in strips
 1/2 poblamo pepper, chopped
 2 Tbsp. chili powder
 1 stalk celery, chopped
 2 tsp. ground cumin
 1 carrot, chopped
 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
2 jalapeno peppers, finely diced
; 2 cloves garlic, minced
 1 cup jicama, diced
 2 (16oz.) cans black beans, rinsed
 1-2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
 salt and pepper to taste
Heat broth and water over medium heat in a 4 quart pot. Add tortillas
and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tortillas dissolve.
Meanwhile, brown beef over medium heat in a non-stick
skillet, drain fat, and add seasonings.
 Add beef and vegetables. except jicama and cilantro, to stock pot. Simmer on
low heat 30 min. to 1 hour. Season to taste. Just before serving, stir in
jicama and cilantro.
Serving Suggestion: Cornbred Muffins or Corn Tortillas and Stewed Apples.