Turmeric Yucca con Mojo + Churrasco Miso Salad

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Maybe it was the camarones enchilados served over quinoa or mango smoothies topped with toasted maple pepita seeds, or maybe the shiso mojitos or the turkey picadillo with mashed kabocha squash, but I finally figured out that the food I cook at home is mostly, what I've taken to calling, "Cuban Hippie Food." 

This dish lunch started as an experiment in making classic yucca con mojo, but veered into the hippie food category when I went rogue and added turmeric I decided to make yucca because every grandmother will tell you (and maybe science too) that it's good for your stomach and after a weekend of non-stop drinking in the Dominican Republic (more on that later) I needed a little detox - done my way. But then I got to thinking, turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant, it's a powerful remedy incorporated into ancient Indian healing and cuisine.

So, why not do the double folk medicine whammy and incorporate both the yucca and turmeric into one dish? I can't think of a reason. So I did it. 

I knew it wouldn't taste bad, turmeric has a light, earthy taste and it would be mixed with the traditional ingredients - olive oil, onions, garlic, lime juice, orange juice and yucca - which I bought frozen because I'm scared of the whole root, maybe someday I'll get there. 

I paired it with a hearty salad of romaine mixed with a miso dressing and tossed with fennel fronds leftover from some lentils I made the night before (lentejas with roasted fennel counts as Cuban Hippie Food too, right?) and grilled churrasco. 

Turmeric Yucca

1 bag of frozen yucca, I used El Sembrador

2 Spanish onions, cut into rings 

1/3 cup of orange + lime juice 

4 heaping tablespoons of turmeric 

1/2 cup of olive oil 

salt and pepper, to taste 

Bring the yucca to a boil and then reduce to medium, cook for about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, sautee the onions with some olive oil and squeeze the lemons and oranges into a bowl. When the onions are soft, add the olive oil, citrus juice, turmeric and salt and pepper to taste. When the yucca is soft straight it and mix it all together. You'll know it's mixed when everything is dyed a pretty yellow color from the turmeric. 

Miso Labne Dressing

2 tablespoons of Miso 

2 tablespoons of Labne (available at Middle Eastern grocery stores like Daily Bread) 

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of sesame oill 

Mix together with a fork using water to thin as necessary. mix with a heart of romaine lettuce and fennel fronds (about 3 tablespoons) chopped. Top with grilled churrasco cut into slices.