Healthy Hacks: Baked Yuca Fries with Roasted Jalapeño Aioli
Still recovering from our candy bar cake and candy corn martini? Want the comfort of something fried but without the guilt? Baked fries to the rescue! And not just any fries, Yuca Fries!
Yuca (with one “c” and pronounced “YOO-kah”) is also known as cassava or manioc. It’s a tuber, similar to a potato. It’s also the base for making tapioca. But as a root vegetable, they are perfect for making fries! (Much like their potato cousins).
Ingredients:
– 1 medium yuca
– olive oil
– salt and pepper
– fresh lime juice
– Lemonaise light
– roasted jalapeño
– roasted garlic
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
To prepare the yuca, use a vegetable peeler to peel off the tough, waxy skin, including the pinkish-purpleish layer. Cut into three-inch sections and boil for 10-15 minutes, until fork-tender and the ends start to split open a little bit.
Remove from water and drain on paper towels. When they are cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise and remove the thin, woody stock that runs through the middle.
Cut them into desired shapes, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, turning once.
I decided to make a quick aioli to go with the fries. I used roasted garlic, a roasted jalapeno, and some Lemonaise light. Of course, we give you permission to use regular ol’ ketchup too ;)
The fries are done when they are crispy on the outside and still soft on the inside. Season with more salt and pepper if you want and squeeze a little fresh lime juice over them. Serve with aioli or your favorite dipping sauce. Just like real french fries, they should be eaten immediately!
What are your favorite healthy hacks on unhealthy snacks? Talk to us in the comments below.
