::comforting:tastes::

It is beginning to get cooler and cooler in Canada as Fall has finally approached. 

This just means that we can fire up those stoves again and crank up the heat and envelope ourselves in huge warm blankets and over-sized chunky knits. 

I love comfort food - then again, who doesn't?

I love the heartiness of it and regardless if you gorge yourself on a comfort food meal on a cold Wintery night, you aren't doing much of anything else so just laze about on the couch or throw on some skates and go outside to burn those calories. Eithery way, your tummy is warm and kindled like a fireplace and ready to undertake anything you want to do during those blistery days. 

I love pasta, chilis, soups, warm breads and the like on my cooler days - whether it's snowing out or it's a gorgeous rainy Fall day {which I adore!}. 

I have just began experimenting with different types of soups. I don't particularly like onions or celery in my soup so I can be quite picky and I make sure that the recipes I find are to my liking; or I tweak them a bit to make them my own and to satisfy my palette. 

Regardless, with soups, you can add pretty much anything you want and most of the time you can't go wrong {easy on the seasoning though; it can be a total killer}. 

This next recipe was found on Martha Stewart's Everday Food website. 

It's a vegetarian dish but you can add chicken or beef to it if you'd like - I think I might throw in some shredded chicken for that extra heartiness. :)
What are your favorite foods during the cooler/freezing cold {!} months?

Bon Appetit!

Vegetarian Lentil Soup with Croutons

This aromatic soup is brothy rather than thick. The lentils should be cooked until they're just tender so they stay intact instead of falling apart in the soup. 

Everyday Food, December 2007
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 carrots, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 bag {1 pound} brown lentils, picked over
2 cans {14-1/2 ounces each} reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 dried bay leaf
4 ounces sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes {about 1-1/2 cups}

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add carrots, lentils, broth, bay leaf, cayenne, and 3-1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are just tender, about 20 minutes.
Discard the bay leaf. 

Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss bread with remaining tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Serve soup topped with croutons.

Cook's Note
A look at lentils: This earthy-tasting member of the legume family is available in a range of colours and sizes. Lentils are a good source of protein, iron, and phosphorus, and keep for up to a year in an airtight container. 

There are definitely a tun of recipes out there for the comfort-food lover during the sub-zero temperature Winter months. ;)
I will be posting more soup recipes so stay tuned!

-S.*