Adzuki, Sesame Rice Balls with Kale and Shitake Mushrooms (makes 6)

Adzuki, Sesame Rice Balls with Kale and Shitake Mushrooms
Make the beans in advance and have them on hand for this and other dishes. The rice/bean mixture is savory and the sesame seeds add crunch and visual interest, while the kale and mushrooms are a great visual and nutritional balance. Serve this oil free dinner with Tamari Sauce and Pickled Ginger. ~ Glyn and Will

Ingredients
3/4 cup white rice uncooked
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cooked adzuki beans
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger 1 tbsp. tamari
1 tsp. molasses
1 scallions, sliced thin crosswise
1/2 cup sesame seeds (mixture of black and white)
12 cups kale, trimmed and sliced
4 oz mushrooms sliced (shitake if possible)

Procedure
1 Cook the rice and set aside to cool while you prepare the beans.
2 Add the garlic, ginger, salt, tamari, molasses and green onion to the beans.
3 Combine the beans and rice and stir in the nutritional yeast.
4 Form the mixture into six tennis ball sized rounds.
5 Roll each ball in the sesame seeds to cover.
6 Bake at 400 for 30 minutes to heat through and to crisp the sesame seeds
7 While the rice balls cook, prepare the kale and mushrooms.
8 Cook the kale and mushrooms together in 1-2 cups of water or vegetable broth.
9 Cook until most of the water evaporates.
10 Serve the rice balls on top of the kale and mushrooms.
11 Accompany with pickled ginger and additional tamari sauce.

Servings: 6
Degree of Difficulty: Moderately difficult
Oven Temperature: 400°F
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (10.5 ounces).
Recipe Type
Grains, Main Dish, Vegan