Tonight we’re having such a seasonal dish, I actually laughed out loud when I imagined cooking it in summer. The very heartiness of this meal is so well, January that it would be as out of place in June as a snowman.

Inspired by meals I’ve eaten in French bistros, this simple dinner combines one of my favorite things (lentils) with one of my kids’ favorites (Italian sausage). Not many recipes include them both, which is why I’m so fond of this one.

The recipe calls for vegetables to be sauteed in oil, with the sausage browned separately, but I cook the sausage first, then remove it and saute the garlic, onions, carrots and celery in the same pan to build up the foundation of flavor. When the vegetables are soft, you add the cooked lentils and sausage and toss everything with a mustard vinaigrette.

Besides being a good source of iron, calcium and vitamin A, lentils are quick cooking and don’t need to be pre-soaked, making them an excellent choice for a quick and hearty weeknight meal. To complement these flavors, we’re having wilted chard and sauteed apples with just a bit of sugar. Mmm, delicious. Just don’t ask me to make it in July.

Click here for the recipe for Warm Lentil Salad with Sausage