yuca, Graduation Party!!!??? Options

[peni]

I am new, and yes a gringo. However, I am very much respectful of your culture and many others. I was a Navy wife . My husband retired and passes away when our children were very young. My son is graduating from High School with honors in just a few days and I am giving him a party, complete with a "cuban style" roasted pig. Do you have any suggestions for side dishes to go with this? We are also having black beans and rice. What is the best way to make yuca, or as they called it in the Philippines, casava?

[foodiesleuth]

Hola Peni!

First...congratulations on your son's high school graduation with honors!!! You must be quite proud and I don't blame you!

Here is a recipe for Yuca con Mojo from the files of the Cocina Cubana Yahoo group

Sonia

YUCA CON MOJO

The cassava (called yuca in Spanish and also known as manioc in some cultures) is a popular tropical nutritious root and is high in carbohydrates. It is widely used in many dishes as a substitute for potatoes. I found this version of yuca served with mojo in one of the Cuban websites

4-6 cassavas, peeled and halved
1 tsp. salt

Mojo:
4 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon or lime
1/2 C olive oil

Boil yuca in salted water(*) until tender (about 25 minutes). Drain yuca.
Add garlic and lemon juice. Heat olive oil in a pan until bubbling, then pour
over yuca. Mix well and serve.

Sonia's Notes:
I found that it takes longer than 25 minutes to cook most yuca. It can take
over an hour, and sometimes it will not get tender, no matter how long you
cook it!

My ex-sister-in-law swore by this method: if it took too long to "bloom" (open up), she would take a cup-full of ice and just dump it in the boiling water. She claimed that the shock would make the yuca open up.
I can only testify that it worked for her!

In many latino markets you can buy yuca already partially cooked. Look in
the frozen food department.

For the mojo; I like to saute some onions and garlic, sliced very thinly in
a small amount of olive oil. Then add the lemon or lime juice and pour over the yuca.

I don't usually add salt to the water to boil the yuca. I find it takes longer
to "bloom" if you do.

Buen provecho!

[peni]

I am new, and yes a gringo. However, I am very much respectful of your culture and many others.  I was a Navy wife .  My husband retired and passes away when our children were very young.  My son is graduating from High School with honors in just a few days and I am giving him a party, complete with a "cuban style" roasted pig.  Do you have any suggestions for side dishes to go with this?  We are also having black beans and rice.  What is the best way to make yuca, or as they called it in the Philippines, casava?

Thank you sooo much for your recipe and response!! Do you have any suggestions on other side dishes or appetizers for about 30-40 people? I am trying to do as much ahead of time as possible and I feel like time is closing in on me!!! His party is this Sunday!!!

[foodiesleuth]

Peni, here is a recipe for croquetas made with chicken. Croquetas are not only served as appetizers, but also as a snack.

What are Croquetas?
Croquettes are wonderful little fritter style food, but usually rolled into little cylinders. Great party food or for snacks. You can also make ham croquettes by using ground sweet ham instead of chicken.

CHICKEN CROQUETTES (Croquetas de Pollo)

3 boneless chicken breast
1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
3 Tablespoons cracker meal
1 Tablespoon dry white wine
2 eggs well beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
Finely ground cracker meal, salted to taste
Oil for deep frying

Boil chicken until tender, then drain water and allow chicken to cool.
Ground chicken and set chicken aside in large bowl.

Place the flour in a large sauté pan and slowly add milk, stirring constantly over medium heat. Add butter and continue to stir until reaches paste-like consistency. Remove from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of cracker meal, salt, pepper and garlic.

Sprinkle chicken with wine and add flour mixture. Mix well and refrigerate.

After mixture is thoroughly chilled, make finger sized croquettes by roling them into little cyllinder shaped pieces. Rubbing small amount of vegetable oil in the palm of your hand helps keep mixture from sticking.

Dip each croquette first in egg, then the cracker meal, then the egg and then a final coating in cracker meal. Deep-fry several minutes until golden brown, but do not overcook. As they are done, lay on several layers of paper towels to drain off excess oil.

[foodiesleuth]

Peni, here is another recipe for apps.

There are two types of empanadas. Sweet or savory. This one is a savory one. You can use a pie dough recipe for the dough, but this is one I found in another site which is fast and easy. I have not tried making them this way, but cannot imagine why they would not work.

You can also use Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets for flakier empanadas. For apps, you can get 9 (2-bite) empanaditas from one sheet of puff pastry.

CUBAN EMPANADAS

8 large biscuits (large refrigerated ones are good)
1/2 pound ground meat (can use beef, chicken or turkey)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten

Brown ground meat and onions. Drain off any fat.
Add next three ingredients to meat.

Pat out biscuits 1/2" thick and put a large spoonful of meat mixture on each biscuit. Brush biscuit edges with egg, fold biscuit in half like you would a turnover, and crimp the edges sealed with a fork.

Bake at 375o F for 15 minutes on cookie sheet.

If using puff pastry, make sure that the crimped edges are tight, as the puff pastry will quadruple in height and tend to separate.

Other optional ingrediets that can be added to the meat mixture: chopped olives with pimento centers and/or raisins.

[foodiesleuth]

Here is another easy recipe. It comes from a little cookbook I bought about 20 some odd years ago......Secrets of Cuban Entertaining - long out of print.

AVOCADO MOUSSE (Mousse de Aguacate)

4 medium sized avocados
8 ounces sour cream
2 small onions, grated
2 Tablespoons lime juice
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup (8 ounces) mayonnaise
Salt to taste (*)
1/2 cup cold water
1-1/2 cups hot water
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin

Place all ingredients in a blender except water and gelatin.
Sprinkle gelatin into the half cup of cold water and then add the one
and-a-half cup of hot water until dissolved. Blend into the avocado mixture.
Pour into a ring mold and refrigerate until set (**)

SONIA'S NOTES: (*) all the recipes in the book actually give measurements
for salt, but I find them too salty for my taste. Don't add salt until you
have tasted the mixture after adding the Worcestershire Sauce.

(**)For ease of unmolding: spray vegetable oil spray inside the ring mold,
then pour the mixture in.

Extra Hint: I love to serve avocado mousse with a peppery watercress
mayonnaise. Just take a bunch of watercress, including stems and place
in processor or blender.

Chop it all up (you might have to add a little bit of mayonnaise at first for easier chopping) then add a cup or two (depends on how much watercress you have chopped) of mayonnaise and process again until well mixed.

Serve in a glass bowl next to the mousse or if you made the mousse in a ring mold, place the watercress mayo in a glass bowl in the center hole of the ring.....decorate with edible flowers, such as yellow marigold petals, or tiny buds of red geraniums for color contrast.