Tuesday 28 February 2012

Aduki Bean, Butternut Squash and Spelt (Faro) Grain with Steamed Greens & Roasted Seeds

Kitchen Play List: Louis Armstrong ~ A Kiss To Build A Dream On
                                      Dido ~ I'm No Angel
                                      Thunder ~ Back Street Symphony
                                      Thunder ~ The Devil Made Me Do It
                                      Thunder ~ Yesterday's News
                                      Sheryl Crow ~ Strong Enough
                                      Vdawn Penn ~ You Don't Know Me
                                      Don Williams ~ You've Got a Friend
                                      Sheryl Crow ~ My Favourite Mistake

This recipe very nearly didn't happen at all. The reason being some particulary stubborn dried Aduki Beans. I have a history with dried Aduki beans...put simply..we hate each other! Which is a shame as I love them once they are cooked lol. It doesn't seem to matter which way I choose to cook them..I end up with little red pellets.

The recipe I was attempting to make was the Azucki Beans with Kabocha Squash from Alicia Silverstone's cookbook The Kind Diet.

I say attempting because after 13 hours soaking, 2 1/2 hours cooking I was left with hard red bullets with lumps of mushed squash. I was a little stressed out by the end of the afternoon that's for sure. I have vague recollections of a tearful call to My Love in exasperation but I could have dreamt that..ahem! lol. (In my defence I was exhausted and feeling grim..and yes..I may have pushed my body too far! I know..I know! Believe me the lesson has been learnt!) So to avoid the total destruction of my kitchen I turned off the gas and pushed the failed beans out of sight and sat and enjoyed a cup of tea. I took a breath and had a rethink.

I always have a few tins of Aduki beans in my stocks and I had some more Butternut Squash left..you can't get Kabocha around here so I was subbing it with Butternut. So this is the recipe that I came up with..so it's adapted from the The Kind Diet recipe.

For my evening meal I enjoyed a Macrobiotic Lentil Soup, a serving of Aduki Bean, Butternut Squash & Spelt Grain, Steamed Spring Greens topped with a roasted seed mix (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame & linseed) and 1/2 of pickled gherkin. I really enjoyed every mouthful and felt satisfied afterwards. No bloating or over full feelings..marvelous. lol. So here is my recipe...

From the left: Macrobiotic Lentil Soup, Pickled Gherkin Slices, Aduki Bean Butternut Squash & Spelt and Steamed Spring Greens with roasted seed mix.
Aduki Bean, Butternut Squash & Spelt (Farro) Grain
(Recipe adapted from a recipe in The Kind Life/Silverstone) Serves 2

1 14oz tin of Aduki Beans, rinsed well and drained
1/2 small Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into large cubes, steamed
5 oz cooked Spelt (Farro) grain
1/2 tsp Shoyu

Once the squash has finished steaming take a skillet and place the aduki beans and spelt grain into it and reheat over a med heat. Keeping a close check on it to avoid burning. When hot add the shoyu to the skillet and stir to coat the bean and grain mix. Then place the squash cubes into the pan and stir well to combine and to warm the squash back up.

If using greens: over an already boiling pan of water add the sliced greens to a steamer basket and steam for 3 minutes.

Place the greens onto a plate and top with a seed mix toasted into a small skillet. Then serve the Aduki Bean dish on the side.

Aduki Bean, Butternut Squash & Spelt Grain with Steamed Spring Greens topped with roasted seed mix.
So out of a rather exhausting cooking afternoon came this very simple and quick to make meal. If I hadn't of been so tired I would've cried. Ah well. Today is Sushi...wish me luck..I just may need it.

Enjoy!
~R~