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. 

Songs & Salads

It's amazing how much music can dictate your mood. I have always been the type of person to make playlists for certain events and periods of my life. The songs need to fit just perfectly so that when you listen to them years later, they take you back to that moment in time. 

The songs I've been listening to lately remind me of that smell of dewey grass, cicadas buzzing, warm breezes and the slight taste of citrus on my tongue. I wanted to share this with you guys, so I've put together a mini-playlist to give you a taste of my summer. Listen to these songs while you lay in the grass, ride your bike, drive around with the windows down, or whenever you feel in the mood to let in some sunshine.

(click on the photo for download links!)

This salad, in my opinion, is also quintessentially summer. It's light, crunchy, fresh and so incredibly simple to put together: the perfect summer lunch!

Simple Summer Porch Salad

makes about 3-4 servings

Dressing:
1 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp agave

Salad:
1/2 cup red quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup shelled edamame
1/2 cup baby carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup crushed raw cashews
1/2 lime

1. Combine the quinoa and water in a medium pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover, bring the heat down to a simmer and let cook for about 15 minutes or until all the water is soaked up.
2. To make the dressing, combine the ingredients in a small sauce pan over low heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Assemble the salad by tossing together quinoa, veggies, cashews and the dressing. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice and serve warm or chilled.

Does anyone else like to make playlists for certain seasons? I'm always looking for new music recommendations, so I'd love to know what you are listening to this summer!

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.

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! 

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.

Toasted Veggie Sandwich and Disaster

Disaster has struck my dorm. Our oven and stove are broken. Now instead of baking lovely treats for everyone, I'm going to actually have to do my homework this weekend. Maybe it's a sign that I need to adjust my priorities. Hopefully it will be fixed soon though, because I have a long "to-bake" list for you guys. Meanwhile....

I discovered the fact that the stove was broken midway through preparing to make a grilled veggie sandwich. I was about to completely give up after waiting 10 minutes for the pan to heat up and just go with boring old peanut butter and jelly, but then I had an idea. I could toast/roast the veggies instead. The result was still delicious.



Basically I drizzled sliced eggplant and tomato with olive oil and sprinkled them with oregano and rosemary and baked them at 400° in the toaster oven for about 15 minutes (until the eggplant was soft). I toasted two slices of bread (I used plain old wheat, but I wish I had some better bread like ciabatta so it didn't get so soggy) and then spread a layer of spinach and artichoke hummus, topped it with fresh basil and finally added the veggies. Perfect for a quick and healthy dinner before I ran off to serve pizza for 5 hours!



Haven't you ever noticed that the best sandwiches are always the messiest to eat? It's a fact.

Warm Tomato and Peach Salad

One pattern you might notice on this blog is that I use a lot of the same ingredients, but do different things with them. Yes, I'm cheap. I make ingredients last as long as they possibly can, so I apologize for the repetition but also I think it's good to find new ways of mixing together similar foods! Like having tomatoes in 3 different posts so far...

This past weekend I went to the Oberlin Farmer's Market and got some yummy fresh veggies. Here's what I bought:



Now to be honest, I don't really know what to do with an eggplant- I've never cooked with one before, but I thought I might as well try! Any suggestions?

I did, however, know what to do with tomato and basil. My favorite food, before I went vegan was a Caprese salad: tomato, basil and mozzarella. Now that I'm vegan I decided to put a new spin on this basic idea. Remember that fresh peach I had a picture of a little while ago? Yep, that's what I added. You may be thinking, "tomatoes and peaches? what kind of a combination is that?" Well, let me tell you, it was amazing. This salad is so easy to put together and could be served as a side dish or a light lunch (or lunch and dinner, like I did).

Warm Tomato and Peach Salad 

serves 2

2 large tomatoes, sliced

2 large peaches, peeled and sliced

1 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra

1/3 cup packed, chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the peach and tomato slices on a tray and drizzle with the extra olive oil. Broil them in a toaster oven (or real oven) for about 20 minutes.

2. Take them out of the oven, and then mix them in a medium bowl with the 1 tbsp of olive oil and basil. Season it to taste and eat!

Super easy, super delicious.

Check out my super awesome wolf-eye knife.

I suppose you could make this salad cold too, but it was really good warm. Especially on rainy cold days.

Enjoy!