plant-based
Megan May’s beans on toast
This is one of my favourite things to eat when I’m craving a big hearty breakfast and is a good way to use up tomatoes when they are abundant in summer. If your tomatoes are not full of flavour you can add a tablespoon of tomato paste to create a deeper taste and a little extra molasses for sweetness. Roasted tomatoes and capsicums help create the deep tomato sauce flavour that is key to a good baked beans experience but by roasting the vegetables in a more whole form you still get to taste all the individual flavours of the veggies.
Butter beans are a legume to get familiar with; they are high in plant proteins and have a softer flavour and texture than other beans, they pick up the flavours around them easily and provide a nice buttery backdrop to many dishes. I like using them in summer salads with lots of herbs and a lemon and garlic dressing or as a base for dips. You can use other beans here, like cannellini or navy (haricot) beans, but I would suggest trying to find butter beans for the best result. Cooking your own beans at home in a pressure cooker is ideal for maximum nutrition but you could use a good quality jarred or canned version for convenience.
Smoky baked beans Serves 4
800g cherry or truss tomatoes, chopped into
large pieces
3 red or yellow capsicum, deseeded and
chopped into approx. 2x2cm pieces
1 red onion, sliced in half then sliced
into eighths
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1-2 Tbsp organic cold pressed olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
500g cooked butter beans (if using canned this is the weight without the brine — approx 2 cans)
½ - 1 tsp smoked paprika (how much paprika depends on the quality, start with ½ tsp and add more to taste). If you like things a little spicy, opt for a hot smoked paprika or add a little bit of a smoked chilli, like ancho or chipotle
1 Tbsp organic molasses
½ tsp sea salt flakes
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 Heat the oven to 220C fan bake.
2 Use a large glass baking dish or alternatively line a baking tray with baking paper, place the tomatoes, capsicum, onion and garlic on the tray and drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are brown and starting to caramelise. Add the remaining ingredients, turn down the heat to 190C and cook for another 10 minutes.
3 Remove from the heat and taste, adding additional smoked paprika and salt as needed. If you find anything needs more cooking, place everything in a medium-sized pot and cook on a low heat until ready.
4 Serve on toast or sourdough bread and top with fresh herbs like parsley or basil with a little fresh oregano.