Tag Archives: vegan recipes

VEGGIE LOVE: Jicama

jicama

My girl Kenzie is back again and this week we are having a love affair with jicama. I used shredded jicama in the video this past week on how to make guacamole nori rolls. So check it out! Also jicama is great for the raw french fries everyone raves about. I like them dipped in hummus as well. – XoXo Raw Girl

This week we’re going to talk about jicama (or yam bean): a textually satisfying, water rich veggie so creative and versatile it deserves all of your attention. Jicama may be another grocery store scare—with a dull outside skin, usually hidden in the produce aisle amongst its misunderstood non-traditional vegetable  friends. But the inside is crispy white, nutty, and a little bit sweet. And obviously, it’s extremely good for you!

The nutrients in jicama should get your stomach growling alone. The most notable being potassium. Potassium is important for maintaining a steady heartbeat and balancing fluid inside and outside cell membranes which promotes normal cell functioning. This nutrient aids in many metabolic reactions—transferring energy to the right parts of the body. Consuming potassium will also help prevent blood loss and kidney stones.

The high level of Vitamin C in jicama provides powerful antioxidants that protect from cell damage, help wounds to heal, fight infections, promote healthy bones, teeth, gums and blood vessels, and aid in the absorption of iron. Jicama slows blood pressure by balancing out salt or sodium, lowers blood cholesterol, slows digestion to stabilize blood sugar, promotes healthy digestion, and aids in attaining weight loss goals.

Ready to dive in? To prepare, remove the brown outer skin. You can do this with a knife or also a good vegetable peeler. The simplest way to eat it is to chop or food process it, add a little lemon juice and then just throw on top of a salad with tons of other veggies. This adds some dimension but keeps it really simple.

If you’re feeling more creative try this recipe for Jicama ‘Cheese’ Crackers, which recently made an appearance at my Opening Ceremony party for The Olympics—my non-vegan friends even loved them! It’s a variation from the pierogi recipe in Matt Amsden’s Rawvolution; these are less soy-heavy and takes the pressure off making perfect crescent shaped designs. They may be reminiscent of Ritz-Bitz cracker days back in middle school—only REAL FOOD, HEALTHY, and RAW.

Jicama ‘Cheese’ Crackers

Ingredients:

¼+ cup lemon juice; 1/3 cup Nama Shoyu; ¼ red bell pepper; 2-3 cloves garlic; ¾ cup cashews; ½ cup pine nuts; large jicama

Peel the jicama with a good peeler. Using a sharp, large knife cut thin circular slices. Make the pieces thin, but not so thin they aren’t full circles (Use a mandolin slicer if you have one). Cut the jicama into triangle shapes (cutting an ‘X’ on the circle). Combine all other ingredients into a blender or VitaMix and blend until smooth. Scoop spoonfuls onto jicama and make sandwiches.  Beware: They could get messy! But have fun with it…and please share your knowledge, and share the love.

–Kenzie, Signing in for Raw Girl

How to Make Quick & Easy Guacamole Nori Rolls

guacamole

This is one of my favorite quick and easy raw meals-on-the-go. I started to eat more seaweed when I was looking for foods that added a great deal of nutrients to my diet. Nori, quickly became my favorite seaweed, and nori rolls are an awesome way to have a burrito-like meal packed with a bunch of veggies, that doesn’t take all your time in the kitchen. Suitable for raw foodies and vegans alike. You can experiment with other variations to this recipe based on your diet: using hummus instead of guacamole, adding in sprouted or cooked quinoa, brown rice (if your a vegan), and of course playing around with the types of veggies in your roll (sprouts and zucchini are both yummy when added). These also work really well as party finger food–trust me your guests will be begging for more!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE4S0NQpfck]

Ingredients:

(untoasted) sheets of organic Nori, 1 small beet, 1/2 small  jicama, 1 carrot, bowl of organic seasonal greens, 2 ripe organic avocados, 1 tablespoon yellow curry, 1 tablespoon red pepper, 2 wedges of lemon,  diced red onion (and tomatoes if preferred), capful extra virgin olive oil,  sea salt to taste

For the filling:

Start by shredding your veggies in a bowl.  Shred beet, jicama, and carrot then mix in with seasonal greens and add olive oil. Squeeze in the wedge of lemon, and add sea salt to taste. Give your veggies a nice sensual massage.

For the guacamole:

Cut and scoop out your two avocados into a bowl. Add in the red onions (and tomatoes if preferred). Sprinkle in the  yellow curry and red pepper, squeeze a wedge of lemon, and pinch in some sea salt to taste.  Use a spoon to mash up the avocados and mix until creamy.

Take a sheet of nori and spread the guacamole evenly onto the sheet. Grab a small handful of your veggie filling and layer on top of guacamole. Roll into a tight cylinder and cut in half. Use remaining veggie filling as garnish or a side salad.

Makes around 8 rolls or 2-3 servings. Enjoy!

-XoXo Raw Girl

How to Make a Mushroom Quinoa Salad

quinoa

We are snowed in down here in the DC area, again!! So I managed to hook up this recipe, but didn’t dare brave the ten inches outside to get two essential ingredients that take this salad to the next level: corn and cilantro. I added them into the steps below. If you don’t know about quinoa, it is a complete protein and awesome for very active vegans because consuming it helps your muscles regenerate from intense workouts. All vegans know the first question non-veggies ask is, “Um, where do you get your protein?” Well quinoa is a bangin’ answer to that question. Check in the Raw Girl archives for an article I wrote that breaks down the wonders of quinoa.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMtiMva-nzo]

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa cooked or sprouted, 1 small beet shredded, 1 carrot shredded, 1/3 of a jicama shredded (can also use zucchini instead–yummy), chopped red onion, a wedge of lemon, two capfuls of extra virgin olive oil, several dashes of cumin and paprika, celtic sea salt to taste, 2 cups peeled and chopped mushrooms soaked in warm water for 10-15 minutes, a small handful of fresh cilantro, chopped, and 1 ear of non-GMO organic corn

Start by putting your mushrooms in warm water and letting them soak. If you are cooking quinoa, put it on the stove, if you sprouted it, you are ready to go. While the mushrooms are soaking and quinoa is cooking, shred your veggies adding the cilantro and shaving in raw corn as well, season  with paprika, cumin, and salt, and give them a nice massage. Strain your cooked quinoa of water, and then mix into veggies until it changes color. Season mushrooms with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and thyme. Mix in mushrooms and your ready to eat.

Makes around 3-4 servings and keeps well in the fridge. Enjoy!

-XoXo Raw Girl