What I Had for Lunch Today: Adzuki Sprout and Rice Noodle Stir-fry

Adzuki beans are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. Besides being high in protein (17grams per cup), they contain B vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese and folic acid. Sprouted, of course, they are even more nutritious and easier to digest.

In China, the adzuki bean is commonly referred to as 紅豆 ("red bean"). Cooked with sugar and mashed, it becomes red bean paste, from which so many Chinese sweets are made: mooncakes, sweet soups, ice cream, et cetera, et cetera. Actually, red beans are popular all over Asia. In Japan, there's even an adzuki-flavored Pepsi.

For my lunch, I stir-fried them with onion, garlic, sweet orange pepper, peapods, ginger, and boiled rice stick noodles. I seasoned the dish with toasted sesame oil, tamari, lemon zest, and a sichuan condiment made up of hot peppers, sesame seeds, peanuts and a few spices in soybean oil. Lan Chi Szechuan Sauce with Garlic would have been my first choice for a condiment, if I had had any. It seems to be disappearing from the shelves of Asian markets. But that's another blog entry.