The Electric Kitchen: Getting back to our local roots

As we head into autumn, root vegetables from local farms are bountiful, readily available at farmers markets and grocery stores. This week, we’re featuring three root vegetables popular in local dishes.

Jicama, or yam bean, has a crisp and crunchy texture and is delicious in salads, slaws and salsas. It is low in carbohydrates and calories and high in water and fiber. Daikon is a white winter radish that is crisp and mellow when cooked. They can grow up to 20 inches long and 4 inches in diameter. And finally, gobo, or burdock root, is a traditional Asian ingredient often found in stews, stir-fries and braised dishes. It is especially popular in Japanese dishes and is an essential ingredient in kimpira (a Japanese slaw), or it may be pickled in rice vinegar and served alongside sushi.

Chicken and Jicama Lettuce Cups

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 ounces mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 pound ground chicken
• Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons shoyu
• 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers, to taste, minced
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups jicama, peeled and diced
• 1 bunch Bibb lettuce, rinsed and dried

Heat a large skillet over medium-high until hot. Add sesame and vegetable oils. When oils are hot, add mushrooms and cook 2-3 minutes, or until slightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Add ground chicken, breaking apart with spatula. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute. Add shoyu, stirring often to avoid burning. Cook thoroughly.

Add rice wine vinegar, jalapenos, green onions, garlic and sugar. Stir gently. Let cook until liquid is reduced by half.

Add jicama; cook until slightly softened.

Serve chicken inside lettuce leaves. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 310 calories, 20 g total fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 750 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 23 g protein.

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Konbu Maki

Okinawan Seaweed-Wrapped Pork

• 1 gobo (burdock root)
• 1 (3-ounce) package nishime konbu (narrow dried seaweed)
• 1 pound pork butt, cut into 2-1/2-by-1/2-inch strips (about 12 strips)
• 1 (1/2-ounce) package kanpyo (dried gourd strips), washed, soaked and cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1 -1/2 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock)
• 1/3 cup low-sodium shoyu
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon slivered ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt

Scrape skin from gobo and cut into 12 pieces, each piece 2-1/2 inches long, 1/4-inch thick and 1/4-inch wide. Soak in water 10 minutes to remove bitter taste.

Soak konbu until soft, then rinse and cut into 12 pieces, 5-by-2-1/2-inches each.

Place a piece of pork and a piece of gobo across one end of konbu strip. Roll tightly and tie with kanpyo. Repeat to use up pork.

In a saucepan on medium heat, place rolls and add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer 60-90 minutes, until tender. Makes about 12 rolls.

Approximate nutritional information, per roll: 70 calories, 1.5 g total fat, no saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 6 g protein.

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Chinese Braised Beef With Daikon

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 5 slices ginger
• 2 pounds beef brisket, washed, patted dry, and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup apple juice
• 2-1/2 tablespoons low-salt shoyu
• 3 pieces star anise
• 8 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 5 cups water, divided
• 1 large daikon, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces

Heat oil and ginger in a wok or Dutch oven over high. Add beef and lightly brown all sides.

Add apple juice, shoyu, star anise, cloves, sugar and 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 75-90 minutes, until liquid is nearly gone. Keep heat high enough that liquid is moving but not boiling. Stir pot occasionally to prevent sticking or burning. Skim fat.

Add daikon and remaining 2 cups of water; simmer another 30-40 minutes, until daikon is tender. Serve hot over rice. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 350 calories, 22 g total fat, 8 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 27 g protein.

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.