Jicama and Chicken Saute

The jicama is an underused root vegetable. It has the consistency of an apple and the flavor of a potato. I received several in my food basket a few weeks ago, and they kept quite well in the fridge, seeing as how they are a root.

I got a bit impatient with all the recipes I found for them, though. There are salads galore. And a few dips. But nothing that really showcased the vegetable. So when I found this one, I was a bit hesitant to try it. It looked a little suspect. What if we didn't even like the vegetable, after all?

We were pleasantly surprised. Serve this with rice, and you'll enjoy the crisp flavor the jicama with chicken.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, defrosted and cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp curry powder, divided

1/2 C chicken broth

2 green onions, sliced

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 T olive oil

2 C jicama, cut into matchsticks

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/4 C dry roasted peanuts

Sprinkle the chicken cubes with salt and 1/2 tsp of the curry powder.

In a small bowl, combine the broth, onions, crushed red pepper flakes, and remaining curry powder. Set aside. In another bowl have your bell pepper and jicama ready to go.

In a wok, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook about 7 minutes or until browned. Add the jicama and bell pepper. Cook another three minutes, stirring often.

Add the broth mixture and cook three more minutes or until heated through.

Serve over rice and garnish with peanuts.

Tastefully,

Tamara 

Chinese Sauteed Green Beans

Nothing tastes as good as fresh green beans. But sometimes I get tired of doing the same treatment to them. So for Chinese week, we tried a new green bean recipe. These beans turned out so flavorful and crisp!

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

1 lb. green beans, ends trimmed

2 T soy sauce

1 t sugar

1/4 t ground white pepper

1/2 C trimmed and sliced scallions

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 t dark sesame oil

Chinese food goes together really quickly, so having the ingredients prepared and in separate bowls beforehand makes all the difference. Prepare the green beans and put them in a large bowl. Put the sliced green onions and garlic in another bowl. Mix the sugar, white pepper, and soy sauce in a third bowl.

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over medium high heat. Make sure the oil comes 1 and 1/2 inches up the sides. Add the green beans and fry until they are bright green and starting to shrivel, about five minutes.

Remove the green beans and discard all but 2 Tablespoons of the oil.

Stir-fry the scallions and garlic for 20 seconds and return the green beans to the wok. Stir-fry for one minute. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir-fry for one more minute.

Add the sesame oil and serve immediately!

Pictured here with rice and crispy orange beef.

Tastefully,

Tamara