We're delighted to share our Aunt Nettie with you. She's agreed to answer any questions you might ask about vegetarian food, its preparation, and even clean-up tips. But we have to prepare you. She just might want to come right over to your house and help you fix dinner.
To send any questions to Ask Aunt Nettie, .
Dear Aunt Nettie,
I just went vegan and need a breakfast idea so I don't fall back into the fried egg and sausage habit. I'll be grateful for something that's got some holding power.
Fighting hunger,
Gary
Howdy there Gary,
Well, darlin' I gonna give y'all a recipe that's so cotton pickin' good you'll be wantin' it everday. It's easy--only a handful of ingredients an' not too much fussin' in the mornin' when yer gittin ready fer work.
I hope y'all likes it much as I do.
Yer ever lovin' Aunt Nettie
We often hear people lament that they want a little variety in their morning meal. Eating oatmeal every day, while healthy, can become downright boring. A little creative observation led us to turn the classic English breakfast of Beans on Toast into a colorful, tasty, and hearty variation of an old Brit favorite. So satisfying, this open-face sandwich should keep you sated until lunchtime. To complete the meal, serve with seasonal fruit and a cup of herbal tea.
Makes 3 servings
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 large tomatoes, chopped
Salt and pepper
3 slices whole wheat bread
1 (15-ounce/424g) can Great Northern or cannellini beans, drained
2 slices vegan cheddar cheese
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. (Gas Mark 6) and have ready a large, rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
- Put the onions, garlic, water, and olive oil in a medium skillet and sauté over medium-high heat, tossing frequently, until the onions are softened and slightly broken down, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and cook about 3 to 5 minutes longer or until just they are beginning to soften. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- While the onions and tomatoes are cooking, toast the bread, and arrange the slices on the baking sheet.
- Spoon the cooked onion-tomato combo over the bread, spreading the mixture to the edges.
- Top the bread with a generous layer of the beans, and finish with slices of the cheddar cheese over the beans.
- Tuck the loaded breads into the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes to melt the cheese. Transfer the breads to serving dishes and enjoy a yummy treat for breakfast!
Suggestion:
You can also consider subbing in whole wheat English muffins, or whole wheat burger buns in place of whole wheat bread slices. Just be sure to toast the breads before adding the toppings.
Our Aunt Nettie has a head like a hard disk. It's filled with gigabytes of information about food and cooking. And she's just itchin' to share her learnin' with city folk who live in mortal fear of the stovetop.
Aunt Nettie grew up on the farm. She did not eat out of a can or reach into the freezer. There was no microwave to pop her food into. Everything she made was from scratch. All the food she ate was natural, without pesticides. It was grown right there on the family farm, and she had to cook to survive. At eighty-three years young she still leaps and bounds around the kitchen and can shake, rattle, and roll those pots and pans with the best of them.
Nowadays, Aunt Nettie just shakes her head and complains, "Nobody cooks anymore. They have no idea about puttin' a meal together." She's on a mission. She wants to help those younguns eat better so they can grow up healthy like her own eight kids.
