My goal this quarter is to include more beans in my diet. So I've decided to make grain and bean salads for lunches since they keep well when prepared in advance and are transportable. The benefit about grain-bean salads is that you don't have to worry about washing your hands before lunch if there is no sink nearby and beans+whole grains = a complete protein (has all 9 essential amino acids).
Nutrition Highlight: Jicama
Jicama is a root vegetable and is native to South America and Mexico. It has a soft- crunchy texture like an Asian pear or water chestnut and a mild, sweet flavor. A half cup of jicama has only 25 calories and also provides 3 g of fiber and 20% of your daily Vitamin C!
Jicama is rich in. . .
- Vitamin C: decreases inflammation; lowers blood pressure
- Fiber: keeps colon healthy; increases satiety; need 25-35 g/day
Jicama has an insoluble fiber called inulin which allows for better absorption of calcium from food, thus inhibiting osteoporosis (when bones break). It is also a prebiotic, aka non-digestible carbohdyrate. Prebiotics are food for probiotics, which are substances that increase good bacteria in your colon. Studies show that prebiotics help the colon better absorb the 3 minerals good for bones: calcium, magnesium, and zinc.
Cooking Tip
Jicama needs to be peeled. The skin is inedible.
Storing Notes
- Jicama can keep for 3 weeks in cool dark storage, like you would a potato. Refrigeration prior to cutting will introduce moisture and lead to rotting.
- Once cut, cover jicama with a paper towel, place in plastic bag, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
- Jicama doesn't oxidize, so you can prepare it in advance and it will still be beautifully white!
Serve over spinach and bulgur or with pita. It's important to use silken (Japanese) tofu not regular (Chinese) tofu due to the differences in texture. Silken tofu comes in aseptic packages and is creamy because the soy bean curds have not been separated from the whey. The soft tofu at TJs is not the same as silken. Soft regular tofu will produce a coarser textured product.
I recommend cooking a pound of beans all at once and then freezing what you don't use.
Bulgur (it cooks like couscous)
1 c dry bulgur
2 c water
Boil water on stove (about 7 min), or in microwave (about 4 minutes). Remove from heat and add bulgur. Let steam for 15-20 minutes until it has absorbed the water. Drain any excess water.
Salad
1/2 medium red bell pepper (6 oz) or 5 mini bell peppers, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
half a small jicama (5 oz), or 1 c chopped
2 scallions (1/2 c), chopped (save some for garnish)
1/2 cup minced parsley
1/2 c dry Great Northern white beans = 1 1/2 c cooked (or 1 15 oz can)
1/2 package silken tofu (6 oz)
1 clove garlic
1 tsp tahini (optional)
2 tsp za'atar (a blend of sumac, thyme, and sesame seeds)
a few grinds of black pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon (1/4 c) + 1 T for sprinkling on salad
1/2 tsp salt
spinach, one handful per serving
sprig of mint or parsley for garnish
Place the bell pepper, celery, jicama, green onions, parsley, and all but 1/4 cup of the beans into a large serving bowl.
Place the remaining ingredients, including the reserved beans and juice of half a lemon, into a food processor, and blend until smooth. Add 1 c of this dressing to the bowl and stir well to coat. Save the other 1/4 c for use as a veggie dip.
Refrigerate until well chilled, at least an hour. The salad is even better the next day.
Place spinach on plate, top with 1/2 c or 3/4 c bulgur, flatten, then place salad on top and garnish with a mint or parsley sprig.
Serve sprinkled with additional parsley or za’tar and the 1 T of lemon juice. Makes 4 servings and 1 1/4 c dressing.
Note: You can use the other half of silken tofu in my White Bean Dip.
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