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 :) 

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Toasted Coconut Mochi

Toasted Coconut Mochi 

Servings: One 9x11 Pyrex Dish

My partner fell in love with this chewy Japanese treat while we were living in Waikiki on Oahu. Since we're pretty far out in the country on the Big Island, I decided to make it at home for a fun Saturday night dessert after spending the afternoon at the beach with some friends. A sweet neighbor shared her family recipe with me which proved to be quite yummy! 

Ingredients: 

1 box of Mochiko (Sweet Rice Four)

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 Can of Coconut Milk

3/4 cup of Non-Dairy Milk (I used Almond Milk)

1 1/2 cups of Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 Cups of Toasted Coconut

Coconut Oil Spray (or other non-stick agent)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine. 

3. Meanwhile, it's time to toast the coconut. Place the coconut shreds in a frying pan and turn heat on stove to low. Be sure to watch the coconut as it will burn quickly. As the pan begins to heat, the coconut shreds will turn a light golden color. Stir the coconut to ensure equal heat distribution. This takes about 3-4 minutes depending on the strength of your burner/stove. The coconut is done toasting when it becomes a deep golden color. It will become fragrant as well. Transfer it immediately to the bowl containing the dry ingredients as it will continue to cook if left in the hot pan. 

4. Combine your wet ingredients in the larger of your two mixing bowls. 

5. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until smooth (there will be flakes of coconut but we don't want any other chunks in there). 

6. Transfer the whole mixture into your greased (I prefer using coconut oil spray) pyrex and cover with a baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes. 

7. After 50 minutes is up, carefully remove from the oven and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of toasted coconut evenly on the mochi. Return to the oven and cook, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. 

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely (about 1 hour) before cutting into rectangles and enjoy! 

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