Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Stewed Adzuki Beans with Butternut Squash - enough for 2 days ice bound at home

We are on day 2 of being home-bound due to the massive ice storm that hit North Texas on Tuesday morning.  One day is great with no school... movies, popcorn cooked on the stove top, homemade hot chocolate and a giant down comforter make the day a hit.  The second day however, I'm ready to get everyone out of the house.  Spending all day on the treadmill isn't my idea of a fun workout so why not cook up some stew?  I wasn't sure about all of this but my sweet sister tells me that adzuki beans are not only very high in fiber, but great for your kidneys as well (and I've had my share of kidney problems).  After doing additional Wikipedia research, the adzuki bean is a very common bean in China and has been for centuries.  It is often found in red bean paste, often found in Chinese dishes.  It even states that it is so popular, the China government partnered with Pepsi to make an adzuki flavored soda.  Interesting.  If we go on three days of homeboundness, maybe I could start flavoring sodas.  I'm sure that would go over as well as running on the treadmill.

Ingredients

1 pound adzuki beans (found in the bulk section of Whole Foods or Central Market), soaked overnight
1 medium butternut squash, cut length-wise, peeled, seeded and 1/2 inch dice
1 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs Kosher salt
1 tbs pepper
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 bunch kale (optional)
Olive oil for drizzling

Put all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 5 1/2 hours.  Add kale and cook 30 minutes more.  Ladle into bowls and drizzle with olive oil.

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