Joo-cah... The New French Fry!

If you are really craving french fries and looking for some variety in your healthy carbohydrate options you’ve come to the right place! I’ve got a relatively unknown root vegetable to tell you about and it is likely available at your local grocery store. 

Yuca root (also known as cassava and manioc) is a starchy tuber grown throughout South America, Africa and South Asia. It is as familiar to the people as potatoes are to Canadians. It is often used as a side dish and in soups.

Now you may think this is something totally new to you but have you ever heard of tapioca starch? That is the dried and powdered form of the yuca root!

One big word of CAUTION: do not eat the yuca root raw. In its raw form it contains linamarin which is converted into cyanide when it is processed (like apple seeds and cherry pits). The 20 minutes of boiling and then baking will drastically reduce this compound so that it is safe to consume.

Based on that information we like yuca as an occasional treat versus as a dietary staple.

In our house we love to make yuca chips (which are basically fries). They go great as a side dish with any meal and they are perfectly crunchy enough to use to dip into soft boiled eggs. Bring on those old egg cups!

Yuca root is very high in carbohydrates so it is a great option to include when you are planning to be physically active. It also contains a pretty decent amount of vitamin C and manganese. Of course, much of this will be lost in the cooking process. And remember, you cannot eat yuca raw (which I explained above). When compared to the white potato, the potato wins for nutrient density.

Here is an awesome video we found showing you exactly how to work with a yuca root. They also share some neat recipe ideas. She uses a great big knife to peel the root but personally, I just use my vegetable peeler. I just peel the root twice to make sure to get all the wax and skin off.

You can watch the video here.

Keep in mind that yuca root is not the same thing as yucca, which is another plant that has a similar name but is not botanically related. Yuca root looks like this.

And if you want to try yuca root yourself, here is my favourite recipe.

Yuca Chips

Ingredients

• 2 medium yuca/cassava roots
• 3 tablespoons grass-fed butter, duck fat, lard or bacon drippings
• Sea salt

Steps

1. Cut the ends of off the yuca root.
2. Peel the yuca root using a sharp peeler or knife.
3. Cut the yuca root like French fries, about 2 inches long and 1/40-1/2 inch thick. If you cut them too thin they will get too hard when they cook.
4. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the prepared yuca root.
5. Boil for 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400ºF.
7. In a small pot, melt your fat of choice.
8. Once cooking time has completed, drain the water from the pot and add melted fat and salt to the yuca. Stir gently to coat.
9. Lay yuca chips on a parchment lined cookie sheet and cook for 15 minutes.
10. Flip yuca chips and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown.

For more simple By Design recipes why not pick up your copy of the Eat By Design Cookbook. I’ve created it in the form of a 28-day meal plan (plus grocery lists!) so you don’t need to think about what’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner for the next month. Or you can grab the first 7 days FREE by clicking here.