As the rain is falling this morning in Michigan, I want to find a cozy spot where I can hear it pattering on the roof. It’s one of my favorite sounds. It makes me want to curl up with a book. Books are everywhere in my house. I have a library of them, though I keep my cookbooks in the kitchen where I can refer to them often.
I have quite a collection now and it all began when I first got married. A college friend gave me my first vegetarian cookbook, filled with delicious meals from France and Italy. That’s where I first learned about bruschetta. In Italy, it’s served as an appetizer but I see it as a great sandwich for lunch or maybe even breakfast.
Bruschetta is traditionally grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with tomatoes, vegetables, meat or cheese, depending on where you travel in Italy. Think of it as a toasted open-faced sandwich. We will skip the meat and cheese in favor of those luscious vegetables. And how about beans? You know, if you’d travel to Tuscany in Italy, you would soon find that this is the land of the mangia-fagioli–the “bean eaters”–because so much of the traditional cuisine of this area is based on beans, especially the white beans. So on this rainy morning, I’m thinking of going Italian for breakfast with a cannellini bruschetta.Â
This is best if you have a loaf of whole wheat Italian bread or a whole grain baguette. I love it best on a thick, dense bread that can soak up all the juices we’re going to put on top. So heat up the stove to 350 degrees. Cut up your Italian-style bread into thick one-inch slides and lay them out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake on your bottom rack for 10 minutes–until the bread is lightly toasted.Â
Meanwhile in a large 3 quart saucepan, mix 1 (15 ounce) can of cannelini or Great Northern beans (using half the liquid from the can). Then add in 1/2 cup of finely chopped onion, 2 cloves of garlic (also finely chopped), 1 bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring this mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
I like to have greens every single day. They are so good for building a strong immune system and reducing inflammation, so they are always on hand in the New Start kitchen. I think kale would work nicely in a cannellini bruschetta. So let’s stir in 2 cups of coarsely chopped kale. I will remove the ribs and chop up the bumpy leaves of a black Tuscan kale. It can go by other names too–maybe you’ve heard of Dinosaur Kale or Lacinato kale or just plain Italian kale. You could also use baby kale. I often find that in my local grocery store. When I use baby kale for this recipe, I always remove the stems first.
The beans are boiling by now. So I will just throw in my chopped up kale. It doesn’t need much cooking–only about 5 minutes or until it has wilted and is tender. Then you can take the pot off the stove. Stir in 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 cup of chopped tomatoes (or you might cut some cherry tomatoes in half). Now it’s time to take out that aromatic bay leaf. And you can season your bruschetta with additional salt and sweet basil, if desired. Spoon about 1 -1/2 tablespoons of the kale-bean mixture onto a toasty baguette or toasted bread. Serve right away to enjoy a taste of the Tuscan countryside.Â
CHEF’S NOTE: I’ve been seeing baguettes lately in the bakery section of many grocery stores. They are usually made from white refined flour. Not very nutritious for a New Start breakfast or lunch. I would rather make my own whole grain baguette. But if I don’t have any on hand, I will just look for a whole grain bread in the bakery section–one with the most fiber (3 grams or more). That will work nicely for this recipe, especially if it is oil and milk free. You can also make the bruschetta topping a day ahead, then warm it up for breakfast. It is just as good the following day.
FOCUS ON KALE: The benefits of kale are so many, the list can be staggering! I like that it’s so inexpensive too! It’s paced with healthy nutrients, including nitrates that are linked to lower blood pressure and preventing or reversing heart disease.
Kale Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Wheat Baguette
- 15 oz can of cannellini beans
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups Tuscan kale ribs removed
- 2 T vegetable broth
- 2 T lemon juice
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut baguette in one-inch slices. Lay on a parchment lined baking sheet. Toast in oven for about 10 minutes until lightly toasted.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, mix the beans, using half the liquid from the can, with the onion, garlic, bay leaf and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the kale, ribs removed or use baby kale with stems removed.
- Remove from heat. Stir in vegetable broth, lemon juice and chopped tomatoes.
- Season to taste with additional salt and basil, if desired.
- Spoon 1 to 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cannellini-kale mixture onto a toasted baguette.
- Enjoy right away.
- CHEF'S NOTE: You can use any thick whole grain bread in place of a whole grain baguette.
