Red Bean Paste

I made this in the middle of my health crisis, when sugar had to be seriously curtailed, but I just couldn't eat anymore brothy chicken soup with rice for breakfast. I needed my warm fruit and grain breakfast. I know that beans are, basically, my body's version of "best food EVER", so I needed to get beans into something sweet. How was I going to do that? Then my mind flashed back to treks into chinatown in New York City and the red bean past balls (wrapped in sweet rice) and how good those were. Red beans are a staple of the Caribbean diet, so I thought -- it shouldn't be that hard. I can cook beans. Just add dried fruit instead of sugar. Dates are the sweetest I know and they have that lovely soft sticky texture.

Basically, the recipe is 60/40 beans and dates. But 50/50 is also good!

Note: If you are going to use Medjool dates, you may need less. I've never used them - cost and all that, but I would love to hear how it comes out for you, if you do use them.

Ingredients:

250g of dry red beans

400g of dates with the pits

Soak beans overnight or (8 hours or more). Rinse and add to a pot with plenty of fresh water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour.

In the meantime, de-pit the dates. Nice meditative

When the beans are nice and soft, drain the beans, but keep the liquid. Add the beans to a blender and two full ladles of the red bean liquid and blitz. You may need to add another ladle of red bean liquid. Basically, if the blender gets stuck add more liquid. Blitz until a thick, smooth mousse-like paste.

Pour into a container (or split into two containers - one to freeze and one to put in the fridge.). Taste - just to remind yourself of how good this is going to be to eat.

One heaping tablespoon is good in the morning. :-)

Cinnamon-Nutmeg Kasha Granola

Kasha has a weird taste. I don't care what anyone says, it smells, tastes and feels funny... and not in a nice way. But then I remembered a cereal I used to get from Whole Foods called "Kasha" and I realized, just like any grain I could roast/dry it, as in a granola. Then it would be crunchy and I could add sweetness and flavor (MUST add flavor)!

I don't eat yogurt or ice-cream anymore, but I imagine this would be a great way to add crunch to these! Yum! I eat it in my warm cereal in the morning (with whatever grain I have going - brown rice, whole-grain oats, millet). It does go slightly soggy and absorbs some of the liquid, so that my cereal is less a purple fruity soup and more of a purple fruity porridge - all nice and thick and comforting. Yum!

For me, though, the point is to make something that is barely sweet and has just touch of spice. You can make this sweeter and/or add more cinnamon, nutmeg, or any other spice. Cardamon? Allspice? Maple Syrup? Blue Agave Syrup? You'll see.

Ingredients:

1 cup of Kasha (roasted buckwheat)

2 cups water

A pinch of salt

1 good tablespoon of honey (you can overdo it, but why?)

1/4-1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1/4 tsp of freshly grounded nutmeg

Oven goes on 165°C (330°F or Gasmark 3) or thereabouts. Prepare a cookie sheet/flat cooking tray by covering in parchment/wax paper.

Put the water and salt in a pot and bring to a boil (it will happen before you know it, so don't go too far away).

Pour the Kasha in and stir until it's all under the water. Put the lid on and turn the fire to its lowest.

After 10 minutes (sometimes it is 11 min for me), when all the water is absorbed, remove from the fire.

Add a good tablespoon of honey, cinnamon and nutmeg (You can play around with this. I never measure, I just put a little in.)

Stir until everything is covered and absorbed. Spread out onto the parchment paper until it is a layer one grain thick (hopefully! If your tray is small, just do it as even as possible). Put the tray in the middle of the oven and put the timer on for 1 hour.

A tablespoon or two will do for whatever you have planned! Enjoy!

Note: I am not consistent in turning the Kasha over while it is in the oven. One time I didn't touch it and it dried wonderfully, but it dried in clumps, which I crumbled up some. I do prefer a cascade of brown nutty nobules. If you like that idea too, at the 40 minute mark, stir the mixture and make flat again. It takes 2 minutes. It will be sticky to the parchment so take the tray out and do it away from the oven, then put it back in the oven for another 20 minutes. This will also help it brown evenly if your oven bakes unevenly (which mine does).