aduki puree with ginger + umeboshi

after looking at the photos of this dish, i realized it bears an uncanny resemblance to chocolate pudding. sorry for the tease. this is not chocolate pudding; it's actually aduki bean puree. but that's just as exciting, right? ;)

i was introduced to the aduki bean while studying at the Natural Gourmet cooking school. though the program has branched out from its '70s macrobiotic roots, a macro spirit continues to infuse many of the teachings - in terms of ingredients, cooking techniques, and healing modalities. aduki beans, a star of the macrobiotic kitchen, made an appearance in many dishes - soups, stews, purees, pates, and even desserts (mmm, sweet aduki bean pudding is delicious). i developed a fondness for these little red beans and have been cooking with them ever since.

kalegarita

just in time for saint patrick's day, i've got a green drink for you!

almond butter thumbprint cookies

have i mentioned that i have a sweet tooth? you might have suspected it, since i post a fair amount of cakes and cookies and muffins around here. i like my greens, and i also like to get my sweet on.

the sweet tooth starts calling out for a little something right after lunch or dinner. it doesn't have to be a huge slice of cake; just a few bites will (usually) suffice. so i make a point of having some not-too-guilt-provoking sweets around - hello, dark chocolate. but in my experience the best way to satisfy a sweet craving is with a treat that also delivers a decent amount of protein and healthy fat. these are the nutrients that signal to the stomach and brain: okay, all good, we've had enough!

and that's where the flourless almond butter cookie comes in.

the dough for these little guys is built on 3 simple ingredients that i almost always have in the kitchen: almond butter, coconut palm sugar, and ground flax meal (plus a little water and salt).

no flour, no eggs, no butter. how can it be?