Hearty
Comfort Food
Goodbye ‘Daylight Savings Time’,
hello early winter twilights! These predictable seasonal changes should come as
no surprise, however I still find myself somewhat shocked that another fall is
dwindling into winter. My nasturtiums this fall managed to survive until the
end of October, but are unlikely to grace any more salads. Time for hearty
comfort food.
This means hearty soups and braised
dinners. Each of these does require a bit more time for preparation, but comes
with an added benefit. Since they reheat well with improved flavor, one cooked
dish will provide several meals in the week to come. A cold and rainy weekend
is often a good time to spend in the kitchen and cook. Not only are you doing
something deliciously constructive, but the delicious flavors filling the house
are bound to lift everyone’s spirits.
Smoked Paprika Lentil Soup with Kale
In a large pot cook 2 strips of thick bacon
to crisp and set aside on paper towels. In the rendered fat sauté finely
chopped: 1 large onion, 2 carrots and 1 stalk celery until softened about 5
minutes. Stir in 3 chopped garlic cloves and sauté for an additional minute.
Stir in 1 tsp. thyme, 1 bay leaf, 2 tsp. smoked paprika for an additional
minute and then add 1 cup red wine. Bring to simmer and add 1 can (14.5 oz.)
diced tomatoes, 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth and 1 ½ cups green or black
beluga lentils and bring to boil. Lower the heat to simmer, cover and let the
lentils cook for 40 minutes. At this point remove the bay leaf and if you wish
a creamier soup, puree 2 cups of the lentils and return to the pot. While the
lentils are cooking, wash and devein ½ small bunch of kale and cut the leaves
in thin ribbons. Stir the cut kale into the lentils and adjust seasoning with
salt and pepper and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Stir in 1 tblsp.
balsamic vinegar (optional). Adjust the thickness of the soup as desired with
hot water. Serve hot with the reserved
bacon crumbled on top and crusty bread on the side.
Braised beef makes many hearty dishes cooked either on stove top or
baked. My favorite old recipe for beef brisket makes for an easy and delicious
dinner using a Dutch oven pot with a tight-fitting lid.
Beef Brisket
with Onions
Trim excess fat from a 2-3 lb. beef brisket and place in the Dutch oven.
Season with salt, pepper and 1 tsp. herbe’s de Provence. Add 1 bay leaf and
cover with 3 thinly sliced onions. Do not add water. Cover tightly and bake in
a 325 degree oven for 4 hours until very tender. The last hour arrange 5-6
medium sized peeled and halved potatoes around the meat, sprinkle with salt and
replace the tight cover. Turn and baste the potatoes every 15 minutes during
the cooking time. Skim off the fat and serve the meat with juices from the pot
or use them to make gravy with a bit of flour and water. To carve, cut the meat
across the grain at a slant. If desired, serve horseradish on the side.
Beef brisket is also very tasty with some old-fashioned dumplings. Unlike
Oriental dumplings that are filled, these old-fashioned dumplings are really
cooked dough balls that absorb the meat flavors with which they are served.
Thyme
Dumplings
Sift together 1 cup all purpose flour with 2 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp.
salt and 1 tsp. ground thyme. In a measuring cup break a large egg and add
enough milk to the ½ cup mark. Beat the egg with a fork and add to the flour
mixture, stirring until a stiff dough is formed. Heat 2-3 cups stock in a wide
pan and drop the batter from a tablespoon into the broth when it comes to
simmer, without the dumplings touching each other. When all dumplings are in
the pan, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, turn the dumplings and simmer for an
additional 5 minutes. Serve at once with meat juices or sauce.
Hearty comfort food comes in many
flavors, some savory, some tart and some sweet. The winter months give us ample
time to explore them all.
(I. Winicov Harrington lives in
coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than
$5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)
