Mixed Bean Salad

I have to say that I love people that are straight forward, ‘real’ and not scared to tell you the truth. My parents have always been ‘real’ with me, and it’s a quality I have always appreciated. They have always been the first to tell me when I have done something really well, and also the first to tell me when I am not capable of doing something…like dancing.

I love dancing, but really can’t. My two step doesn’t look as effortless and rhythmic as it should, and when I really get into my dance moves (and boy, I can really get into it); I look spastic, unnatural and like I’m being electrocuted by the tunes echoing through the speakers. Yes, I am that person you find dancing at weddings to her own beat. I even went to Latin American dancing lessons; albeit for a short session, as my parents told me truthfully they couldn’t ‘waste’ their money on my lack of dance skills… Don’t get me wrong, they were never malicious in their truths, they didn’t stop me from dancing, they just stopped the lessons. As much as they dissed my dancing, they praised my true talents and pushed me to pursue them.

This post comes from my difficulty in finding genuine ‘real’ people. Many say ‘they are who they are’, ‘what you see is what you get’, but aren’t as ‘real’ as they say. I’m not about to tell people how to live or act. I’m also not encouraging people to share their opinions in a mean way or cower from telling people what they really think. Instead of wasting my time figuring out their agendas, I’ve found it’s best for me to keep those few genuine people close, and also to make sure I live to my truest self and be as ‘real’ as I can be. 

More importantly, it’s good to indulge in food that is as simple and real as it looks. This bean salad is not fancy or have any hidden flavours; what you see is pretty much what you get. So enjoy this simple bean salad, and remember you don’t have to look to people for a ‘real’ moment.

Ingredients

1 Tin White broad beans in brine

1 Tin Red beans in brine

1 Tin Mixed beans in brine

1 Tin Sweetcorn

1 Red onion, sliced

Chili flakes

Italian salad dressing

Instructions:

• Drain the white broad beans, the red beans, mixed beans and sweetcorn from the brine.

• Slice the red onion

• Mix the onions, beans, corn and chili flakes.

• Put it in your choice bowl or plate and drizzle over Italian salad dressing.