A Tasty Potato Substitute

Hubby Tony and I eat dinner out on Saturday nights, so this year we pushed back our St. Patrick's corned beef and cabbage dinner till today.  I bought enough meat, potatoes, and carrots for the two of us to have dinner tonight and leftovers tomorrow, so when Son Donald said he was coming into town to take care of a couple of errands I had to figure out how to bulk everything up.  I was going to Aldi for a couple of things anyway, so I bought a package of sweet Hawaiian rolls and a container of ice cream for dessert.  On the way there I also had a menu inspiration.

Earlier in the week I was at the Asian market buying produce.  I enjoy trying new things if the price is right, and this time they had a sale on yuca root. I knew nothing about it, but it was only 99 cents a pound so I added a smallish piece to my bag.

I had done some research and learned that yuca (also called casava and manioc) is the root of a South American shrub that is a major staple food in the developing world, and that it could serve as a substitute for potatoes in some dishes.  Since I didn't have enough actual potatoes in the house I figured I could also use the yuca.  It could also add an exotic element to the meal.

While the corned beef was cooking I cut the yuca root into pieces about three inches long, then used a paring knife to remove the peel.  When the meat was done I removed it and added cut up red potatoes and carrots to the pot, reserving a little broth to pour over the yuca pieces in a small saucepan.  After the liquid came to a boil both pots simmered for 20 minutes until everything was fork tender.  I drained the conventional vegetables and dumped them into a bowl.  I put the yuca into a separate bowl, removed its fibrous core, and broke the flesh into smaller pieces.  Everything went on the table when it was time to eat.

We all thought the yuca was pretty good.  It was drier than the boiled potatoes, but it had taken on the flavor of the corned beef broth.  There was plenty of food for everyone, and I was able to send Donald home with some leftovers for tomorrow. 

We don't eat a whole lot of starchy vegetables, but I would definitely have this one again.