Rice-lentils and baked spicy azuki lunch

Another nutritious and delicious plant-based lunch, doubly boosted in plant proteins with two types of pulses : beans and lentils. And a dynamic salad.
That’s ready very quickly if you plan a little. As faithful readers know, I cook beans in big batches and freeze in small portions, in muffin molds. Then you have to think about soaking the rice and lentils the night before (you can do without in case you forgot, but that’s better to do it right most of the time).

Azuki beans (boiled, I had them frozen), with gochujang and kimchi, two Korean products. I mixed, covered with bread crumbs.

Baked and sprinkled a little fragrant sesame oil and chili flakes on top.

Brown rice and lentils, soaked overnight and cooked in the rice-cooker together.

I stir-fried an onion, a little garlic, ginger slices, added the rice, turmeric, a little garam masala spice mix.

Kabocha salad made in last post.

Baked hana mame beans, buckwheat berry flan

Beans and grains, simply. Baked beans with huge beans and a twist, spicy buckwheat flans with balsamico icing.

I had a leftover of cooked buckwheat groats, so I’ve added minced onion, garlic and feet of shiitake mushrooms, pasted parsley, turmeric, a little massala spice mix, water and potato starch. I’ve steamed the mix in a muffin tray till that became solid. On top, it’s (bought) balsamic reduction sauce. I know it’s cheating, but as I have this product, I use it.

Hana mame. The name literally means ‘flower bean’, but in English that’s runner bean. The Japanese ones are really huge. These are 紫花豆 murasaki hanamame (purple flower beans) and there exist some white ones too.
This photo was taken after soaking.

Other posts about murasaki haname beans.

After soaking the beans overnight, I boiled them of course. Then in a pottery, I’ve put beans, simple passata tomato sauce, and a mix of bean cooking broth + miso + sakekasu (sake lees)+ olive oil. And baked.
Beside, I steamed and cut a mizu nasu aubergine, to serve with these beans.

The sauce gets creamy thanks to the sakekasu.

Island shred : green papaya, goya bitter squash, shikwasa lime juice and peel and pinch of salt. Mix and let 30 minutes.

Another delicious and filling plant-based meal…

So let’s mix in the aubergines…

Tiger stew

They are called toramame (tiger beans) for obvious reasons. I’ve used them to make a very simple cassoulet/baked bean dish.

They become a little darker when they cook. After soaking the bean overnight, I’ve refried cut onions, garlic, laurel leaves in olive oil, added the beans, water and let simmer on the stove till beans got tender.

Then I’ve passed the broth and a few beans in the blender, added salt and pepper. Covered the beans and baked till it formed a crust.

Ginger pickle, cabbage, turnip and dill salad as a side.

On top, cut parlsey, coarse salt, olive oil.

Yummy !

Cassoulet de la mer. Fish and beans.

Diet today ! This is the “fasting day” cassoulet. Oh, I can explain :
Cassoulet du vendredi

The dose of tomato was generous.

After a long while, these white beans get soft…

3 types of fish. Raw cod fish. Slightly salted salmon…

… and shishamo (Hokkaido eperlan) that are also salted and with eggs inside.

The fish and beans layered in the big cassoule (cassoulet pot)

Hot from the oven…

Baked beans for a hot day

Classic baked beans are great to start the day, but not what you’d want when temperature is soaring.

Well, I’ve taken cooked Kintoki red beans, added lots of tomato paste, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper. And “baked” in the micro-wave oven, briefly.
Then I’ve mixed in the flesh os 1/4 of lemon, let cooled at room temperature. Decorated with negi leeks and a slice of lemon.

The sourness of the sauce is refreshing. Room temperature food is ideal. Too hot, that warms you even more. Cold then ? That makes you feel the contrast.