Aduki Beans, Butternut & Hijiki

A classic Macrobiotic dish with a twist of ingredients. Usually made by cooking the aduki beans (Japanese red beans) with the butternut squash instead I made it more like a stew and cooked the beans separately, then cooked the hijiki sea vegetable with the squash and added the beans at the end. The dish came out to be a whole lot more delicious, not to mention nutritious and perfect for this cold winter season.

Here are some of the nutritious benefits you will receive from including these foods in your diet:
Aduki beans are good for heart-small intestine, helps tonify your kidney-adrenal function, helps to detoxify the body and reduce swelling.
Butternut Squash provides a rich sweet flavor and is good for the stomach-spleen-pancreas group of organs.
Hijiki is an excellent form of calcium, iron and iodine. It helps to detoxify the body and softens hard masses in the body. Good for the thyroid gland and helps to normalize blood sugar levels.

This dish takes about 40 minutes to make and enough for about 4-6 people depending on their appetite.

Aduki Beans, Butternut and Hijiki

1 cup aduki beans, soaked overnight

½ butternut squash, peeled and cubed

¼ cup dried hijiki, soaked

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce

toasted sesame seeds

1. In a medium saucepan cook the aduki beans in water until just tender. Meanwhile, cube the squash and soak the hijiki. 

2. In a large skillet sauté the onion and ginger in the sesame oil until onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the squash, hijiki and tamari stirring to coat with oil. 

3. Add water just to cover, then cover pan with lid, reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 15-20 minutes.

4. Stir in the beans and cook another few minutes. Serve topped with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.