Marinated Sesame Tofu Bites with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

When the seasons change here in Ottawa, outerwear can be a gamble in the mornings when you're heading out for the day. One can wake up to sweater weather, close their windows and put on slippers, only to find themselves in public and severely overdressed by 11am. Today, I landed on campus in leggings, fall boots (lightly lined) and a long-sleeved jersey shirt. While I walked to class, I admired everyone's appropriate combinations of tank tops, jean shorts and flip flops, as the weather had jumped 13 degrees since I had gotten dressed. I overheard people walking by me, defending their similarly unfortunate decisions: "I don't understand why everyone isn't wearing shorts." "Um, these pants are actually super light." I took a few steps and tried rolling up my leggings, but that added too much of a combat boot vibe to my outfit, so I broke a sweat and kept my head down.

This confusing time of year also means that the retirement of backyard barbecuing is nigh. I have had zero success this season with barbecue-friendly veggie burgers, so for what could have been one of the last barbecue potlucks of the summer, I needed something quick, easy and inexpensive. These tasty bites were well received by all, including those who followed it with a freshly grilled burger.

Simple Vegan Roasted Sweet Potato Leek Soup

It's been a whirlwind summer. 

In my transition from work back to grad school, I've had the pleasure of reexamining my diet choices once more. It was impeccable timing, really - just as I finished work for the summer and gave myself a week of rest before my final year of grad school. So, instead of being creative or putting my feet up in a fit of blissful relaxation, I've found myself in the fetal position and relying on Gravol in a pinch to get me through the night. 

So while I'm figuring out why my body has turned on me once more (some would say my briefly revisited love affair with coffee could be partially to blame, but I'll ignore it), I'm turning to simple, comforting recipes like this one. Roasting the veggies really brings out a rich, sweet flavour that doesn't need a lot of complimentary spices or additional ingredients.