Azuki Beans with Kabocha Squash

Azuki Beans and Konbu that have been soaked overnight in water

It's getting incredibly hard to maintain my weight as I approach forty. Up until now I have been able to exercise moderately and maintain a reasonable weight. The days of eating whatever I want are now a thing of the past. In an effort to battle the bulge I decided I need to make a radical change to my diet. Diet = eat less meat + eat more vegetables. I even bought my first vegan cookbook! If I were single and didn't have to feed a house full of growing boys, I could easily see myself being vegetarian. Alas, I know it's not realistic considering my oldest child rarely eats veggies. I am excited about exploring the vegan world in search of flavorful and satisfying recipes. I turned to my only vegan friend, Keri, who generously shared some of her favorite recipes. I was intrigued with the recipe for Azuki Beans with Kabocha Squash. I have eaten these two food items separately - azuki beans normally in some dessert form and the Kabocha either roasted or in a puréed soup.

I really, really wanted to love the recipe. Was it bad? No, I thought the natural sweetness of the squash was nice, but the beans weren't anything special. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but I can appreciate the simplicity of the dish. The husband gave it a thumbs down and felt incredibly unsatisfied with dinner. I had to compensate by giving him unhealthy treats after dinner. It's one of those dishes you know is healthy, but leaves you wanting FLAVOR, or worse yet, a steak.

The quest has only begun.  I look forward to sharing some winning vegan dishes where you won't even miss the animal protein.

Kabocha Squash

Add Scallions and Shoyu

Azuki Beans with Kabocha Squash
Recipe by Alicia Silverstone from The Kind Diet
**I added a lot of more shoyu than the recipe called for and scallions instead of parsley/cilantro.