JICAMA APPLES

JICAMA "APPLES"
1 medium jicama, about 1 pound (see my comments below)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
3 tablespoon granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda *
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste

IMPORTANT: You must plan ahead to make this recipe. The jicama needs to be frozen for at least a couple days before you can turn it into "apples". The freezing step is very important or the jicama will never get soft no matter how long you cook it or at least not within a reasonable time. Freezing causes the jicama to turn quite soft in its raw state.

Peel the jicama and cut into manageable sized chunks. Thinly slice the jicama into pieces about the size of apple slices. It doesn't matter if they're actually shaped like apple slices as long as they're about the right thickness. They should be about 1/8" thick and no thicker than 1/4". Put the sliced jicama into an airtight freezer container and freeze for at least a day or two or until you need them. To use them, you'll need to thaw them in the refrigerator overnight then drain off any liquid.

Put the jicama slices in a microwaveable casserole dish with a lid. Add the remaining ingredients and microwave on HIGH power about 4 minutes. Stir, then continue microwaving and stirring in 4 minute increments until they reach the desired consistency. Mine probably took about 15-20 minutes to become tender. They will still be slightly crisp and somewhat chewy. The jicama will eventually absorb all the liquid and the finished texture reminded me of dried apples. They probably wouldn't work well in an apple pie, but they made a nice side dish to go with my pork roast. Serve warm or chilled.

Makes about 4 servings
Can be frozen

* If you're using liquid Splenda, mix it with the molasses and lemon juice for better distribution.

With granular Splenda:
Per Serving: 74 Calories; 3g Fat; 1g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 6g Net Carbs

With liquid Splenda:
Per Serving: 70 Calories; 3g Fat; 1g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 5g Net Carbs

This is the result of my second experiment with freezing then cooking jicama to make "apples". The first time I sliced them too thick and they remained a little too crunchy in the center. The key is slicing them thin enough that the freezing affects them all the way through. The rest of the ingredients are pretty much the same as I used to make my Fried "Apples" which are made with chayote. Although I've given the nutritional counts for this recipe, it's only an approximation since I didn't actually weigh my jicama before freezing it. Click the photo to see a close-up.

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