Lunch Box: Azuki Beans with Kabocha Squash, Sweet Potato and Kale

Hello!  I'm feeling so much better after last weekend's gluten invasion sickness.  There are still a few lingering symptoms, but overall I'm feeling good.  No more gluten for me, no thank you!  This lunch box looked extra pretty to me, so I thought I'd share.  From top left:  azuki beans with kabocha squash, sweet potato with black sesame seeds, and steamed kale with umeboshi vinegar.  This is a good example of how I've been eating lately.  Real, whole, unprocessed foods.  Local and in season as much as possible.  Vegan and gluten free, of course.  Lucky for me these foods taste amazing just the way they are.  Bravo, tastebuds!  

For the azuki beans and the kabocha squash I use this recipe from the Kind Life blog: http://www.thekindlife.com/post/azuki-beans-with-kabocha-squash

*edit - Shoyu is not gluten free.  I use Bragg's or gf tamari as a substitute in this recipe.  Thanks for noticing this Bitt! 

The sweet potato is just baked until soft then scooped out of the skin and sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt and black sesame seeds.

The kale is simply steamed and sprinkled with umeboshi plum vinegar.

Hope you're having a great week!  What are you having for lunch today?

Green Eats, RIP Gluten, and Macro-Curiosity

Well, March flew right on by!  What have I been doing?  Not blogging, obviously.  There's been work and family and plotting and planning new future things that will be announced in due time.  Sometimes I put on my tunnel vision glasses and get carried away focusing on one single thing.  That's what happened in March, but I'm okay with it because the outcome is going to be fantastic.  While I was focusing on other projects food became simple and nourishing.  Lots of green smoothies:

Spinach, mango and almond milk have been the stars in these light & bright green morning starters.  We've had plenty of kale salad, too:

Massaged kale with tahini, avocado, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast and help seeds.  Eaten with chopsticks for lunch.  So good!  Dragon Bowls have been making a frequent appearance lately, inspired by a local cafe:

Quinoa, steamed kale, avocado, soy curls, miso-tahini sauce and nutritional yeast.  I am obsessed with making these bowls!  They're so satisfying and delicious.

I've been doing some experimenting and tweaking my diet lately.  RIP gluten, you do not make my tummy happy.  I've also re-introduced more cooked whole grains like quinoa and brown rice.  My body seems to respond well to these right now and I'm feeling great!  My mom and sister have also suspected a sensitivity so they've said good-bye to gluten, too.  Giving it up as a team has made it a little more fun.  And none of us seem to miss it because we're feeling so good.

Have any of you ventured into the macrobiotic territory?  I've been reading about it and my body seems to like the grain + veggie combinations.  I've been doing green smoothies & green juices for breakfast and grain + veggie dishes for lunch and dinner.  I'd love to hear about any of your experiences.

Oh yeah, I turned 36 a few days ago.  It was awesome.