I have been inexplicably excited to write about this dish for days. I’m starting to take for granted how often I eat incredibly delicious and nutritious food. So when I prepare something that forces me to proclaim out loud how good this food is, I appreciate again the joy of eating so well.

This dish was inspired by a recipe from Alicia Silverstone’s The Kind Diet, but I completely revamped it the second time I made it. The original dish is a stew of adzuki beans with kabocha squash, dressed only with a touch of soy sauce and a little parsley. When I first made this recipe, I liked it, but only because it made me feel virtuous for eating something so healthy, even if it didn’t taste amazing. Adzuki bean stew is a very traditional macrobiotic dish that focuses on whole foods without much seasoning. As Alicia describes it, on the macrobiotic diet, “Herbs and spices are used sparingly: Spices like cayenne pepper and curry are powerful and have a strong effect on the body. If we want our bodies to come to a In a focused and relaxed place, it is important to use simple foods – at least for a while. [macrobiotics] Use herbs and spices here and there to create variety, but don’t make a habit of putting them in every dish. Toward [macrobiotic] tongue, simple food tastes fantastic.” I was skeptical when I read this, I’ve never heard of any reputable studies denigrating tasty food; I definitely wasn’t converted after eating this dish.

Now the good part. I rehabilitated this dish by using good old fashioned flavorings like onion and garlic and a touch of salt and pepper. It was spectacular. Roasting the onion, carrot, garlic and squash created a mild and warm flavor, wonderfully grounded with the adzuki beans and a fantastic brown rice medley. My earliest recollection of this dish was one of uniform texture and not much flavor. But now I remember it as warm, homey, and full of sweet, salty, and fresh goodness.

This dish also happens to be incredibly good for you. I don’t have to expound any more on the merits of whole grains for you readers, but adzuki beans are new to this blog. Gram for gram, adzuki beans are one of the best foods to put in your mouth. Like all beans, they are a great source of fiber, low in fat, and packed with nutrients. Adzuki beans are an important part of many oriental diets and contain high amounts of magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and B vitamins. So next time you’re feeling culinary adventurous, or just plain hungry, think of this one! dish!

1/2 cup dried adzuki beans
1 bay leaf
1 onion halved and thinly sliced
1 carrot cut in half and chopped
2 peeled garlic cloves
1 acorn squash halved and cut into 3/4″-wide wedges
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup brown rice*
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
salt and pepper to taste

Place the dried beans in a shallow dish. Cover with water 1″ to 2″ above the beans. Let stand overnight.

Place the beans and bay leaf in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf and reserve.

Heat oven to 375º. Place the onions, carrot, garlic, and squash in a shallow dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Remove the pumpkin from the skin and cut it into medium pieces. Add the squash, carrots, onions, and garlic to the beans.

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice and cook over low heat for 35 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Combine rice, beans, and vegetables. Add cilantro and taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

*I used a Trader Joe’s Brown Rice Blend, with long grain brown rice, black barley, and daikon radish seeds. Hmm!