The Candle Cafe

I recently had the pleasure of dining at "The Candle Cafe" a cozy, unpretentious restaurant in the Upper East Side specializing in vegetarian cuisine.  I have  been to several other restaurants around Manhattan but this cafe has been my favourite thus far.  Not only is all of the food organic and fresh, it is also very tasty and satisfying which is sometimes not the case when enjpying vegetarian cuisine.  My favourite dish was the paradise casserole.  The mixture of sweetness from the sweet potatoes and the savory black beans and gravy that comes with it was simply delicious and I have obtained the recipe for you in case you don't live in Manhattan.  Don't forget, the Candle Cafe also has a variety of delicious desserts such as banana cake with banana frosting, assorted wheat free cookies such as oatmeal chocolate chip and yummy fruit crumbles served a la mode but with organic soy ice cream of course!  Enjoy the recipe. 

Paradise Casserole

The sweet potatoes and millet can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the casserole.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the sweet potatoes for one hour, or until fork–tender. When cool enough to handle, remove the potatoes from their skins, place them in a large mixing bowl and mash them with a potato masher until smooth. Combine the miso, vinegar, and cinnamon with the potatoes. While the potaotes are cooking, put the millet and 8 cups of salted water in a large pot, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine the beans, garlic, onion, cumin, crushed pepper and salt in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Spread the olive oil along the bottom of a large baking pan or casserole dish. Spread the cooked millet over the bottom of the pan, then spread the black bean mixture in an even layer over the millet. Top with the sweet potato mixture and spread evenly.

Bake the casserole for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool a bit before slicing into six servings. You can also make the casserole a day or two ahead, store in the refrigerator, and bake before serving. Adapted from The Candle Cafe Cookbook (Clarkson Potter)