Jicama Slaw with Toasted Buckwheat and Crumbled Feta Cheese
Serves 4
If you haven’t tried jicama, give it a try. I tasted my first jicama over ten years ago. I just love it. Other names for jicama include yam bean, Mexican potato, Mexican water chestnut and Chinese turnip. It’s the root of a plant that produces beans similar to lima beans. It has a globe-shape to it with papery, golden-brown skin and an interior flesh that is juicy yet crunchy, with a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. It tastes like a cross between a potato and a pear or apple. Originally grown in Mexico, jicama eventually spread to the Philippines and Asia. It requires a long growing season with no frost so it thrives in locations that are warm year-round.
The nutrient profile of the jicama is very impressive. One cup (130 grams) has 49 calories, 12 grams of carbohydrates, very small amounts of protein and fat, and a significant amount of fiber. Once cup has 17 percent of the RDI for fiber for men and 23 percent of the RDI for women. There’s more. The nutrient profile also includes:
• Vitamin C: 44 percent RDI
• Folate: 4 percent of the RDI
• Iron: 4 percent of the RDI
• Magnesium: 4 percent of the RDI
• Potassium: 6 percent of the RDI
• Manganese: 4 percent of the RDI
Jicama also contains small amounts of vitamin E, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, calcium, phosphorus, zinc and copper. Note that Jicama is also an excellent source of vitamin C, an essential water-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant in your body and is necessary for many enzyme reactions.
Ingredients:
¼ cup buckwheat groats
6 cups Jicama, peeled and cut into thin strips by a hand or better yet on a mandolin
¼ cup red onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon mint, freshly chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, freshly chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lime, juice and zest of
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
How to make:
Place a dry skillet over a medium heat on the stove. Add the buckwheat, and stir often until lightly toasted or fragrant, about 4 minutes. Transfer the toasted buckwheat to a plate lined with a paper towel and allow to cool.
Place the jicama, red onions, mint, cilantro, oil, lime juice and zest in a large salad bowl. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Toss gently to combine. Scatter over the crumbled feta cheese and cold toasted buckwheat. Serve.