It’s been quite awhile, I know. I have been so consumed with wedding planning I have had no time for blogging or even cooking! I’m definitely looking forward to the time when the wedding has been a sweet memory and I can reap the rewards (aka: play with all the sweet kitchen gadgets I put on my registry).
This Easter weekend was hectic, and part of that hectosity involved having to come up with a Cuban dish for Rus’ family and their Easter dinner. Now, let me get this straight…it was all pretty much planned out and everything was covered, so what the hell could I bring that wouldn’t step over the line of someone else’s dish? This was the problem. Now, when you’re getting married and you’re the only one that can plan out this wedding, your brain turns to mush somewhere in between cottage cheese and mashed potatoes…it’s like that. It’s extremely difficult to think and rationalize. For instance, this morning, my boss asked me why I came into work so early…so I replied and said, “It’s Monday, I come into work early on Monday,” and he said “No it isn’t.” That’s when I started to think, “is it Tuesday? Did I forget to come into work yesterday? Was easter yesterday?” You see, this is my mental state at the moment, so thinking of something to bring for Easter dinner was quite the task.
I looked through a Cuban cook book and came up with Yuca Puffs or Bocallitos de Yuca. I have never eaten these or made these before, so it was hit or miss. I love yuca boiled with olive oil, garlic and onions or fried like french fries….so why not try out the puffed variation?
Yuca is not very well known, but it should be. Don’t be afraid of it! It’s that long root you see in the produce section. Every time I go to the supermarket and buy it, the person at the check-out always asks me what it is because they have no clue. It’s very starchy and is a good replacement for potato. Like I said before, you can boil them or fry them up like french fries and best served topped with olive oil and garlic.
To prepare the Yuca Puffs, you first must peel the Yuca root. Now, this is a VERY daunting task. If you can find yuca already peeled and cut in your frozen food aisle, buy it and save yourself the time and energy. If you can’t find it (like me) you have to go the extra mile and peel it/cut it/de-vein it of it’s little root thingamajig.
Here is a photo of a Yuca root with the waxy coating and one that has been peeled. When you peel it, you will see a rosy colored hue. Peel it until it’s white. It’s like peeling a potato, only a bit harder.
After you peel the Yuca, cut it in half and then cut it length wise. You’ll see a string in the middle of it. Take your knife and go under it removing it.
Cut the Yuca in smaller pieces and then boil it until it softens. This takes about half an hour.
Place the Yuca in a mixing bowl.
Next you’ll need the rest of the ingredients:
- 1/2 a Red Pepper finely minced
- 1/s a Green Pepper finely minced
- 4 cloves of garlic finely minced
- 1/2 a yellow onion finely minced
- 2 eggs well beaten
- 1 Teaspoon of baking powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mash the Yuca up as if you were making mashed potatoes. Then mix all of the ingredients up in the bowl together.
Next, grease a flat baking sheet and roll the mixture in a 1 1/2 inch ball.
Place the Yuca puffs in the oven for about half an hour and enjoy!
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