Curried Red Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Tofu

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato- cut into cubes
1 medium onion- large dice
1/2 block firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
3 cloves garlic, rough mince
3 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups red lentils
2-3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
Start by heating oil over medium heat in large, deep skillet. While oil is heating, put 3 1/2 cups of water into kettle or pan to boil. Begin to sautee onions, adding salt. Once onions have softened, add garlic, and tofu. Let tofu get a little brown and then add sweet potatoes and curry. Cook all ingredients together an additional minute, until fragrant. Now add 1 1/2 cups lentils, boiling water, and tomato paste. Cover and turn down to simmer for at least 20 minutes. At the end of twenty minutes, add 1/4 cup of coconut milk and taste for seasoning. Add more salt if needed. Serve with rice and/or warm pitas.

New post- New year!

Time flies when you're...busy living life. Hi, 2011, I'm Julie. It's nice to meet you! Some resolutions/goals I have made for myself and you include:

• Being more resourceful with my clothes- creating, re-mixing outfits out of what is in my closet, rather than buying something new, on an impulse, because I haven't done laundry. (I blame Target clearance racks for this bad habit!)
• Being more resourceful with my food- fridge AND pantry combined. I tend to over-buy in the produce department and then waste food. I am going to be more reserved when it comes to shopping and try to cook through most of my dry/canned goods, while adding the fresh produce in for extra zing! Also, not eating out for lunch at work more than once or twice a week. MAX!
• Not eating any kind of processed sugar (candy, cookies, treats, etc.) or processed snacks (doritos- you know you are guilty!) and continue to never, ever, under any circumstance, eat fast food. So far so good, but work is my main enemy here, but I have combatted crappy-snack time with my own drawer, in my own desk, that is stocked with luna bars, nuts, dried fruits and rice cakes!
• Thrifting furniture (yes, I am committing to find side tables and other interesting pieces online or at tag/yard sales) and household decor. This also includes a couple of DIY projects this year: curtains for bedroom, wall art for above our mantle, framing prints from a calendar for kitchen, a picture frame chalkboard, turning my old desk into a vanity, and much more!
• Keeping in better touch with friends and family. Let's face it together here folks, I am a solitary person by nature. I can tolerate handle a husband :) because, as a rule, I prefer one-on-one interactions to large groups of people. I hate.hate.hate. talking on the phone for any amount of time exceeding 15 minutes. I try to email everyone, as much as I can, but I tend to read an email/FB message and then make a mental note to reply, and then forget to. This year is going to be hard enough with all of the family issues surrounding me, I need to reach out more and more consistently to lean on those I know will support me.
• Add 2 days of cardio to my weekly workouts. Luckily, I am bound to three days a week of hot yoga due to the work-exchange program I participate in. This is great, because I hate breaking commitments to things like volunteer work, etc. AND I get to practice for free! However, I MUST add some cardio! My heart will thank me. So far, 10 days in to 2011, I have only added one day, and have even missed 2 days of yoga! I have actually been sick- with cold AND stomach flu simultaneously. BAH!
• Last but not least- I am committing to pay off my credit card debt by the end of the year, as well as,save enough money for hubster and I to take a trip to Costa Rica. This.Will.Happen.

All in all, a pretty reasonable list, no? I'm glad I posted this, because now I can come back and check on it as needed.

So, what's going on with me right now, this very second, you ask??

Well, I am off today and am going to continue my cleaning of the house- yesterday I tackled the bathroom GAH (it almost won!) and today I will continue dusting and sweeping and doing kitty boxes. I have returns to make to Ann Taylor LOFT and hopefully the coat I ordered from Macy's for my trip to NYC with cousin Camille will arrive!

Last night I made a wonderful vegan curried red lentil dish with sweet potatoes and tofu (see recipes). The sweet potatoes had been in my fridge for at least 2 weeks and I still have some to go through. I also need to cook my way through about 2-3 pounds of yukon potatoes. Soup, soup and homefries!

This weeks menu:

- Sweet potato fries with spicy salt

- Potato leek soup

- Homefries with scallions

-Leftovers!

See y'inz later! Tonight is Oregon v. Auburn and I never EVER thought I would be looking forward to a non-Steelers football game, but I am and I am proudly posting about it! GO DUCKS!