Thrive Mom's Blog: Kids "growing vigorously & healthily"

Aduki beans.  Stay with me.  Thrive Dad channeled his adolescent boy self and started laughing right when I said it.  But seriously, it’s a real bean from Japan and boy are you gonna be happy you read this post.  They are delicious. 

Aduki beans

In You Are What You Eat (2006) Gillian McKeith describes the small, red beans as “an excellent food source high in nutrients but low in calories.  In Japan, aduki beans are noted for their healing qualities, and are used in the treatment of kidney and bladder infections.  In my own clinical practice I use them with patients who need to lose weight.  This bean, with its exceptionally high levels of fiber, vitamin B complex and minerals (iron, manganese, and zinc), acts as a natural diuretic to relive the body of excess fluids.  It also removes unwanted mucus, congestion, and stools, burns fat, and balances metabloism for weight management.  If you want to lose weight this is the bean for you.”  Enough said. I’m in.

Adapted from McKeith’s “Aduki Bean Casserole” recipe, this versatile stew is delicious on a cold February day.

Thriving Aduki Bean Stew (serves 2-4 people)

Thriving Aduki Bean Stew

1 cup aduki beans (soak for 2 hours before cooking)

1 vegetable stock cube

1 tbsp miso paste

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

any veges leftover in fridge like green beans, chopped carrots, greens, radish

Use 1 cup aduki beans to 3 cups water.  Add veggie stock cube to the water, bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes.  (If you add a strip of seaweed kombu or nori to the stew it adds lots of fantastic nutrients to the meal.  Rinse one strip under water and add to stew.  You don’t have to eat the seaweed to get the nutrients but I like it.)  Halfway through 30 minutes add carrots, onion, miso, and whatever else you found in fridge.  Add flaxseed or sliced nuts on top to garnish.

Vegetable stock, nori seaweed, miso paste

If it’s too hot, perhaps Thrive Son can blow on it for you.  May he not spit in your bowl as he did in mine.  Bleh!

Want more?  We have been exploring how to use more lentils and dry beans in our diet.  They are CHEAP, healthy, and easy to prepare in advance.  Field and Fire facilitates a grain CSA (community supported agriculture) and has excellent recipes.  We’ve tried carrot and chickpea salad, baked beans,  and cholent so far.

Assorted lentils and beans in jars & zipper bags.

Kid factor:  One of the reasons we are exploring these dried foods now is that we want the kids to be famililar with their tastes and textures.  So far Thrive Son loves to help wash the beans and enjoys waking up and checking them in the morning.  He was hesitant about the above stew recipe but liked it, especially the miso/stock broth.

What easy recipes do you have for beans and lentils?  I’m on the look out for some more!