Getting more vegies into your life is sometimes just a matter of a slight shift in thinking. We all get a tiny bit set in our ways (like completely, hysterically rigid) about breakfast. I’m normally a granola/yoghurt/berries sort of girl but since starting No Meat May, I’ve been seeing breakfast as an untapped seam of vegie-eating opportunities.
So, my new vegie go-to is the breakfast bruschetta. So much more glamorous than toast. But basically, toast, with the skill level and effort that toast-making involves.
The key is to start with amazing bread – Iggy’s sourdough for personal preference which, by happy chance is one of our pantry staples – which you, um, toast. (You can drizzle it with olive oil if you want to show off your silky kitchen skills.) Then you check out the contents of your fridge for stray bunches of herbs, leftovers, dips, cheeses and raw vegies. And then you get creative.
Layering is key: start with something that spreads (feta, hummus, avocado, crushed beans or chickpeas), top it with something that has substance (tomatoes, cucumbers, leftover roast or finely sliced raw veg, defrosted peas), add a drizzle of something saucy (sriracha, pomegranate molasses, vinegar, pesto) and/or top with a last, contrasting flourish of something herby, zesty, leafy or nutty.
It won’t take you much longer than pouring milk on a bowl of cereal, it will taste amazing, it’ll set you up magnificently for the day and clear out all those little weird odds and ends from your fridge before they grow hair. Bonus.
Some great breakfast bruschetta combos I’ve had recently:
- - Soft goat’s cheese, smashed baby peas, mint, olive oil, lemon zest;
- - Babaghanoush, roast red peppers, olives, rocket;
- - Leftover roast pumpkin, labneh (substitute thick Greek yoghurt), pomegranate molasses, pepitas;
- - Feta, leftover cooked greens, mushrooms, lemon zest, chilli;
- - Smashed avvy, chopped tomatoes, coriander, sriracha, lime juice.
- - Smashed white beans, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, basil.
And, when all else fails, there’s always the beautifully simple Spanish take on bruschetta: pan con tomate. Take one big ripe tomato, grate it through a box grater (you’ll end up with a pile of crushed tomato and can discard the skin). Rub your toasted sourdough with garlic, drizzle with olive oil, top with tomatoes and a little basil. Season with salt. A bit more olive oil. Vegie heaven.