[food] sweet potato quesadillas

Adapted slightly from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. Very tasty; still good when lukewarm or reheated (making them excellent for potlucks and/or leftover snacking).

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups grated peeled sweet potato
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
generous pinch of cayenne
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

8 tortillas (8- to 10-inch)
tomato salsa
sour cream

Saute the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil until the onions are translucent. Add the grated sweet potatoes, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne and cook, covered, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the potato is tender. Moosewood thought this would take 10 minutes; in my experience, it's more like an hour. Maybe one is intended to crank the heat up much higher than I'm usually willing to (especially if I'm trying to make something else at the same time and can't stir constantly). Or maybe they're settling for less-smooth filling than I prefer.

Add salt and pepper to taste and remove the filling from the heat. Spread one-eighth of the filling and 2 tablespoons of the cheese on each tortilla, keeping the mixture all one one half of the tortilla, and never less than an inch from the edge. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over and cook a few minutes per side in an oiled skillet. Cut each quesadilla into thirds with kitchen scissors and serve immediately, topped with salsa and sour cream.

You can add goat cheese for extra richness, but you still need the cheddar, to melt and keep the quesadilla closed.