Salted Caramel Jicama Salad

I try my best to come up with new and exciting recipes so you will not get bored with the same old recipes such as grilled chicken salad. Don't get me wrong... I love a great grilled chicken salad, but sometimes you need a little bit of variety. I could not stay on track if I only had grilled chicken salad everyday.

So... 

I was craving a yummy sweet treat that fits the 5 and 1 plan, but still left some room to have a yummy Lean and Green as well. This truly hit the spot! A delicious dessert to enjoy after a hearty Lean and Green meal.

Jicama is juicy, crunchy, nutty and slightly sweet. It's flavor reminds me of chowing down on a savory apple. I decided to try it as a fruit salad, although it really isn't a fruit at all. It's actually a root veggie. It still makes a great substitute for a delicious caramel apple salad using lower carb jicama instead. It turned out pretty darn good!

Look at that yummy goodness! Topped with toasted walnuts!

This dessert had all the yummy flavors of a caramel apple salad, but without all the carbs.

Jicama is quickly becoming a favorite veggie of mine. Being only 25 calories and providing 3 grams of fiber per half cup, I think I am in love!

You do need to cut the tough brown skin off with a sharp knife. Don't use a vegetable peeler since the skin is thick and tough. You will get better and safer results using a chef knife or you can purchase it pre-cut at Trader Joes!

Trim a slice off the top and the bottom so that the jicama is sitting on a flat surface. This makes it safer and sturdier for cutting away the skin. Once you remove the skin, chop the jicama into 1 inch pieces.

Place jicama in a medium sized bowl and add plain Greek yogurt. The yogurt gives this salad it's creamy goodness! Then add vanilla extract and ground cinnamon to the mixture. I used Sinful Cinnamon Blend from Stacey Hawkins. I absolutely love her seasoning blends! Check it out over HERE!

Add stevia or your favorite brand of sweetener. I like to use the packets of NuStevia which I get from Amazon. Click HERE for the link.

Next add a tbsp of Walden Farms caramel syrup.

Then stir in the toasted walnuts. Don't skip the toasting! Toasting the walnuts really brings out the flavor of the nuts. It gives them a richer and deeper flavor.

Pour the mixture into a small casserole dish. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of caramel syrup and sprinkle toasted walnuts on top. 

Lastly, sprinkle coarse sea salt on top and enjoy this guilt free dessert!

Salted Caramel Jicama Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups raw jicama, peeled and chopped (6 Greens)
3 containers (5.3 oz each) Chobani Zero Sugar Yogurt  or 1 1/2 cups 2% plain Fage Greek yogurt (1 Leaner)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (1/2 Condiment)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (1 Condiment)
1 packet stevia (1 Condiment)
3 tbsp Walden Farms caramel syrup, divided (1 1/2 Condiments)
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt (2 Condiments)
28 walnut halves (4 Snacks)

Directions:
Toast walnut halves:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Spread walnut on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 10 minutes. Frequently stir the nuts to ensure even baking. Nuts are done when they appear a shade darker and smell toasted. Let cool and then chop. Set aside.

Combine chopped jicama, yogurt, vanilla extract, cinnamon, stevia, 1 tbsp caramel syrup and half of the chopped walnuts in a medium bowl. Stir until jicama is evenly coated.

Pour into a serving dish. Drizzle 2 tbsp caramel syrup on top and then top with the other half of walnuts. Sprinkle sea salt on top. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 Servings
Each serving provides
1/4 Leaner, 1 1/2 Greens, 1 1/2 Condiments and 1 Optional Snack

Add 3/4 Lean option and 1 1/2 Greens to make a complete Lean and Green meal 

Examples:

4.5 oz grilled chicken breasts (3/4 Leaner) with 2 tbsp light Italian salad dressing as a marinade (1 Healthy Fat) and 3/4 cup broccoli (1 1/2 Greens)

5.25 oz cooked shrimp (3/4 Leanest) with 1 1/2 cups mixed greens (1 1/2 Greens), 2 tbsp light ranch dressing (1 Healthy Fat) and 1.5 oz avocado (1 Healthy Fat)

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Sandy's Kitchen

Jicama Fries

Boy, do I have a yummy and healthy side dish for you! Jicama fries! They are a great alternative to traditional french fries made from potatoes. The texture is slightly different from regular french fries because of their crunchy, crisp texture, but the flavor is all there!

What is jicama? I know I absolutely had no clue until I recently began exploring some veggies I never dreamed I would eat, nonetheless love! Jicama is a root vegetable that is from Mexico, but it can be found in almost any grocery store here in the USA. It is slightly sweet like an apple or pear, but it also reminds me of water chestnuts. Smaller jicamas are younger and sweeter, while the larger ones have a more starchier taste. It is very low calorie, has lots of vitamin C, and it is one of the finest sources of dietary fiber. This allows it to be an ideal sweet snack for diabetics and those trying to lose weight. What is not to love? 

There are a variety of ways to enjoy this vegetable, but roasted in the oven as fries is my favorite. Mainly because roasting helps bring out the sweetness in veggies. You can also eat these raw in a salad or by themselves as a snack!

First thing you need to do when making fries is slice off the top. Then peel the skin with a knife. I have seen some peel with their fingers or a vegetable peeler. Do whatever you prefer, as long you get that skin off!

Slice the jicama into thin strips so that they resemble fries. I started off by cutting the jicama into 4 sections. Then slicing them into 1/4 inch strips. Add jicama to boiling water and cook for 10 min. Drain water and pat dry fries. Add olive oil. This will help the spices adhere to the jicama.

Add those spices! I used paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder but there really is no limit on what spices to use. Chili powder, garlic powder or other seasoning blends such as Mrs. Dash work well too! Experiment until you find what you like. Next time I might try smoked paprika in place of the regular paprika. Toss it around and make sure all the fries are evenly coated. We wouldn't want the other fries to get jealous! Personally, I used my hands to mix it around, rubbing the spice mixture into the jicama.

I put a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet for easy clean up. Plus, I always have it around for those cauliflower pizza crusts! Place the fries in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes, flipping once.

Voila! Delicious healthy fries!

They will be kind of crunchy in the center and will never reach the texture of regular fries no matter how long you bake them because I know... I tried! It still tastes very yummy though! Serve them with some ranch dressing for an extra treat!

Jicama Fries

Ingredients:

3 cups (13.74 ounces) jicama, sliced (6 Greens)

2 tsp olive oil (2 Healthy Fats)

1/2 tsp paprika (1 Condiment)

1/4 tsp onion powder (1/2 Condiment)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (1/2 Condiment)

salt and pepper, if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the skin from the jicama by cutting the top off the jicama and then peeling it with a knife. It is very similar to how you would peel an apple.
Then cut the jicama into thin sections, like fries. Bring water in a medium saucepan to a boil. Add jicama fries and boil for 10 min. Drain and pat dry fries.
Toss the fries in a bowl and add olive oil, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Coat the fries evenly with the spices.
Bake fries for 35 to 40 minutes, flipping them halfway through.

Makes 2 Servings
Each serving provides
3 Greens, 1 Condiment, and 1 Healthy Fat

To cook in the air fryer:
Preheat air fryer for 2 to 3 min at 400 degrees. Place fries in air fryer and cook for about 15 to 20 min, shaking the basket every 5 min.

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Sandy's Kitchen

Baked Cinnamon Jicama (Apples)

Just in time for Fall! 

Something about the smell of cinnamon and baked apples cooking in the oven during the Fall season brings back such wonderful memories from my favorite season!

Have you ever tried jicama? They are a white fibrous root vegetable native to Mexico, but you can find them in all of the grocery stores here. In my opinion, it is a cross between a carrot and an apple. Delicious eaten raw or cooked! Great thrown into salads! They can be wonderful substitutes for apples because they are subtly sweet, crisp and crunchy. The only difference you may notice is that they don't get really soft like apples when baking, but  they taste pretty darn good.

I peeled and cubed the jicama in very small pieces (like how you would cube potatoes for hash browns), but you can also slice them really thin like apple slices. You want to make the pieces small or thin so they cook easier and faster. 

Add some cinnamon, apple pie spice and stevia along with the melted butter. If you do not have apple pie spice, it is okay. You can always double up on the cinnamon or add more cinnamon with a touch of nutmeg and allspice.

Get it all the pieces of jicama evenly coated with the spices and butter.

Spread the pieces over a foil lined baking pan.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.

I made three 1 cup servings, but you could always have only 1/2 a cup as 1 Green and have other veggies as your other Greens so that this could be a little dessert with dinner. I hope you enjoy it as much as me! Delicious!

Baked Cinnamon Jicama (Apples)

Ingredients:

3 cups jicama peeled and cubed or sliced thin (6 Greens)

3 tbsp light Land O' Lakes Butter with Canola Oil, melted (3 Healthy Fats)

1/4 tsp apple pie spice (1/2 Condiment)

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (1/2 Condiment)

3 packets stevia in the raw (3 Condiments)

Optional Toppings:

2 tbsp Walden Farms caramel syrup (1 Condiment)

2 tbsp Fat Free Reddi Whip (1 Condiment)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet or baking pan with non-stick foil.

Mix jicama with melted butter in a medium sized bowl. Add cinnamon, apple pie spice, and stevia stirring until combined. Pour onto a foil lined pan. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

The jicama will not get completely soft when baking. Expect to have a slight crisp center when eating and a slightly sweetened taste. Enjoy!

3 (1 cup) servings

Per Serving:
2 Greens, 2 Condiments and 1 Healthy Fat

(still need 1 more Green)

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Sandy's Kitchen