RECIPE: Mango-Jicama "Slaw"

This is not a proper "slaw" at all.  There is no cabbage, no mayonnaise, and no sugar.  It is delicious, though, and as sweet and crunchy as you can hope for.

As per the norm, I did not have all of the ingredients recommended for any high-falutin' jicama recipe, but I had found several websites that recommended combining the jicama with mango.  With a little help with the chopping, I whipped together a simple and easy side dish for our lemon basil shrimp. 

Jicama, for the record, is an odd, odd sort of vegetable.  It smells like a potato when you chop it, but it tastes more like a pear on the tongue.  Its consistency is somewhere in between the potato and the pear, too, so perhaps the foodies are playing a prank on us and it's really a GM hybrid.  Kidding.

The jicama has been around a long time, really.  It is sometimes called the Mexican Turnip or the Yam, and like the potato it is an edible tuber.  The tuber is the only edible part of the plant--so don't let me catch you gnawing on the vine or I'll send you off to Katniss Everdeen for an edible plant test.  I used to read books where the characters chowed down on yams, but I never expected to eat one myself.

I'm glad I did. 

INGREDIENTS

1 mango, julienned
1 pound jicama, peeled and matchsticked
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup raspberry or red-wine vinaigrette 
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
Sea salt & pepper to taste

1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned (optional)
1/2 cup carrots, matchsticked (optional)
1/8 cup fresh chopped mint (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Combine all of the ingredients, mix thoroughly, and refrigerate until serving.


Eating well is really that easy.  Sometimes.

RECIPE: Star Fruit & Mango Dessert

In my ongoing quest to satisfy my sweet tooth while on the Body Chemistry Diet, I ran across a recipe for a star fruit (carambola) dessert.  I never have all of the exotic ingredients these recipes called for, but I happened to have the big three: star fruit, mango, and coconut milk.

Star fruit are a strange and wonderful invention.  They are sharp and tangy in flavor, not to mention visually distinctive.  I have wanted to try one for a very long time, and when I saw them listed on the "safe" foods on our little adventure, I splurged and picked up two.  Their tangy-ness is the perfect complement to the rich thick sweetness of the mango and the creaminess of the coconut milk.  I cannot recommend this dish to you highly enough for a late-night fruit binge, or if you're looking to try something new.

INGREDIENTS

2 fresh star fruit
1 cup orange juice OR 3 tablespoons lime juice
1 medium-sized fresh mango
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 to 1/2 cup coconut milk

DIRECTIONS

A ripe star fruit will be a nice bright yellow color, with very slight brown ridges.  To prepare the fruit, slice off the end originally attached to the plant (it will be darker than the other end), and then use a sharp knife to pare the brown off of the ridges.  Then, slice the star fruit into thin cross sections, taking care to remove the seeds.

Place the star fruit slices into a pan and add the juice, keeping the burner on high until it boils and then turning it down to medium.  Cook for 10 or so minutes, or until the fruit flesh is tender enough to cut with a spoon, and lightly browned on both sides.  As you remove the star fruit from the stove, stir in the honey.

Slice your mango small or puree it, depending on what mood strikes you, and then add it to the warm star fruit and mix well.  Divide the fruit between serving bowls (or only one--this dish is too delicious to share) and drizzle lightly with the coconut milk and enjoy.