Blue Corn Crackers, Braised Bamboo Shoot, Baked Yuca Sticks, Vegan Pulled "Pork", Plum Parfaits

Vegan Pulled Pork Sandwich with Oven-baked Yuca Sticks

Vegan Pulled "Pork"  

Last year I showed you how to make Pulled Jackfruit -- a.k.a. Vegan Pulled "Pork".

(https://foodingaround-kiltedcook.blogspot.com/search?q=jackfruit).

It was so good, I'm doing it again1  Check out all the details in that post from last year.

Last week Michael from Pine Island Botanicals  harvested his biggest-ever Jackfruit -- 98 pounds!!   So I went to the Farmer's Market and pickup up about an 8lb slice;

After processing the green fruit slice I had about 6 pounds of ready-to-use pulled 'meat'.  So I diced up an onion and some garlic, sautéed them, them added the jackfruit.  After a few minutes of cooking I added "some" BBQ Sauce.  My new favorite is G. Hughestm Sugar Free, Original BBQ Sauce.  As the name sez, it's sugar-free -- more vinegary than sweet, and perfect to counter the natural sweetness of the jackfruit.

To accompany my Pulled "Pork" sandwiches, I made;

Baked Yuca Sticks -- can't call 'em 'fries' if they're baked!
That's Yuca, not Yucca.  Pronounced You-ka, not Yukk-a.  Yuca is a root vegetable; Yucca is not.  Yuca grows in the moist hot tropics; Yucca grows in the hot arid desert fringes.  Don't eat Yuca Raw; it's moderately poisonous unless cooked.  Don't eat Yucca at all, it's just nasty.    Yuca is also called Cassava or Manioc, and is the source of tapioca.

Now that we've got that out of the way, we're going to make Yuca Sticks, because you can't call them "fries" if they're baked!

I got this monster root from the Southwest Florida Produce Co-op, where we get most of our fruit and veg.  These yuca were grown locally.

Preparing the Root
First thing you have to do is cut the root into manageable lengths -- 4-6" is good.  I use a hacksaw.  If you had to you could use an oiled serrated knife, but a hacksaw is easier.

Now stand the sections on end and slice away that rough 'bark' with your chef's knife or a cleaver.

Leave the logs whole, and boil them for 20-30 minutes to soften them up so they're 'fork tender' half way to the core.  Drain and cool.

Once cool, you can cut the logs into sticks.  Start by quartering lengthwise. Then slice away the tough, stringy core.  After that cut the quarters into sticks.  You can store these par-cooked sticks over night and finish the cooking the next day.

Baking
Preheat your oven to 425F.  While that's going on prepare a baking sheet with no-stick spray or a piece of parchment paper.  Place the drained and patted dry yuca sticks in a large-ish bowl and either spray with a high-smoke-point oil, like Grapeseed oil, or toss with a tablespoon or two of the oil.  Coat the fries and they lay them out on the baking sheet with space between.  Dust with a spice blend like Everglades Seasoningtm.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes or so, then toss them and cook for another 15-20 minutes until nice and brown.  Serve hot from the oven.  A lemon or lime-mayo makes a nice dipping sauce rather than ketchup.  We also like Costa Rican Lizano Sauce as a dip for yuca sticks.

Plum Parfaits with Honey & Almonds
After a rich dinner like BBQ Jackfruit and Baked Yuca Sticks you want something light and a bit sweet to finish the meal.  These Plum Parfaits are quick, easy and just right!

2 firm Plums of choice, diced
1 Tbsp Honey of choice
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Lemon Zest
1-1/2 cups plain Icelandic or Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted.

Simmer the plums, honey and cinnamon in a splash of water until the plums get saucy.  Transfer to a bowl, add the lemon zest, and cool to room temperature.

To plate, layer spoonfuls of cooked plums with spoonfuls of yogurt, ending with plums, then top with toasted almonds before serving...


"And now for something completely different!"

Yóu Mèn Sun (Braised Bamboo Shoot)

I stopped at a local Farmer's Market the other day to get a few pounds of Jackfruit from my friends at Pine Island Botanicals.  And while I was there I saw these huge fresh Bamboo Shoots.  So I got one to show you Faithful Readers.  This is not those stringy metallic tasting things in a can that you add to stir fry.  This is a magnificent vegetable in its own right.

Preparing the Shoot

My shoot weighed in at 11 ounces after trimming the bottom clean.  Next step is to use a sharp knife to slice down the length of the shoot about 1/4" deep.  Use your fingertips to pull the outer "leaves" away exposing the creamy white interior.  

Now trim about an inch off the tip, and put in a pot of water to boil for at least 30 minutes.  Some species of bamboo contain high concentrations of cyanogenic glycosides which can produce cyanide!  However boiling the shoots for at least 30 minutes renders all species perfectly safe to eat.

Once drained and cooled, cut into convenient sized pieces.

The Braising 

I'm going to braise the bamboo shoot first, and then add other, separately-braised vegetables to make a complete dinner.  

3 Tbsp EVOO

2 thin slices of fresh Ginger

2 tsp Sugar

2 tsp Rice Wine

1 Tbsp dark Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

1 cup Water

Heat the oil and fry the ginger in it for about 30 seconds.  Then add the sugar and cook until it dissolves before adding the bamboo shoot pieces.  Stir and fry for a couple minutes until the edges start to brown.

Now add liquids and simmer everything together for about 10 minutes while the liquid reduces.

Remove the bamboo shoots and repeat the process with other vegetables.  I used:

Parcooked Baby Carrots

Whole Button Mushrooms

Sugar Snap Peas

Red & Green Bell Pepper strips

English Cucumber strips

Shallot

Blue Corn Crackers

I got a half-price deal on a bag of Harina de Maiz Azul -- blue corn flour.  It used to be that you only saw blue corn products on the Navajo Reservation --  because the Dineh had a more or less monopoly on the blue seed-corn.  Nowadays you find blue corn chips everywhere, and the harina is common in mercados and tiendas (Mexican stores).   These crackers, although round, aren't really tortillas or tostadas.  They're more of a gordita -- chubby.  Much thicker.  The smaller thicker ones have a softer center; the larger are more crispy like a tostada.

You can make these crackers with ordinary yellow masa -- but where's the fun in that?  Still, either color makes a healthier snack than tortilla chips.  This recipe makes about fifteen 3"diameter crackers.

1-1/2 cups Harina de Maiz Azul (blue corn flour)

1 tsp Cumin

2 tsp Mexican Spice blend or similar seasoning

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

3 Tbsp EVOO

1 cup Water, plus maybe a bit more...

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Mix together the dry ingredients.  Add the olive oil and water.  Just enough water to make a workable dough after you knead it for a minute or two in a blue corn floured bench.

Make the dough into thin flat bits.  I used my tortilla press and walnut sized lumps of dough.  I you don't have a press, roll the dough out to about 1/8" thin between sheets of wax paper and use a biscuit or cookie cutter to make your crackers.   Lay them out on a dry baking sheet.

Bake 15 minutes or until crisp and just beginning to brown on the edges.  Let cool enough that you don't burn your mouth before serving!  This recipe makes about 16 crackers 3" in diameter.