Laroot’s stuffed cassava croquette draws inspiration from a traditional Highland Ecuadorian dish called llapingachos—fried potato pancakes filled with cheese, scallions, and spices. Emblematic of the city of Ambato, where the modern version of the dish was developed, llapingachos actually have pre-Columbian roots (the word “llapin” is Kichwa for “to smash”). We substitute calcium-containing cassava root for the potato in the batter, and fill the center of the croquette with our signature meat alternative of lentil, sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin seed, garlic and basil. Rich in fiber, beta carotene, magnesium, and vitamin K, the filling gets an additional helping of calcium from queso. In keeping with tradition, the croquette is paired with a seasonal-vegetable salad high in lycopene, vitamin K, and potassium, which we recommend drizzling with our jalapeño-spiced avocado dressing.