A few months back, I drifted off my usual plant-filled bandwagon. I traded salads for nachos and big grain bowls—which isn’t a bad thing—but I started to notice I wasn’t feeling as vibrant. There is no doubt in my mind that plants are magical and, thus, consuming them radiates their magical properties into us 🙂
So, when I realized I was lacking in the plants department, I decided I wanted to introduce some new ones. I had been enjoying eating “noodle” dishes with zucchini, beets, carrots, and cabbage (not necessarily all at once) but I wondered how else vegetables could make up the base of my dish. Then, with a little inspiration from inspiralized, I dabbled in veggie “rice”.
We all know cauliflower rice is a thing but what about other vegetables? Let’s not get into a vegetable rut when there are so many great options to choose from. Admittedly, many times vegetables have their own distinct flavor. Part of our sensationalization of cauliflower rice comes from how neutral in color and flavor it is. Therefore, I sought out a vegetable similarly neutral.
All it took was a stroll down the supermarket aisle and a little sale sign next to some giant round root vegetables for me to pick up a jicama. Yes, jicama! In Mexican culture, jicama is often paired with chili spices and fruit, like cucumber and oranges, to make a fresh, spicy snack. It kind of tastes like a slightly sweet water chestnut. That might be a weird description but, for me, jicama now makes the most crisp and addictive rice!
Jicama can be eaten raw or cooked. Either way, it maintains a watery-crisp crunch without being soggy. Oh, and there isn’t really a risk of over-cooking it so, if you’re new to using jicama, have no fear—it will come out tasty regardless!
I offer some suggestions for how to use the rice down below but I’m curious to know how you would use it. Comment below or tag me on Instagram if you give it a try!
- 1 ½ cups chopped jicama
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
- 1 large clove of garlic, pressed or minced (optional)
- ½ inch knob of fresh ginger, grated (optional)
- ¼ tsp salt + more to taste (optional)
- Prepare the jicama: I prefer to chop it into matchsticks and then finely dice it by hand. This way, I can control the rice chunks (see photo above in the post). Alternatively, you can chop jicama and throw it into a food processor and “rice” it that way.
- The jicama is ready to eat raw if you want to eat it with some other fresh ingredients OR you can cook it with the optional ingredients listed above.
- Cook the jicama: In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. Then, add the garlic and ginger and salt to the pan. It’s important to salt these because they are your flavor-boosters! Give them about 30 seconds to cook before adding the jicama and stirring.
- Let the jicama cook (no stirring) for 3 minutes before stirring it. Then, leave it to cook for another 2-3 minutes. The jicama should be warm and slightly caramelized. Add additional salt to taste.
- Serve the rice as a side dish for two or as the base of an entrée for one.
A refrigerator clean out meal utilizing one recipe for jicama rice. I served it with chopped and sautéed beet stems, black beans, kale, cilantro, and pesto.
I’ve tried jicama rice with sautéed vegetables like collard greens, radishes, cabbage and whatever beans I have on hand. It can also be enjoyed as a fresh salad with romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, and chickpeas. It also tastes great “fried rice” style.
The possibilities are endless so be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see what you come up with! #melmakesithappen
xoxo,
Melanie