Monday, November 23, 2020

Italian Beans On Toast

 These days our kitchens and selves  are overworked and over busy, thanks to us cooking at home. There is an easy solution for lunch or dinner however - an Italian version of the English beans on toast.

I adapted this recipe from the great chef Tejal Rao's recipe for the New York Times Food section. Hers is cooking cannelini beans overnight . They're then put on  oven toasted sour dough bread and floated in their own brown and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. I did an easier riff. It was taking Target's artesan bread and cutting it in half. Olive oil was brushed on both sides.

The slices were toasted for four minutes in a 340 degree F air fryer which got them crispy. As for the beans I used cannelini 
I reserved some of the bean water, mixing in a good drizzle of olive oil and different spices.
 A mix of oregano, garlic and onion powder was added in but you can use fresh garlic along with rosemary  instead. Toss in some pancetta if you want or diced salami. Be creative with the beans.  I let the bean mix cook for about two minutes in the microwave. Super easy.It was then ladled on the toast.
A generous sprinkle of Parma Vegan Parmesan cheese was added.

It was a simple and quick supper that went over well in my house. I will definitely make it again , especially on those days when I'll be baking holiday cookies or house cleaning. These beans on toast also make for a simple but filling Saturday or Sunday night supper. It's  easy to whip up and delicious to eat. You may want to make double. Any leftover beans can be eaten cold as a salad or reheated for more toast the next day.

This is the meal you make when you've had a busy day.It's tasty but better yet it's so easy to create . A few minutes  and you have a warn and filling dish , that has crunch and a lot of flavor. Try it for lunch or dinner.