BONUS RECIPE (Moosewood Restaurant)

Recipe: Caribbean Sweet Potato Gratin

The recipe states it takes 35 minutes to prepare this dish. However!...when you are doing a photo shoot at the same time, you (I) must remember to tack on at least an extra half hour. My plan was to eat at 6-6:30. It is now 7:10 and my dish is still in the oven.

I sure have high hopes for this one. It looked absolutely delish putting it together! And how could it not?  With sweet potatoes, lime, spinach, black beans, and cumin, and coconut milk (which tasted devine!)

Ahhh...the timer is going off! Wish me luck! Stay tuned for the result....:

I am so bummed! Not anything like I thought it would be. The lime was too pronounced and the cornmeal topping was too grainy of a texture for my liking; a breadcrumb topping would be better. I really could not taste much else other then the lime. Nevertheless, my husband said it was good. It's healthy isn't it? he asks. It doesn't taste like beef jerky, but it's good! Good thing too...for there is a lot leftover for him to take to work tomorrow for lunch. And the next day, and the next, and next.....

Success meter (1-3): 1.5



Dessert on the other hand, was heaven!

(Thanks Bells!)





Caribbean Sweet Potato Gratin

Serves 6 to 8

Prep time: 35 minutes

Baking time: 60 minutes

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

1 ½ tsp freshly grated lime peel

2 Tbl fresh lime juice

2 Tbl chopped fresh cilantro

½ tsp dried thyme

1 ½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

2 ½ cups coconut milk

4 cups (about 1 ½ lbs) peeled and sliced sweet potatoes (cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise, then slice thinly)

1 cup cooked rice

1 ½ cups cooked black beans (15oz can, drained)

1 ½ cups fresh spinach, rinsed, stemmed, and chopped

Topping

¾ cup cornmeal

1 Tbl vegetable oil

½ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp salt

                      

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Combine the garlic, lime peel and juice, cilantro, thyme, salt, pepper, and coconut milk in a measuring cup. Pour one third of this mixture into the prepared baking pan. Layer half of the sweet potatoes in the bottom, topped by half of the rice, half of the black beans, and half the spinach. Pour on another third of the coconut milk mixture and repeat the layers of sweet potatoes, rice, beans, and spinach. Pour the remaining coconut milk mixture over all.

In a small bowl combine all of the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the gratin.

Bake, uncovered, for about 60 minutes, rotating the pan in the oven after 30 minutes, to ensure uniform baking. When the potatoes are tender and the topping is crisp and golden brown, remove from the oven and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes until the potatoes absorb any remaining liquid.