Toasted sourdough bread, good evo oil, garlic and ripe tomatoes, a choice of basil or oregano: you don’t need anything else for a delicious bruschetta, perfect as an appetiser before a pizza, in a Sunday brunch or while you are waiting for the meat to be cooked on your bbq.
The great thing about bruschetta is that you can be as creative as you want and go crazy with combining ingredients. If, instead of oil and tomatoes, you use other vegetables and add some cheese and fish or cured meats, the bruschetta turns into a complete meal perfect for the hottest summer days or, if made in smaller portions, it can be a great option for a buffet.
What I propose today are three ideas, but you can have fun combining different ingredients to make your bruschetta, with which you may surprise your guests.
1 – Avocado and halloumi
- 1/2 medium ripe avocado
- 2 slices of halloumi cheese
- fresh lime juice
- salt
- evo oil
- chilli flakes
- fresh mint leaves
Mash the avocado pulp with a drizzle of oil, a pinch of salt, a little bit of lime juice and a few flakes of chilli pepper, and spread it on toasted sourdough bread. Cut the halloumi cheese into slices and grill it in a hot non-stick pan, then place the slices on top of the avocado. Garnish with a few fresh mint leaves and a squeeze of lime.
Ricotta and dried tomatoes
- 2 spoons of ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon of grated pecorino or parmigiano cheese
- 3/4 semi dried cherry tomatoes
- salt
- ground black pepper
- a few drops of pesto or basil oil
Beat the ricotta with the grated cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread it on a slice of toasted sourdough bread, arrange on the surface some semi-dry tomatoes and a few drops of pesto or basil oil.
Tuna and capers
- 1 tablespoons of spreadable cheese
- 1 small tuna can
- lemon zest
- a few caper-berries
- 1 pickled gherkin
Chop the tuna and mix it with the cheese, some lemon zest and a half chopped gherkin. Spread the mixture on a slice of toasted sourdough bread and garnish with a few caper-berries and thin slices of gherkin.
Buon Appetito!
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