Heartfelt and Hearty: a reflection of two words.

 Here it is, Valentine’s Day!  It’s a day when heartfelt messages of love are shared around the globe.  I wish that I could capture some of that love and release it at a future time when we all need a little TLC!

Think about the word “heartfelt”.  It literally means that it is something you feel you’re your heart, not your head.  According to Merriam Webster, “Heartfelt” is  “a depth of genuine feeling, outwardly expressed”

I saved one of the last Valentine’s Day cards that Bruce gave to me, and I saved it because it was my very favorite, and I love the message.  One of the things  I miss most after losing Bruce is the feeling of warmth and security that you get when you know how much you are loved by your life partner.  Nothing can replace that, so you have to get by with the memories of how encompassing that love was.  While we miss our departed loved ones with heartfelt, deep emotion and sense of loss, hopefully, we also show our love for the friends and family still with us, with heartfelt joy and appreciation.

And then there is “Hearty”. You can greet someone with a “hearty” welcome and… there is “hearty” food.

According to the dictionary: “Hearty” is: “abundant, rich, or flavorful enough to satisfy the appetite”

I ‘ll be sharing with you two recipes for side dishes which are hearty enough to serve as a main course if you don’t want to include meat on your meal menu.  These are heart-warming comfort foods, meant to make you feel satisfied and cozy.

More on lentils:

Lentils are in the legume family and one of the most ancient food sources, common to ancient Rome and Asia.  Lentils come in three different colors, brown, green and red. I like to use the red lentils because they are a pretty color.

Lentils are the easiest of the legumes to cook, as they do not require overnight soaking like many dried beans. Lentils can be cooked start-to-finish within 30 minutes.  They are very versatile and any number of flavorings can be added.  Because they offer 20% carbohydrates and 9% protein, you can make a lentil dish a main course and skip the meat if you like.  The low levels of readily digestible starch (5 percent) and high levels of slowly digested starch make lentils of potential value to people with diabetes. 

I made this dish on a Saturday night and it reminded me of an updated version of "franks and beans" which was a Saturday night staple in our home when I was a child.

Red Lentil Curry With Spinach

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 serrano or jalepeno pepper, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder (or more, to taste)
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15oz can coconut milk
½ cup chicken broth (substitute water if you want to go vegan)
1 cup red lentils
5 oz. baby spinach

In a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat the oil.  Saute the onion over medium heat until soft, 5-10 minutes.  Add the hot pepper, ginger and curry powder.  Stir and then add the canned tomatoes, simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add coconut milk and chicken broth, bring to a boil and add the lentils, simmer until the lentils are tender 25-35 minutes.  Fold in the spinach and cook until it is wilted, 3-5 minutes. 

About the Summer Squash Casserole...

I love this recipe!  Even people who are not fond of vegetables will ask for seconds of this veggie dish!  I try to offer recipes with smaller servings in my blog, keeping in mind that widowed folks are likely to live alone.  But I did not cut back on the portion size for this recipe.  If you really want to do so, you can, if you don’t mind having one-half of a can of cream-of-chicken soup left over.  I’m sure there are ways to use that if you do!  However, the leftover casserole can be frozen in single portions and it reheats very well, so maybe make the full batch and use for several meals.

Summer Squash Casserole

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2 large or 3 small  summer squash, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (I prefer the “chicken with herbs” version but plain is fine too)

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup of shredded carrots

¼ cup butter

2 cups of croutons

½ cup of French’s crispy onion rings

In a steamer basket, cook summer squash and onion together until tender, drain and set aside

In a bowl, mix soup, sour cream and shredded carrots, add summer squash, and blend.

While preparing the squash, place butter in casserole dish and place in oven for a few minutes to melt butter.

Remove casserole from oven, add croutons and stir to coat croutons with butter.

Pour squash mix over layer of croutons, top with crispy onions and bake for 30 minutes and it's ready to serve!