Book of Days Tales

The first Friday in February has been designated as Wear Red Day – especially for women, to draw attention to the fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the developed world – by far.  Back in the 1950s and 1960s, cardiac problems were the virtually exclusive domain of men.  It was typical for a man to work in a highly stressful job until his 60s when he would drop dead of a heart attack, leaving a widow with grown children to mourn him. By the 21^st century, women have caught up with me when it comes to heart disease because they are not paying attention to heart-healthy habits – plenty of exercise, good diet, no smoking, and proper sleep. Women are not innately immune to heart disease, they just didn’t do as many bad things in the past as men did, but now they are on the same course – or worse.

For a recipe you should make something heart healthy, which means avoiding processed foods, and not using a ton of sugar, salt or saturated fats.  You have plenty of options. I will make lentil soup – one of my favs.  I like to serve this with lashings of hot sauce.

Ingredients

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow or white onion, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Madras curry powder
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 large can (28 ozs) diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup brown lentils
4 cups broth
2 cups water
salt to taste (optional)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup chopped fresh collard greens or kale, tough ribs removed
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (½ to 1 medium lemon), to taste

Instructions

Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat.

Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and carrot and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, curry powder and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Pour in the drained diced tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often.

Pour in the lentils, broth and the water. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape. May take longer depending on the lentils.

Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender. Securely fasten the lid, protect your hand from steam with a tea towel placed over the lid, and purée the soup until smooth. Pour the puréed soup back into the pot. (Or, use an immersion blender to blend a portion of the soup.)

Add the chopped greens and cook until the greens have softened to your liking.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

Serve hot.