Rice and Beans with a twist…
or – Kombu Chili with Dirty Rice, Japanese style

This dinner took an hour to cook, but was very easy, not requiring much attention after it started cooking. It was very tasty – savory and satisfying. It’s nutritionally balanced, containing micronutrients, complex carbs, legumes, with land and sea vegetables; and vegan/organic (turkey wing optional!), with complete proteins and a lot of fiber.

Pictured are dried shiitake, some of which are crumbled into the rice, along with some wasabi powder and saffron.

The chili came from a bean mix with white, red, & black beans, aduki beans, and lentils. Combined into a pot with water with cut-up kombu (sea vegetable), a little piece of smoked turkey wing, a few cherry tomatoes, celery root, onion and dried Japanese peppers, the pot was brought to a boil, then cooked over low flame and a stovetop diffuser for about an hour.

Once combined and brought to a boil, these were left to simmer for awhile. The rice finished earlier than the beans, but didn’t mind the wait! I unplug the rice cooker when it finishes, although some like the crunchy rice crust you get from leaving the heat on.

We served the rice with a sprinkling of dulse seasoning, Chipotle powder, soy, and Togarashi pepper.

The whole trick in making a meal like this is having the ingredients on hand already. Most of the components have excellent shelf life, and can be combined infinite ways. It’s inexpensive, too. The big trick is getting the ingredients. Luckily I live in a large metropolitan area and I can drive for miles without seeing an Olive Garden or McDonald’s, and can find an Oriental grocery and organic produce not too far away.