Chayote - the perfect food for low carbers

[Charski]

OK, I finally got around to trying these things!

I bought two. Washed and cut them into quarters, right through the seed - cut out the seed and peeled, and rinsed. Cut each quarter into apple-pie-like slices and put into a microwave-safe casserole.

I found some old Atkins apple drink mix in the cupboard -it had never been opened. Sprinkled about half of one tub over the slices, along with the juice of half a lemon, and tossed to coat.

Nuked 5 minutes.

Melted 2 T. butter in a large nonstick skillet, poured in the "apples" and their juice; sprinkled liberally with pumpkin pie spice (no sugar) and cinnamon, and about 2 tablespoons, maybe less, of brown Diabetisweet. Tossed to coat and cooked, covered, til tender, then removed the lid and let cook down until the juices were evaporated.

Spooned some into a custard cup, poured on a little heavy cream and topped with a few chopped walnuts.

O - M - G!

DH went crazy for it.

I think I'll do this and use it for an apple pie filling, with the Carbalose crust I've used in the past. What a treat!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread!

[dazygyrl]

has anyone tried a chayote in a vegetable beef soup?

[SugarPop]

Okay, I finally made mine...I bought 3 LAST WEEK (hope that didn't affect the flavor - I have nothing to compare it to) Anyhoo....I peeled, diced, steamed (4 min- maybe needed to do that longer), in a steamer bag......put about 3 tbs buter and 3 pkts 4CApple, apple pie spice and some Monin sf Caramel syrup..........I have to say they were good. Nothing beats an apple IMO, but if we can't have them this is a good substitute.

Next time I will try to just use the Monin syrup.......I wasn't liking the splenda aftertaste thing going on with the 4C.

I can't wait to lose more weight so I can have them Charski style.

B

[dazygyrl]

they were good in vegetable soup.

[BikerAng]

I really love these. I had a bunch of left over herbed pork tenderloin and made the following hash type dish. DH really liked it. I peeled and diced 1 chayote, steamed in a pan until tender. Added 2 TBS butter and added 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped green and red peppers and cooked on medium heat until onions were tender. Add the diced tenderloin and heat through. I also added some extra garlic butter to the dish. The chayote aborbed all the flavor of the cooked onion and garlic, YUMM! These are an amazing veggie, so glad I finally tried them. Need to try it as the apple substitute next!

[eagle eye]

OMG !!!! Just tried the fried apple chayote.YYUUUMMMY!!!! This is amazing I used the apple flavored great value on the go drink mix from walmart ,some butter,vanilla flavor, splenda and nutmeg in mine. It taste just like apple. This is awesome!!!!

[Ressy]

I've got my chayotes and am really hungry for apple crisp....can anyone point me to a very specific recipe...<GRIN>

I got some sugar free apple cider mix also

tia

Ressy

[shadowzip]

Here is one that Lauren posted

Healthy Indulgences: Apple Crisp Nostalgia

[Kris T.]

Yeah, and make sure you peel them. I was lazy as usual and my latest recipe just didn't turn out right. The peel was gross. I just kind of ate everything but, and it was a giant hassle!

[Charski]

I made a crisp tonight - peeled and deseeded the chayote and cut into quarters, then crosswise into "apple-like" chunks (I used 4 chayotes) - put into microwave-safe casserole, squeezed on the juice of half a lemon and used one tub of Atkins apple drink mix - this is no longer available, but I think others have been using another sugarfree apple cider type drink mix powder, that would probably work. Covered and nuked 10 minutes, then tossed well, drained, and added 1/3 cup brown Diabetisweet, a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and about 1/2 tsp. Vietnamese cinnamon.

Then I melted 1/2 cup (one stick) butter in a 4 cup measure; added 1 cup blanched almond meal, 3/4 cup raw wheat bran, 1/2 cup erythrtitol and 1/4 cup brown Diabetisweet, 1/2 tsp. Vietnamese cinnamon, and 1/3 cup chopped walnuts - tossed together til well-combined. Sprinkled that all over the top of the "apples" and popped into a 350* oven for 25 minutes.

DH LOVED it - I served it in a bowl with some heavy cream poured over it.

Tastes like apple crisp, alrighty!

[bethjoyce55]

Originally Posted by jacksmixedtape

No, unless you think apples can sub for taters! Its texture is very close to that of an apple, only a lot more fibrous--you have to cook the heck out of it.

It doesn't really have any flavor at all. Not like a turnip or rutabaga.

This does sound interesting. I am going to check my local grocer and see if they carry them and experiment. Will let everyone know what I come up with!

[Ressy]

Originally Posted by shadowzip

Here is one that Lauren posted

Healthy Indulgences: Apple Crisp Nostalgia

Bingo!

And I have two honey crisp apples in the fridge too!

thanks

Ressy

[DEEDLYNN]

I love making the fried apples with SF Davinici Carmel syrup and cinnamon...but I'm here to tell y'all....the hashbrowns are WONDERFUL. They do make a good potato substitute as far as hashbrowns go.

[Kevinpa]

I make chunky chayote apple sauce. All I do is split and remove the pit from a chayote. Then I slice it with skins on and put the slices in a microwave bag with a single tube of 4C just apple and nuke for 4 minutes. When cooked, pulse in a mini prep food processor 2 or 3 times and you have a perfect chunky applesauce sub.

[Soobee]

Kevin, I have been meaning to try to make applesauce.THanks for figuring it out. I am curious about the skins. I thought someone else tried the chayote with the skins and found them distasteful. They weren's a problem for you?

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by Soobee

Kevin, I have been meaning to try to make applesauce.THanks for figuring it out. I am curious about the skins. I thought someone else tried the chayote with the skins and found them distasteful. They weren's a problem for you?

I made a point to make it both ways and I could not tell the difference. Not to mention like most fruit and veggies, the fiber is in the skin. If you throw the fiber away its not as low carb as you think it is, going from 2 carbs to 5.

Same thing with zucchini.

[Kris T.]

I think with the skins, if they were whizzed up, they'd be fine. Mine didn't cook well when I cut them into slices and left the skin on. It was like a hard rind.

[ellief]

tried them in the form of latkes last night. . a m a z i n g . . i let them sit in a sieve with a sprinkle of salt to get all the water out.

[retroworx]

Found some info on the web which answered some of my lingering questions about the skin, seed, and whether the chayote can be frozen:

"Technically, chayote is a fruit; but most often used as a vegetable. It looks like a large, green pear, but having a number of deep folds in the skin. Some varieties have smooth skins, while others have dots of prickly spines on the surface. The flesh is crisp and white, with a large white oval seed in the center. Its flavour is a bland mix of zucchini, green beans, and cucumber. The skin is also edible, but many prefer to peel it. When it is peeled, it will leave a slimy residue on the hands that is difficult to wash off. It is often used in place of potatoes at a meal, and cooked similarily. The seed is edible and, when cooked, tastes like a cross between a lima bean and an almond. It is soft enough to be chopped up with the flesh and used along with it giving the entire dish a pleasant flavour. It can also be eaten raw in salads, and is an excellent addition to soups. It also keeps well in a cool, but humid, place and can be frozen like a summer squash. Chayote is a good source of fiber, vitamins C and B6, folate, potassium, and magnesium. "

Also found:

[COLOR="Blue"]Freezing Chayote Squash
(Vegetable Pear)

Preparation – Select those with tender skins. Wash, remove stem and blossom end. Do not pare. Dice, removing seed. Water blanch 2 minutes.

Cool, drain and package, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal and freeze.[/COLOR]

And check out this great resource I just found for how to freeze just about ANYTHING:

National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Freeze

[retroworx]

Calories in Chayote, Fruit

Can someone help me out on my math? I want to break down the carbs/cals per gram of chayote so I can plug into Fitday.

According to my reading of the stats referenced above, chayote is .18 calories per gram, and .036 net carbs per gram. (That would make the chayote I have here, about the size of a medium apple, 43 calories and 8 net carbs. A great calorie deal, but still a little carb pricey for me, so looks like I'll have to practice some portion control yet again. )

Are you fine folks getting the same stats?

[Charski]

Per the USDA nutrient database,

Chayote, raw, edible portion, 100 grams = 19 calories, 4.51 carbs, 1.7 fiber.

Are you weighing the WHOLE fruit, or just the edible portion?

[retroworx]

Originally Posted by Charski

Per the USDA nutrient database,

Chayote, raw, edible portion, 100 grams = 19 calories, 4.51 carbs, 1.7 fiber.

Are you weighing the WHOLE fruit, or just the edible portion?

Hi Charski:

According to my research, the whole fruit is edible, skin and seed included, so I weighed the whole fruit. Can't remember the exact weight now, but it was 200+ grams

Just tried my first slice of it -- raw, with skin. Tastes just fine, very neutral. Best part is the crunch. I will probably use part of the one I have here for dipping in some cheese spread or ranch dressing, and the rest chopped raw in my salad.

[Charski]

Hmmm - well, I cut out the seed and also peel it, so not sure how that affects the carb count!

[shadowzip]

I think to eat the skin, you have to have a young tender one. Not sure how you would determine that. I cooked a couple last week, just diced, seed removed but skin left on. They looked exactly the same before cooking, and they were cooked together. The skin on one was really tender and not noticable. The skin on the other one was so tough some of it could not be chewed.

[Kris T.]

Shadow, I think you're right on the money. Mine was like trying to chew through leather. (not that I'd know or anything!!)

[retroworx]

Originally Posted by shadowzip

I think to eat the skin, you have to have a young tender one. Not sure how you would determine that. I cooked a couple last week, just diced, seed removed but skin left on. They looked exactly the same before cooking, and they were cooked together. The skin on one was really tender and not noticable. The skin on the other one was so tough some of it could not be chewed.

Interesting! The skin on the one I have here is no thicker than the skin on an apple and the same consistency/texture/crispness/mouthfeel ()

The color is very bright almost lime-green-ish and the skin is not all that wrinkled. Are these the criteria for a "young" chayote? I wonder what criteria to select for tomorrow when I search for more at the local Hispanic markets. . . .

[Soobee]

I made Kevin's applesauce, and it tastes great. Easy as can be. I did not peel or deseed the chayotes. Just cut them in eighths, nuked them till soft, added the Apple To Go and some caramel syrup, and processed to the consistency I like. Delicious.

[retroworx]

Originally Posted by Soobee

I made Kevin's applesauce, and it tastes great. Easy as can be. I did not peel or deseed the chayotes. Just cut them in eighths, nuked them till soft, added the Apple To Go and some caramel syrup, and processed to the consistency I like. Delicious.

I did the same! Quite good, tho I was surprised by how long I had to nuke it to get to a soft-ish consistency. That sucker was STUBBORN!

[DEEDLYNN]

I was trying to figure out how to use a can of cream of shrimp soup that I had in the cabinet tonight. I bought it for a recipe and then forgot which recipe I had it for......so...

Chayote Seafood Casserole----was born


5 chayotes shredded
1 can of campbells cream of shrimp soup.
heavy cream---enough to thin the soup a bit --probably 1/4 c to 1/2 c.
1 c. diced sweet peppers (I used red, yellow & orange to give this dish color)
1/2 lb of seafood (I used shrimp cut into bit size pcs, but salad shrimp might be perfect, canned crab, scallops...or any mixtured of them.
shredded cheese...I only used about 2-3 oz total and this dish was creamy enough.

1/2 T to 1T of old bay seasoning.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray casserole pan with PAM. I used a medium size casserole.

Blend soup, cream, and bay seasoning.

Layer as follows:

chayote
shrimp mixed with peppers
sprinkle of cheddar cheese
pour a bit of the soup mix over
another layer of chayote
another layer of shrimp
sprinkle of cheddar
and pour the rest of the soup mix over.

I cooked mine for about 45 minutes uncovered. But I started at a lower temperature. So I'm guessing if cooking on the 425 degree it might take 30-35 minutes.

This was great.

[coconutmilk]

When I make my chayote fried apples I add a splash of unfiltered ACV to give a nice appley flavor. But for Thanksgiving I left out the ACV and added about a 1/2 cup of cranberries and made an apple cranberry sidedish. It was wonderful and the chayote turned a lovely shade of pink...giggle
Vikki