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–+ servings

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!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 27 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

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 

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  2. Cook your quinoa according to package instructions and set aside. I also love a rice cooker for making quinoa.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. While the yuca and quinoa are roasting, make the marinade.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. Squeeze the remaining lemon half on top of the crispy quinoa and toss.
  10. To serve pile the dressed yuca onto a bowl or plate and sprinkle with the crispy quinoa. Serve warm!