Raise your hand if you know what a whole jicama looks like.
My sister and Vegas both asked me what it was.
This crazy-looking thing is a tuber. They’re more common in Mexico and South American, but you can find them pretty easily in American markets thanks to their growing popularity. Especially in simple dishes like this Jicama & Tajin Salad.
…
The King needs no introduction.
That’s code for “I couldn’t think of anything cleaver.”
Seriously though. How can you go wrong with peanut butter, bananas, bacon and chocolate? Maybe if you’re vegan… but you could add TVP bacon or salted nuts instead! The key is the sweet and the salty.
You see the good, so where’s the strange? I’m assuming some of you will think the jicama is (still) strange. Think of it like chicken. Or oatmeal if you want a more breakfast-y analogy. It takes on any flavor.
What results is a bowl of creamy, peanut buttery porridge topped with sweet ‘naners and chocolate with salty deliciousness. Mmmmm… bacon…
I need a cold shower…
Prepare jicama porridge according to these instructions, adding peanut flour at the end.
Top with desired amount of banana slices, bacon “sprinkles,” and chocolate syrup. I made a quick syrup using cocoa powder, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and a little stevia.
Devour.
How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
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Don’t forget to record your #MoveHappy workouts here for a chance to win this week’s prizes from Quest and Nutrix Hawaii!
Are you a fan of the King?
What is your favorite oatmeal topping?
Latkes.
They’re not just for Hanukkah anymore!
Latkes are usually made with potatoes and are a traditional dish eaten during Hanukkah. They’re also known as potato pancakes. If you know me, you know I don’t like white potatoes and I’m not Jewish (though I adore matzo ball soup). Also, it’s nowhere near Hanukkah. Clearly a strange but good hack was needed… Healthy Jicama Latkes!
Never one to be bothered with tradition, I was determined not to let these little details derail me from an idea. I wanted to use jicama and carrot to make latkes.
So really, these are just jicama and carrot pancakes… with a Mexican twist. Why Mexican? Why NOT? I love Mexican food!
Call it whatever you’d like, but these ‘cakes will have you celebrating Hanukkah in May.
The bonus is that they’re a bit healthier than the traditional dish. They aren’t fried in a ton of oil and are less starch-y than a latke. They cover all the buzz words: gluten-free, grain-free, paleo-friendly, vegetarian. And they’re strangely easy!
Grate jicama and carrot coarsely by hand. Squeeze excess water. Mix in a bowl with egg whites and your favorite spice blend.
Heat a bit or coconut oil or cooking spray in pan over medium heat. Divide latke batter into 4 even parts and press into pan as a pancake. Cook ~5 minutes on each side, or until latkes are lightly browned.
Plate and top as desired. I served mine over greens and turkey, then topped it with salsa and avocado.
Makes 4 latkes.
How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
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I’m not home yet, but I’ll be making these again when I get there… especially after all the Swiss treats… #sorryimnotsorry
Have you ever had a latke?
What is your favorite healthy hack for a traditional recipe?
There’s more than one way to make a bowl of oats.
Breakfast without carbs is just wrong!
Going without oatmeal or bread is not an easy task. I refused to believe I had to do it for the cleanse. Oats don’t have to be made with oatmeal! I’ve made a paleo version before. However, making oat-less oats without eggs made it a little harder… but it can be done with the help of a strange, but good ingredient: Jicama!
Jicama can do anything. Nachos, edamame salads… and oat-less oatmeal. However, I prefer to call this porridge because a) I left it a little more moist that I would my oats and b) I think using words like porridge makes me sound sophisticated and British.
You can use protein powder or leave it out. Simply increase the liquid if you add protein. I really liked the additional creaminess it adds, making it even more oatmeal-like. Toppings are the best part – I used strawberries and kabocha. I’ve also done it with blood oranges (awesome with the coconut, btw).
Trust me on this one. Really.
The Base:
My Adds:
Peel jicama and chop into chunks. Place jicama in a food processor or blender and pulse until a rice-like crumble forms.
Place all ingredients in the porridge “base” in a pan over medium high heat. Cook until mixture starts to bubble. If using protein, add it here.
Continue to cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and mixture becomes creamy (~5 mins). Taste and adjust spices or add sweetener as desired (I didn’t need any).
Transfer to bowl and enjoy!
Makes 1 serving.
How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
***
It looks like I’ll be going without some food stuffs a little beyond than this cleanse… more on that later…
Have you ever had jicama? How did you eat it?
What’s your favorite non-conventional breakfast?
The green-eyed monster has struck.
Isn’t envy a deadly sin?
I see waffles everywhere. All the cool kids are posting pics on Instagram. I am big enough to admit… I’m jealous! I know I could purchase a waffle maker, but I just don’t have room for more in my kitchen. They aren’t really that different from pancakes and I can make those quite easily. (<–That’s what I keep telling myself.)
Then I saw this:
Photo: Taco Bell
Taco Bell announced it is coming out with a waffle taco; the “AM Crunchwrap.” No, I don’t want Taco Bell. I’ve actually never eaten at Taco Bell. What I is to make my own Mexican waffle!!!
This weekend might bring a waffle maker to my house. This WIAW I (happily) settled for breakfast nachos.
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This WIAW I felt a little scattered. Between a dentist appointment and work, I actually almost forgot to eat! Almost. Who could forget about a sandwich on pretzel bread?!
Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!…
Flattered.
Does anyone else think of flatulence when they say that word?
I am absolutely flattered when people try out the #strangebutgood recipes I subject you all to. It’s high time I share some of the evidence and creative edits!
This may be one of my favorite recent creations. I was really excited to see it popping up on Instagram! This version is by Hannah:
Meghan @ The Lyon’s Share braved these nachos and made it her own with mushrooms and a vegan cheese sauce.
Meghan truly is a brave soul because she made my Fluffy Cauliflower Pancake recipe last week too! And she made it even more strange green by adding spinach and doubling the cauliflower!
Continuing with the cauliflower theme, Tiffany @ Love, Sweat, & Beers (minus the beers for now, baby mamma) made my Cauliflower Crust Pizza!
Since she’s eating for two, she even had room left for dessert. Clever thinking. 😉
Arman @ The Big Man’s World is a #strangebutgood enthusiast, so I was thrilled when he made my Chick-less Nuggets. He compared these TVP-based vegan nuggets to falafel, which makes total sense since I also used chickpea flour to make them.
Even better is the fast that he ate them with roasted cauliflower and brussels, two of my favorite things (rain drops on roses aside).
My girl Heather @ Better With Veggies is training for her first bikini competition on a pescatarian/dairy-free diet. She’s rocking it out and I was super flattered when she tried my 150 Calorie Chocolate Mug Cake.
She had the brilliant idea to mix the ingredients in advance so all she could take it to work and “cook” it in the microwave there.
Inspiration goes both ways! Arman made my nuggets, but my Saturday pancakes were inspired by the peanut butter-coconut recipe he entered in the #strangebutgood linkup on Friday’s blog.
The I made it more strange but adding roasted jicama and strawberries with a Mexican chocolate twist – I tossed them in cocoa, cinnamon, and cayenne pre-roast. So good!
Flattery, not to be confused with flatulence, is marvelous.
Check out Katie’s link up for more blog-land marvels!
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I mentioned Friday that I have a new job. In order to give myself time to ramp up in my new role, I’m going to be posting a little less frequently. I don’t know what that schedule will look like yet. Just know if I miss a day (probably tomorrow) I’m not dead. If you notice. 😉
What blogger recipe have you tried lately and loved?
Is there anything making your Monday particularly marvelous? I’m in San Fran, which doesn’t suck.
Mexican-inspired breakfasts are some of my favorites. Jicama & Tofu Nachos are my morning take on the giant plates of nachos I love for dinner!
This Mexican-ish deliciousness happened for breakfast, but I think it makes a good brinner dish too. When is breakfast not appropriate?!
I don’t make guarantees often, but I promise that if you try this, you will be in love. It seems like a lot of steps, but they happen simultaneously so it’s not too time consuming.
If you haven’t had jicama before, here’s what you need to know:
Jicama is good raw in salads like my Edamame and Jicama Salad, but it’s also great roasted. I cut it into “chips” and roasted it in the oven for use as the nachos in this recipe.
It was awesome topped with tomatoes and creamy avocado… and tofu! If you haven’t baked tofu before, now is the time to try it. It poofs up like marshmallows! In a good way.
Even more fabulous was the runny egg on top. That #yolkporn dripped down into the crevices of my nacho creation, making each bite worthy of a giddy grin.
My only complaint was the not-so-happy ending – I was really sad when the last bite had been taken.
[Tweet “Jicama & Tofu Nachos are a healthy, breakfast spin on nacho plates!”]
Place the thinly sliced jicama on half of a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Season cubed tofu with your favorite Mexican spices and place on the other half of the baking sheet.
Cook both under broil for 10 mins, flipping half way through. Make sure you watch the jicama closely so as not to burn it.
While that is roasting, cut your tomato and avocado into cubes. Set aside.
When the chips and tofu are done, remove from the oven. Arrange chips in nacho-form on the baking sheet. Top with tofu, tomato, and avocado. Place the pan back in the oven under the broiler for ~5 mins, until warmed through.
Meanwhile, cook egg to desired level of doneness on the stove top.
Remove chips from over and verrrry carefully slide off onto a plate. Top with the egg (if using) and garnish as desired.
How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂
***
Today my dad would have been 58 years old. I still feel the hole in my heart… but the Mitch Albom quote holds true: “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” I feel his presence, love, and support every day. His lessons live on through the lives he touched. Happy Birthday, Old Man.
How do you like your eggs? Green with ham? 😉
Have you ever had jicama? Do you prefer it raw of cooked?
What do you do when its 20 degrees warmer than usual?
Embrace it with big green salads for lunch!
This creation was inspired by a wandering trip through the grocery store. I am someone who reads menus or looks at ingredients and can get a sense of what a flavor combination will taste like. As I strolled through Whole Foods (and it was a stroll – 2 hours!), I began tossing the ingredients in my cart and a refreshing summer salad idea formed in my head.
Edamame has long been a favorite snack, but for some reason I rarely use it as the “main event” in a dish. Having picked up a huge jicama, I began to imagine the contrast of the textures – the soft edamame with the crunchy apple-like fruit.
Jicama always makes me crave cilantro, which also make me want to toss onion in the mix (have I mentioned that I love Mexican food?). A little jalapeño for some heat and lemon zest for brightness brought the dish to life.
Best of all, this light dish comes together in less than 10 mins!
The measurements are just guidelines – I literally just tossed this in a large bowl. Add or adjust ingredients to your liking.
I loaded up extra cilantro and jalapeño on mine and served it alongside gazpacho and broccoli slaw.
Toss together all ingredients in a large bowl and enjoy!
Serves 2-4.
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The rest of my family ate this in lieu of fries alongside their (grilled) Chick-fil-a sandwiches.
Have you tried jicama before? How do you like to eat it?
Are you planning an Easter brunch? What are you serving?
