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I can’t think of any better way to say Happy Chanukah than with Cassava Latkes!!! (Although they’re also the perfect appetizer or side dish any day of the year!) These latkes are crispy on the outside, and slightly chewy in the very center. DELICIOUS! These Cassava …
Looking for a scrumptious, fudgy, brownie recipe? Look no further! These Chocolate Chip Peppermint Brownies are not only AWESOME, they’re gluten, grain, dairy, and soy-free! The peppermint adds an extra holiday feel, but these can be made any time of year! Not a …
There are endless ways to enjoy yuca/cassava, as it’s eaten in so many parts of the world in various different ways! Attieke is fermented, grated cassava. It’s a staple street food of the people who live along the Ivory Coast of West Africa. Attieke is similar in consistency to couscous, with an added subtle sour taste (as a result of the fermentation) which I found to be a delicious, new flavor not typical of American cooking! Just imagine – a gluten-free, grain-free side dish that’s actually feeding your beneficial gut bacteria!!! I get incredibly excited every time I learn of a new way to eat yuca! This recipe is so quick and easy, I know it will become a regular weeknight meal in my house!
If you’re lucky enough to live near an African market, you can buy Attieke frozen. Otherwise, it can be purchased dried in a box.
This recipe will demonstrate how to make attieke from a boxed brand. Knowing that I love all things yuca, my daughter brought me a box of Nayama Attieke, and we recreated a recipe similar to the one she often makes with a friend whose mother is from the Ivory Coast. We all LOVED it!! Although I was told (on a comment on Instagram) that no African from the Ivory Coast would eat boxed attieke, it was truly delicious, convenient, and a super healthy dish! Check out Nayama Natural Attieke by clicking below:
Attieke Ingredients:
-Box of Nayama Attieke
-filtered water
–pink Himalayan salt (chosen because of its high mineral content)
-1 tablespoon avocado oil
Attieke Instructions:
1. In a bowl, simply mix equal amounts attieke and water and let sit for a minute or two until the water is fully absorbed.
2. Cover attieke and heat in a microwave until warm (about 2-3 minutes.)
3. Season to taste. We chose to simply add 1 tablespoon avocado oil and a pinch or two of pink Himalayan salt.
That’s it! The attieke is now ready to be added to our dish!
Attieke is typically served with chicken or fish, and either the attieke or the protein is seasoned with hot peppers, onions, and garlic. We chose to keep the attieke simple, and make a scrumptious flavored chicken, along with a raw onion and tomato topping. We then layered them all together. This worked out perfectly! Since we used a store-bought organic rotisserie chicken, this meal took no more than 20 minutes to assemble! #Weeknightrecipe!!!
Chicken Ingredients:
-whole, store-bought organic rotisserie chicken or my Easy Go-to Crockpot Chicken – shredded
-1 organic onion – chopped
-3 organic garlic cloves – minced
-2 jalape̱o peppers Рminced
-chili powder – to taste
-1 tablespoon avocado oil
-1 teaspoon Jada Spices Chicken Salt (While a Maggi cube is typically used in authentic attieke dishes, they’re filled with hydrogenated oils and MSG. (A big no-no in my kitchen!) I use Jada Spices Chicken Salt in all recipes that call for bullion-type seasoning. It provides all the flavor with all natural ingredients! Check out Jada Spices Chicken Salt by clicking below:
Chicken Instructions:
Heat large frying pan with avocado oil. Add chopped onions along with minced garlic and jalapeños. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add cooked, shredded chicken. Add chili powder and Jada Spices Chicken Salt. Blend fully. Cook for a few minutes just until chicken is warm.
Topping Ingredients:
-1 organic sweet onion – chopped
-2 organic tomatoes – chopped
-1-2 teaspoons olive or avocado oil
-pinch of pink Himalayan salt
Topping Instructions:
While chicken is warming up, chop raw onion and tomatoes. Add oil and salt. Mix it all together. (It doesn’t get any easier than that!)
Place warm attieke on the bottom of dish. Then layer with shredded chicken and tomato/onion topping.
Enjoy!!!
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By ordering recommended products through our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. I only recommend products that I’ve personally tried, use in my own kitchen, and believe are high quality products. Thank you so much for supporting Crazy For Yuca’s efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
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Attieke is fermented, grated cassava. It's a staple street food along the Ivory Coast of West Africa. It's similar in consistency to couscous, with an added subtle sour taste, not typical of American cooking. In this dish, attieke is added to a flavorful shredded organic chicken, and topped with raw tomatoes and sweet onions. Quick and easy, healthy and delicious!
In a bowl, simply mix equal amounts attieke and water and let sit for a minute or two until the water is fully absorbed.
Cover attieke and heat in a microwave until warm (about 2-3 minutes.)
Season to taste. We chose to simply add 1 tablespoon avocado oil and a pinch or two of pink Himalayan salt.
Heat large frying pan with avocado oil.
Add chopped onions, minced garlic and jalapeños. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add cooked, shredded chicken, chili powder and Jada Spices Chicken Salt. Blend fully and heat for a few minutes just until chicken is warm.
chop raw onion and tomatoes.
Add oil and salt. Mix it all together.
Place warm attieke on the bottom of dish. Then layer with shredded chicken and tomato/onion topping.
Enjoy!
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Disclaimer– At Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey.  My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
Pasta made from cassava flour! Dreams really do come true!!! I couldn’t be more excited to add this homemade Cassava Flour Fresh Pasta to my yuca/cassava repertoire! I’ve been meaning to create a pasta recipe, but I’ve been too caught up in all my other …
Creamy, whipped Yuca Mash! Simple, healthy, and made with all “real food” ingredients!!! What can be better than that? Oh, maybe that it’s Paleo, low glycemic, non-GMO, non-inflammatory, as well as Whole30 and autoimmune protocol approved!! Not sure what yuca is??? It’s a root vegetable, …
What do you get when you take cassava flour and a bunch of nuts and seeds? Delicious, nutritious Paleo Nut and Seed Bars!!!! These bars have just enough sweetness, without being overly sweet. Cassava flour is a low-glycemic, non-inflammatory starch, while nuts and seeds provide an excellent source of healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and immune boosting phytonutrients! Try the nuts and seeds suggested, or choose your own favorites! These nutrient dense Paleo Nut and Seed Bars are perfect for a snack, dessert, breakfast or bunch. With all the ready-made bars out there claiming to be healthy (which are actually often full of chemicals and other processed ingredients) it’s nice to know there’s a truly healthy, scrumptious bar that’s quick and easy to make!
These bars can be frozen, and pulled out whenever needed. They’re even awesome right out of the freezer! No defrosting needed!!!
Makes 12 bars
*Printer-friendly recipe below*
-2 1/4 cups Otto’s Cassava Flour
-3 organic, cage-free eggs (I use duck eggs, but chicken eggs can also be used)
-2/3 cup organic coconut oil – melted
-3/4 cup organic maple syrup
-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
-1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
-2 teaspoons xantham gum
-1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
-Optional:Â parchment paper (I prefer lining baking dishes with parchment for toxin-free, non-stick baking, and easy clean up.)
–Organic Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk  (I use Let’s Do Organic brand which is Non-dairy, Vegan, Gluten-free, and Kosher)
-1/2 cup Unsalted, Dry Toasted Sliced Almonds (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
-1/2 cup Dry Roasted & Unsalted Pistachio Nutmeats (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
-1/2 cup Unsalted Dry Toasted Pecan Pieces (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
-1/3 cup Organic Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
-1-2 tablespoons Organic Chia Seeds (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
-1-2 tablespoons Raw Shelled Hemp Seed (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
I’m clearly a big fan of Trader Joe’s!! (lololol) You just can’t beat their prices, quality, and customer service!
*Note:Â Don’t be overly concerned with the brands, types, or amounts of nuts and seeds I used. These bars will taste great with any nuts and seeds you have on hand in any amounts you enjoy.Â
Need Otto’s Cassava Flour? Click here to check it out!
For more information on baking with cassava flour click here: Getting to Know Cassava (Yuca) Flour
To discover all the nutrition benefits of eating yuca click here: Yuca (Cassava) Nutrition Facts
Need Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk? Click here to order online
Note: No need to run to the store! Many non-perishable ingredients listed above can be purchased by simply clicking on the ingredient within the recipe.
By ordering recommended products through links on our website we get a small commission which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!Â
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, blend Otto’s Cassava Flour, Â pink Himalayan salt, cinnamon, and xantham gum.
In a second bowl, blend maple syrup, melted coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredient bowl and mix just until fully combined. *Do not over-mix or cookie crust may come out gummy.Â
Line a 9×11 inch baking pan with parchment paper. (This step is optional, but allows for easy clean up, as well as non-toxic, non-stick baking without the need to grease the pan.) Choose a baking pan that’s deep enough to hold the 3/4″ crust as well as the toppings which will be added after initial baking.
Spoon dough into parchment lined pan and press down so dough forms an even cookie crust about 3/4″ thick.
Dough pressed to bottom of pan to form cookie crust – before baking
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until edges become slightly brown and a fork stuck into center comes out clean.
Baked cassava flour cookie crust. Notice crust thickness – about 3/4″
Remove from oven, but keep oven on.
Add toppings:
While carefully handling hot pan with oven mitts, spread  Organic Sweetened Condensed Coconut milk on top of cookie crust. (*Note: No need to use the entire can unless you desire a very sweet bar. Use just enough to cover cookie crust.) This will be the “glue” that holds the toppings on.
Scatter sliced almonds, pecan pieces, pistachios, shredded coconut, hemp and chia seeds over the sweetened condensed coconut milk, trying to cover entire cookie crust. It’s fine for nuts and seeds to overlap.
Place back into oven for an additional 10 minutes until toppings adhere to cookie crust.
Allow to cool before cutting into 12 bars.
Enjoy!
Bars can also be cut into 24 bites if a smaller treat is desired.
For yuca snacks, pantry items, and kitchen gadgets I personally use to make Crazy For Yuca recipes in my own kitchen.
Have you tried Primal Palate’s Organic Seasonings? They have some truly awesome blends!!!
Click below to check them out. Delish!!!
What do you get when you take cassava flour and a bunch of nuts and seeds? Delicious, nutritious Paleo Nut and Seed Bars!!!! Cassava flour is a low-glycemic, non-inflammatory starch, while nuts and seeds provide an excellent source of healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and immune boosting phytonutrients! Try the nuts and seeds suggested, or choose your own favorites! These nutrient dense Paleo Nut and Seed Bars are perfect for a snack, dessert, breakfast or bunch. It's nice to know there's a truly healthy, scrumptious bar that's quick and easy to make!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, blend Otto's Cassava Flour, pink Himalayan salt, cinnamon, and xantham gum.
In a second bowl, blend maple syrup, melted coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredient bowl and mix just until fully combined. *Do not over-mix or cookie crust may come out gummy.
Line a 9x11 inch baking pan with parchment paper. (This step is optional, but allows for easy clean up, as well as non-toxic, non-stick baking without the need to grease the pan.) Choose a baking pan that's deep enough to hold the 3/4" crust as well as the toppings which will be added after initial baking.
Spoon dough into parchment lined pan and press down so dough forms an even cookie crust about 3/4" thick.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until edges become slightly brown and a fork stuck into center comes out clean.
Remove from oven, but keep oven on.
While carefully handling hot pan with oven mitts, spread Organic Sweetened Condensed Coconut milk on top of cookie crust. (*Note: No need to use the entire can unless you desire a very sweet bar. Use just enough to cover cookie crust.) This will be the "glue" that holds the toppings on.
Scatter sliced almonds, pecan pieces, pistachios, shredded coconut, hemp and chia seeds over the sweetened condensed coconut milk, trying to cover entire cookie crust. It's fine for nuts and seeds to overlap.
Place back into oven for an additional 10 minutes until toppings adhere to cookie crust.
Allow to cool before cutting into 12 bars.
Enjoy!
These bars freeze perfectly! Bake, cool, then throw in the freezer for a ready-made treat any time!
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey.  My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol.  Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional.  If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
Bring the campfire home with Oven Baked S’mores Bars! These were created as a surprise birthday “cake” for my daughter who is gluten and dairy-free! She isn’t a fan of typical cake so I wanted to come up with something special. (Mission accomplished!!!) Years ago, …
Imagine a dreamy, creamy soup made of all healthy ingredients that can be thrown together in under 45 minutes! It’s hard to believe this vegan soup is also gluten and dairy-free! The yuca gives this soup its creamy consistency, as well as makes it …
If you’re a Nutella fan, but prefer a healthy version that’s free of dairy, refined sugar, soy, and processed inflammatory oils, this Chocolate Hazelnut Butter is for you! While the first ingredient of Nutella is sugar, with only 13% hazelnuts, the predominant ingredient in this Chocolate Hazelnut Butter is hazelnuts! I included a delicious sugar-free option (my personal favorite!) as well as an option to add a bit of non-refined sugar in case a little more sweetness is preferred.
Hazelnuts make an awesome tasting nut butter! I don’t understand why it’s not as popular as peanut butter? Just imagine the possibilities of how this Chocolate Hazelnut Butter can be used??? It can be drizzled over my cassava flour pancakes (Yuca-ta Try These Pancakes) or any dessert, used as a dip for apples, strawberries or other fruit, used as a filling for my Grain-Free Crepes, or spread on gluten-free bread (like my Flatbread) as a nutritious breakfast or snack! It’s a decadent, yet healthy treat you can feel good about serving to your family!
(*Full Printer-Friendly recipe below*)
Nutritious “real food” ingredients needed:
-1 16 oz bag raw hazelnuts (about 3 cups) or dry roasted hazelnuts (If using dry roasted hazelnuts, skip roasting and skin removing steps below.)
-2 tablespoons organic cacao powder (Cocoa powder could also be used, but it’s not as pure, or rich in  fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients. Both are healthy and will make delicious Chocolate Hazelnut Butter!)
-1/4 cup organic coconut oil – melted
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-Sweetener Options: – 1/4 cup organic coconut sugar or 1/8 teaspoon Pure Monk, a 100% organic, zero calorie sweetener that has no affect on blood sugar. (See more information on Pure Monk below.)
-pinch of pink Himalayan salt (Any salt can be used, but I prefer pink Himalayan because of its high mineral content.)
Instructions:
–If using raw hazelnuts, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Raw hazelnuts must first be roasted, after which skins can be easily removed. Â Â
-Roasting hazelnuts: Spread raw hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until nuts start to brown and skins loosen. Allow to cool.Â
-Place cooled, roasted hazelnuts on a clean dish towel, gather ends together creating a sealed “bag”, then rub and roll nuts and towel together to remove nut skins. The more that gets removed, the creamier the texture of the nut butter, but it’s unnecessary (and nearly impossible) to remove 100% of skins. Â
-Place roasted, skinned hazelnuts in a food processor (I use a Vitamix, but any food processor can be used.) Process nuts for about 5 minutes, until they become the consistency of creamy nut butter. It may be necessary to stop every minute or 2 to scrape the sides to keep everything blending together.Â
Continue processing until your hazelnut butter resembles the picture on the right below.Â
-Add cacao powder, sweetener, vanilla, and salt, and continue blending for another minute until fully combined and smooth.
*I store mine in a sealed glass container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (although it rarely lasts that long!)Â
There are an endless number of things that can be done with this decadent treat!Â
Chocolate Hazelnut Butter makes eating fruit a whole lot more fun!!!
Make Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Crepes using my Grain-Free Crepe recipe! It’s extra scrumptious with bananas!!! Roll them up or make triangles!
Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Crepe Pizza with strawberries, bananas, blueberries, shredded coconut, and pecan pieces! (Or whatever toppings you like!!!)
What would you like to do with your Chocolate Hazelnut Butter??? Send me pictures of your creations!!! Or post them on Instagram and tag @CrazyForYucaÂ
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Monk fruit, also known as lo han guo, is a melon grown in Southeast Asia. It has been used in Eastern medicine to treat ailments for centuries. Monk fruit sweetener is a natural extract of monk fruit, with a single serving containing zero calories. It’s highly recommended for weight loss and diabetics since it doesn’t impact blood sugar levels. Organic Pure Monk is almost 300 times sweetener than sugar! Very little goes a long way! The taste is different than sugar, and may take some getting used to. It’s FDA approved and considered safe for children and women who are pregnant or nursing.
Note: If you buy any brand of monk fruit sweetener other than Pure Monk, be sure to read the label carefully. Many call their sweeteners monk fruit, but blend them with other sweeteners to make the taste more similar in taste and sweetness to sugar. The added ingredients may add calories, decrease the relative sweetness, or change the health profile of the sweetener. Give pure monk fruit sweetener a try and let me know what you think. But trust me, use VERY little. More is not better in this case.
Check out Pure Monk by clicking the link below.
for pantry items and kitchen gadgets needed to make Chocolate Hazelnut Butter or other Crazy For Yuca recipes. I personally use all recommended products in my own kitchen!Â
 All yuca/cassava snacks have been taste tested and approved by myself and my family! For a discussion of recommended yuca/cassava chips, see my post The Perfect Yuca Chip!
*By ordering recommended products through affiliate connections on our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
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If you're a Nutella fan, but prefer a healthy version that's free of dairy, refined sugar, soy, and processed inflammatory oils, this Chocolate Hazelnut Butter is for you! Just imagine the possibilities??? It can be drizzled over pancakes or any dessert, used as a dip for apples, strawberries or other fruit, used as a filling for my Grain-Free Crepes, spread on gluten-free bread (like my Flatbread) as a nutritious breakfast or snack... You name it! It's a decadent, yet healthy treat you can feel good about serving to your family.
If using raw hazelnuts, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Raw hazelnuts must first be roasted, after which skins can be easily removed. If dry roasted hazelnuts are being used, skip to step 4.
Spread raw hazelnuts on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until nuts start to brown and skins loosen. Allow to cool.
Place cooled, roasted hazelnuts on a clean dish towel, and gather ends together to create a sealed "bag." Rub and roll nuts and towel together to remove nut skins. The more that get removed, the creamier the texture of the hazelnut butter, but it's unnecessary (and nearly impossible) to remove 100% of skins.
Place roasted, skinned hazelnuts in a food processor (I use a Vitamix, but any food processor can be used.) Process nuts for about 5 minutes, until they become the consistency of nut butter. It may be necessary to stop every minute or 2 to scrape nut butter off the sides so everything blends together.
Add cacao powder, sweetener, vanilla, and salt, and continue blending for another minute until fully combined and smooth.
Have fun drizzling, dipping, and spreading your Chocolate Hazelnut Butter on anything desired!
I store mine in a sealed glass container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (although it rarely lasts that long!)
Â
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Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey.  My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol.  Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional.  If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
What’s more fun than strawberry shortcake?… Strawberry Short-Crepe Cream on Top!!! This beautiful gluten, diary, and refined sugar-free dessert is made simply by layering Grain-Free Crepes, scrumptious homemade Strawberry Jam, organic fresh strawberries, and Coconut Cream! It’s the perfect dessert, brunch dish, or birthday cake …
Grain-Free Crepes are quick and easy to prepare, and lots of fun to eat! They can be filled with almost anything – whether sweet or savory! With a fruit filling, such as strawberry jam, they’re perfect for entertaining guests for brunch, or as a sweet …
How do you like your Avocado Toast? Slathered in guacamole? With organic turkey bacon and tomatoes? With a sunny side up egg? – with a broken yolk dripping down your toast…Â No matter how they’re garnished, they are a truly special treat! Made on top of a Garlic Yuca Flatbread, this gluten-free, grain-free avocado toast is perfect for your next brunch, or whenever you want to give yourself an extra special breakfast.
Ingredients needed: (Adjust depending on the number of servings desired.) This recipe makes 4 individual pizza crusts (about the size of a dinner plate) or 12 ovals (as pictured below.) Note: I like to make a batch of these flatbreads (since it takes a bit of time and effort) and have them in the freezer rolled out and ready for future use. Simply pull out of freezer and bake for 20-30 minutes whenever you want a little Garlic Yuca Flatbread, Avocado Yuca Toast, or pizza in a hurry. These are AWESOME even without the avocado!
Your flatbreads can be custom sized and shaped to your preferences. For Avocado Yuca Toast I make mine oval shaped, about 5″ by 7″.
To make the flatbreads, check out my post, including step by step instructions here –
Ingredients needed:
-3 large organic avocados
-2 tablespoons organic sweet onion – finely chopped
-1 organic tomato – chopped
-1-2 organic lemons – juiced
-1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt (While any salt can be used, I use pink Himalayan salt for all my cooking and baking because it contains 84 minerals and elements. What an easy way to boost wellness in a world where the typical diet is deplete of needed minerals!)
For step by step directions click link to my Guacamole post here.Â
Once Garlic Yuca Flatbread has baked, add desired amount of Guacamole.
Customize your Avocado Yuca Toast with any additional toppings desired! Here, I added 1 strip of cooked, diced Applegate Farms Organic Turkey Bacon, some organic sliced heirloom cherry tomatoes, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. YUM!!!
My absolute favorite Avocado Yuca Toast for breakfast includes a sunny side up egg right on top! Nothing beats a broken yolk dripping all over my breakfast! It just pops it up to a whole new level for me!!!
Enjoy!!!!
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By ordering recommended products through our website we get a small commission which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional cost to you. All recommended products are ones that I use in my own kitchen. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
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Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey.  My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol.  Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional.  If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
Who doesn’t love a salty hot pretzel??? As a gluten-free eater I thought I’d never have one again, until now! These Grain-Free Soft Pretzels are THE REAL DEAL!!! They’re made with Otto’s Cassava Flour, so they’re naturally gluten and grain-free! With all “real” whole …
These Grain-Free Popovers are so light and airy! They’re fun to eat and really hit the spot when you’re craving some bread, but don’t want the grain! They’re especially delicious warm right out of the oven! While most of my Crazy For Yuca recipes are …
I call this recipe Mandel Bread / Biscotti because there’s little (if any) difference between these 2 cookies. I want everyone to feel free to enjoy them – no matter one’s heritage, or holiday celebrating. With both Passover and Easter coming within the next week, these will be an excellent addition to any holiday dessert table! While delicious on their own, they’re especially fun to dip into coffee or tea!
Both mandel bread and biscotti are traditionally twice-baked, once as a loaf and then again after being sliced. This is what makes them especially crunchy, as opposed to a more cakey cookie. Because the moisture is baked out of them, they can be made days ahead and retain their freshness, especially if kept in an airtight container at room temperature. (Unfortunately, I can’t report how long exactly this recipe will stay fresh since we gobble them up way too quickly!!!)
This recipe is kosher for Passover, as it’s grain and dairy-free, and doesn’t contain any leavening. It’s made of only a few simple, whole-food ingredients and no refined sugar. The main ingredient is cassava flour, which is a welcome change during the 8 days of Passover when EVERYTHING is made of matzo!
Cassava (a.k.a. yuca) is the incredibly versatile root vegetable that is the focus of this blog. Yuca/cassava is gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, Vegan, Paleo, Whole30 approved, soy-free, and typically considered safe for those following an autoimmune protocol (AIP friendly.) (Note: this recipe is not nut-free, as almond flour and slivered almonds are added.)
Click link : Getting to Know Yuca (Cassava.)
Click link: Buying, Storing, Peeling, and Cooking Yuca (Cassava.)
Cassava flour is a whole-food flour made simply by drying and grinding the white flesh of peeled yuca/cassava root. With its neutral taste and similar consistency to wheat flour, it’s easily substituted for wheat flour (or matzo cake meal) in this recipe.
Click link: Getting to Know Cassava (Yuca) Flour
I use Otto’s Cassava Flour for all my baking. It can be found in specialty stores or online here by clicking the link below.Â
By ordering Otto’s Cassava Flour and other recommended products through our website we get a small commission which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional cost to you. All recommended products are ones that I personally use in my own kitchen. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
These are incredibly simple to make and delicious to eat!
The word mandel means almond, and biscotti are traditionally made with nuts, so I chose Almond Mandel Bread / Biscotti as the basic version of this recipe. I’ve also included chocolate chip and cinnamon variations below. YUM!!! Feel free to play around with different extracts and add ins to create your own personal favorite.
Makes 16 pieces (About 5″ long x 3/4″ high)
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup Otto’s Cassava Flour
2/3 cup almond flour
4 teaspoons potato starch
2/3 cup avocado oil
2 cage-free eggs
2/3 cup organic maple syrup
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl blend dry ingredients, including Otto’s Cassava Flour, almond flour, potato starch, and salt. In a second bowl blend wet ingredients, including avocado oil, egg, almond extract, and maple syrup. Combine contents of two bowls by adding wet ingredients to dry ingredient bowl. Blend thoroughly. Mix in slivered almonds.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough in half. With moistened hands, form 2 loaves on parchment lined baking sheet. To ensure even baking, make certain thickness of loaf is even throughout.
Place on middle rack of preheated oven (set to 350 degrees) and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. 
Using a spatula, carefully place each loaf onto a cutting board. Using a fine, sharp knife, slice into cookies. Carefully place cookies back on parchment lined baking sheet, cut-side down, and place back into oven for an additional 15 minutes to dry and lightly brown. (Check after 10 minutes to ensure cookies aren’t burning.)
Once edges brown, remove from oven and allow to cool.
Enjoy!!
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For the chocolate chip version, simply swap out the slivered almonds for dairy-free chocolate chips! I use Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels. or Pascha Organic Dark Chocolate Chips (55% or 85% cacao.) They’re both gluten, dairy, soy, and nut-free! Check them out by clicking link below!
Mini Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Morsels can also be used.
For the cinnamon version, swap out the almond extract for vanilla extract and leave out the slivered almonds. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to batter, and sprinkle additional on top.
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I call this recipe Mandel Bread / Biscotti because there's little (if any) difference between these 2 cookies, and I want everyone to feel free to enjoy them - no matter their heritage, or holiday celebrating. They are Kosher for Passover, but would be an excellent addition to one's Easter dessert table as well! While delicious on their own, they're especially fun to dip into coffee or tea! These cookies are twice-baked, once as a loaf, then again after being sliced. This is what makes them especially crunchy. Since the moisture is baked out of them, they can be made days ahead and retain their freshness, especially if kept in an airtight container at room temperature. (I can't report exactly how long they stay fresh since we gobble them up too quickly to know!!!) The main ingredient is cassava flour, which is a welcome change during the 8 days of Passover when EVERYTHING is made out of matzo!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl blend dry ingredients, including Otto's Cassava Flour, almond flour, potato starch, and salt.
In a second bowl blend wet ingredients, including avocado oil, egg, almond extract, and maple syrup.
Combine contents of two bowls by adding wet ingredients to dry ingredient bowl. Blend thoroughly.
Mix in slivered almonds.
Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Divide dough in half and place each half on parchment lined baking sheet.
With moistened hands, form 2 loaves. To ensure even baking, make certain thickness of loaf is even throughout.
Place on middle rack of preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Using a spatula, carefully place each loaf onto a cutting board.
Using a fine, sharp knife, slice each loaf into approximately 8 cookies (loaf can easily crumble if not careful.)
Carefully return sliced cookies to parchment lined baking pan, repositioning them so they're cut-side down.
Place back into oven for an additional 15 minutes to dry and slightly brown. (Check after 10 minutes to make sure they aren't burning.) Once edges brown and cookies harden, remove from oven and allow to cool.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey.  My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional.  If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
It’s time to plan your Passover menu! Why not decrease the grains this holiday with Grain-Free Cassava Flour Matzo Balls? They will be adored by your gluten-eating and gluten-free guests alike! (I had a little trouble stopping myself from eating them all before getting a …
While I usually incorporate yuca (a.k.a. cassava) into typical American food as a way to make gluten-free cooking more diverse and less restricting, today I’m excited to share a traditional recipe showing how yuca is eaten in another part of the world. This recipe for …
Why should the gluten-free be denied scrumptious almond cookies from the Chinese restaurant? (After all, we already can’t have most Chinese food!) My daughter, who is gluten and dairy-free, had a hankering for almond cookies and asked me to create this recipe using cassava flour. I decided to bake them for her this Valentine’s Day. They came out great! I made some round ones and some heart shaped ones. I’m excited to say that they held their shape perfectly during baking! No spreading at all! They can therefore be molded into any desired shape with cookies cutters, and decorated for any occasion. These Almond Cassava Flour Cookies are quick and easy to bake and have that delicious almond extract flavor!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
These Almond Cassava Flour Cookies are made with Otto’s Cassava Flour. It’s a nonGMO, gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo, Whole30 approved, autoimmune protocol approved, whole-food flour. That says a lot! It has a neutral taste and looks and performs very similar to wheat flour. It contains a significant amount of resistant starch, a type of fiber that feeds the good bacteria of the colon. While cassava is a starch, it has a low glycemic index (46) so it doesn’t raise blood sugar the way many gluten-free flours can. Check out these links to discover more about yuca (a.k.a. cassava) and cassava flour.
Getting to Know Yuca (Cassava)
Yuca (Cassava) Nutrition Facts
Otto’s Naturals 100% Natural Cassava Flour Made from Yuca Root Bag, 2 Pound
By ordering recommended products through links on our website we get a small commission which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!Â
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup Otto’s Cassava Flour
-3/4 cup almond flour  (I use Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour.)
-1/4 cup organic coconut oil
-3/4 cup organic coconut sugar
-1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract (I use
-2 cage-free eggs (chicken or duck eggs can be used. I use duck eggs since I’m sensitive to the protein in chicken eggs.)
-1/8 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt (I use pink Himalayan sea salt for all my cooking and baking because of its purity and increased mineral content, as compared to regular sea salt and table salt.)
-1 cup slivered almonds. (I use Trader Joe’s Unsalted, Dry Roasted Slivered Almonds.)
Melt organic coconut oil, then blend with coconut sugar, almond extract and 2 beaten cage-free eggs. Add Otto’s Cassava Flour, almond flour and pink Himalayan sea salt. Once ingredients are fully combined, add slivered almonds.
Divide batter into 18 cookies, of any shape desired, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Below, I used a cookie cutter to make each heart shaped Almond Cassava Flour Cookie for Valentine’s day. I filled the cookie cutter with dough, pressing down to fully fill mold.
Once desired cookie shapes are formed, garnish with additional slivered almonds for a true almond cookie appearance.
So simple, yet sophisticated!
Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes, until edges begin to brown.
Enjoy your Almond Cassava Flour Cookies!
Serve them in baskets, or in any number of creative ways.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
Get creative with your decorating and garnish with additional sweetness if desired!!
These cookies were decorated using melted Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels, then sprinkled with Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mini Chips. Enjoy Life morsels are gluten, dairy, and soy free, as well as vegan.
The red heart icing was made first by making a basic white icing (1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon filtered water,) then adding a few drops of Color Garden Natural Red Food Dye. I’ve used a number of natural dyes before, but this was the first that gave a true, deep red! (Typically they come out more of a pink color.) The ingredients are beet juice, turmeric, annatto, and less than 1% ethyl alcohol as a preservative. There’s absolutely no Red Dye 40, as with conventional food dyes. Red Dye 40 is one of the most controversial dyes used today. It has been shown to cause allergic reactions and hyperactivity in some children (1,) In mice, research demonstrated that Red 40 decreases survival, reproductive success, brain weight, as well as parent and offspring weight. Evidence of both physical and behavioral toxicity were evident (2.)
I like to steer clear of Red Dye 40, and most chemical dyes, at all costs! Now that I discovered Color Garden Natural Red Food Dye, my Valentine’s Day baking can be gorgeous and healthy!
Look how gorgeous the red icing looks! A true red using only natural ingredients. 🙂
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These cookies taste just like almond cookies from the Chinese restaurant! With cassava flour, the gluten-free no longer need to be deprived of almost any treat! If you haven't baked with cassava flour yet, you're really missing out. Give these grain-free Almond Cassava Flour Cookies a try! You won't be sorry.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Melt 1/4 cup coconut oil, either in microwave or on stovetop.
Blend melted coconut oil with 3/4 cup coconut sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract and 2 beaten cage-free eggs.
Add 1/2 cup Otto's Cassava Flour, 3/4 cup almond flour, 1/8 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt, and mix until fully combined.
Add 1 cup slivered almonds. Blend into batter.
Divide batter into 18 cookies and place on parchment lined baking sheets. These cookies hold their shape perfectly (no spreading.) They can therefore be made into any desired shape, such as the heart shapes shown in post. Have fun with different shapes for different occasions!
Decorate with additional slivered almonds.
Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.
Note: Since these cookies hold their shape perfectly during baking, they can be molded into any desired shape using cookie cutters. Once cooled, they can be decorated any number of ways. Use your imagination and send me pictures of your creations!Â
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Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey.  My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol.  Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional.  If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
Being gluten-free doesn’t mean missing out on the fun of holiday cookie baking! With cassava flour, you can make scrumptious gluten-free, whole-food sugar cookies that taste just like those made from wheat flour! If you haven’t discovered cassava flour yet, these Cassava Flour Holiday Sugar …
If you haven’t tried yuca (a.k.a. cassava) yet, you are in for a treat! Yuca is in many ways similar to a potato in that it’s white, has a very mild taste, and takes on the flavor of the sauces and spices within which it …
 
Crockpot cooking is ingenious! All it takes is a few minutes of effort, and delicious nutritious food magically appears a few hours later!! (I timed myself casually making this recipe and it took exactly 7 minutes and 32 seconds, including removing the chicken skin and squeezing a fresh lemon, to get everything set in the crockpot.)
For me, the key to eating well is having healthy options readily available in my fridge that I can quickly whip into a meal. Especially at lunch time, I don’t want to start a whole big cooking production.
This Easy Go-To Crockpot Chicken is moist and flavorful, and can be chopped or easily shredded for use in any number of recipes. I typically make crockpot chicken 2-3 times per week (it’s only myself and my husband living home now most of the time) and use it as the base for lunch and/or dinner most days.
Having this chicken de-boned and waiting in the refrigerator means it can be quickly thrown it into a salad, or put in a Cassava Flour Tortilla Wrap with any number of toppings – such as lettuce/baby spinach, Guacamole, Zesty Dijonnaise Dressing etc. I also mix crockpot chicken with Zesty Dijonnaise Dressing to make Zesty Chicken Salad Dijonnaise (my absolute favorite lunch!) Easy Go-To Crockpot Chicken is even delicious on its own alongside steamed veggies (which take no longer than 10 minutes to make.) It can be tossed into soups or any dish requiring cooked chicken. Having chicken readily available greatly decreases the time needed to prepare any meal, and eliminates the need for eating unhealthy, processed cold cuts or stopping for fast-food.
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Simply toss a chicken into the crockpot along with pink Himalayan salt, pepper, ground mustard, lemon juice and water (or chicken broth if preferred,) and go about your day. Your Easy Go-To Crockpot Chicken will be waiting for you when you get home, ready to be made into a quick, nutritious dish like those below.
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Total truth! ……. I just got a little hungry for lunch as I’m writing this post and decided to give myself a little real-life crockpot chicken motivation to write about. Let’s go to the fridge!! I have my lettuce and some crockpot chicken, but I want to make it truly yummy so I’m going to whip up some Zesty Dijonnaise Dressing to throw on top.
I timed myself and I literally threw this salad together, including making the Zesty Dijonnaise Dressing from scratch, in 9 minutes……Â And now I have dressing for the rest of the week! (I cannot express how happy I get knowing this dressing is in my fridge. It means I can have a delicious meal in 2 minutes!)
Here is the chicken that I still have in the fridge, my warm, freshly made Zesty Dijonnaise, and my favorite Trader Joe’s Organic Butter Lettuce & Radicchio. A perfect combo!
There are 5 reasons why I LOVE this lettuce! 1- It’s organic. 2. It’s already cut up, making it soooo convenient. 3- While it’s already cut up, it doesn’t seem to go bad as quickly as other cut-up bags of lettuce. 4 – This lettuce has a soft, smooth texture, very different from typical lettuce. 5 – It’s a mixture of 2 types of lettuce including a purple radicchio. I try to “eat the rainbow” every day to get the greatest variety of nutrients in my diet. With this lettuce I have purple covered! Other than cabbage, this isn’t the easiest color to find in food. Radicchio is rich in Vitamin K and antioxidants, which are known to fight many cancers, increase bone density, and support heart and eye health (1.)
By ordering recommended products through our website we get a small percentage of the sale which helps to support the maintenance of Crazy For Yuca. There’s absolutely no additional charge to you. Thank you so much for supporting our efforts to bring you the latest yuca/cassava recipes!
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Healthy Eating Tip: Eat “real” food! Most people today have little time to cook, leaving them more likely to choose non-nutritious, processed food because it’s quick and readily available. Many convenience foods such as sauces, salad dressings, crackers, cookies, breads, frozen meals, etc. that come in a box or jar “ready to eat” contain a list of processed, genetically modified ingredients, along with pesticides, chemicals, and preservatives, that are not actually “food” at all!  Many of these ingredients are manufactured in a chemical company, and those that grew naturally have often been processed so far from what nature intended that they no longer contain the nutrients that our bodies need. Our digestive systems don’t even know how to integrate, digest, and properly eliminate many of these ingredients. Processed foods can harm the lining of our gut, cause inflammation in the body, strain the immune system, and incite processes which cause or perpetuate chronic illness. Eating “real food” means always stopping to ask yourself if what you’re about to buy or put into your mouth is actually “food” at all!  With crockpot chicken you can have both health and convenience. Having delicious, cooked chicken available and waiting to be thrown into a quick meal greatly increases the chances of choosing nutritious options.
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Cooking chicken in the crockpot is the answer to convenient, delicious, healthy cooking. With just 5-10 minutes of effort there will be moist, flavorful chicken that's literally falling off the bone waiting for you a few hours later. Eat as is, or add it to soups, stews, wraps, salads, etc. Cooked crockpot chicken is always handy to have available.
Wash chicken.
Remove chicken skin. Organic chicken may be cooked with or without skin. I remove the skin because I use the chicken broth created during cooking as a base for delicious soups and stews. Removing the skin makes the remaining broth much lower in fat.
Place chicken into crockpot. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and ground mustard. Add lemon juice to pot and 1/2 cup purified water.
Cover crockpot and place on desired setting. Either set crockpot to low and cook for 8 hours or set to high and cook for 4 hours. Don't worry if your crockpot doesn't have a timer and you aren't home exactly at the time it's ready. The chicken can cook longer if needed. The longer it cooks, the more "fall off the bone" delicious it becomes!!
Notes: Try any seasoning combination that you like. It's hard to go wrong with crockpot chicken!
Disclaimer– In Crazy for Yuca I write about my own personal health and diet journey. Â My experience and recipes are not to be considered expert advice or suggestive that anyone follow any particular diet protocol. Â Each person’s body and medical issues are individual and need to be evaluated by a medical professional. Â If you have any concerns due to your specific diagnoses, please consult your doctor before eating yuca.
