FRESH BORLOTTI BEANS AND PURPLE POTATO SALAD

It's been a very busy summer, so busy that I can't believe autumn is round the corner, yet again. Where did it go? So fast?  Why can't we live in an endless summer all year round? I guess each season has its own charm, I do love the idea of sitting by the fire on a cold and dark day and enjoy a sweet nice treat...mmm. But we are still not there, so enough of winning Clara! Im lucky enough to live in Andalusia where the weather is still warm and sunny.

As I said before, I've been cooking for the past 7 weeks like a mad women. The good thing is that I've created wonderful, vegetarian mouthwatering food and most important of all, we had an amazing group of people to work with. Too bad some of them are off to aussie-land and who knows when we'll see them again. Thank you Marney & Emlily, you rock! 

While in Ibiza, I decided that from now on I would write my blog in english and spanish. Why?  I've been asked several times, from different people. To be honest I wasn't sure, as english is not my mother tongue, but  I've decided to give it a try and see how it goes. So please be patient with me, as this is a challenge and Im sure my writing will improve with time. I will translate the rest of the recipes during the next weeks.

I've been thinking about my next recipe for a while. I wasn't sure what to do. Finally I decided to share with you one of the biggest success of the summer but this time I've decided to use ingredients with the same color palette: purple! It's a warm salad, super simple and so tasty (and I received a lot of compliments every time I did it).  I picked almost all of the ingredients  from the vegetable garden:  aubergines, borlotti beans, red onion, blue beans, purple potatoes and purple basil. Everything packed with antioxidants, yeah! As you know, the purple pigment shows the presence of anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that prevents a number of diseases. 

The borlotti beans have a nutty, earthy and creamy flavor. They have a low  glycemic index, which makes them suitable for diabetic patients. They are rich in iron, potassium, magnesium and contain B1 vitamins among others. They have dark magenta streaks, but when cooked, they go slightly brown or purplish. The blue beans look SO pretty when raw, after cooked they turn dark green. The potatoes are beautiful, either way.

  

I've done this recipe with normal potatoes, canned beans and green beans, and it tasted just as well so don't be put off by the ingredients or don't make a special trip to the market just for these. Although they do look and taste fabulous. You can substitute the borlotti for cannelini, pinto or navy beans.

FRESH BORLOTTI BEANS AND PURPLE POTATO SALAD
Serves 2 (very hungry people)

2 tbsp olive oil
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic, thinly sliced
150 grs. purple potatoes, thinly sliced
2 smal aubergines, cut into 2 cm cubes (the ones I used where really small)
170 grs. cooked fresh borlotti beans  or 1/2 can of any white bean, rinsed and drained
10/15 blue beans or green beans, slightly blanched
Avocado,coriander, basil and spring onions to garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place a baking sheet on a tray and add the sliced potatoes and the aubergines. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Mix well and let cook in the oven for 25 minutes or until cooked.

Meanwhile add the rest of the olive oil on a medium skillet over a medium heat. Add the shallots and the red onion. Cook for 5 minutes. Then add the cooked borlotti beans and let them cook in a single layer until they brown a bit,  then scrape and toss again. Stir in  the cooked aubergines and the potatoes and cook for another minute. Stir in the blue beans and add some chopped  coriander, purple basil and chopped spring onions. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with avocado  and squeeze some fresh lemon juice. It's delicious either hot or cold.

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