Lately, I have been a veggie roasting fool. Or maybe a veggie roasting smartie, since obviously roasting vegetables is the way to go! 😉 It was just last week that I posted my ninth edition of my “Roasted” Series. But, I am back at it again with another “Roasted” post. And this time, it is featuring a vegetable that I tried for the first time this past week.
After having worked in a grocery store for over eight years, I had seen jicama on numerous occasions. I had never been brave enough to buy it, though, partly because I was not sure how to cook it. So when I saw this veggie on sale at the grocery store last weekend I decided that I needed to quit avoiding it and start eating it. And, as always, my go-to cooking method for any vegetable that I am not familiar with came into play: the roasting method!
Roasted Jicama Chips
Servings: 1 to 2
Ingredients
olive oil cooking spray
1 medium-sized jicama
fine sea salt
black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
chili powder (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil cooking spray.
2. Cut jicama into equal-sized wedges or “chips.” Place the jicama on the baking sheet, spray it with olive oil cooking spray, and sprinkle it with the seasonings.
3. Roast the jicama chips for 15 to 20 minutes. Flip the chips over and continue roasting for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
4. Serve the jicama chips with your favorite condiment(s). I chose yellow mustard and ketchup (mixed together, of course)!
I really enjoyed the flavor and texture of these chips. Jicama is referred to as a “Mexican potato,” so these definitely tasted similar to fries or chips made from white potatoes. The taste has a slight hint of bitterness, but overall the bitterness disappears greatly with the roasting process. The texture of the jicama is definitely crunchy, too. It is crunchier than the texture of a potato, but it provides a nice bite and crispness that is associated with traditional potato chips. I cut my chips more into wedges, but slicing them thinner into the form of traditional potato chips may result in them tasting even more like chips. Experiment with them! Honestly, you really cannot go wrong when it comes to roasting.
