Five Fast Bruschetta Toppings

Bruschetta is the ultimate appetizer. It's easy to pick-up and eat, you can generally use ingredients that you already have on hand, and who doesn't like bread and cheese? Here are a few ideas for some quick toppings and some creative variations.

First you must start with the bread. It must be a good quality bread, such as French or Italian. However you could also use pumpernickel, whole grain, oat, pita or any other variety. Slice the bread into inch thick pieces and brush with olive oil. You can either toast them in the oven or grill them for a nice smoky flavor.

A wonderful summer topping is fresh tomatoes. Roughly chop up ripe tomatoes into a bowl. Drizzle with a little EV olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh basil or Italian parsley. Spoon some of the topping over the toasted bread and grate Parmigiano over the top with a microplane grater.

Tapenade is another great topping. You can purchase it at the store but it's quite easy to make. Puree the following ingredients in a food processor: Kalamata olives, two cloves of garlic, 2-5 anchovies, a tablespoon or two of capers, a handful of fresh Italian parsley, the juice of a lemon, and a drizzle of EV olive oil. Spread this on the toast and top with a thick slice of lowfat or fresh mozzarella. Run it under the broiler for a moment until cheese is gooey and warm. Garnish with a scatter of chopped parsley.

Hummus is a delicious and unusual bruschetta topping. This you can also purchase but making your own is fairly quick and lets you control the sodium. Puree drained and rinsed garbanzos, a couple tablespoons of tahini, two-4 cloves garlic, the juice of a lemon, and a drizzle of olive oil. If you want to get really creative puree into the mixture one or more of the following: steamed and drained spinach, sun dried tomatoes, olives, or roasted garlic cloves. Spread the mixture onto the bread, top with crumbled feta cheese, chopped black olives and a scatter of chopped fresh parsley. You can run this under the broiler or serve at room temperature.

A meaty topping is unusual and delicious. If you have leftover pork or steak you could use that, or else just cook up a quick filet or your favorite cut of meat for this purpose. Cut the meat into fairly thin slices and drape over the bread. Crumble blue cheese over the top, add a few chopped tomatoes and a drizzle of good quality balsamic vinegar. These can either be served at room temperature or heated.

Pimento cheese is the "pate of the South." It's also very delicious and wonderful as a bruschetta topping. It's readily available in most southern grocery stores but you can make your own. You can create a delicious lowfat version by simply mixing together equal parts lowfat cream cheese and reduced fat mayo, one cup of shredded lowfat cheddar cheese and one cup lowfat or regular Monterey jack cheese, a handful of chopped pimentos, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. If you like you could also add some chopped green onions or chives or some chopped fresh parsley for extra flavor and color. If you want it hot add your favorite hot sauce, such as Tabasco. It's the perfect spread for bruschetta on its own.

You don't have to throw a dinner party in order to enjoy these delicious appetizers. Try them out on your family just for fun, or make up a batch for a late afternoon snack for you and your children. No matter how you serve them, use your creative instincts to give each recipe your own, unique twist.