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    Creamy Yuca Mash

    Appetizers, Salads, Sides

    For those of you who don’t know, yuca is a staple in many African and Caribbean dishes. It’s made mashed, fried, in soups, and also stews. Growing up in a Dominican household, we would make yuca all the time…in fritters, soups, mashed, or boiled. It’s one of my all time fave root vegetables so we thought it was the perfect all-star food to kick off Black History Month! 

    Yuca is known as cassava, tapioca, or manioc. Tapioca is actually just the yuca root dehydrated and ground into a powder to give you tapioca. Yuca is a tuber vegetable (like potatoes, jicama, or yams) that survives best in hot, tropical climates. It has a delicious creamy texture that makes it perfect for mashing. If you’ve never had yuca, it’s probably most comparable to a potato in flavor and in texture, but a little more heartier and fibrous. It is a good source of vitamin C, manganese, and fiber.

    Many African dishes feature hearty vegetable stews and soups poured over grains or tuber vegetables. Yuca is often used as a base for these soups and stews. It is also often enjoyed as yuca fries (SO good!) If you’re looking to mix up your carbohydrate options, then yuca is a must try! If you’re in New York, you can find it in most markets. Otherwise, your local Caribbean, African, or Central/South American markets should have them! 

    Alright, enough talking- let’s get mashing! Cutting yuca can be a little tricky, and it took me a while to get my method down. I recommend getting a good knife, so that you’re not struggling to peel the skin off. Everyone has a different method of chopping up yuca, but here is a good video to get you started.
     

     

     
     
     
     
     
    View this post on Instagram
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     

    A post shared by Wendy & Jess, RDs, CDEs (@foodheaven) on Jun 12, 2020 at 8:55am PDT

    Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add the yuca chunks. Boil over high heat until the yuca is very tender, for about 30 minutes, with the lid on. Check in occasionally to make sure the water hasn’t dried out. If it has, add enough water to cover the yuca and continue boiling. At the end of cooking, the yuca should be super soft, and you should be able to easily put a fork through the chunks

    Once done, add the yucca chunks to a bowl (don’t throw away the water yet!) Remove the fibrous stem from the center of the roots. Add 1/4 cup of the starchy water you cooked the yuca in, along with the butter to the same bowl, and get to mashing! You can use a pestle, potato masher, or whatever tool you like for mashing. If you want the yuca mash creamier, add more water. It’ll take a few minutes, and a good arm workout!

    Mash in salt, to taste and enjoy as a side. In the Dominican Republic, we usually enjoy yuca with sautéed red onions. For the onion topping, we sautéd red onions with olive oil and red wine vinegar on medium heat for a few minutes. 

    This Creamy Yuca Mash is a great side dish for your favorite meals. Just pair with a protein and veggies to balance out that plate. How many of you eat yuca as a staple like we do?! What are your favorite yuca recipes?

    Print
    Creamy Yuca Mash
    Servings: 4
    Ingredients
    • 2 1/2 pounds of yuca root, chopped into 3” chunks and peeled
    • 1/4 cup butter
    • Salt, to taste
    Instructions
    1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add the yuca chunks. Boil over high heat until the yuca is very tender, for about 30 minutes, with the lid on.

    2. Check occasionally to make sure the water hasn't dried out. If it has, add enough water to cover the yuca and continue boiling

    3. At the end of cooking, the yuca should be super soft, and you should be able to easily put a fork through the chunks
    4. Once done, add the yuca chunks to a bowl (don't throw away the water yet!) Remove the fibrous stem from the center of the roots.

    5. Add 1/4 cup of the starchy water you cooked the yuca in, along with the butter to the same bowl, and get to mashing! You can use a pestle, potato masher, or whatever tool you like for mashing. If you want the yuca mash creamier, add more water. It'll take a few minutes, and a good arm workout!

    6. Mash in salt, to taste and enjoy as a side with sautéed red onions!

    Recipe Notes

    We sautéd our red onions with olive oil and red wine vinegar

    2 Comments

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    Comments

    1. d says

      October 9, 2018 at 4:16 pm

      This should be spelled “yuca”; yucca is something else entirely:

      https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-deal-17-24054

      Reply
      • Wendy says

        October 9, 2018 at 4:41 pm

        Thanks for pointing that out!

        Reply

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    Last month when I asked who you wanted us to inter Last month when I asked who you wanted us to interview for our habits series, 90% of you said Gretchen Rubin. Today your wish comes true. For those not familiar with @gretchenrubin, she is one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature, especially as it pertains to habits. Gretchen is the author of Better than Before, The 4 Tendencies and The Happiness Project and in this episode she shares the secret to creating health promoting habits that will work for you. ALSO: I want to also acknowledge that regardless of your tendency, forming new habits may be more challenging for people with ADHD or for neurodivergent folks, and these tendencies may not be one-size-fits-all.

Listen to this episode with Gretchen Rubin to learn how to help yourself based on your personality type and tendencies. 

Which type are you!?!?! Comment below. 

What we cover:
Gretchens #1 tip to being happier. 
Why it’s important to know your nature before you try to adopt habits.
How to figure out your personality type.
What are outer vs inner expectations?
How do you know when you need an accountability buddy?
How monitoring your current habits can help you create change. 
3 strategies to create change.
How to start making healthier habits.

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    LIFE UPDATE: I purchased a home in the Hudson Vall LIFE UPDATE: I purchased a home in the Hudson Valley with 5 acres of land! (Even typing that makes me anxious lolol) All reno updates will be on @bohiohomes. I’ve been wanting a home close by to retreat into nature and considered a few locations but honestly, the racial tension and lack of diversity upstate gave me mixed feelings. I actually went to school in New Paltz (and love it SO MUCH) so I’m not sure why I didn’t consider buying here sooner. I took a trip this summer to go apple picking and was like wait, New Paltz is perfect! It’s welcoming, diverse (thanks to all the city kids and professors) and there’s so many fun things to do!! It’s also just 90 minutes away from the city. 

I’ve officially moved in and will be renovating this a-frame beauty built in the early 70’s. There is SO much work to do. The home has solid bones but needs major updates and I have to condition the land. We even have a cute pond! Very scary and very exciting. Eventually, I may open it up for retreats or for people who want to disconnect from the NYC chaos. For now, it’ll be home. Follow along for renovation updates on @bohiohomes 💕💕
    THIS ONE SIMPLE HABIT TIP CHANGED MY LIFE. What’ THIS ONE SIMPLE HABIT TIP CHANGED MY LIFE. What’s one thing you already do that you can build a habit around?! 

Ps have you been listening to our habits series

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