... And all things wellness!
I’m making this banana bread as I type up this post, and the incredible aroma as it’s baking has taken over the house! I can’t wait for it to cool off so I can take my blog pictures and dig in!!! Whether made into muffins …
Spend 5 minutes of prep time, then go about your day knowing this simple, delicious 4 ingredient crockpot chicken will be ready and waiting for you when you get home! Then boil up some yuca (because everything is better with yuca!) while chopping and sauteing …
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 is cooked. It has the amazing ability of being transformed into a number of exciting things like flatbreads, pizza and pie crusts, tortillas, cookies, pancakes, and dough that can be used to make any number of things – such as Yuca Empanadas! Check out the recipe tab above for lots of exciting ideas!
This Roasted Root Vegetable With Yuca recipe makes a perfect side dish for Thanksgiving! It’s especially good for those avoiding stuffing as a result of a gluten-free, grain-free, or Paleo diet. Yuca adds an additional texture to this dish. It’s slightly more firm and chewy (in a good way) as compared to the other vegetables. It’s hard to describe, but trust me it’s good!!! If you try it, please comment below and let me know what you think!
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*Full Printable Recipe Below*
Ingredients:
-3/4 pound fresh or frozen yuca/cassava (the fresh yuca pictured below is about 3/4 pound)
-4 organic carrots – sliced (I enjoy using organic tricolor carrots from Trader Joe’s)
-1 organic beet (Note: the beet color bleeds onto the other vegetables. This isn’t a problem, but omit if this will bother you.)
-2 large organic sweet potatoes – chopped
-2 large parsnips – sliced
-1 turnip – chopped
-1 organic leek or onion – chopped
-1 organic red pepper – chopped
-4-6 large organic garlic cloves – minced
-1 tablespoon fresh organic rosemary
-1 tablespoon fresh organic thyme
-3 tablespoons avocado oil – (I use ChosenFoods 100% Pure avocado oil)
-1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
-black pepper to taste
Instructions:
This dish can be made with fresh or frozen yuca. If using fresh yuca, it must first be peeled and cut into a few pieces before boiling. Frozen yuca is already peeled and cut into pieces. Both fresh and frozen yuca must be boiled for 15-20 minutes before roasting in the oven with the other vegetables.
This is what fresh yuca looks like. Fresh yuca can often be found in Asian, Latin and other specialty markets. I sometimes find it in large supermarkets as well.
See: About Yuca: How to Peel Fresh Yuca if using fresh yuca and are in need of detailed instructions on how to peel it.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the yuca.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
While the yuca is boiling, peel and chop the other vegetables so they will all be ready to go into the oven at the same time.
There are a wide variety of root vegetables that can be used in this recipe! I like to use sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and beets. Turnips, celeriac, white potatoes, and rutabaga can also be used. Chose what you like, or what you have available. I also like to add leeks or onions, as well as peppers and garlic for more flavor and nutritional value. Rosemary and thyme add that familiar flavor that one expects from a good Thanksgiving side dish.
Once yuca is boiled, drain in colander, and allow to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, cut each piece of yuca in half to remove the stem that runs through the center. Cut boiled yuca into chunks.
In a large bowl, place all cut vegetables, along with oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Blend thoroughly.
Place onto a baking pan or oven safe baking dish.
Place into preheated oven for 45 minutes. Mix vegetables halfway through to ensure even cooking.
While great for Thanksgiving, these Roasted Root Vegetables With Yuca are great for any day of the year, or for any meal! I often make a big portion and eat it all week for breakfast with my eggs! It’s like healthier hash browns. When I break the yolk of these sunny side up eggs and it drips all over the vegetables, it’s pure heaven!!! This dish is also great for brunches!
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Healthy Eating Tip: Add yuca to your diet! Yuca is an excellent source of vitamin C, and a good source of manganese, potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins. In our mineral deplete world, it’s also nice to know that yuca provides some copper, zinc, calcium, and iron! Yuca is high in carbs and not particularly high in protein, so it’s best to eat it alongside a healthy source of protein to be considered a complete meal. But don’t be scared off by the fact that it is a carb (which has become a nasty 4-letter word!) Yuca is a whole-food, non-inflammatory, non-GMO source of carbs, and it’s lower in carbohydrate than wheat, rice, yellow corn, or sorghum! It’s gluten and grain free and has a low glycemic index of 46! This means it releases glucose into the bloodstream at a slow, steady rate without causing blood sugar spikes. This is why it’s recommended for diabetics! Yuca also contains a significant amount of resistant starch, a type of insoluble fiber which makes its way all the way to the large intestines undigested (which means those calories don’t count!) It then becomes food for beneficial probiotic bacteria in the colon, thereby supporting colon health (10,11, 12.) Within the large intestines it ferments into short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, which provide numerous potential health benefits including:
So eat yuca!!!!!
See: About Yuca: Yuca (Cassava) Nutrition Facts for more information on the nutritional value of yuca.
See: Getting to Know Yuca (Cassava)
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This recipe can be made with whatever root vegetables you enjoy! As long as yuca (a.k.a. cassava) is included, it will be delicious and satisfying. Other root vegetable options include sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, celery root, and rutabagas. Choose what you like, or what is available, and enjoy!
Preheat oven to 425 degress.
In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Meanwhile, if using fresh yuca, remove peel and cut into 3 or 4 pieces. See: About Yuca: How to Peel Fresh Yuca for step by step directions if needed. If using frozen yuca, it is already peeled, cut, and ready to be boiled.
Place peeled, cut yuca into boiling water and boil for 15 minutes - until fork tender. Ensure that water fully covers yuca throughout boiling.
While yuca is boiling, cut up the other vegetables. Place them into a baking dish lined with parchment paper (greatly aids clean up and prevents food from sticking to the pan.)
Once yuca is fork tender, drain water.
Once cool enough to handle, place yuca on a cutting board. Cut each piece in half vertically to remove the stick-like stem that runs through the center.
Once stems are removed, chop boiled yuca into chunks and place into the baking dish with the other root vegetables.
Add avocado oil, and mix well ensuring all vegetables are coated evenly.
Add rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper, and mix to fully combine.
Bake for 45 minutes, turning vegetables halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Enjoy as part of your Thanksgiving feast, or any other meal.
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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.
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 …