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Caribbean Vibes: Fried Yellow Plantains {Vegan, GF}

Hanukkah, Passover, Recipes, Sides /

Caribbean Vibes: Pan-Fried Yellow Plantains {Vegan, GF}

  • Last Modified: August 22, 2025

Pan-Fried Yellow Plantains are so easy and delicious! And with their crispy edges and lightly sweet flavor, they are the perfect side dish at any time.

When I was growing up, back in the Dominican Republic, I could clearly see in my family people having certain preferences. When gatherings came about, you either had a strong preference for stewed kidney beans, or you loved stewed pigeon peas. You either liked sweet cream of beans (made with red beans) or you ate the white version (made with broad beans) and the same was true for plantains. You either loved fritos maduros (fried yellow plantains) or you were team tostones (fried green plantains).

I remember always leaning towards “team tostones” (I love crunchy stuff!), but as I grew older I started to embrace those foods that were usually preferred by my sister, including pigeon peas and fried yellow plantains. Maybe is a sentimental thing. Who knows?!

When making fried yellow plantains, you need to choose the right ones, which will be yellow color and have very dark/black spots on them (like the picture below). The black spots are the perfect indicator that the plantains are ripe enough and perfect for this recipe. 

 

The perfect yellow plantain is also firm to the touch but no completely. It should feel ripe with a certain resistance. You don’t want a plantain that is too ripe (with the peel mostly black) because it will be difficult to slice, it won’t hold its shape when cooking, it will absorb a lot of oil and it will be mushy. If you have yellow plantains that are overly ripe, they won’t be good for this recipe but you can use them to make Vegan Banana Bread (using yellow plantains instead!)

 

When you go to certain supermarkets, you sometimes see yellow plantain with a perfect bright yellow peel. If you buy those, wait for a few days until it ripens a bit more and you can see black spots. If you cook them right away, the fried yellow plantains won’t have the soft interior and caramelized flavor that is so characteristic.

Caribbean Vibes: Pan-Fried Yellow Plantains {Vegan, GF}

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Caribbean, Dominican Republic

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Ripe Yellow Plantains
  • Pinch of salt
  • Vegetable oil (for frying)

Instructions
 

  • Before starting, have a plate with paper towels ready in the counter to drain excess oil.
  • Heat the vegetable oil
  • Peel and cut the yellow plantains as desired (lengthwise, round or at an angle)
  • Fry the plantain slices over medium-low heat until brown on the bottom. Turn over and cook the other size until golden brown.
  • Carefully remove the plantains fron the oil, with the help of tongs or a slotted spoon, and place over paper towels to drain for a minute or two.
  • You can now season with a pinch of salt, if desired. Preferably, serve immediately.
Keyword caribbean, Plantains

Did you try this recipe?
Share your photos with us on social media by using the hashtag #kasheribbean. We want to feature you!  And don’t forget to follow along on instagram and pinterest for more tips, recipes and inspiration.

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Simplified Caribbean Style Stewed Pigeon Peas using canned Pigeon Peas {Vegan}

Passover, Recipes, Sides /

Simplified Caribbean Style Stewed Pigeon Peas {using Canned Pigeon Peas}

When I was a child, in my mind, the Dominican Republic was clearly divided into 3 groups of people: the stewed kidney beans lovers, like me and my grandpa. The pigeon peas lovers, like my sister and my mom; and the “undecided”, who loved  every legume on earth; including split peas, chickpeas and lentils that I hated at the time. As I grew older, and moved around different countries, the flavors from home became very dear to me, so I opened my heart and tummy even for those dishes I didn’t enjoy at the time, and my love for traditional foods grew from there. 

In this recipe for Caribbean Style Stewed Pigeon Peas I use canned pigeon peas to make it easier and more convenient if you are abroad. You can often find canned pigeon peas in some African shops and latin mini markets in cities like Rotterdam and Antwerp. Even some surinamese shops sell it sometimes. If by any chance you come across frozen pigeon peas, you can grab those as well. Just rinse before using, and keep in mind the cooking time is going to increase. 

Probably the most important steps for this Caribbean Style Stewed Pigeon Peas are the preparation of the garlic-oregano base, and the blending of the veggies and some legumes. Keep that in mind if you want to have authentic flavor and texture. 

Simplified Caribbean Style Stewed Pigeon Peas {Vegan}

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Lunch
Cuisine Dominican Republic

Ingredients
  

  • 1200 gr Pigeon Peas, canned
  • 30 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil (2 Tbsp)
  • 20 gr Fresh garlic cloves
  • 10 gr Dried Oregano
  • 50 gr Yellow onion, cut in half
  • 1 Green bell pepper, cut in half
  • 10 gr Fresh Cilantro (also known as Coriander and Chinese Parsley)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a mortar and pestle, crush garlic and dried oregano with a pinch of salt, into a paste.
  • Add the olive oil in the pot and cook the garlic-oregano paste on low flame until fragrant.
  • Add the canned pigeon peas, and the rest of the ingredients, except for the salt. Cook on medium-low with the lid on for about 20 minutes.
  • Remove the lid, and with a soup ladle take one full spoonful of pigeon peas and add to a blender, together with the cooked onion, green bell pepper and cilantro. Blend until smooth. You can add a little bit of the liquid to avoid overheating the blender.
  • Add the blended mixture back to the pot and let it cook for a few more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve with white rice, salad and fried yellow plantains on the side. Enjoy!
Keyword legumes, pigeon peas

Have you make this recipe or any other from the blog? Use the tag #kasheribbean to share on social media and, don’t forget to follow on instagram and pinterest for more! 

 

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Dominican Stewed Kidney Beans {Vegan, GF}

Passover, Recipes, Sides /

Dominican Stewed Kidney Beans {Vegan, Gluten-Free}

  • Last Modified: August 22, 2025

These dominican style Stewed Kidney Beans are the perfect companion to fresh and steamy white rice. We chose kidney beans for this particular recipe, because of their robust and earthly flavor as well as their creamy texture. Kidney beans are also full of nutrients, versatile and easily available, but you can also use small red beans, or pinto beans if that’s what you have available. 

When buying kidney beans (or any beans for that matter) is important to look for dried beans that are clean and unbroken. Beans and packaging should be free from mold or insect damage, and you should avoid anything with a humid or musty odor. If you can, choose beans packaged in airtight or sealed bags to maintain freshness. Fresher beans will cook fasted and more evenly, and will have better flavor.

Store dried beans in a cool, dry place in an airtight container to maintain their quality and freshness. Cooked beans can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you want to keep for longer, store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. 

How to make Dominican Stewed Kidney Beans

In order to make stewed kidney beans, you’ll need to first soak the beans overnight. Once the beans are all hydrated (they will almost double in size), discard the water, rinse the beans, add the beans to a pot, cover with fresh water and boil the beans on medium-high until they are fork tender. This could take somewhat between 1 hour to 2 hours. Alternatively, you can cook the beans with a pressure cooker, if you have one. 

 

Once the kidney beans are tender, is time to make the base of your stew with a simple but powerful trio: olive oil, minced garlic and dried oregano. This is seriously the base of any delicious stewed beans, so don’t skip this important step!

 

One unconventional but important addition to these stewed kidney beans are bell pepper cores. If you don’t do this already, hear me out and save those beauties, because they take any stewed beans to the next level. I like to clean mine from seeds and the stems, after which I keep in the freezer on an airtight container for future use. 

These are my little secrets to make dominican style stewed kidney beans. Now that you know them, there’s no excuse for you to make delicious stewed beans over and over again. 

Dominican style Stewed Kidney Beans

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Course Lunch
Cuisine Dominican Republic

Ingredients
  

  • 1,200 gr Kidney beans From 1 Kg soaked overnight, drained and cooked with a pinch of salt
  • 30 gr garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 gr dried oregano leaved (about 1 Tbsp) Dried leaves not powder
  • 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 30 gr Yellow onion about 1 medium
  • 20 gr Red bell pepper
  • 1 Bell pepper core, seedless
  • 1/2 Tbsp Sweet Paprika (optional)
  • Fresh cilantro if you can't find it, feel free to use fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add Olive oil to a pot and cook minced garlic and oregano on low, until fragrant. This will take 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the cooked kidney beans, onion (leave it whole), bell pepper, sweet paprika powder and parsley. Simmer on medium low for about 30 min or until the vegetables are soft.
  • Take out the onion, bell pepper and parsley, with approximately 1/2 cup of the liquid and beans, and blend until smooth.
  • Strain the vegetable mixture you just blended over the rest of the beans. Add salt (about 1/3 to 1/2 Tbsp for this amount of beans would be enough).
  • Continue to cook the beans for a few more minutes until it thickens to your liking (keep in mind they will thicken even more when cool)

Notes

-  1 Kg of dried kidney beans, will yield approximately 1200 gr of cooked beans. You can use it all for this recipe.
 
Keyword beans, caribbean cuisine, lunch

If you make this Dominican Stewed Kidney beans, or any other recipe from the blog, don’t forget to use the hashtag #kasheribbean to share your pictures, and don’t forget to follow along on instagram and pinterest for more easy recipes.

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Classic Stuffed Peppers with Spinach & Dill {Vegan, GF}

Passover, Shabbath, Sides, Sukkoth /

Today we are making Stuffed Peppers!

I tried Stuffed Peppers and I failed miserably

Somewhere in May, one random ereb shabbath, my creative energy was not flowing AT ALL. After a while I decided I was going to make Vegan Stuffed Peppers for shabbath, since I had what I needed: Peppers and rice. Right? Wrong!! 

Usually, when people realize that I “can cook” they automatically assume all I do is good and perfect from the first time, but the truth is good food is a beautiful leaning process. Some get it easily the first time, and other after a few tries. You are now a witness; the first time I made stuffed peppers it was for sure a total disaster. For some reason (maybe all those 30 seconds insta videos are guilty lol) I believed stuffed peppers was about just peppers and any rice, so I tried with basmati and I failed miserably.  

I love Basmati rice. It has beautiful aroma, cooks easily, fluffy and separate which makes it perfect for salads and pilafs, but definitely not so good for stuffed peppers. As you can see in the picture above, the rice looks dry (it was actually crispy) and it was not holding together, as it should when making stuffed peppers, so the perfect rice to make stuffed peppers (and also dolmas, stuffed cabbage, and more) is risotto rice. 

Want more risotto rice recipes? Check out our Vegan Beer & Almonds Risotto 

The Basics of Stuffed Peppers

The good thing about Stuffed Peppers is that, apart from the rice, there is really not “basics”…. Well, maybe there are a few “must”, and they are: 

  1. Add salt and pepper to the interior of your Peppers: this can be easily forgotten but it is so important! Just sprinkle a little salt in the interior of each pepper and you are good to go. 
  2. Always keep your Pepper tops!: They would act like lids and will prevent a crust on the top of the rice . 
  3. Cut a little bit of the bottom, so the peppers stand on the baking dish.
  4. Pack the rice tightly in each cavity. If you don’t want to serve too much rice, use smaller peppers. 
  5. Place the stuffed peppers tightly in the baking dish. This will help the peppers hold their shape while baking. 


Bonus Tip! Don’t throw away the peppers core! Remove the seeds and store in the freezer on resealable bags. They give amazing flavor and aroma to any stew, specially stewed kidney beans. Nom nom!  

How to Make Stuffed Peppers

Because this is a very basic Stuffed Peppers recipe, I used 3 simple ingredients for my rice: onions, spinach and fresh dill. 

Basically, I sauteed the onions until lightly golden. Added the risotto rice, spinach, dill and salt to taste. Cook until most of the water is absorbed. Then, cover with the lid and cook on low until the rice is al dente. 

What you need to do next is to stuff the peppers, place the pepper caps on top, and bake until the peppers are tender.  

When you make this recipe or any other from the blog, use the tag #kasheribbean. And, don’t forget to follow on instagram and pinterest to keep up with our easy recipes from us and the blogosphere!


 

As you can see, Stuffed Peppers are easy to make and you can play with the fillings as much as you want, so the combinations are endless. Play around with your favorite ingredients and let us know the most exciting combos you come up with! 

Until next time! 😉  

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Vegan Beer & Almonds Risotto

Recipes, Rosh HaShanah, Shabbath, Shabuoth, Sides, Sukkoth /


A few weeks ago I made proper risotto for the first time, and today I bring you the results: A delicious, easy, vegan with Gluten Free option Beer & Almonds Risotto!

The inspiration behind this Beer & Almonds Risotto 

Back in march this year, we went to Portugal, and after spending the whole day walking and exploring the city of Lisbon, we had a lovely dinner under the stars. On the menu, one dish catches my attention: Almond Risotto.

When I saw that perfectly cooked, creamy and absolutely delicious risotto, my mind immediately took me back in time to when I was twelve. The time when we met Tio Mario (uncle Mario, whose real name was Mario Autore).

Tio Mario was an old man that lived in our building, originally from Napoli, Italy. Everyone’s perception was that Tio Mario was just a difficult man. He barely talked to anyone, and he didn’t have family and friends in the country.

After a few weeks, my mom realized they had met before, back when my mother was studying at university. He was a restaurant owner, his restaurant was near the university and my mom went there often. That realization evolved into instant connection. That old, lonely man started cooking for us every week, we started visiting often, to the point that if we were not at home, we were with Tio Mario. We soon became family. 

Endless pastas… and, risottos

The first thing we tried from Tio Mario, was pasta! Now you know my little secret: my appreciation for pasta recipes comes from those memories. My LOVE for culinary arts was also born and grown since the day I met Tio Mario, because he not just started cooking for us, but when I told him I wanted to be a chef, he soon welcomed me into his kitchen, and became my mentor.  

Endless kind of pastas, risottos, pasta, sauces, snacks and desserts, became part of our lives and memories, alongside our newly added family member! 🙂 He was 84 by the way!! 

Check out the perfect companion of pasta with tomato sauce! The Ultimate Vegan Meatballs 

The inspiring picture 

Few weeks ago, on a random day, I was thinking of Tio Mario and I thought of the risotto we had back in Lisbon. When I saw the picture I captured after the one of the risotto, the idea hit me. I didn’t have white wine so I would make BEER & Almonds risotto 😛

The inspiring glass of beer

I don’t know why I was so intimidated by the idea, because it ended up being so easy to make! You just need to start with the right rice, risotto rice , and you have won half the battle. 

How to Make Beer & Almonds Risotto



To make this Beer & Almonds Risotto, I started by dry-roasting some silvered almonds on the pan, until they were light golden brown and fragrant. Once they were done, I set aside, added some olive oil to the pan and sauteed some shallots. 

Once the shallots were fragrant and translucent, I added the risotto rice and this is when the fun starts. You start by adding the alcohol, seasonings and the stock, stir and stir, until the ingredients transform into a yummy, creamy al-dente risotto. 

It would have not been possible for me to have a great Beer & Almonds Risotto without Gennaro Contaldo’s fantastic tutorial on how to make Risotto Bianco. 

Sometimes it saddens me that Tio Mario passed away four years after we met him. It also saddens me that I don’t remember all the names of the dishes, or the flavors of many. Despite that, I keep his memory alive, and every time I cook or see any resemblance of Italian gastronomy, I think of my beloved Tio Mario. 

When you make this recipe or any other from the blog, use the tag #kasheribbean. And, don’t forget to follow on instagram and pinterest to keep up with our easy recipes from us and the blogosphere! 

Do you have food memories that you cherish? I bet you do!! Never take them for granted and express your  gratitude and love for them on every possible opportunity! Until next time! 😉  

 

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Creamed Potatoes {Vegan, GF}

Passover, Recipes, Shabbath, Shabuoth, Sides /

One of the easiest side dishes on the planet: Yummy Vegan Creamed Potatoes. Versatile, kid-friendly, delicious and also budget-friendly. There’s nothing that can go wrong with this dish.

This is another one of those recipes that has been waiting to be published for months. I first came out with these Vegan Creamed Potatoes one ereb shabbath, when I needed that “little extra” because I felt something was missing for the Shabbat dinner. I quickly thought about what can be done with what I had on hand, and that was it. 

My husband says it is obvious I have ancestry from eastern and central Europe, because I love my potatoes, lol. I mean, they are just so versatile. Am I right? 😛  If you love potatoes as much as I do, also check out our super easy Lemony Potato Salad. I will eat those two dishes every other day if I could!  

As I told you already, this Vegan Creamed Potatoes are extremely easy to make. Just gather your ingredients, boil the potatoes for a few minutes (This is what I like to do so I don’t end up with raw potatoes and dried sauce, but I guess you can do this if you have a mandoline), mix the ingredients for the sauce, cook a bit on the oven, and voila! Creamed Potatoes ready to enjoy! 🙂 

Let’s talk about the ingredients…

Simple ingredients. Great results

For the Vegan Creamed Potatoes you’ll need just a handful of ingredients: coconut milk (Do you realize already I love coconut?), nutritional yeast, mustard, nutmeg, some flour and a touch of salt and pepper. 

Those few ingredients will give you a delicious white sauce that you will use to dress up the humble potatoes. 

This particular time I used mini potatoes, that I cleaned well before boiling for about 10 minutes. I left them whole and with the skin on for this occasion because I was out of time, and also because I wanted to give another look to these Vegan Creamed Potatoes, but you can also peel the skin off and slice to make like a more traditional scalloped potatoes dish. 

Nutritional yeast + mustard + nutmeg, is a key combo for this recipe. I find that these 3 ingredients combined add a subtle but fantastic flavor to this dish. I hope you like it as much as I do.

If for any reason you want to make this paleo-friendly, use tapioca starch instead of cornstarch, and you are good to go. 



What would you pair these Vegan Creamed Potatoes with?? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to share pictures with the hashtag #kasheribbean, when you make this recipe. Follow up on instagram and pinterest to keep up with other quick and easy recipes from us and the blogosphere! 

Until next time! 😉 

 

 

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Lemony Potato Salad

Passover, Recipes, Salads, Shabbath, Sides /

A humble Lemony Potato Salad get a punch of flavor from lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley. Keep reading to get the recipe. 

To be honest, this recipe has been sitting on my drafts for over a month now. I made it when the days where way too hot, so it was sitting there while I tried to bring other more “summer friendly” dishes to my table and the blog. 

At the end of the day I posted a very fresh Grilled Eggplant & Avocado Salad two weeks ago, and then decided to take a week off as I was setting up the website for the home-based cake business I just started. Yay!. That was a little bit stressful. 


I think this came to be actually the perfect time to post this Lemony Potato Salad because this salad portraits the transition on the weather I am experiencing here right now. It has the bright lemony flavor characteristic of sunny days, but it is also satisfying and filling, sort of a comfort food you’ll want to eat on a much cooler, rainy days. 

Let’s talk about the ingredients…

Simple ingredients. Great results

For this Lemony Potato Salad I used the most humble ingredients you can think of, but they blend beautifully to give you the perfect, but not overpowering, tangy lemony flavor that goes very well with potatoes.  

To get the most amount of juice from the lemon don’t forget to press a little bit against the kitchen counter.

For this particular salad I peeled the potatoes, and cook until they are fork tender. The reason why I peeled is because I want to mash a bit of the potatoes, and that little mash, when mixed with the egg yolks, mayo and mustard, will add to the creamy texture without adding too much mayonnaise. 

To get perfect hard boiled eggs for this, or any recipe, place the room temperature eggs on a pot filled with water (make sure the water covers the eggs) and put over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat, and let it cook for 6 minutes. Get off the heat and cool off the eggs with cold water. Peel off and they are ready to use. When you cut in half you should be able to see a beautiful, perfectly cooked, creamy and bright yellow yolk. 

Mayo, mustard, onion and lemon are the main seasoning for this salad. I love how these 4 ingredients marry together to compliment the creamy potatoes. 

Yes! I also chopped the stalk of the fresh parsley

Finally, we have sweet peas and parsley. The fresh parsley has a peppery taste that goes really well with the lemon juice and zest. That combo is what gives you the bright flavor of this salad.

On the other hand, the sweet peas add a little bit of sweetness and a pop of color. I always put the frozen sweet peas to a strainer, and then add the hot potatoes on top. While the potatoes cool down, the sweet peas will defrost.   

How do you love your potato salad? Let us know across social media with your delicious pictures and by sharing with your friends and family!! Follow on instagram and pinterest where we share our favorite quick and easy recipes from the blogosphere! We appreciate your support!

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Spicy Roasted Potatoes {Vegan, GF}

Passover, Recipes, Shabbath, Sides /

Hello there! Today, I am sharing with you the most amazing Spicy Roasted Potatoes. Super easy to make and super flavorful. Spicy Roasted Potatoes are the best side dish for any occasion and team up really well with any dip or even salad.

Let me start by saying, I LOVE Roasted Potatoes! They are so versatile and can be paired with pretty much anything you please, and even though, potatoes have to deal with some criticism for being “high” in carbs, in the end they are not so different than sweet potatoes!

Let me continue by saying that even though I am not a person who loves (or even can eat) spicy food, this spice blend bring the whole potato game to a whole new level!

Check out other side dishes from the blog: Stuffed Onions with Kale & Onions,  Moroccan Carrot Salad & Ripe Plantains and Eggplant Casserole.

I went to a Morrocan shop

The other day, I went to a Morocco shop and while looking for za’atar, I found a shawarma blend.

This blend has chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, all spice, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. My first thought was using it for some chicken but a few days later, it happened…

We already pointed out, I am a fan of potatoes specially those with Za’atar (a middle eastern blend made of sumac, thyme, oregano, lemon zest and roasted sesame seeds). I usually just sprinkle the za’atar over the potatoes, drizzle with a little olive oil and salt; and to the oven they go.

But, this time, when I was about to enter the potatoes in the oven, it hit me: why not to add shawarma blend to the potatoes? So, I did. It was so incredibly good, the next day I tried again to take notes and take some pics 😛 Between those two days I certainly had a potato overdose 🙂 but it was oh-so-worthy!

The Spice Blend

To make these spicy roasted potatoes I used two blends: za’atar and shawarma mix, but don’t panic; you can always make those blends at home with the right ingredients.

As I mentioned before, za’atar is a delicious mix of sumac, thyme, oregano, lemon zest and toasted sesame seeds (at least the one I got from Israel). I haven’t personally made this myself as I haven’t had the opportunity to find sumac but, you can easily find za’atar seasoning already prepared in middle eastern shops or in the ethnic section of some supermarkets.

The shawarma mix, is easier to make as the ingredients are more common. I found this recipe for shawarma mix with similar ingredients of the blend I bought, although it doesn’t contain garlic or onion powders, but you get the idea.

I also added some paprika for color sake, some dill weed I dried myself, just because 😉 and, of course, some salt.

What potatoes to use?

To be honest, I don’t know much about potatoes. The most I know is that I want these spicy roasted potatoes to hold their shape well, be crusty on the outside (this is one of the reasons I leave the skin on) and soft (but not mushy) on the inside.

For those reasons mentioned above, I usually go for Yukon potatoes for  roasting or I will just pick up any kind of potato as long as is not russet (because I find those too starchy, and the final texture is too mushy, so not the best for roasting).

Once you’ve got your potatoes, you know how it goes: mix in some spices and herbs, add some olive oil and bake.

I added a great deal of spices, so the potatoes ended up with spice “clusters” all over so to speak, but it was awesome because they were like little bombs of flavor in your mouth. So good.

Do you love recipes like this? Let us know across social media! We are on instagram and pinterest sharing our favorite quick and easy recipes!. Don’t be shy and also share with your friends and family. We really appreciate it!

Until next time!

 

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Cassava Pancakes with Beefless Ground Beef {Gluten Free, Dairy Free with vegan option}

Recipes, Sides /

Hello, there! Today I was feeling the blues, so here we are with another “Caribbean Vibes” post about Cassava Pancakes. Never heard about Cassava or Yuca? Don’t worry, you’ll learn a bit about it today.

What about Cassava?

Cassava (also known as yuca, tapioca or manioc), is a perennial bush, native to the tropical area of the Americas. Its main edible part is the root, although the leaves are also suitable for animal and human consumption. Its exterior is brown, often sold covered in wax for longer shelf life, and its interior is white.

In Dominican Republic it was used by the Taínos (indigenous people that lived in what is today Dominican Republic-Haiti before the arrival of Columbus in the 15th century) as the main ingredient for casabe (crunchy flatbread made from finely shredded cassava, with the starch removed). Today, cassava remains an important part of the diet in the island, and its starch is used in the textile industry and to manufacture paper and adhesives.

Cassava is the perfect ingredient if you need a simple food that will keep you full for a long time, because it is rich in complex carbs – starch (which we dominicans love!); and, with no gluten involved which makes it easily digested.

Buying and Storing Cassava

The best cassava you can find on the market is smooth and bright white inside, with no bruises or black veins. Only way to know in you spotted good cassava is by snapping the ends or by asking kindly to the vendor to cutting it in half.

If for some reason you buy cassava and it has some minor black veins, it won’t be good for boiling to make purees or stews; but you can still use it for hash browns or pancakes, as long as it doesn’t smell bad.

To preserve the cassava for longer time, you can always peel and rinse, then cut lengthwise to remove the  woody core and freeze.

When cooking in stews, you can add it from the freezer straight away to the pot. If, on the other hand, you are preparing these pancakes, let the cassava thaw a little and follow the directions as normal.

Preparing the Cassava

There is no rocket science needed to make Cassava pancake. You literally need just 4 ingredients, maybe 5; if you want to get fancy, and you’ll also need a guayo (box grater) or a food processor, to finely shred the cassava. The process is super straight-forward: peel, grate, mix, cook, enjoy!

For those of you who don’t know, this is the guayo… 🙂

To peel the cassava, cut off both end; then, cut lengthwise through the brown bark and under the pink skin that is under the bark. Pull off with a kitchen knife to loosen the skin. Rinse with cold water before cooking.

How to make Cassava Pancakes

This recipe is incredibly easy to make. You just need grated cassava, egg (or flax egg, to make vegan), salt and pepper.

To make a flax egg, mix 1 Tablespoon of flax seeds meal with 3 Tbsp of warm water, and let sit for about 5 minutes. By that time it will have a thick, gel-like consistency. Add this to the cassava.

To shape the pancakes, I took a spoonful of the mixture and placed it in a hot skillet with a teaspoon of coconut oil. I flatten it out the “dough” with the back of the spoon and let it cook on medium low until the bottom was golden. Flip and let cook for another 2 minutes on the other side, and they are ready for you to enjoy.

This recipe yields 6 pancakes but you can easily double or triple according to your needs.

Meatless meat in the making

Cassava is very forgiving and goes well with pretty much anything, but to accompany these cassava pancakes I made some “beefless ground beef”, basically because I was trying to get the idea out of my head . The ingredients and directions are the same as the ingredients of our Ultimate Vegan Meatballs, with a few tweaks:

  • Make just half of the recipe
  • Substitute quick cooking oats with a mix of ground almonds and walnuts.
  • Don’t add the extra water  (I wanted a more chunky consistency, so the water wasn’t necessary).
  • Follow the directions up until the food processor part, then, put it back on the pan, mixed with the ground nuts and cooked for an extra 2 minutes.

If you want more details on how to make this beefless ground beef, go and visit the Ultimate Vegan Meatballs post 😉

I have to say that the combo of cassava pancakes with the meatless ground beef was excellent and it seriously kept me full for the whole day! Total win!

This is it for today, guys. Hope you enjoy this extremely easy recipe as much as I enjoy sharing it with you (and eating it! lol) If you want to see more recipes like this, let us know in the comment section or head over instagram to let us know! We are also on pinterest, sharing our favorite recipes from the blogosphere! Don’t forget to share with your friends, and why not, make them some cassava pancakes 😉

Until next time!

Hannah

Cassava Pancakes with Beefless Ground Beef {Gluten Free, Dairy Free with vegan option} Read More »