I've been trying to teach DD to cook for years; now that she is in
college (and will be living off-campus next year) she has finally taken
a minimal interest in it. So on Saturday I supervised while she made a
Mexican hotdish to take to a church social, using one of my recipes. DD
is a pseudo-vegetarian now (she eats fish and poultry but no pork, and
no beef except on special occasions) so we made it with ground turkey.
Even tho' she made it (and everybody raved about how good it was, even
before they knew that she made it) she refused to eat any because it had
canned cheese in it. :-/ I guess it's kind of like knowing how sausage
is made...

I told her the important thing is to learn the technique, then she can
use whatever ingredients she wants in place of the dubious crap that I
use

So I got to thinking about how to make something similar with no meat at
all, and no canned cheese (that nacho cheese that comes in giant cans is
a good binder, and IMHO a big step up from canned Cream of Soup.) That
way her somewhat-stricter-vegetarian roommates next year could eat it too.

How to make a casserole using layers of black beans, corn, corn
tortillas, and canned enchilada sauce?

It seems like it would fall apart without some kind of goop. Do you
think it would be enough to mix the canned black beans with frozen sweet
corn, onions, peppers, and cumin, and layer that with grated cheese to
bind it together? Here's what I was thinking:

Pour enchilada sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish, then a layer
of tortillas, then seasoned beans/corn/peppers/onions, then grated
cheese (cheddar and Monterrey jack), then tortillas dipped in sauce,
another layer of beans/corn, then cheese, tortillas, and top with lots
more enchilada sauce. Bake for 30 minutes.

Do you think it would work? (I think it will look really pretty until
you try to serve it, then it will completely fall apart.) I'm gonna
give it a try no matter what y'all say, but I would like some more
ideas. (Maybe use ricotta cheese?) Thanks.


The easy thing to do would be to make a cheese sauce and use it in place
of the canned cheese. I'd like to avoid that if possible. (It may not
be possible.)

If you've read all of this, here's the recipe :-)

Mexican Lasagna Hotdish!

1 fresh package of corn tortillas
1 (1 pound) pkg ground beef or turkey, thawed
1 cup (approx) nacho cheese sauce [from a humongous can]
1 (19 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 (16 ounce) can fat-free refried beans
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 big pinch ground cumin
1 big pinch dried oregano
garlic powder to taste
Monterrey jack or medium cheddar cheese, grated

Mix turkey, onion, and spices in skillet. Cook until browned, chopping
up with your spatula. Stir in the cheese sauce and heat through. Set
aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour half the enchilada sauce in a 9x13"
lasagna pan. Cut the tortillas in half so they'll fit in the pan
better. Spread the beans on enough of the tortillas to cover the bottom
of the pan. Cover with another layer of tortillas. Spread the meat and
cheese mixture over that second layer of tortillas. Cover with a third
layer of tortillas. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce all over. Rinse
the can with a little water and pour that in too. Cover with aluminum
foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take out of oven, remove the foil, and
sprinkle with the grated cheese that you thought I forgot about to cover
the top. Put back in the oven, uncovered, for ten minutes. Allow to
rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

--
Bob

I make a similar layered enchilada with a corn and zucchini filling.
Some of the enchilada sauce is stirred into the vegetables to act as the
binder. The layers go something like this:

sauce
tortillas
veggies
shredded cheese
tortillas
veggies
shredded cheese
tortillas
sauce
cheese

It holds up just fine.

marcella

In article >,
zxcvbob > wrote:

>
> So I got to thinking about how to make something similar with no meat at
> all, and no canned cheese (that nacho cheese that comes in giant cans is
> a good binder, and IMHO a big step up from canned Cream of Soup.) That
> way her somewhat-stricter-vegetarian roommates next year could eat it too.
>
> How to make a casserole using layers of black beans, corn, corn
> tortillas, and canned enchilada sauce?
>

Marcella Peek wrote:
> I make a similar layered enchilada with a corn and zucchini filling.
> Some of the enchilada sauce is stirred into the vegetables to act as the
> binder. The layers go something like this:
>
> sauce
> tortillas
> veggies
> shredded cheese
> tortillas
> veggies
> shredded cheese
> tortillas
> sauce
> cheese
>
> It holds up just fine.
>



Thanks. I don't know why I didn't think to just use more enchilada
sauce to glue it together. :-)

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
> Mexican Lasagna Hotdish!
>
> 1 fresh package of corn tortillas
> 1 (1 pound) pkg ground beef or turkey, thawed
> 1 cup (approx) nacho cheese sauce [from a humongous can]
> 1 (19 ounce) can enchilada sauce
> 1 (16 ounce) can fat-free refried beans
> 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
> 1 Tbsp chili powder
> 1 big pinch ground cumin
> 1 big pinch dried oregano
> garlic powder to taste
> Monterrey jack or medium cheddar cheese, grated
>
> Mix turkey, onion, and spices in skillet. Cook until browned,
> chopping up with your spatula. Stir in the cheese sauce and heat
> through. Set aside.
>
> Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour half the enchilada sauce in a 9x13"
> lasagna pan. Cut the tortillas in half so they'll fit in the pan
> better. Spread the beans on enough of the tortillas to cover the
> bottom of the pan. Cover with another layer of tortillas. Spread the
> meat and cheese mixture over that second layer of tortillas. Cover
> with a third layer of tortillas. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce
> all over. Rinse the can with a little water and pour that in too.
> Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take out of oven,
> remove the foil, and sprinkle with the grated cheese that you thought
> I forgot about to cover the top. Put back in the oven, uncovered, for
> ten minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting.
>
Bob, it is wonderful that she has decided to take an interest in
cooking. I am very pleased about that. When my youngest son went off to
school, that is when he learned how to cook. Why bother when he could
con his mother into doing it?

This recipe resembles King Ranch Chicken, that uses cooked chicken that
has been cubed or shredded. I prefer using cooked, shredded chicken to
using ground turkey or chicken. Instead of using canned cheese, I make
a bechamel sauce then I add shredded cheese until it melts. Isn't that
a Mornay sauce?

Some good substitutes for meat would be beans and whatever vegetables
she likes. Eggplant or zucchini would work well.


Becca

zxcvbob wrote:
>
> I've been trying to teach DD to cook for years; now that she is in
> college (and will be living off-campus next year) she has finally taken
> a minimal interest in it. So on Saturday I supervised while she made a
> Mexican hotdish to take to a church social, using one of my recipes. DD
> is a pseudo-vegetarian now (she eats fish and poultry but no pork, and
> no beef except on special occasions) so we made it with ground turkey.
> Even tho' she made it (and everybody raved about how good it was, even
> before they knew that she made it) she refused to eat any because it had
> canned cheese in it. :-/ I guess it's kind of like knowing how sausage
> is made...
>
> I told her the important thing is to learn the technique, then she can
> use whatever ingredients she wants in place of the dubious crap that I
> use
>
> So I got to thinking about how to make something similar with no meat at
> all, and no canned cheese (that nacho cheese that comes in giant cans is
> a good binder, and IMHO a big step up from canned Cream of Soup.) That
> way her somewhat-stricter-vegetarian roommates next year could eat it too.
>
> How to make a casserole using layers of black beans, corn, corn
> tortillas, and canned enchilada sauce?
>
> It seems like it would fall apart without some kind of goop. Do you
> think it would be enough to mix the canned black beans with frozen sweet
> corn, onions, peppers, and cumin, and layer that with grated cheese to
> bind it together? Here's what I was thinking:
>
> Pour enchilada sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish, then a layer
> of tortillas, then seasoned beans/corn/peppers/onions, then grated
> cheese (cheddar and Monterrey jack), then tortillas dipped in sauce,
> another layer of beans/corn, then cheese, tortillas, and top with lots
> more enchilada sauce. Bake for 30 minutes.
>
> Do you think it would work? (I think it will look really pretty until
> you try to serve it, then it will completely fall apart.) I'm gonna
> give it a try no matter what y'all say, but I would like some more
> ideas. (Maybe use ricotta cheese?) Thanks.

<snip rest>
>

Your idea is fine as is. No need to bind it with anything. The sauce
(canned??? but why?) will soak the tortillas and the layers will stay as
together as they need to be. Just top with cheese; skip it between the
layers. It would get too greasy with more than one layer. Enchiladas
around here are typically flat and stacked, with no cheese in between
unless they are cheese enchiladas. A little cheese on top, occasionally
soured cream, often a fried egg.

Other veg fillings can be frijoles refritos, squashes, Mexican rice
(weird but it works), potatoes with chile, cheese (one layer) etc.

Arri London wrote:
>
> zxcvbob wrote:
>> [snip]
>> So I got to thinking about how to make something similar with no meat at
>> all, and no canned cheese (that nacho cheese that comes in giant cans is
>> a good binder, and IMHO a big step up from canned Cream of Soup.) That
>> way her somewhat-stricter-vegetarian roommates next year could eat it too.
>>
>> How to make a casserole using layers of black beans, corn, corn
>> tortillas, and canned enchilada sauce?
>>
>> It seems like it would fall apart without some kind of goop. Do you
>> think it would be enough to mix the canned black beans with frozen sweet
>> corn, onions, peppers, and cumin, and layer that with grated cheese to
>> bind it together? Here's what I was thinking:
>>
>> Pour enchilada sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish, then a layer
>> of tortillas, then seasoned beans/corn/peppers/onions, then grated
>> cheese (cheddar and Monterrey jack), then tortillas dipped in sauce,
>> another layer of beans/corn, then cheese, tortillas, and top with lots
>> more enchilada sauce. Bake for 30 minutes.
>>
>> Do you think it would work? (I think it will look really pretty until
>> you try to serve it, then it will completely fall apart.) I'm gonna
>> give it a try no matter what y'all say, but I would like some more
>> ideas. (Maybe use ricotta cheese?) Thanks.
>
> <snip rest>
>
> Your idea is fine as is. No need to bind it with anything. The sauce
> (canned??? but why?) will soak the tortillas and the layers will stay as
> together as they need to be. Just top with cheese; skip it between the
> layers. It would get too greasy with more than one layer. Enchiladas
> around here are typically flat and stacked, with no cheese in between
> unless they are cheese enchiladas. A little cheese on top, occasionally
> soured cream, often a fried egg.
>
> Other veg fillings can be frijoles refritos, squashes, Mexican rice
> (weird but it works), potatoes with chile, cheese (one layer) etc.


"The sauce (canned??? but why?)" Baby steps. :-) Also, I haven't
figured out how to make a good *green* sauce, which I like better than red.

Made it last night. For the filling, sautéed:

2 cans of black beans
1/2 pound of frozen sweet corn
1 Tbsp oil
3 or 4 diced red Fresno chiles
1/2 an onion
1/2 tsp cumin
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of granulated garlic

Layered with corn tortillas and a 28 ounce can of "medium" green
enchilada sauce. Sauce, beans, tortillas, a little sauce, tortillas,
beans, tortillas, lots of sauce. Covered with foil and baked for half
an hour. Removed the foil, sprinkled on a 1/2 pound of medium cheddar
(with a little mozzarella grated in to make it "meltier"), and baked
uncovered for another 8 or 10 minutes.

I told my family to let is sit for a half hour before cutting it, and it
would probably be better warm than hot. To their credit, they did give
it 5 minutes before diving in. :-) It was a soupy mess, and Wife said
it would make a good dip.

Too much sweet corn; it gave it overall a sweet taste. Also not hot
enough (first time cooking with Fresno peppers.) I sprinkled cayenne
and a little salt on mine and that helped quite a bit. When I put the
leftovers away, it has firmed up nicely. The tortillas had just not had
enough time to soak up all the moisture when we served it. Perhaps I'll
assemble the next one the night before and let it rest in the fridge
overnight before baking.

Newly-vegetarian daughter was impressed, and said it was something she
could serve to her college roommates.

I might make a red sauce using dried guajillo or pulla chiles next time,
and/or use hominy instead of sweet corn. Either would cover/eliminate
the excess sweetness. If I could find fresh Dent corn instead of sweet,
that would be perfect.

Bob

On Jul 17, 10:52*am, zxcvbob > wrote:
> Arri London wrote:
>
> > zxcvbob wrote:
> >> [snip]
> >> So I got to thinking about how to make something similar with no meat at
> >> all, and no canned cheese (that nacho cheese that comes in giant cans is
> >> a good binder, and IMHO a big step up from canned Cream of Soup.) *That
> >> way her somewhat-stricter-vegetarian roommates next year could eat it too.
>
> >> How to make a casserole using layers of black beans, corn, corn
> >> tortillas, and canned enchilada sauce?
>
> >> It seems like it would fall apart without some kind of goop. *Do you
> >> think it would be enough to mix the canned black beans with frozen sweet
> >> corn, onions, peppers, and cumin, and layer that with grated cheese to
> >> bind it together? *Here's what I was thinking:
>
> >> Pour enchilada sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish, then a layer
> >> of tortillas, then seasoned beans/corn/peppers/onions, then grated
> >> cheese (cheddar and Monterrey jack), then tortillas dipped in sauce,
> >> another layer of beans/corn, then cheese, tortillas, and top with lots
> >> more enchilada sauce. *Bake for 30 minutes.
>
> >> Do you think it would work? *(I think it will look really pretty until
> >> you try to serve it, then it will completely fall apart.) *I'm gonna
> >> give it a try no matter what y'all say, but I would like some more
> >> ideas. *(Maybe use ricotta cheese?) *Thanks.
>
> > <snip rest>
>
> > Your idea is fine as is. No need to bind it with anything. The sauce
> > (canned??? but why?) will soak the tortillas and the layers will stay as
> > together as they need to be. Just top with cheese; skip it between the
> > layers. It would get too greasy with more than one layer. Enchiladas
> > around here are typically flat and stacked, with no cheese in between
> > unless they are cheese enchiladas. A little cheese on top, occasionally
> > soured cream, often a fried egg.
>
> > Other veg fillings can be frijoles refritos, squashes, Mexican rice
> > (weird but it works), potatoes with chile, cheese (one layer) etc.
>
> "The sauce (canned??? but why?)" *Baby steps. :-) *Also, I haven't
> figured out how to make a good *green* sauce, which I like better than red.
>
> Made it last night. *For the filling, sautéed:
>
> 2 cans of black beans
> 1/2 pound of frozen sweet corn
> 1 Tbsp oil
> 3 or 4 diced red Fresno chiles
> 1/2 an onion
> 1/2 tsp cumin
> pinch of dried oregano
> pinch of granulated garlic
>
> Layered with corn tortillas and a 28 ounce can of "medium" green
> enchilada sauce. *Sauce, beans, tortillas, a little sauce, tortillas,
> beans, tortillas, lots of sauce. *Covered with foil and baked for half
> an hour. Removed the foil, sprinkled on a 1/2 pound of medium cheddar
> (with a little mozzarella grated in to make it "meltier"), and baked
> uncovered for another 8 or 10 minutes.
>
> I told my family to let is sit for a half hour before cutting it, and it
> would probably be better warm than hot. *To their credit, they did give
> it 5 minutes before diving in. :-) *It was a soupy mess, and Wife said
> it would make a good dip.
>
> Too much sweet corn; it gave it overall a sweet taste. *Also not hot
> enough (first time cooking with Fresno peppers.) *I sprinkled cayenne
> and a little salt on mine and that helped quite a bit. *When I put the
> leftovers away, it has firmed up nicely. *The tortillas had just not had
> enough time to soak up all the moisture when we served it. *Perhaps I'll
> assemble the next one the night before and let it rest in the fridge
> overnight before baking.
>
> Newly-vegetarian daughter was impressed, and said it was something she
> could serve to her college roommates.


I bet the cheese was made with rennet from the stomach of a
slaughtered baby cow.
>
> I might make a red sauce using dried guajillo or pulla chiles next time,
> and/or use hominy instead of sweet corn. *Either would cover/eliminate
> the excess sweetness. *If I could find fresh Dent corn instead of sweet,
> that would be perfect.

Why d'ya wanna eat horse corn? That's what my father used to call it.
>
> Bob

--Bryan

zxcvbob > wrote in message
...
[snip casserole and knowing-trauma]

How about getting her to substitute Cracker Barrel cheese or even Velveeta
in place of the canned nacho cheese? The nice thing about both those
"cheeses" is that they melt incredibly easily and won't have picked up the
potential "tinny" taste that some nacho cheeses can.

As far as subsituting for the meat... One of my ueber-strict vegetarians
loves the different tofus available. He's constantly sautéing up tofu.

Thanks for the recipe. I'm off to give it a try tonight.

The Ranger

Bobo Bonobo® wrote:

>> Newly-vegetarian daughter was impressed, and said it was something she
>> could serve to her college roommates.
>
> I bet the cheese was made with rennet from the stomach of a
> slaughtered baby cow.

It's her hang-up, not mine ;-)

Bob

On Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:56:29 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:

> Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
>
>>> Newly-vegetarian daughter was impressed, and said it was something she
>>> could serve to her college roommates.
>>
>> I bet the cheese was made with rennet from the stomach of a
>> slaughtered baby cow.
>
> It's her hang-up, not mine ;-)
>
> Bob

it's only right to let the cow grow up and develop its mental abilities so
that it can fully realize the gravity of its situation before you slaughter
it.

your ethical pal,
elmer

zxcvbob wrote:
>
> Arri London wrote:
> >
> > zxcvbob wrote:
<snip>


> >> Do you think it would work? (I think it will look really pretty until
> >> you try to serve it, then it will completely fall apart.) I'm gonna
> >> give it a try no matter what y'all say, but I would like some more
> >> ideas. (Maybe use ricotta cheese?) Thanks.
> >
> > <snip rest>
> >
> > Your idea is fine as is. No need to bind it with anything. The sauce
> > (canned??? but why?) will soak the tortillas and the layers will stay as
> > together as they need to be. Just top with cheese; skip it between the
> > layers. It would get too greasy with more than one layer. Enchiladas
> > around here are typically flat and stacked, with no cheese in between
> > unless they are cheese enchiladas. A little cheese on top, occasionally
> > soured cream, often a fried egg.
> >
> > Other veg fillings can be frijoles refritos, squashes, Mexican rice
> > (weird but it works), potatoes with chile, cheese (one layer) etc.
>
> "The sauce (canned??? but why?)" Baby steps. :-) Also, I haven't
> figured out how to make a good *green* sauce, which I like better than red.


Roasted green NM-type chiles, onion, garlic, bit of cumin and coriander,
salt and pepper. Cook until done. More than that is gilding the
proverbial chile.

Having said that, try this one:

Enchiladas verdes (from: Historic Cookery)

10 green chiles
2 c cooked tomatoes
1 tbs fat (lard or veg oil)
1 egg
1/2 c cream (use light)
8 corn tortillas
1 c grated cheese
lettuce leaves

Roast, peel, seed and chop green chiles. Add tomatoes and fry in fat.
Beat egg, add cream and salt to taste. Mix with chile and tomatoes; cook
until thick.

Fry tortillas in deep fat, fill each tortilla with cheese and onion and
roll. Serve on lettuce leaves and top with the green chile sauce.
> Made it last night. For the filling, sautéed:
>
> 2 cans of black beans
> 1/2 pound of frozen sweet corn
> 1 Tbsp oil
> 3 or 4 diced red Fresno chiles
> 1/2 an onion
> 1/2 tsp cumin
> pinch of dried oregano
> pinch of granulated garlic
>
> Layered with corn tortillas and a 28 ounce can of "medium" green
> enchilada sauce. Sauce, beans, tortillas, a little sauce, tortillas,
> beans, tortillas, lots of sauce. Covered with foil and baked for half
> an hour. Removed the foil, sprinkled on a 1/2 pound of medium cheddar
> (with a little mozzarella grated in to make it "meltier"), and baked
> uncovered for another 8 or 10 minutes.

Definitely too much sauce!

>
> I told my family to let is sit for a half hour before cutting it, and it
> would probably be better warm than hot. To their credit, they did give
> it 5 minutes before diving in. :-) It was a soupy mess, and Wife said
> it would make a good dip.

LOL see above. The tortillas will absorb a lot of sauce but 28 oz is too
much.

>
> Too much sweet corn; it gave it overall a sweet taste. Also not hot
> enough (first time cooking with Fresno peppers.) I sprinkled cayenne
> and a little salt on mine and that helped quite a bit. When I put the
> leftovers away, it has firmed up nicely. The tortillas had just not had
> enough time to soak up all the moisture when we served it. Perhaps I'll
> assemble the next one the night before and let it rest in the fridge
> overnight before baking.

Or use less sauce. Spread a little sauce on each layer. Traditionally
the tortillas are dipped in the sauce to soften them (or else they are
fried). A little more sauce on top.
>
> Newly-vegetarian daughter was impressed, and said it was something she
> could serve to her college roommates.

LOL that could be a back-handed compliment you know. Starving students
will eat anything...
>
> I might make a red sauce using dried guajillo or pulla chiles next time,
> and/or use hominy instead of sweet corn. Either would cover/eliminate
> the excess sweetness. If I could find fresh Dent corn instead of sweet,
> that would be perfect.
>
> Bob

Skip the corn entirely. There's enough in the tortillas as is. The beans
are sufficient protein; no need to double the protein.

zxcvbob wrote:
>
> Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
>
> >> Newly-vegetarian daughter was impressed, and said it was something she
> >> could serve to her college roommates.
> >
> > I bet the cheese was made with rennet from the stomach of a
> > slaughtered baby cow.
>
> It's her hang-up, not mine ;-)
>
> Bob

Plenty of cheeses around made with vegetarian or microbial rennet, even
if they aren't labelled as such.

Arri London wrote:
>
> Roasted green NM-type chiles, onion, garlic, bit of cumin and coriander,
> salt and pepper. Cook until done. More than that is gilding the
> proverbial chile.
>
> Having said that, try this one:
>
> Enchiladas verdes (from: Historic Cookery)
>
> 10 green chiles
> 2 c cooked tomatoes
> 1 tbs fat (lard or veg oil)
> 1 egg
> 1/2 c cream (use light)
> 8 corn tortillas
> 1 c grated cheese
> lettuce leaves
>
> Roast, peel, seed and chop green chiles. Add tomatoes and fry in fat.
> Beat egg, add cream and salt to taste. Mix with chile and tomatoes; cook
> until thick.
>
> Fry tortillas in deep fat, fill each tortilla with cheese and onion and
> roll. Serve on lettuce leaves and top with the green chile sauce.

Thanks. I can't get good green chiles here, except for jalapeño and
Serrano. The NewMex variety "Big Jim" grows well up here, but doesn't
have much taste. I *can* get very good dried red chiles.

> Skip the corn entirely. There's enough in the tortillas as is. The beans
> are sufficient protein; no need to double the protein.

I think you are right about the corn. I added it mostly to add a
different color and texture. (1/2 cup or less would have done that as
well as 1/2 pound.)

/Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
>
> Arri London wrote:
> >
> > Roasted green NM-type chiles, onion, garlic, bit of cumin and coriander,
> > salt and pepper. Cook until done. More than that is gilding the
> > proverbial chile.
> >
> > Having said that, try this one:
> >
> > Enchiladas verdes (from: Historic Cookery)
> >
> > 10 green chiles
> > 2 c cooked tomatoes
> > 1 tbs fat (lard or veg oil)
> > 1 egg
> > 1/2 c cream (use light)
> > 8 corn tortillas
> > 1 c grated cheese
> > lettuce leaves
> >
> > Roast, peel, seed and chop green chiles. Add tomatoes and fry in fat.
> > Beat egg, add cream and salt to taste. Mix with chile and tomatoes; cook
> > until thick.
> >
> > Fry tortillas in deep fat, fill each tortilla with cheese and onion and
> > roll. Serve on lettuce leaves and top with the green chile sauce.
>
> Thanks. I can't get good green chiles here, except for jalapeño and
> Serrano. The NewMex variety "Big Jim" grows well up here, but doesn't
> have much taste. I *can* get very good dried red chiles.

When green chile season rolls round, can send you some fresh. You can
roast/freeze them or dry them as you choose. The 'Hatch' brand chiles
aren't bad for tinned but they come from.....California. Nuff said :P

>
> > Skip the corn entirely. There's enough in the tortillas as is. The beans
> > are sufficient protein; no need to double the protein.
>
> I think you are right about the corn. I added it mostly to add a
> different color and texture. (1/2 cup or less would have done that as
> well as 1/2 pound.)
>
> /Bob


That's it. Use them more as a garnish of sorts.