Do you know what kind of food I like best? The kind that is naturally gluten-free and minimally processed. I think chocolate fits in that category, but I am not talking about chocolate today. Don’t worry, chocolate still holds a place in my heart. 😉
I have seen various posts in the blog world about the yucca root. I hadn’t heard of it before and was intrigued. I saw that the yucca was being cut into fry shapes and then baked in the oven. I have posted numerous other veggies that I like to eat like fries, so why not yucca? Yucca is also called cassava. Yucca is actually very familiar to those of us on a gluten-free diet. It is known as one of the most widely used gluten-free flours, tapioca! Yucca has a mild flavor and can be used in place of potatoes in soups, dumplings, stews, gravies & more.
I chose to peel & bake/roast my yucca root last night to go along with my BBQ chicken breasts. Once I peeled the yucca, I laid out on a baking sheet that I sprayed with Pam and then sprayed the root itself with Pam. You could toss with EVOO & spices, too. I then seasoned with just salt & pepper, as I wanted a good idea of what the yucca itself tasted like. I baked at 400 or so for about 20 – 30 minutes, flipping after about 15 minutes and then checking every 5 minutes after that. I have to say that this is one of my new favorite forms of fries! Holy YUM!! The yucca fries had a crispier outside & a potatoey (is that a word?) inside. Super mild flavor. I dipped them in Organic Ketchup, but they would be good dipped in all kinds of sauces…..Frank’s Red Hot, Honey Mustard, BBQ, etc.
I can see adding yucca to my list of produce that I buy weekly now. Very nice change of pace and delicious, too! Interested in the other fries that I have made? Here they are:
Let me know if you give yucca root a try & how you end up preparing it.
What is your favorite homemade fry?
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New article up on the Examiner.
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Upcoming blog stuff:
- Lots of new product reviews. I have some fun stuff to try out & report back to you all on. I can’t wait! 🙂
- Interview with a gluten-free marathon runner getting ready to run her 14th marathon in a couple of weeks!
Filed under: Family, Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free Recipes |
My son and me, November 2000. This is before we were gluten-free/diagnosed Celiac.
Gluten-free is Life 
Great idea!
Nice plate!
Thanks Pam!
Really looking forward to the marathoner interview. I am a runner marathoner and am awaiting my celiac panel blood test results. I’ve only found a couple of sites and articles that talk about the challenges of being an athlete with CD, and I know there must be more out there I can learn from. Also found a lot of interesting sites from your post yesterday (and a few new sites from visiting those links). Thanks!
MJ,
I will be speaking with her on the 24th and hope to have the interview up by the end of next week. In the meantime, I am a runner, though I haven’t run any marathons yet (training for my first half in Oct) and can try to help with foods for fueling & what not if you need help. I have done some legwork on some of the gels & bars recently.
Kim
Where is Yucca grown and where can I buy it in Canada (If I can)?
Aunt Jayne,
Check out this link for more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassava
You should be able to get it in Canada. I got it in a mainstream grocery store here in Ohio.
Kim
We ripped out a yucca plant in our yard this year because it was so huge and ugly! Little did I know, I could have been making fries with it!!
🙂
LOL!! That totally sounds like something I would do!!
Great idea. I’ve never tried yucca but I think I will now. I’m adding a link to this post on my post today on homemade fries. Love those fries!
Thanks Diane! 🙂 I love homemade fries…much safer than eating out & you can get super creative!
[…] Just a side note that this was a very inexpensive meal to serve. When I am out at the grocery I am always looking to see what protein is on sale and I buy it then, put it in the freezer and add it to my menu. Using as many of the vegetables I get in my CSA as I can also saves money. You know the saying, the most expensive food you buy is the food you throw out. For more Pennywise Platter food ideas check out, The Nourishing Gourmet. Also check out Yucca Fries on Gluten Free is Life. […]
I saw yucca this weekend at the west side market but was too afraid to try it! Glad to hear it’s great – and you know – any meal that incorporates Frank’s – I’M IN! 🙂
Ali…you should see the stock of Frank’s I have right now. Hubby is the coupon king and when the 5 oz bottles were on sale, he used his $.50 coupon (doubled to $1.00) to get them for free! LMAO! We have like 12 bottles! Good thing, my son just discovered how freaking good it is!! 😉
Go for the yucca!!
While I have not cooked this, I tried this in Peru recently. Sooo delicious! Thanks for the tips on how to fix yucca.
Lois,
Glad to hear that you like yucca! This was so easy to make! 🙂 I just bought some more today to make this week.
Kim
[…] ~ BBQ pulled pork, yucca fries, asparagus & […]
[…] & give them a try this week. I have made sweet potato fries, butternut squash fries, yucca fries & rutabaga fries. I am interested in seeing what the other bloggers do with […]
Was in the Fiesta grocery store in Dallas, TX and saw a lady picking out yucca roots. So, I asked her about them and in spite of the fact she doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak Spanish, I totally understood they were delicious! She showed me how to select and pantomined how to prepare. But before I prepared them her way, I was having lunch at Gloria’s, an El Salvadoran/Mexican food restaurant, and yucca fries were on my plate! So, I totally made the yucca fries (baked like my potatoe fries) and they are delish! Even the hubby likes them! So awesome to find this blog.
I read in one of the latest Sports Illustrated mags a huge article about sports and nutrition and they featured a female athlete who didn’t show with celiac disease but she absolutely benefitted from eliminating gluten from her diet.
So glad that you enjoyed the yucca root! Lots of ppl can benefit from the GF diet. 🙂
KIm
Hello, I read this recipe and tried it, then discovered on the internet that this can be quite poisonous if not cooked correctly and is even banned in some countries. I wish I had known that first. Not blaming you at all, just a wake up call for myself about the need to find out more about new things before trying them. I guess in countries where this food is common, safety has been passed down as part of the tradition.
Hmm it seems like your site ate my initial comment (it was super long) thus I suppose I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I’m completely enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog blogger however I’m still new to everything. Do you have any helpful hints for rookie blog writers? I’d genuinely appreciate it.
yuca empanadas: cook frozen yuca with salt and water until soft. Drain water, mash while hot (it”s important because it blends easily) Once mashed use fingers to form a dough which will become manageable as you kneed. Grab a small size ball and make a disk shape with floured rolling pin. Stuff with cooked seasoned ground beef, turkey, pork or chicken or tofu (endless possibilities) and pan fry. I use canola oil. Remove when golden & crispy. Serve with homemade salsa, pico de gallo or chutney.
We had cassava ( mannioc) in Peru. It was mashed and served wth sauteed shrimp on top. Really delicious. I hope Fiesta in Austin has it.