Yuquita Frita (Fried Cassava)

I am embarrassed to say that I have only posted one recipe using yuca, and the fact that this blog is called the YUCA Diaries means I need to start adding more yuca recipes pronto!  So this is a simple yuca appetizer or side dish that is probably the counterpart to American French fries. I rarely fry food, but this is one of those occasions where I made an exception. These were served with a garlicky dipping sauce. Without further ado... here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 package frozen yuca
6 cups water
2 tsp salt
oil for frying (I use canola)

Add the water , 1 tsp. of salt and frozen yuca to a pressure cooker and cook on medium high for about half an hour or until the yuca is really tender. Dump the yuca into a colander to drain. Set aside to cool a bit.  You'll want to cut the yuca into strips similar to the size of steak fries.   Add oil to a non-stick pan and turn the heat up to medium high.  Once the oil is hot, add the yuca in and let it cook undisturbed until it's golden brown.  Transfer to a cooling rack and season with a little salt.

For the dipping sauce:
1 cup light mayo
1 bunch finely chopped Italian parsley or cilantro (whichever you're in the mood for.  I used parsley this time)
2 large garlic cloves, grated
2 tbsp. water
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp. soy sauce
salt to taste

First add the mayo to a mixing bowl. Next grate the garlic and chop the parsley and add it to the bow.  Mix well.  Finally add in the water, lime juice soy sauce, and salt and combine well. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken according to Dana

If it weren't for the story attached to this post, I may not have considered this "blog worthy". You see, pollo a la plancha, or grilled chicken, is a very simple, almost no-brainer of a dish. It's basically a boneless, skinless chicken breast that is grilled with some onions, and is available in every Cuban restaurant in Miami. It's healthy and perfect for a weeknight meal. But this dish will forever hold a special place in my heart because of the following story.

When I was very young and growing up, I had a very very dear friend named Dana. Dana and I were inseparable, truly joined at the hip. Dana was, and still is one of the quirkiest people i've ever known. She is extremely funny, but the kind of funny that is so without trying to be. One of the best kinds of "funnies" in my opinion. Dana and I were together a lot, and it was not uncommon for her to come to dinner with my family and vice-versa. One day, we went to this very popular restaurant establishment called "Islas Canarias (Canary Islands) for dinner. The waiter comes around and introduces himself, brings the menus and says he'll be back to take the order shortly. So we're all looking at the menu and when the waiter comes around everyone starts placing their order. Finally the gentleman gets to Dana and asks, "and what can I get for you, young lady?" Without batting an eyelash, she blurts out "I'd like the "pajaro planchado please". Needless to say, this started a wave of hysterical laughter in the restaurant that only got louder and louder. I almost choked on my drink, my brothers were cracking up and the poor waiter (whom was an older, serious fellow) had to hold back tears of laughter. Dana was dying of embarrassment which made it all the funnier and the more we tried to stop laughing the harder it was. It was so funny- the kind of funny where your stomach hurts, you can't breathe, and you're wiping tears from your eyes. For those who don't speak Spanish, she had just referred to the grilled chicken breast as an "ironed bird" instead of "chicken on the grill"-and although it doesn't translate well into English, was one of the funniest things I'd ever heard. It was one of those "you had to be there moments" but suffice it to say that every time I have this dish it is "parajo planchado" and not "pollo a la plancha".

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lime
1 tsp. salt
1 small onion, cut into thin rounds
2 tsp. olive oil

The trick to making this dish really flavorful and juicy is to butterfly the breast, and then pound it out so that it's nice and thin. You also don't want to cook the chicken any longer than you have to, otherwise it can be as dry as the sole of your shoe. Since the chicken is very thin, it wont take long at all.  About 2-3 minutes on each side. Begin by seasoning the chicken breasts on both sides and setting aside.  In a large non-stick skillet or grill pan, add the olive oil and turn up to high heat.  When the pan get really really hot, add the chicken breasts and let them cook until they get nice and slightly golden.  Flip them over, squeeze a generous amount of lime juice over the chicken and finish cooking on the other side.  Transfer the chicken to a plate.   Next add the onions to the pan, season them with a little salt, and saute them for a few minutes, until they're nice and translucent and have sweetened.  Place a bed of onions on your serving plate and then place the chicken on top of the onions.  Serve with white rice and black beans, or a large green salad for a healthier option.

Delicioso Appearance!

As some of you may have seen here before or through my Facebook or twitter updates, I recently went down to Miami to record a guest appearance on the show, Delicioso, hosted by Ingrid Hoffman and Maggie Jimenez.

Back in November, they ran an online poll where the public was asked to vote for their favorite blogger.  I received the most hits and was invited to the show as a result.

The experience was surreal. I showed up at the set early in the morning.  Like a true Cuban, I showed up with a small entourage... my mom, grandmother and brother all came along for moral support.  And I needed it, I definitely started to get a little nervous when I walked in and saw all of the cameras, personnel, lights. I felt better after receiving a warm welcome from Maggie, whom I had met in Dallas when I interviewed for the original segment, and from one of the producers who helped make my appearance on the show possible.  It was very cool to be able to see how the show was produced an recorded.

First they filmed Ingrid's cooking segment, then they filmed the celebrity guest segment and then it was my turn.  I started getting incrementally more nervous, but finally I told myself to get a grip and I went up there, had the mic hooked up and said a quick prayer in my head, asking that I not look like a fool on national TV!  I spoke to Ingrid and Maggie for a little while before the segment was being shot, and then just dove right in.

They were both very gracious hosts, you could tell that they've got this down to a science.  They were so comfortable on camera that it made me feel more relaxed.  They asked me several questions, like why I started blogging in the first place.  I answered and said that I had really wanted to write a cookbook, but had no idea how, and that the blog seemed like the easiest and most convenient way to start documenting my recipes.  They asked me a few other questions and to be honest, I was so nervous that I could not, for the life of me, remember what I had said. It was only after watching the show that I realized what I said. After the segment was recorded, I was able to take a few pictures with the hosts.  I had a great time on the set and am thrilled to have had the opportunity.



Below are a few pictures of the shoot: