Spicy Sweet Potatoes

To me, summer eating means more veggies, lighter and simpler meals. Last week I was all set for a simple easy favorite of mine - sliced Roma tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, and sweet potato fries. But then the whole way home all I could do was think about other yummy ways I could fix the sweet potatoes. I wanted spice, but couldn't shake the idea of some cinnamon to offset that spicy. As I drove, I created the recipe and I knew exactly what I wanted to make when I got home.

These turned out a little spicier than I had anticipated, but they have so much flavor. If you need to cut back some of the cayenne pepper, just make sure to cut back the same amount of cinnamon so they don't get too cinnamon-y or sweet!

Spicy Sweet Potatoes
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Mix ingredients until well-combined. Place in greased dish.

3. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Easy Vegan Rosemary Bread

I don't know if there are many things better than bread fresh out of the oven. When AJ and I got married, I made pretty much all of our bread, and it was just so satisfying to bite into that first slice while it was still warm and fragrant. Mmm.

A few years ago, I was looking for a bread recipe. I hadn't ever made bread before and I had no idea where to start. My friend Hannah had recently been cooking and baking a lot because she was a vegan living in New Orleans. She was probably the only person who baked their own bread, so I asked for her recipe. You may think....wait...vegan bread? But don't knock it until you try it. The recipe Hannah gave me is so easy and so versatile.

I know people get intimidated by the thought of making their own bread, but seriously the hardest part is the WAITING. Seriously. I've made some recipes that call for kneading and letting the bread rise THREE TIMES. It's out of control.

Anyways, this bread recipe is NOT like those really long, laborious, intense ones.

I've made this bread countless times, with variations of the seasonings and flour types. I've shared one of my favorite rosemary variations below.


Vegan Rosemary Bread
3 cups All-Purpose flour
3 cups Whole Wheat flour
3 cups water
2 Tablespoons yeast
1 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons salt (I like my bread less salty, but you can add more)
2 Tablespoons dried Rosemary
1 Tablespoon fresh Rosemary

1. In a big bowl, mix everything together (don't knead). It should look like dough. Essentially, you're just incorporating everything and making sure all the dry ingredients get moistened.

2. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1-2 hours.

3. Pull out some and put in a greased loaf pan. It should reach about halfway up the side of the pan. Alternatively if you don't have a loaf pan or want a different shape, grab about a grapefruit size and place on a greased baking sheet. Put another layering of dried rosemary on top for extra rosemary flavor.

4. Cover and let rise for another hour. While it's rising, heat your oven to 450.

5. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes. An inserted toothpick should come out clean.

This recipe will yield 2-3 loaves. If you don't want to bake it all at once, you can over the bowl of dough and keep in fridge for up to a week.