Ciro’s (Lancaster, PA)

Ciro’s (Lancaster, PA)

My husband and I drove to Lancaster, PA to celebrate his sister’s birthday.  She chose the restaurant, Ciro’s, for dinner.  The restaurant is in a complex that includes apartments, townhomes, and a few shops on the first floor of the apartments.  The lighting was dim in this large restaurant and there was a lot of seating.  We were ushered into a private room (there were 9 of us total). 

There were  a lot of vegetarian options, but I chose salad and a pizza.  The Arugula and Roasted Pear salad looked too good to pass up - baby arugula with honey roasted pear and parmesan cheese tossed with honey-champagne vinaigrette.  The arugula was fresh and crisp and the honey roasted pear was absolutely delicious.  The pear was firm and sweet.  There were large parmesan cheese shavings topping the salad and a drizzle of honey-champagne vinaigrette finished it off.  The vinaigrette was awesome and perfectly complemented the honey roasted pear.  The salad was lightly dressed and nothing got soggy.

As my main dish, I had the Verdura alla Griglia pizza.  I ordered the personal-size pie that had a medley of vegetables, roasted onions, roasted garlic and mozzarella cheese.  Unfortunately, my pizza came out very well done.  The waitress offered to take it back, but everybody else was already eating, so I just kept it.  It tasted like fire.  I’m sure that it would have been better (especially with the roasted onions and garlic), but it was difficult to fully enjoy it.  The center of the pie wasn’t too bad, so I cut off the crust and “bottom” third of the pizza so that I could at least eat some of it.  That part was savory and soft.

The restaurant has its own gelato case and you can go up and order your own.  I had a mixture of peanut butter and chocolate – a perfect ending compared to the disaster of a main course that I just had.  If I go to Ciro’s again, I will skip the pizza!

Cheesy Pumpkin Lentil Pot Pies

Cheesy Pumpkin Lentil Pot Pies (from Amuse Your Bouche, Servings: 2, Total Time: 50 minutes)

Ingredients

·         ¼ cup red lentils

·         1 cup vegetable stock

·         Black pepper

·         ½ tsp dried thyme

·         3 Tbsp. (heaped) pumpkin purée

·         1/8 cup vegetarian parmesan-style cheese, finely grated

·         1/3 sheet puff pastry, thawed

·         1 Tbsp. milk

Directions

1.       Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2.       Combine the lentils and vegetable stock.  Simmer gently until the lentils are soft and not much liquid remains. Make sure you stir to keep the lentils from sticking to the pan.

3.       Add the black pepper, thyme, pumpkin purée and parmesan, and mix well until the cheese has melted. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4.       Spray two large ramekins (or one dish) with non-stick cooking spray.

5.       Roll out the pastry until it’s about 2 times as thin as it was frozen.

6.       Distribute the lentil mixture into bowls and drape the pastry over the top. Press it down firmly around the edge of the bowls. Either cut the excess pastry off or leave a little excess over the edges (I left the excess).

7.       Cut a couple of small slits in each piece of pastry, and brush with milk.

8.       Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

My husband and I both really enjoyed this dish.  It is very creamy and savory –  it actually does not have too much of a pumpkin taste.  The lentils were completely puffed up and were not hard at all – just the way we like them.  I used a little less than ½ tsp. of thyme and that worked out perfectly for us.  I think that the vegetable stock, thyme, and cheese were the primary flavors in my dish.  The puff pastry had a nice touch of brown to it and was quite crispy – a perfect contrast the creamy interior of the pot pie. 

This dish is easy to make and it perfect for two people. There are some other recipes that I have used that say they are for two people, but I always end up with leftovers (not a bad thing).  There were no leftovers to speak of with this one!  My husband dug in as soon as the pot pies came out of the oven and loved every bit of his!

Cheddar and Beer Risotto

Cheddar and Beer Risotto (slightly adapted from Emily Bites, Servings: 8, Total Time: 45 minutes)

Ingredients:

·         1 Tbsp. margarine

·         ½ small onion, chopped

·         2 garlic cloves, minced

·         2 cups uncooked Arborio rice

·         12 oz. bottle of beer

·         6 cups vegetable broth

·         1 ½ oz. Parmesan cheese, freshly finely grated

·         1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

·         1/8 tsp. sea salt

·         ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

1.      Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook 3-5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add rice and stir to combine. Cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring throughout.

2.      Pour in beer and turn the heat up to high until the beer begins to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and add ½ cup of the broth. Stir until the liquid dissolves and then add another ½ cup. Repeat until all the broth has been added and the rice is creamy and al dente.

3.      Remove the rice mixture from the heat and add the cheeses, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined and serve.

When I first saw this recipe, I knew that I had to try it, but I wasn’t sure if I should use Morningstar Farms veggie bacon or just bypass it.  I decided to bypass it this time and subbed in some sea salt to impart some of the salty flavor that I believe bacon adds (I haven’t had it in over a decade, but that’s what my husband tells me).  I think it worked – both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this creamy, cheesy risotto.  I used Yuengling beer (an old standby) and I think that the lager did just the trick.  I think that most beers would work, just make sure that you like the beer before cooking with it!  The cayenne added just a touch of heat, not too much and not too little – perfect for both my husband and me.

The dish is easy to make – as with all risottos you have to stir it, but it wasn’t super-involved or needy.  I could walk away for a few minutes and do something else without it sticking to the bottom.  I served my risotto with some Trader Joe’s Sausageless Sausage for some non-dairy protein.  I look forward to making this again!

FARMiCiA (Philadelphia, PA)

My husband and I went to FARMiCiA in Philadelphia for Restaurant Week.  The Prix Fix menu looked promising from a vegetarian perspective, but I should have compared it to their regular menu – I ended up spending more by going the Prix Fix route!  We went on a cold, snowy Sunday and had a treacherous walk because many places had not cleared the snow from their sidewalks.  We entered the bright, inviting, and warm restaurant.  There is a bar to the right side with some two-seaters and then larger tables to the left.  We were seated on the left in a two-seater, but there wasn’t a lot of room between our table and the one next to us (or the one behind us).  Kind of a tight fit in that particular part of the restaurant.

I started off the three-course meal with the FARMiCiA Salad.  It consisted of lettuce, garden vegetables (carrots and tomatoes), and croutons, and I ordered the herb vinaigrette on the side.  The veggies were all crisp and fresh and the herb vinaigrette was light and tasty.  I’m not sure which herbs were in it, but they worked well together – nothing overpowering anything else.

As my main dish, I ordered the Butternut Squash Risotto Croquettes.  I was excited for risotto as well as a vegetarian croquette.  The Croquettes were sitting atop a bed of sautéed spinach and topped with a walnut-sage pesto.  Some roasted cauliflower was on the side.  I’m not sure what the spinach was sautéed in, but it was the same thing the cauliflower was roasted in – it was a tad salty, but absolutely delicious.  I took bites of the croquette with the spinach and cauliflower and the crisp croquette worked nicely with the softer spinach.  The croquettes were pan fried and had a light crust to them.  The risotto was OK, but I think that a bit more pepper or other spice would have been good.  I did not like the walnut-sage pesto at all.  It was the same consistency of a regular pesto, but did not taste like one.  It was a tad too sweet for me.

For dessert, I had the Rich Bittersweet Flourless Chocolate Torte with chocolate ice cream & warm fudge sauce.  Talk about chocolate!  I was in overload mode!  It was good though, warm soft cake in each bite, paired with cold ice cream and hot fudge.  Oh my!  My mouth is watering just thinking about this delectable dish.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to eat the whole thing and my husband couldn’t help me because he was working on his own dessert.

I would like to go back to FARMiCiA sometime, and order off of their regular menu!

Vedge - Philadelphia, PA

Vedge (Philadelphia, PA)

I talked my husband into going to a vegan restaurant in Philadelphia with two of our more veggie-conscious friends.  Vedge is in Center City  Philadelphia; we almost missed the entrance because the sign is pretty small.  Once inside, there is a hostess stand with a coat check directly in front of you and a bar on the left.  There are two rooms for tables – we were seated in the smaller one next to the fireplace (awesome for a cold night).

We started off with the Pickled Curry Cauliflower, Fried Shishito Peppers, and U Peel Lupini Beans `s.  I really liked the peppers – lots of crunch, no spice.  The cauliflower tasted like how it sounds – a pickle with curry spice.  The beans were a little difficult to manage – the skins were not easy to remove and our table had a few beans flying around.  They also served a basket of bread.

I continued the adventure with the Wood Roasted Rutabaga salad.  It had some arugula, grilled trumpet mushrooms, charred onion, and pistachios.  I cannot remember the dressing.  It was kind of small for the price, but it tasted good.  Everything is served tapas style, so food was continually coming out around the table.

I also ordered the Charred Broccoli Kimchee stew and the Spicy Grilled Tofu.  The stew was nice and spicy – not mouth-on-fire spicy, but a medium level.  The tofu was delicious – it was served on an edamame puree.  Just a bit of crust on the outside and definitely marinated through.

Overall, Vedge was OK – a little overpriced for what you get.  I don’t think we would go back, but it was an interesting experience.

Sweet Potato Masala and Egg Mile-Highs

Sweet Potato Masala and Egg Mile-Highs (slightly adapted from Vegetarian Times, Servings: 4, Total Time: 25 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 sweet potato, peeled and shredded

·         5 large eggs, divided

·         ½ tsp. cumin powder, divided

·         5 Tbs. olive oil, divided

·         1 cup crushed tomatoes with Roasted Onion & Garlic

·         2 Tbs. lime juice

Directions

1.      Combine sweet potato, 1 egg, ¼ tsp. cumin in bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

2.      Heat 3 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Scoop 1/3 cup sweet potato mixture into pan for each of 4 pancakes. Flatten gently with spatula; cook 5 minutes per side. Set aside; keep warm.

3.      Wipe out pan, and add 1 Tbs. oil and remaining cumin. Stir 10 seconds over medium-high heat, add crushed tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes. Transfer to small bowl, and stir in lime juice.

4.      Wipe out pan, add remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and fry remaining 4 eggs sunny side up or over easy. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

5.      To serve: place 1 sweet potato pancake on each of 4 plates, top with 1 egg, ¼ cup sauce.

I saw this dish in “Vegetarian Times” and thought that it looked pretty good.  I had to use up some eggs before expiration, so I thought “Why not?”  I couldn’t find crushed tomatoes with roasted onion and garlic, so I used regular crushed tomatoes and added garlic powder, onion powder, extra cumin, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.  It tasted alright.  I was disappointed, though, with the overall dish.  It was rather bland.  I hit my compilation with some Sriracha and that improved the flavor. 

My sweet potato pancakes did not stick together, the fell apart as soon as I put them into the pan to fry them.  I recommend adding some breadcrumbs if you make this.  That may help.  (They fell apart even more when I flipped them.)  We added some salt and pepper to the eggs (which we decided to fry), and probably should have added some additional spices because the pancakes were bland.  Overall, I was disappointed and will not be making this dish again.

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Risotto

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Risotto (slightly adapted from Amuse Your Bouche, Servings: 4, Total Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour)

Ingredients

·         2 red peppers

·         1 Tbsp. olive oil

·         2/3 Tbsp. butter

·         ½ onion, finely diced

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         ½ tsp. sugar

·         1 cup Arborio rice

·         4 cups vegetable stock

·         Black pepper

·         ¼ cup cheddar cheese, grated

·         2 tsp. dried basil

·         1/3 cup soft goat cheese, roughly crumbled

1.       Heat the oven to 450°F. Place the whole red peppers on a baking tray, and roast for around 20 minutes, until the skins are charred. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a plate. Cover with cling film – the steam that is trapped inside will make the skins easy to remove. Set aside for now.

2.       While the peppers are roasting, prepare onions and garlic. Heat the oil and butter in a large wok or risotto pan. Add the onion, garlic and sugar, and cook over a medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, until the onions are soft and just beginning to caramelize. Stir regularly.

3.       Add rice and stir to coat with the butter and oil. Begin to add the stock ½ cup at a time, only adding more when the previous amount has been mostly absorbed by the rice. Stir regularly, and keep adding more stock until the rice is cooked, around 30 minutes.

4.       While the rice is cooking, peel off the skins of peppers and cut into several pieces, being careful to remove the stalk and seeds from inside. Place the pepper flesh in a mug or a deep bowl, and use an immersion blender to blend the peppers into a chunky purée.

5.       When the rice is cooked, add the cheddar cheese, basil, the red pepper purée and some black pepper. Mix well. Serve topped with the goat’s cheese.

I will start off by saying that I LOVE this dish.  My husband LOVES it too.  Double winner!  I thought I added a tad too much pepper, but he liked it just fine.  I guess the best way to describe the flavor is sweet, peppery, cheesy, with a hint of Italian (from the basil).  The goat cheese adds a nice touch – a bit more creaminess to the already super creamy risotto.  I used a garlic cheddar cheese to enhance the flavor even more – awesome decision!  My mouth is watering just thinking about this delicious dish.  Each bite was such a treat to my taste buds.

I had some bits of red pepper that didn’t completely puree, but those and  the onion added just a hint of crunch.  The color was overwhelmingly red, but there were hints of green and black from spices (plus white from the goat cheese).  I liked that this dish was pretty easy to make, considering that it’s a risotto.  I served it with half of a Trader Joe’s Sausage-less Italian Sausage.

I cannot wait to make this again!

Satsuma Kitchen

Satsuma (Wilmington, DE)

My husband and I decided to have a laid-back dinner for New Year’s Eve.  We had never been to Satsuma, but heard good things from friends of ours.  When we entered the restaurant, we saw the sushi bar on the left side, some high-top tables on our right, and a lot of employees milling around.  They were not busy at all.  We were shuffled upstairs where more tables were situated and took our place in a comfy booth below an eclectic light fixture.  We each ordered a drink and then started reviewing the menu.  There are a few vegetarian options on the Satsuma menu, but not an overwhelming amount.  We decided to start off by sharing the Edamame and Asian BBQ Tofu.  My main meal was The Veg roll.

The Edamame came out first.  It was cooked with chiles, olive oil, and smoked sea salt.  Each bean had a good combo of heat and saltiness to it.  My husband took more than a few sips of water while we devoured the dish.  I like Edamame and this new take on it piqued the interest of my tastebuds.

Next came the Asian BBQ Tofu.  Although my husband is not a tofu person, I did talk him into trying a piece, but he was more interested in his tuna rolls.  That’s OK, more for me!  The tofu was soaked in BBQ sauce, with it permeating each orifice (not just slathered on top).  There were spicy walnuts, arugula, and pickled red onions atop the tofu pieces.  There was also a drizzle of lemon oil, which I actually couldn’t taste (thank goodness because I am NOT a huge fan of lemon).  The tofu had been pan fried and just a hint of crispiness to its exterior.  It played nicely with the crunchy walnuts and chewy arugula.

The final part of my meal was The Veg roll – avocado, asparagus, fennel, and pea shoots wrapped in seaweed and rice sitting atop some truffle aioli. Even though I don’t love asparagus or fennel, I thought I would give it a shot because the truffle aioli sounded good.  Well, this was a mistake of mine.  The truffle aioli was a bit too heavy for my liking and it did nothing to cover the taste of the avocado or fennel.  I understand that this is not a bad thing if someone likes those vegetables – you aren’t supposed to hide a taste in any dish.  I was just hoping that the combination would help my tastebuds get along with the other flavors.  Each bite incorporated the creamy avocado with the crispy textures of the other veggies.

Overall, this is a good restaurant for vegetarians and I look forward to going back for the BBQ Tofu and maybe some wasabi mashed potatoes!

Spicy Szechuan Noodles

Spicy Szechuan Noodles (adapted from Good Housekeeping, Servings: 6, Total Time: 20 minutes)

Ingredients

·         12 oz. egg noodles

·         1 ½ cups vegetable broth

·         6 Tbsp. lower-sodium soy sauce

·         6 Tbsp. lime juice

·         2 Tbsp. sugar

·         2 Tbsp. Sriracha

·         2 tsp. ground ginger

·         2 Tbsp. canola oil

·         4 Morningstar Farms Garden Patties, crumbled

·         5-6 oz. baby spinach

Directions

1.      Heat large covered saucepot salted water to boiling on high.

2.      Add egg noodles. Cook as label directs; drain and rinse under cold water.

3.      Purée, in food processor, broth, soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, Sriracha, and ginger.

4.      Heat canola oil in 12-inch skillet on high.

5.      Add burger crumbles; cook 5 minutes. Add broth mixture; simmer 5 minutes or until heated through.

6.      Stir in baby spinach; cook 1 minute.

7.      Divide noodles among plates; top with sauce.

I actually doubled part of the recipe above (the “sauce”) because it was not nearly enough to cover the noodles.  I use quotations around sauce because it wasn’t very saucy; it was more of a topping.  I actually double checked the ingredient amounts because it wasn’t what I expected.  It was still good, though.  The dish is spicy, no extra Sriracha required!  Reading the ingredient list again, I feel like there should be some sweetness or tartness to the flavor, but the Sriracha definitely overrides that (not a bad thing in my book!).

I used the Garden Patties and crumbled them instead of the Mealstarters because I have a huge package of the veggie burgers and wanted to use them before they got too frost-bitten.  I like the difference in the look and texture – part of the burger patties stayed firm and provided a nice contrast to the noodles – the Mealstarters would not have done the same.  Morningstar also makes an Asian veggie patty, so you may want to try that with this dish. 

Enjoy!

Candy Brownies

Candy Brownies (from All Recipes, Servings: 24, Total Time: 45 inutes)

Ingredients

·         1 cup all-purpose flour

·         2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

·         1 tsp. baking powder

·         ¼ tsp. salt

·         ¾ cup packed light brown sugar

·         1/3 cup margarine, softened

·         ½ tsp. vanilla extract

·         1 large egg

·         ½ cup candy-coated milk chocolate pieces (such as M&M's®)

·         ½ cup chopped peanut butter cups (such as Reese's®)

·         ½ cup chopped chocolate-covered crispy peanut butter candy (such as Butterfinger®)

·         ½ cup chopped milk chocolate candy bars (such as Hershey's®)

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2.      Whisk 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Beat brown sugar, butter, and vanilla extract together in a separate large bowl using an electric mixer until creamy; beat in egg.

3.      Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture until batter is just combined; fold in candy-coated milk chocolate pieces, peanut butter cups, chocolate-covered crispy peanut butter candy, and milk chocolate bars. Press batter into prepared baking pan.

4.      Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

We had some Halloween candy leftover and I knew that it would take forever to eat it, then I found this recipe.  It is easy and delicious!  I used about 1/8 cup M&Ms, ¾ cup Reese’s, ½ cup Butterfingers, and ¾ cup Hershey’s.  I think that this is an easy recipe to make changes to, using the ingredients that you want to use.  Next time, I will use white chocolate chips, Hershey’s, Reese’s and maybe Kit Kats.

Each bit was soft, chewy, and chocolaty.  The peanut butter from the Reese’s was also slightly apparent in each piece.  One piece is very satisfying.  On another note, my husband loved the brownies and is excited for me to make them again.  This definitely going to be my go-to when I have any leftover holiday candy!

Sweet Potato and Rice Casserole

Sweet Potato and Rice Casserole (from Better Homes & Gardens, Servings: 6, Total Time: 1 hour)

Ingredients

·         2 cups water

·         1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped (1 ½ cups)

·         1 cup uncooked long grain brown rice

·         ½ tsp. salt

·         1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

·         1 ½ cups frozen sweet soybeans (edamame), thawed

·         1 cup shredded taco cheese

·         1 8 oz. carton sour cream

·         1 4 oz. can diced green chile peppers, undrained

·         ¼ cup chopped green onions

·         2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

·         1 Tbsp. snipped fresh sage

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         ½ tsp. salt

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, bring water to boiling. Stir in sweet potato, rice, and ½ tsp. salt. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

2.       Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine black beans, soybeans, ½ cup of the cheese, the sour cream, chile peppers, green onions, flour, sage, garlic, and ½ tsp. salt. Stir in rice mixture.

3.       Transfer mixture to an ungreased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes or until heated through.

This dish was pretty simple to make and had a nice mix of textures, but it looked nothing like the picture on the website (mine was way creamier).  The edamame stayed crunchy and the black beans were firm against the creaminess of the sour cream, cheese, and rice.  Each bit was smooth and rich with the taste of sour cream and cheese, but not overly.  I also liked the varying chunks of sweet potato that I got and will probably add more the next time I make the dish.  The only changes that I made to the above were no green onions (we didn’t have any) and using dried sage (1 tsp.) instead of fresh.

Honey-Lime Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Honey-Lime Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (slightly adapted from Cooking Classy, Servings: 8, Total Time: 50 minutes)

Ingredients

·         4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed then pierced several times with a fork

·         1 cup uncooked quinoa

·         1 3/4 cup vegetable broth

·         1 Tbsp. olive oil

·         1 cup chopped yellow onion

·         1 clove garlic

·         1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

·         1 ½ cups frozen corn

·         ½ tsp. ground cumin

·         ½ tsp. ground paprika

·         ¼ tsp. ground coriander

·         1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

·         3 ½ Tbsp. lime juice

·         3 ½ Tbsp. honey

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

·         2 oz. shredded taco cheese (1/2 cup)

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until tender, about 40 minutes.

2.       Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and broth to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until fluffy.

3.       Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes, adding in garlic during last 30 seconds of sautéing. Add onion mixture to cooked quinoa, along with black beans, corn, cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne, lime juice, honey, and cilantro and toss mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4.       Cut cooked sweet potatoes in half and scoop out some of the sweet potato flesh to create a bowl shape, while leaving about 1/3 to 1/2-inch of sweet potato intact (reserve scooped out potato in refrigerator for another use). Fill sweet potatoes with quinoa mixture, then sprinkle tops evenly with cheese. Transfer to oven and broil until cheese has melted.

My  husband and I both liked this dish a lot – it was delicious!  I used a little less lime juice than was called for (maybe 2.5 Tbsp.) because I was concerned it would make the dish taste overly lime-y.  I also used dried cilantro (maybe 2 Tbsp.) because we are not huge fans of the spice, but I didn’t want to leave it out completely.  We were almost out of quinoa, so I actually used a mix of ½ quinoa and ½ Israeli couscous – it still worked.

I found that I had a of the bean/quinoa/corn mixture leftover, so I just added more to the top of the potatoes after serving them.  The beans and corn add a bit crisper texture to the quinoa and it all worked nicely with the soft sweet potatoes.  The dish was like a sweet Mexican bite with some creamy cheese.  I definitely plan to make this again and also shared the recipe with a girl at work.