Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Stew

Here is what I believe: if you want to be truly inspired, you have to change something. Change your location. Change your mindset. Change who you talk to, how you see things, and what you do in your every day life. Or, like me, change all of these things in one big terrifying leap.

Morocco is possibly the most inspiring place I have ever been in my life. Not only have I been inspired to start up this blog again, but I have been inspired to write, photograph, and dance as much as possible. At my internship here at Cinematheque de Tanger, I am starting the most exciting project. I proposed to do a series of intensive workshops accumulating into a final performance that combines contemporary dance and cinema projections. The directors went for it (!!!) and now I am beginning the scary and amazing process of creating a community dance course/performance from scratch. It is a lot of work, but it’s the kind of work I love to do.

By the end of each day, I tend to be so worn out that all I want to do is make something easy and comforting for dinner with simple ingredients that I buy from the local markets. The solution? A steaming pot of soup infused with Moroccan-inspired spices. Yum.

Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Stew

makes about 3-4 servings

2 cups red lentils

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes

4 cups water

1 vegetable boullion cube (alternately, you can use 4 cups of vegetable broth and forget the boullion cube)

½ onion, chopped

2 minced cloves of garlic

1 tomato, diced

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp tumeric

½ tsp paprika

salt to taste

Rinse your lentils and dump them into a large pot along with the water, sweet potatoes, onion, garlic and boullion cube. Turn the heat on medium low and bring to a boil for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and sweet poatatoes are soft and the water is absorbed.

Add the spices, adjusting to your taste and served topped with whatever you desire- I used arugula and avocado, but you could also add some parsley or vegan sour cream. 

Take Out Made In

Hi guys! I'm back!

Life-in-a-box!

Phew. These past two weeks have really taken the life out of me. First a week of finals, a weekend of packing, then a week of working 10 hour waitressing shifts during my school's commencement. Summer break has never been such a relief. 

Because of my long and exhausting work shifts plus the road trip home, I have been eating out a lot lately. Take out food tends to make me feel gross when I eat it for too many days straight, but it does taste pretty great (thank you, sugar and sodium). When I finally made it home, I decided to try to create a slightly healthier version of one of my all-time favorite chinese carry-out dishes: General Tso's Tofu. I'd say it turned out just as delicious as the real deal!

General Tso's Tofu (adapted from The Vegan Kitchen)

makes 2 servings

12 oz extra firm tofu
1 tbsp cornstarch
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 tbsp mirin (rice wine)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp siracha (or to taste)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

1. Preheat your oven to 400º and grease a baking sheet. Press the tofu between paper towels to get rid of excess water and cut into small cubes. Toss the cubes with a tablespoon of cornstarch and place them on the sheet to bake for about 20-25 minutes.
2. Prepare the sauce by heating the garlic over low heat in a small saucepan. After a minute, add in the other ingredients (except for the cornstarch mixture) and stir for about 3 minutes. Mix in the cornstarch and whisk until thickened. Remove from heat. 
3. Once the tofu is cooked, place the cubes in a bowl and carefully mix in the sauce. Serve with brown rice and broccoli. All you're missing is the fortune cookie!

This meal is super quick to whip up and perfect for a lazy summer movie night. Do you have a go-to take-out meal?

Tofu and Brussels Salad

My dance concert is finally over and it was a huge success! I'm super happy with how my choreography turned out and all of the other pieces looked amazing too. I go to a school filled with so much talent- it's really inspiring. 

However, now that the show is over, time to get back to school work and travel plans. It's amazing how many little details you run into when planning these things that you would never even think about otherwise. For example, what kind of shoes to bring. I spent an entire day researching good backpacking shoes that won't make me look like a tacky American tourist and are comfortable and supportive... and I still have yet to solve the problem. Any expert travelers have suggestions or other little tidbits of information that are often overlooked in the planning stages?

Despite obsessing over these organizing issues, my excitement about my year off continues to escalate. I've been reading some great travel blogs and looking at some gorgeous photos of places all over the world that I would love to visit. I can't wait!

I made this recipe last weekend to save as a quick dinner for the busy week-nights. It's pretty easy to whip up, is really good for you, and tastes delicious, hot or cold! If you don't like brussels sprouts, you could substitute broccoli or kale, but I happen to love brussels sprouts. They have the perfect crispy and crunchy texture to go with the soft, delicate tofu in this dish! 

Tofu and Brussels Salad (inspired by this recipe from Sew Indie)

makes about 4 cups

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb brussels, chopped 

1/2 package extra firm cubed tofu

1/3 cup crushed cashews

3/4 cup couscous 

1 cup water

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

juice of 1 lime

1. Combine the couscous and water in a pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook until all the water is soaked up (about 7-10 minutes).
2. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the tofu and garlic and saute until the tofu starts to turn golden-brown. 
Stir in the brussels sprouts and cook for about 5 more minutes.
3. Once the brussels are tender, stir in the couscous, cashews, maple syrup and spices. Toss well to coat everything completely. Serve with cilantro and lime juice squeezed on top.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

I recently happened upon this post by A Cup Of Jo and it got me thinking. I love the idea of honoring those random little things that people are good at! Not big things- like writing or doing math or dancing- but tiny things that seem insignificant yet make us a little bit proud of ourselves. Why not share those with the world more often?

For example, I am good at remembering names and being on time. I am also good at saving the most perfect bite of food for last, so that all of the flavors can explode at once and leave me happy and satisfied, kind of like a fireworks finale in my mouth.

It was hard to do that for this meal, however, because every single bite was so delicious I never wanted it to end! I had never prepared homemade enchiladas before, but now that I've tried it I'm not sure if I can ever go back to the frozen microwavable kind.

I got this wonderful recipe here from Oh She Glows, but made a few adjustments. I didn't have any bell pepper, so I used two chopped zucchini instead. I used chard in place of spinach and topped the thing off with daiya cheddar cheese. I also made the cilantro avocado cream sauce, but unfortunately wasn't able to photograph it before people ate it all up!

I made these for the same meal where these were the dessert. Holy moly what a delicious dinner. I think enchiladas are officially my go-to crowd pleaser when you have to cook for guests. Vegans and non-vegans alike will love them!

I'm about to be launched into tech week for my spring dance show, which will be insane! When things get really busy, though, and you feel like you just can't do anything right, it's nice to go back and remember that you are good at things, even the little ones!

So, what are you good at?

Sniffles and Spaghetti

It's that time of year again... the time when every single person on my college campus collectively gets sick. We call it the plague. I thought I had successfully avoided it, but the endless amounts of Vitamin C and tea can only fight it off for so long.

Instead of wallowing in sniffles and coughs, I'm trying to look on the bright side of being sick, for once. Now, I can catch up on some much-needed sleep, watch movies that I've had saved up in my Netflix forever, and finally finish that great book I started reading! Yay!

...But let's be real. Being sick actually mostly sucks.

I was going to make myself a big pot of soup today, but I realized I'm all out of vegetable broth. Instead, I might make another batch of this cajun white bean spaghetti that I had about a week ago for dinner. 
I got the delicious recipe here, from Noelle at the Peaceful Plate, except I made some minor changes. I used spinach instead of kale and had to mix up my own cajun seasoning using equal parts oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. 

All in all, it tasted super yummy and made great leftovers for a couple days! This will definitely be a weeknight staple around here. Maybe the spice will help to clear up the stuffiness in my head a little bit, too.

More yummy dessert recipes to come when I'm better! For now, time to doze off watching reruns of Mad Men.

Rosemary Sweet Potato & Mushroom Pasta

Ohio has some of the most bipolar weather I have ever seen. One morning I wake up to a thick layer of snow out my window and by the end of the day it's all melted and birds are chirping. It's a little confusing.  

It is still staying consistently chilly, which means I continue to crave warm and comforting wintery flavors- like this pasta! I made this dish from the random leftovers in my fridge (seems to be how most of my best meals are created...) and it came out so delicious. The earthy flavors will melt away any lingering winter chills!

Rosemary Sweet Potato & Mushroom Pasta

serves 2

1 sweet potato, baked (or microwaved), peeled and cubed
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
about 8 mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
~6 ounces whole wheat spaghetti, or pasta of your choice

Boil water for the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. While the it's boiling, heat up the olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. 

Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onions begin to turn transparent. Toss in the mushrooms and cook until they get juicy, then add in the sweet potato, brown sugar and rosemary. Heat for about 5-8 more minutes, stirring gently so you don't break up the sweet potato too much. 

Serve over prepared pasta with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Quick and easy pasta dishes are my favorite.

Simple Orange Tofu

Every semester I tell myself "Okay, this semester I'm not going to overbook myself- I'm going to try to stay sane." So far, I have failed. There is just always so much to do and so little time! Luckily, everything I'm doing is something that I genuinely want to do. My classes are all pretty awesome (dance and the camera, dance history, a Shakespeare English class, and chemistry and the environment), plus I'm choreographing a dance, performing in another dance, and I still have my great waitressing job. So much for not overbooking myself.

I have been living up to one of my goals for the year: really setting aside time to cook myself quality meals! All you need is to get some good, versatile ingredients that will last you a couple weeks and then set aside half an hour to whip up something delicious. 

This is the first time I've tried cooking tofu by myself and I must say, it went really well! I think this dish is going to become a week-night staple. It's delicious and uses very basic ingredients that I almost always have on hand. 

Orange Tofu with Rice

makes about 4 servings

1 block extra firm tofu
1 orange
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 cup prepared brown rice (I used Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley)
optional: cooked spinach or peas to throw in with the rice

Note: If you are making this tofu for dinner, I would recommend marinating it around lunchtime. If it is for lunch, let it marinate overnight.

1. Drain the tofu and wrap in a paper towel. Squeeze the excess water out of the block of tofu and cut it into triangles or cubes.
2. Peel your orange and smash it in a medium-small lidded bowl, getting it nice and pulp-y. Stir in the soy sauce, garlic and 1 tbsp of the oil. 
3. Place your tofu into the marinade, cover with the lid and shake gently so that every piece is covered with the sauce. Let it marinate for at least 2 hours.
4. Once the tofu is done marinating, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan over high heat. Add the tofu (but save the marinade!). Cook for a couple minutes on each side and flip. Repeat until the edges begin to brown and get slightly crispy. 
5. Serve warm over rice with a little extra sauce poured over the top. 

If you have leftovers, these little wedges would be excellent tossed into a salad, served in a wrap with some hummus and veggies, or just eaten plain as a snack! 

Pumpkin and Black Bean Chili

How did I end up in rural Ohio? 

This is the question I have been asking myself for the past 3 days.
Don't get me wrong, I love my school, but after being in California for a month, this place looks a little bleak. No more morning walks on the beach, no more farmer's markets open year-round, no more sundresses in January... Oh well. I'm just going to take advantage of everything this school has going for it and head West the minute I graduate. That's the plan.

In the meantime, I will keep myself sane by periodically redecorating my room...

and making soup.

This pumpkin and black bean chili is the perfect college meal. All you need is an onion, some fresh garlic and three 15-ounce cans and you have a flavorful, hearty winter soup that will feed you for a few days. Cheap, healthy, and did I mention it tastes like spicy pumpkin pie? Yum. It can't get better than this.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Chili (adapted from Keeping it Real Food)

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can black beans
2 cups diced tomatos
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups water

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the onions and garlic. Saute until the onion becomes transluscent. 
2. Add in the black beans, tomatoes, pumpkin and spices. Stir well for about 2-3 minutes, then pour in the water.
3. Put on some tunes and take a dance break while you let the soup simmer for 40-60 minutes. 
4. Serve with sliced avocado (smuggled back from Monterey), coconut shavings, vegan sour cream, or just keep it plain and simple!

Oh wow, I can't believe classes start in just 2 days. Wish me luck for my incredibly daunting add/drop period!

Berkley and Lillian's Shallot Spaghetti

love.

Well. I spent my weekend living in a house with my very liberal cousin and her 9 male, conservative, mormon roommates. How was your weekend?

Seriously, though, I felt like I was in the middle of a ridiculous sit-com or something! They were all super nice guys, but there were some semi-awkward debates about politics and a lengthly explanation of what exactly being a vegan means.  

Speaking of which, Berkley is like vegan heaven. Almost every restaurant at least had options for me, but some were all vegetarian or vegan. There is this ice cream sandwich shop called Cream that has vegan ice cream sandwiches. Oh. My. God. I got chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips stuffed with cherry chocolate chip soy ice cream and practically had a heart attack at the first bite. I would have taken a picture to try to show you how incredible it was, but it was gone within a couple minutes.

Sorry the photo quality isn't great- it was dark and there were no leftovers to photograph in the daylight!

My cousin and I also made a lot of our own yummy meals. This one we created from some random things we had on hand, but I wanted to share it because it was so amazingly good! Lillian said that one of her meal-time staples is to make pasta with caramelized shallots and garlic. The secret is to slice the shallots super thin and saute them slowly, so that they are soft and stringy and blend in with the texture of the pasta. We did a spin on this basic dish by adding mushrooms and parsley for a richer flavor. The measurements are not set in stone, so feel free to adjust them slightly to your taste- just don't skimp on the shallots! 

Lillian's Shallot Spaghetti with Red Wine Mushrooms and Parsley

serves 2

1/4 pack of whole wheat spaghetti
olive oil
6 shallots, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
8 white mushrooms, sliced thinly
1/4 cup red wine
1 medium bunch of parsley
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat olive oil (enough to cover the pan) in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and half of the garlic and lower the heat. Saute for about 30 minutes or until they begin to brown. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
2. While the shallots caramelize, heat a little bit of olive oil in a medium pan and add the rest of the garlic and the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms begin to cook, pour in the red wine. Stir and let simmer until all of the liquid has evaporated. 
3. Prepare your spaghetti according to the package directions. To serve, divide up the spaghetti among plates and top it with a generous helping of shallots, mushrooms and parsley. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper and enjoy!

We turned our meal into a whole feast, complete with a salad that we threw together from mixed greens, strawberries, and fresh-squeezed lemon juice, complements of her backyard lemon tree.

And a dessert plate, of course, with strawberries and yummy No-Cookie Cookies.

This is one of my favorite new pasta dishes- it tastes like a gourmet meal, but it is so simple!

Candles and red wine make everything fancier.

California Dreaming

Photo taken by my friend Anne Ylvisaker on her iPhone- unfortunately I left my camera at home on our walk today!

Every time I visit California, I realize this is where I belong. The air is so fresh, the sun is (almost) always shining, there are great places to get vegan food, and you can hear the ocean from everywhere. I always feel so rejuvenated, especially since I've been stuck in the Midwest for so long. After college, you can definitely count on me heading to the west coast. Just look at how beautiful it is here, how can you resist?! 

Also by Anne!

Because I'm pretty busy starting my internship with the natural history museum, I'll just leave you with a quick and easy lunch recipe that I made for my mom and I while I was home. It's from my favorite cookbook I mentioned before, Big Vegan. These wraps were super tasty and incredibly healthy!

Easy Veggie Tahini Wraps 

serves 2

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups chopped kale
3 tbsp tahini paste
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 large spinach tortillas


1. Steam the broccoli and kale so that they become tender and bright green. Drain them and pat dry.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the tahini, lemon juice and salt until smooth. Mix in the broccoli, kale and tomato halves. Warm up the tortillas in a toaster oven or microwave and fill them with the veggies. Wrap up and enjoy!

I think these are about to become a lunch staple for me.

I love listening to this song by the ocean. Excuse me while I go dream about dolphins and waves...

Pasta with Broccoli-Walnut Sauce

To be honest, I don't really cook meals that often. When given the time, I usually choose baking over cooking just because it's what I'm better at. Another New Years Resolution of mine is to be more creative with making meals for myself- I'm getting a little sick of basic stir-fries and salads. 
I just got this fantastic new cookbook for Christmas, Big Vegan by Robin Asbell, that I think will help with my goal. I've only tried a couple recipes so far, but they turned out amazing! I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a thorough vegan cookbook.

The first recipe I tried was Roman Broccoli-Walnut Pasta. The sauce had a very light and subtle flavor, but was really delicious. It's not too difficult to make, you just have to let the veggies simmer a while. It helps if you have a friend to help you with all the chopping.

Pasta with Broccoli-Walnut Sauce (slightly adapted from Big Vegan)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
4 cups broccoli florets and stems, chopped
1 medium tomato, diced
1 cup white wine
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup silken tofu
1/2 cup walnuts
salt to taste
1/4 cup soy creamer
about 8 oz. whole wheat pasta

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. In a large pan over high heat, saute the onion, celery and carrots in the olive oil until the veggies are soft. Add the broccoli, tomato, wine and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until there is almost no liquid left.
2. Meanwhile, place the tofu in a food processor and puree until smooth. Once the vegetables are ready, carefully add them to the food processor. Add in the walnuts, salt and soy creamer and blend until it forms a thick sauce. 
3. Cook the pasta according to the package's directions, drain, and put back into the pot. Add the sauce and stir well to combine. Serve with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Currently loving: this song.