July 30, 2011 | Posted in Food & Recipes | 3 Comment(s) | Share Article |
by Heather Krasovec
So what exactly is bruschetta? Quite plainly, it has traditionally been toasted bread topped with olive oil and rubbed with fresh garlic cloves. That is all you truly need for authentic bruschetta. Sounds more like garlic bread, you say? Well, that's because it really is. Any additions made to the bread do not alter its status as bruschetta, which is how we end up with all the bruschettas that are loaded with a ton of ingredients.
My favorite bruschetta is topped with garlic scape pesto. I do skip the traditional rubbing of the garlic clove, since there is already a strong garlic flavor in the pesto.
Here is my recipe for homemade garlic scape pesto followed by a foolproof way to make perfect bruschetta every time in your favorite toaster oven.
Ingredients For Garlic Scape Pesto
15 garlic scapes (the long stem that grows on top of a garlic plant; it can be found at some specialty stores or grown in your garden)
1/4 cup of roasted pistachios
1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of pumpkin seed oil (if you don't have this, you may substitute more extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 cup of freshly grated Romano cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
Cut the garlic scapes into 2 inch sections. Put them into the work bowl of your food processor and process till almost smooth. Add the roasted pistachios and repeat. Add the sherry vinegar and pulse to combine. With the food processor running, add the olive oil and pumpkin seed oil slowly. Add the Romano cheese and salt and pepper, pulse until combined.
How To Make Perfect Bruschetta In Your Toaster Oven Every Time
Heat your toaster oven to 450 degrees F. The toaster oven really does make the best bruschetta; the results are not quite the same with either a standard oven or a toaster.
Slice a good loaf of hearty Italian bread into 3/4 inch slices. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on each side of each slice, you want to use about two teaspoons of olive oil for each side of bread.
Put the oiled bread slices directly on the top shelf of your toaster oven (do not put on a baking sheet.)
Turn the slices over after four minutes; bake the other side of the bread for three minutes.
Remove from the toaster oven.
If you are making a simple, traditional bruschetta, you will want to immediately rub each side with a fresh garlic clove split in half. Be careful, the bread is hot and this can be tricky. Otherwise, top it with the garlic scape pesto and serve immediately.
The Best Toaster Oven For Making Bruschetta
To find the best toaster oven for making bruschetta and so much more, visit Toaster Oven Reviews. You'll find thousands of helpful customer reviews as well as a useful buying guide.
About the Author
Heather Krasovec, creator of Toaster Oven Reviews, uses her extensive experience in food based industries to help consumers make better choices when stocking their kitchens.
Heather Krasovec, creator of Toaster Oven Reviews, uses her extensive experience in food based industries to help consumers make better choices when stocking their kitchens.
February 03, 2012 at 22:27:42
Got it! Thanks a lot again for hpeling me out!
February 04, 2012 at 06:51:15
Full of salient points. Don't stop believing or witrnig!
February 25, 2012 at 09:16:50
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