Bean me up borlotti

I love beans. I seriously do. Legumes are these perfect, tiny little bundles of nutrition magically sprouted from the earth. You don't have to be a vegan or vegetarian to eat them - shocker I know. And once you slowly integrate them in your diet you won't experience all symptoms found in classic bean jokes. Eating them with grains and vegetables help to make them almost perfect proteins...meaning they fill you up and keep you happy. Sounds good to me.

The borlotti bean. This is my new favourite bean and almost as special as a garbonzo bean (chickpea). It has a meatiness and creaminess (and has a beautifully speckled design) that is great for hearty dishes or even for adding an extra something to a salad. See my recipe for risotto with borlotti and my next posting for a quick borlotti bean salad.