Whenever we think of breakfast, quite often toast comes to mind. But what do you put on top? I like to make breakfast the heartiest meal of the day, so I look for toppings that are rich in fiber as well as taste. How about some beans? Beans are a powerhouse of fiber along with protein, making them a fantastic breakfast food, sure to give you energy to last all morning long.
Let’s zoom over to Italy for a little inspiration. The Tuscans are known all over Italy as “mangiafagioli” or bean eaters because so much of this region’s cuisine is based on beans. White beans, like cannellini, are quite famous in Italian cooking. But garbanzos are one of the most widely used bean all across Italy, though they call them ceci (pronounced SAY-see). They’re a Mediterranean staple that’s been used for over 7,000 years and Italy’s love for them is reflected in their regional recipes using whole, ground or pureed ceci. It’s easy to see why, especially when you serve them with the flavors we often think of when we go for Italian cooking. That means tomatoes, garlic, onion, and portobella mushrooms for me along with oregano and basil.
In making Tuscan beans, you can use canned garbanzos though I usually use ceci I have pre-cooked in my crockpot. I always make a big batch so I can put batches in the freezer to save for future meals. It’s an easy and more economical way to enjoy many beans which is key to eating well the New Start way.
I like to make the beans the day before, then warm them up for breakfast. I think the flavor is even better this way as all the Italian ingredients have time to “marry.” I hope you’ll come along with me to Tuscany and discover how Tuscan beans can be a wonderful toast topper at your house.
Garbanzo Health-Bites
Garbanzos, along with other beans, are well known foods with a low glycemic index. This makes them a good choice for diabetes. But new research clearly shows that eating beans may actually have a therapeutic effect—reversing diabetes altogether. In a study published in the magazine, Internal Medicine, people with type 2 diabetes ate 1 cup of beans daily for 3 months. When compared with other participants who ate no beans, the daily bean-eaters showed greater decreases in hemoglobin A1c levels plus decreases in blood pressure! A double win!
Tuscan Beans Over Toast
Ingredients
- 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 14 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
- 2 14 ounce cans of garbanzos, drained
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 to 1 1/4 cups sliced mushrooms I use baby portobello mushrooms
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp salt or salt substitute
- 2 T dried parsley
- garlic powder to taste
Instructions
- Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and garbanzos to a skillet. Cook on low for about 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, saute’ the onion and garlic in a couple tablespoons of water or vegetable broth. Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes or until the onion is tender. Add the mushrooms to the saucepan, cooking all the vegetables or another 5 minutes. Mix in the oregano, basil and salt. Cook for another minute or two. Stir in the fresh or dried parsley. Season to taste with additional salt and/or basil. Serve over whole wheat or gluten-free toast.
This recipe serves 6. They are also delicious served over brown rice, quinoa, or on a baked potato.
