When the cold weather sets in, what’s better than warm clothing and a bowl of comfort food?
During the cold winter months, most people tend to crave comfort dishes that provide them with a sense of fullness.
“One of the reasons why you crave more carbohydrates this time of year is because they help stimulate the formulation of the feel good hormone, and serotonin in the brain,” said nutrition Raneem Abdulmajeed. “Your brain sends signals that you need to eat more food when it is winter because you need the extra calories to keep your body warm,” she added.
Nothing makes a cold day more bearable than something hot and hearty out of the oven. But sometimes-hearty fare could include comfort foods that can be bad for your health and include a lot of fat, oils, sugar and carbs. “Forget about cookies and fries and search for food options like soups, roast and casseroles, which will satiate your appetite and not leave you feeling guilty,” said Abdulmajeed. “You might not crave healthy meals, but you have to force your mind to think that its either foods that are not dense in fat or nothing, and you will eventually fall in love with the healthier choices you make,” she added.
One of the famous soups Abdulmajeed recommends is the Arabian lentil soup. “Its very healthy and you can add vegetables to it. The heat of the soup and the texture will warm up your body and make you feel full for a long time,” she said.
Abdulmajjed provided us with a recipe she got from “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook”, which she recommends everyone cook during the cold weather. “You will need around two hours to perfect this, so be patient because it will be rewarding,” she said.
Ingredients:
1 pound French green lentils
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large onions)
4 cups chopped leeks, white part only (2 leeks)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/4 cup good olive oil, plus additional for drizzling on top
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups medium-diced celery (8 stalks)
3 cups medium-diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
3 quarts chicken stock
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine or red wine vinegar
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow them to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.
In a large stockpot on medium heat, sauté the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and sauté them for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked thoroughly. Check the seasonings. Serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.
Per Serving: Calories: 462; Fat: 13g; (Saturated Fat: 2.5g); Protein: 25g; Carbohydrates: 64g; Sugar: 14g; Fiber 13g; Cholesterol: 11mg; Sodium: 1,400mg
Deserts are a must for most of us, so we spoke to Intesar Bakr, pastry chef and founder of Sweet Delights catering, who offered to share some of her winter special recipes: French Toast Strata with white chocolate and raspberries.
Ingredients:
5 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 ounces cream cheese
Butter for dish
3/4 loaf (15 ounces) brioche or thinly sliced and quartered
2 pints raspberries
½ cup of white chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
1. Mix together the eggs, milk, and 4 tablespoons sugar. In another bowl combine cream cheese with 1-tablespoon sugar. Butter a 2-1/2-quart baking dish.
2. Quickly dip half of the brioche slices into the egg mixture and arrange them in a slightly overlapping layer on the bottom of the dish. Top with bits of half the cream cheese and half the raspberries. Repeat with remaining brioche, cream cheese and white chocolate and raspberries. Pour remaining egg mixture over the top and sprinkle entire dish with 2 tablespoons sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours to 24 hours.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and bake strata until eggs are set and top is golden, about 55 minutes; cover with foil if top gets too brown. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.
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