This was the first recipe Kate and I ever thought up. Surprisingly, it came to us during a time of stress - smack dab in the middle of spring semester, I at least was strung out from school work, busily applying for study abroad programs, and trying to juggle what I can only refer to as a "food crisis." Kate and I had long been bemoaning our school cafeteria and the disconnection we felt with the food we were eating, and I had simultaneously been playing with the idea of veganism. As a seven-year vegetarian who had been perfectly content with my eating habits, I was hard-pressed to put this desire to words. It wasn't that I felt vegetarianism wasn't sufficient, it wasn't that I had somehow changed my ideology, but there was suddenly a small, nagging feeling at the back of my mind that was telling me something felt wrong. Inexplicably, I began to feel sick whenever I consumed dairy, and I found myself doubting things I had always felt so sure of.
In the end, I'm embarrassed to say it all culminated in one awful, tear-filled confession that left all my closest friends at a complete loss. All my friends, that is, except Kate.
Kate - dear, sweet, wonderful Kate - offered to help me meal plan for a week of entirely vegan eating: No school cafeteria, no processed foods, and no shoveling down food in between classes. We weren't really sure where to start with the whole "vegan food" thing, so we decided we'd just make it up as we went along. We grocery shopped together, cooked together, met up for all meals (even breakfast), and probably annoyed all of our friends with our use of such phrases as "food crisis" and "food relationship." Yeah. We know.
Kate and I learned a lot about ourselves that week, I think. We famously discovered that we like cooking together, that food was something we could bond over. We found that we felt better eating whole foods. That what foods go into our body is important to us. Also, that it was physically impossible for the pint-sized oven in our dorm hall kitchen to cook things evenly. But probably one of the most valuable lessons that I left with that week was how good it felt to take things slowly, to really savor not only the process of cooking a meal, but of sharing it with someone else.
I think I speak for both Kate and I when I say that for us, food is something worth spending time on. Of course, for us cooking is a way to relax and have fun, but it's also a way to get away from hurried or inadequate meals, and to take control of not only what you eat, but the environment you eat it in.
In college, often our bodies are the last things we take care of. We don't eat on a regular schedule, we don't exercise on a regular schedule, and we certainly don't sleep on a regular schedule. We spend so much time worrying about all the things we have to get done that sometimes we forget that it's important to do something nice for yourself once in a while (or three times a day).
Out of that entire week, these tacos were by far our favorite recipe, and the fact that we made them up was definitely the icing on the cake. The recipe calls for things we usually have on hand, it's quick, and it has a comforting, earthy taste (thanks to the cumin). Sweet potatoes are our favorite thing to pair with black beans. And spicy flavors. And a lot of things, to be honest. Basically, you'll just have to take our word for it - these tacos are great.
Cumin-Spiced Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 whole sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked black beans (about 1 cup dried beans or 2 cans cooked beans)
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Small corn tortillas
Optional garnishes:
Salsa
Avocado
Cilantro
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread diced sweet potatoes over a large cookie sheet and drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil and roast for approximately 20 minutes, or until soft.
2. In the meantime, heat the other Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute several minutes, until translucent and fragrant. Add the cumin, salt, and cayenne, and stir well. Add fully cooked sweet potato and black beans and heat through.
3. Scorch corn tortillas over a flame or warm on a burner (or in the microwave). Fill each tortilla with a generous heap of the sweet potato mixture and top with (optional) salsa, avocado, and cilantro. Serve. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment