Okinawan Sweet Potato & Cilantro Quesadillas

Okinawan Sweet Potato & Cilantro Quesadillas 

Servings: 2

This recipe stemmed from a fridge full of veggies from the farmers market that needed to get used in a pinch. Feel free to experiment with different combinations of sweet and savory, spicy and subtle, or anything else that your creative little mind can come up with! 

Ingredients:

1/8 Cup Vegan Cream Cheese (We prefer Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese)

4 Sprouted Grain Tortillas 

1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro (Plus more for garnishing if you're a big cilantro fan like us)

1/2 Cup Cooked and Prepared Okinawan Sweet Potatoes (See our note below for details about how to prepare this)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preparation: 

1. To create the sweet potato portion of this meal, you'll need about 6 small potatoes or 3 large. Okinawans look similar to other sweet potato varieties on the outside, however, when cut open they reveal their bright purple centers. Start a pot of boiling water and thoroughly wash the exteriors of the potatoes. Carefully slice them into 1/4 inch pieces (the smaller the pieces, the faster the potatoes will cook) and submerge in the water. Cook for about 10 - 15 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Be sure to check for done ness before straining and transferring to a bowl for mashing. 

2. After transferring the strained potatoes into a medium sized mixing bowl, add 2 Tbsp of Earth Balance Butter, 1/8 Cup Coconut Milk and mash until smooth. When only a few small chunks remain, add salt and pepper to taste and mix again. 

3. Now that the sweet potatoes are ready, it's time to prep the quesadillas! Warm a frying pan over medium heat while getting everything together for the quesadillas. 

4. On a smooth surface, spread a layer of the sweet potato mixture onto one half of the sprouted grain quesadilla. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and cover the remaining half with a thin layer of cream cheese. 

5. Carefully fold the tortilla in half and transfer it to the warmed frying pan. Depending on the heat of your stove, each side should take between 2 - 3 minutes. The quesadilla is ready to go once the side on the pan is a nice golden color. A few dark toasty spots are okay too. (We use propane so that the heat is easier to monitor, so keep an eye on electric stoves as they have a tendency to heat up quickly and be a bit more tricky to adjust in temperature once they get going.)

6. As the first quesadilla is cooking, start the prep line for the other three. At this point in the meal, it's fun to get others involved in the putting together process so if you have little ones or other hungry folks around, this is a good station for them to work at with all of the ingredients ready to go. Also, if you are cooking with little ones, it's a good idea to create your quesadilla prep station a distance away from the stove :) 

7. After they are done cooking, transfer them to a cutting board, slice into fun little triangles and get your tasty dipping sauces ready! We enjoyed this combination with fresh guacamole, pineapple salsa, and cayenne lime black beans :)