easy october dinner...

This meal has all the colors of fall in it. I simmered some cinnamon and cloves on low on the stove while I cooked, and pretended I lived in New England again. This is Ryan's "meat and potatoes" sort of meal. He loves this dressing, and seems to always forget he's had it a million times before. Totally kid-friendly too...

short grain brown rice
dinosaur kale
azuki beans and squash
fall vegetable and dried tofu medley
tahini scallion dressing

Yum. This was good. It's not complex, as the ingredients are few.
you will need:

brown rice
kale, ( I used dinosaur kale)
azuki beans
sea salt
kabocha squash
carrots
rutabaga
dried tofu
leeks
spike seasoning
shoyu or braggs
olive oil
tahini
scallion
ume plum vinegar
lemon

Daytime Prep:

Soak the azuki beans for 4-6 hrs.
Soak the brown rice for 2 hrs.

(Soaking aids digestibility, and hastens the cooking process)
Cook in this order, beans, rice, vegetable medley, greens, (sauce can be made anytime)

azuki beans and squash- "a nice sweet dish for Autumn"~Aveline Kushi
thoroughly wash, and soak for 6-8 hrs
1 cup beans to 1 cup kabocha squash , (cut in 1" by 1" chunks)
Place beans in a pot, put squash on top of beans, add just enough water to cover.
Place on a low flame and cook for about 1 1/2-2 hrs. Add water occasionally, because beans expand as the water evaporates. Add sea salt to taste. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

macro foodfacts: Ideally beans make up about 10 percent of the macrobiotic diet, especially azuki, lentils , and chick peas. Azuki or Aduki beans, are the "king of beans" according to the Japanese. They are cooked with rice on holidays to make "red rice", and frequently eaten plain or sweetened in dessert. The small red beans have been cultivated for centuries in Asia , and now grown commercially in the U.S. Aduki beans tonify the kidneys. In Oriental medicine the strenght of the kidneys is the indicator of overall strength. Weak, depleted kidneys and overworked adrenal glands are the by-products of too much sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and stress. Aduki's are a rich source of protein, are low in fat and easy to digest.
The kabocha squash nurtures the stomach, spleen and pancreas, helping to keep blood sugar even and stabilize mood.
This is an all around fabulous dish for when you are feeling depleted, and need some strengthening food.

brown rice
Wash, and soak for two hours.
2:1 water to grain ratio
Boil for 50 minutes.
Add Sea salt to taste.

fall vegetable and dried tofu medley:
Soak dried tofu in water for ten minutes. Cut into little squares. Cut up rutabaga and carrots. If you have a Japanese Nabe pot, this is ideal. Slow cook the vegetables and tofu in a little water until almost tender, then add the leeks, and finish cooking, adding a little olive oil and shoyu or braggs to season. I added a little spike seasoning, rosemary may be nice too. This was flavorful and delicious. I love dried tofu, It's hard to find, but is worth it for it's chewy texture, and ability to take on the flavors in a dish. This dish tastes great with the tahini sauce.

dino kale
chop, steam greens in a steamer basket, add a little sea salt and a squeeze of lemon

tahini scallion dressing
buy good quality tahini, blend with a little water chopped scallion and some ume vinegar- to desired taste.