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. 

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!