Cassava - Recipes and nutritional information

Manioc are great sources of complex carbohydrate (starch and fiber): 100 grams offers about 150 calories; significant amounts of vitamins C and Complex B; as well as minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and manganese. Its consumption is indicated for all ages, including for diabetics, as it releases glucose more slowly into the body, reducing blood glucose spikes and prolonging satiety.

We can separate the different species of this tuberous root, by their culinary or industrial use:

- Macaxeira, Table Cassava, Sweet, Mansa or Aipim: this is widely used in culinary preparations. Its pulp may be white or more yellowish, which means, higher concentration of beta-carotene, precursor of vitamin A.

- Cassava Brava or Bitter (toxic): to become suitable for consumption, goes through a complex process to extract the poison and reduce toxicity, so the broth (tucupi) can be used in several recipes and the starch is destined for manufacture of flour, tapioca and starches.

Let's take advantage of Macaxeira and test different ways to include it in preparations. The recipes were chosen from SESI's "Feed yourself well" book, which in 2004 emphasized Macaxeira dishes in his special notebook.

- Cassava juice

Ingredients:

Cooked macaxeira: 2 cups of tea
Milk powder: ½ cup of tea
Water: 4 cups tea
Sugar: 1 cup of tea

Method of preparation:

Beat all ingredients and refrigerate. Serve cold.

SUGGESTED NUTRI: reduce the amount by half of the refined sugar and replace with the crystal or demerara. Beat with passion fruit, mango, strawberry, banana or with the fruit of your preference for a delicious vitamin.

- Mandioqueijo

Ingredients:

Macaxeira: 1 cup of tea
Egg: 1 unit
Wheat flour: 4 tablespoons
Margarine: 2 tablespoons
Grated parmesan cheese: to brown
Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

Cook the casserole until it is chopped. Knead and add just the yolk. Then stir in margarine and flour. Check the salt. Grease a shape and preheat the oven to 180oC. Make balls, grease in the white and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes. Serve still warm.

NUTRI SUGGESTION: Substitute whole wheat flour and add 2 tablespoons grated white cheese in batter. So your mandioqueijo will be even more delicious and nutritious!

- The Bounty Hunter

Ingredients:
Cassava: 1 ½ cup of tea
Margarine: 2 tablespoons
Sugar: 10 tablespoons
Milk powder: 1 cup of tea
Chocolate powder: 3 tablespoons
Granulated chocolate: 5 tablespoons

Method of preparation:

Cook the casserole until it is chopped. Drain well and knead until smooth. Add margarine and other ingredients. Mix well and bring to low heat until the mixture starts to loosen from the bottom of the pan. Model the sweets and put them in the granules.

NUTRI SUGGESTION: With light margarine or coconut oil, your recipe can be even healthier, forget the chocolate granulated and use the cocoa powder in the dough and to pass the balls.

By Andreia Cristina. Master in Food and Nutrition - CRN 3/19360. Text originally published in the Bora Magazine - issue 14 - Nov / Dec 2015