A movie, a song and a recipe.

I'm studying for a neuroanatomy midterm that marks the middle of my last semester of my first year... wow. I'll have July and August off and hope to climb out of the black hole of studying - if things work out I may even have a job on Mt. Seymour. Fingers crossed.

It makes me kind of sad to look at how little I've used this blog when there is so much I want to share about what I'm learning. I think it requires a certain discipline that so far is reserved for getting to class on time (slightly easier now that its sunny) and feeding myself.
So instead, here is a TED talk that touches on the beautiful complexity of our body's need for simple, good food.

* If you are inspired but don't know where to start, the best food 'support' to start with is your eggs - it is SO worth the few extra dollars to get good eggs from good hens. Plus you are supporting more than your own health - organic, local, outdoor chickens are better for the earth, and the farmer's job is loads better than working in a crappy chicken factory. It's a wonderful combination of sustainable health, social justice, and environmental stewardship wrapped up in a little golden egg. *

Also, a song and a recipe that have been keeping me going.
Cheers!

Johanna's 'Dal'

Ingredients: 

- 1 cup red lentils

-1 large yam 

-1 large carrot

- 6 green onions

- 3 tbsp tomato paste

- fresh ginger root (cut up about 1 tbsp into tiny tiny pieces)

- 1 tbsp of good curry - Garam Masala or I used 'Madras' which is now my fave.

-1/2 can of coconut milk (you want about a cup's worth)

- salt and pepper

-olive oil

1) Simmer lentils in 3 cups water.

2) Add chopped yam and carrot and 1/2 of the ginger.

3) As those continue to simmer, toss the curry powder in a frying pan and heat it up! this 'toasts' it and majorly helps the flavour come out. Don't want to burn it, just toss it around for a minute and you'll notice it smells nice, then put it back in the measuring bowl and wait. Now add the oil to the pan, toss in the rest of the ginger along with the chopped green onions. When softened, add the tomato paste and move it around like crazy until it too softens into more of a goop. Add the curry back in to the goop, stirring again to mix.

4) Now add your tomato paste mixture into the lentil base, also add the coconut milk, salt and pepper to taste, and let it simmer for a good 15 minutes. Everything should be soft and tasty and ready to eat. Good with bread.