Crisped-Up Yuca con Mojo
This is a take on yuca con mojo, a Cuban dish that is a cooked garlic dressing poured over steamed or boiled yuca. Since this recipe uses a few strong variations, I didn't want to call it yuca con mojo and lead people astray! This recipe has crispy oven-roasted yuca, crispy quinoa, and a quick citrus dressing, making it an ideal side dish or component for your meal!
Equipment
- 1 large chef's knife
- 3 large sheet pans
- 1 citrus press or juicer
- 1 pot or high-sided sauce pot
Ingredients
- 1 large yuca 1 & 1/2 pounds
- 1 cup quinoa
- Olive oil and kosher salt as needed
- 1 large orange
- 4 garlic cloves grated
- 1 inch knob of ginger grated
- 1 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 1 cup pickled red onions
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Cook your quinoa according to package instructions and set aside. I also love a rice cooker for making quinoa.
- Peel the yuca (I find this easiest to do with a knife) and cut it into 1" chunks, they don't have to be perfect. Cover the pieces in water and give it a mix, the water will turn cloudy. Drain the water.
- Bring a large pot of new water to a boil, add the yuca and a generous pinch of salt. Boil for 10-14 minutes or until fork tender.
- Add the yuca and quinoa to separate baking sheets, spreading both out so that they are in an even layer and not overlapping. Drizzle both with a generous layer of olive oil and sprinkle of salt. Roast at 425°F for 20-30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes, until the quinoa is golden and crispy and the yuca is golden brown.
- While the yuca and quinoa are roasting, make the marinade.
- In a large bowl, add the juice of the orange (it should yield about 1/3 cup), the juice of 1 & 1/2 lemons, the grated garlic, ginger, chopped cilantro, pickled red onions and red pepper flakes to a bowl. Stir to make a dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- When the yuca and quinoa are out of the oven, toss the yuca into the bowl with the marinade. Toss to coat. Add a drizzle of olive oil as you prefer.
- Squeeze the remaining lemon half on top of the crispy quinoa and toss.
- To serve pile the dressed yuca onto a bowl or plate and sprinkle with the crispy quinoa. Serve warm!