These slow-baked beans provide a warm, long-burning energy for the cold season. They keep well, so leftovers make a great lunch, or a spoonful makes a hearty addition to miso soup (which is really a breakfast of champions). A touch of sweetness, mustard and just the right spices twist in wonderful flavors for deeply nourishing satisfaction. 

Yields: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup adzuki beans,
soaked overnight in 3 cups filtered water, drained and rinsed
2 cups filtered water
2 cups vegetable stock
4-inch strip kombu

2 cups sweet potato, peeled and finely diced
2 leeks (white part only), cleaned and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 cups sliced shitaki mushrooms
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1-1/2 cups leftover cooking liquid from beans (add additional vegetable stock to make up the difference if there is not enough)
1 tablespoon white or yellow miso
2 tablespoons shoyu
2-1/2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or 1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoons prepared horseradish mustard or Dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon mirin, sake or brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
½ teaspoon ground allspice (fresh ground is best)
sea salt

PROCEDURE:

Place the drained beans in a large saucepan with filtered water, stock, and kombu. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low to simmer for 45-55 minutes. The beans should be whole, but easily smushed with your fingers. Drain off extra liquid and set aside to mix the seasonings in. Discard kombu.
Place beans in a casserole dish (preferably with a lid).

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Toss the sweet potato, leek, shitaki mushrooms and celery with the cooked beans.
Use the drained cooking liquid from the beans (adding additional vegetable stock to make up the difference of 1-1/2 cups). In a bowl or pitcher, mix in miso, shoyu, brown rice syrup or maple syrup, mustard, ginger, garlic, mirin, sake or brown rice vinegar, thyme, and allspice.
Pour mixture over the beans. Add a bit more stock if needed to just cover the beans. Cover and bake for 60-90 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and reduced to a syrup.

SERVICE

Serve hot.

LEFTOVER STORAGE

store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.