Jicama

This streamlined version of a favorite Malaysian street food noodle dish, char kway teow, substitutes Spanish chorizo for the Chinese sausage sometimes used. The smoked paprika that flavors the chorizo may be far from traditional, but it adds another layer of depth to this seductive stir-fry of rice noodles with shrimp, egg, and jicama. There's just enough chile paste for a mild buzz of heat, but not so much that your mouth is on fire. If the jicama seems like a weird Mexican-Malaysian fusion idea, then you probably don't know that jicama is used in Asia, where it's known as Chinese turnip or potato. Its sweet crunch is reminiscent of fresh water chestnuts. Don't expect a supersaucy dish, but rest assured there's enough sauce to coat everything.

The Product: A delicious oil that’s a good source of healthful fat.
The Payoff: Rich, buttery flavor.

If canned chipotles are not available, simply use the same amount of chipotle hot sauce. Tilapia, branzino, or petrale sole are other fish that would work in this complete meal.

Summer at the beach is unthinkable without coleslaw, but sometimes I hanker for something a bit out of the ordinary. I combined napa cabbage, a more delicate cousin to regular cabbage, with crunchy jicama, dressed it with white balsamic vinegar and mayo, and sprinkled on fennel seed to create what has become my new summer fave. This sturdy salad travels with ease, whether you're taking it to the beach or to a summer party with friends. Another plus: you can make it up to 24 hours in advance.

A rich meal calls for a crisp salad, in shades of green and white, to cleanse your palate. Radish sprouts add a peppery bite to the crunchy jicama and flat leaves of parsley and celery.

Fiber-rich jicama is crunchy and refreshing; its texture is similar to an apple's. Sub chef Shaw's salad for classic Waldorf at your next picnic. No mayo means less fat, while chile powder and cheese add major flavor.

Searing the tuna well on the outside but leaving it rare on the inside gives you a lovely contrast between the two textures. That said, if you like your tuna cooked through, the salad will still be delicious.

Juicy pineapple meets creamy avocado, crisp jicama, and red onion in a refreshing salad that goes especially well with the cilantro-chipotle tilapia .

Opposites attract in this colorful alternative to green salad. Ingredients with two completely different textures—juicy clementines and crunchy jicama—marry in a garlicky vinaigrette. With red onion, cilantro, and fresh cheese, each bite is a burst of cool.

For a pretty garnish, sprinkle this light and refreshing salad with hulled, toasted pumpkin seeds.

Ensalada de jícama con melón Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Fonda San Miguel: Thirty Years of Food and Art, by Tom Gilliland, Miguel Ravago, and Virginia B. Wood. For more on Cinco de Mayo, click here. Chef Miguel Ravago also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. Although many fresh condiments in Mexican cuisine are called pico de gallo ("rooster's beak"), this refreshing salad from the Mexican state of Jalisco is known as Pico de Gallo. Depending on the seasonal availability of fresh fruit, Miguel has found that the salad is equally good made with Rio Star grapefruit, pineapple, blood oranges, cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew melon. The contrast of sweet fruit, crunchy jícama, tangy lime juice, and a little dash of chili powder makes for a delightful palate cleanser.

Editor's note: The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Chef Jesús González of La Cocina Que Canta Culinary Center at Rancho La Puerta Fitness Resort and Spa. Jicama is a large root vegetable with light brown skin and a white interior. Also called Mexican potato and yambean root, jicama is native to Mexico and South America and is available in Latin markets and most supermarkets in North America.

Editor's note: The recipe below is excerpted from Cal-a-Vie Living: Gourmet Spa Cuisine and is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Cal-a-Vie. This salad was inspired by Chef Dave Armour in 1989 and can be prepared with any lettuce. We like to add hoisin-crusted shrimp to this, just warm enough to wilt the spinach, and, of course, some homemade bread hot out of the oven.

Editor's Note: This recipe was originally part of a menu by Bobby Flay for a backyard barbecue. For the complete menu and Flay's tips on throwing a party, click here. I'm always on the lookout for food that can satisfy my need for CRUNCH! Jicama (pronounced HEE-kah-mah), a root vegetable, was one of my favorite discoveries on my first trip to the American Southwest; it arrived there via Mexico. Now you can buy it in many supermarkets across the country; a jicama is about the size of a grapefruit and has a thin brown skin. Crisp as a Granny Smith apple, freshly cut jicama makes perfect slaw.

Editor's note:
This recipe is adapted from chef Joseph Poon. He also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Poon and Cantonese cuisine, click here. Chop suey is an Americanized Cantonese dish that dates back to the late 1800s, when it was served in Western mining camps and in San Francisco's Chinatown. The usual components are bean sprouts, sliced celery, onions, meat, and water chestnuts, all stir-fried with soy sauce. Chef Poon updates and lightens the dish by using a sophisticated array of vegetables and tofu instead of meat, and blanching the ingredients instead of frying.

Tortillas aren't the only depository for beans, corn and tomatoes. Let romaine lettuce do the job. Feta cheese supplies a dose of calcium and major flavor. And the honey-lime dressing adds just the right touch of tangy sweetness. Buen provecho!

This slightly unusual side dish takes the place of your standard green beans, lending a light and crunchy contrast to the heavier, puréed dishes in this menu. (Most people don't think of cooking jicama, but we love its crisp water-chestnut-like texture, raw or sautéed.)