a bowl of comfort

Comfort comes in many shapes and sizes.

A warm hug.  A friendly hello.  A new book on a rainy day.  A phone call from a close friend.  A smile, a laugh, an ‘I love you.’

On the health front, the idea of comfort food has quickly gone out of style.  Replaced with the idea that food should not carry such emotion.  It should not have feeling.

Food and comfort do not belong in the same sentence.  So they say.

But you know what?  I say piddly wish-wash to all of that!!  I find the idea of sitting down to dinner with my parents every night, comforting.  I find the idea of eating lunch with friends, comforting.  And, obviously, the holidays are filled with warmth, good food, and comfort.

And—absolutely!—I find that sitting down to a warm bowl of summer squash and white bean saute to be absolutely comforting.

It’s okay to enjoy your food.  To enjoy your friends and family.  To enjoy the process from kitchen to table.  To find comfort in the simple preparation of a meal and to find comfort in eating until…well…comfortably full.

(It’s also okay to find comfort in downward dogs and tree poses. )

Yes.  Comfort comes in many shapes and sizes.

Summer Squash and White Bean Saute—courtesy of Eating Well Magazine

I like to serve this saute over brown rice, letting it soak up all of the delicious sauce.  But it also tastes delicious served in a wrap, if you don’t mind getting a little messy.  Enjoy! 😀

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 15- or 19-ounce can cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed (see Tip)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, summer squash, oregano, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring once, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir in beans, tomatoes and vinegar; increase heat to medium and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in Parmesan.

QUESTION: What does the word “comfort” mean to you?

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