Bruschetta and Caprese Salad

I absolutely LOVE Italian food. Furthermore, any Spanish and French cuisine makes my mouth water just at the thought of it. Sometimes I wish I could eat nothing but that enticing concoction of olive oil, fresh herbs, quality cheese, and carbs carbs CARBS (to this day it still baffles me that I saw no obese persons in Spain and Portugal and yet this is the primary make up of their diet). Naturally, bruschetta and caprese salad make it in the top tier of my favorite appetizers/meals. These dishes are simply stunning with their vibrant colors and fresh, un-tampered looks; not to mention, the taste is one of a kind. Health wise, they certainly beat an appetizer of egg rolls or pigs in a blanket! But the primary reason I love making these appetizers is that they go hand in hand. They both consist of all the same ingredients and are ridiculously easy to make together. The presentation is beautiful, yet prep time takes no more than 30 minutes tops. These are dishes for both the skilled cook and complete I-burn-everything novice.

Here is my take on the recipes. Feel free to add in your own twist with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, balsamic vinegar, or chopped olives. Your dinner guests or family will be stunned with how fancy and beautiful these dishes look...but they don't need to know they took no sweat at all to make! ;)

*Serves between 3-5 people*
Bruschetta: 2 vine ripe red tomatoes, 1 clove of garlic, 3 or 4 medium sized fresh basil, 2 or 3 splashes of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste; around 8-10 squares of Italian or French bread, other half of mozzarella
Caprese Salad: 2 vine ripe red tomatoes, 1 clove of garlic, fresh basil, 16 oz whole milk round mozzarella, olive oil, salt and pepper

Slice along tops of 2 tomatoes (make sure to sharpen knife before so you don't squash them) and remove green pit

Place slices on a paper towel so that they rest and will drain extra liquid. You want them firm for the CS--not watery or else cheese will become GRODY.

Repeat process for BR but slice into smaller--not itsy bitsy--chunks. BE SURE to remove much of the seedy, smooshy insides or else everything will become watery tomato soup and everyone will be utterly confused as to what they're eating.

Place slices into bowl with paper towel and let sit quite a while. See that beautiful color? Let's not mess or smoosh these babies! They need to look pretty so people think we put in a ton of work!

Chop up your 2 raw garlic cloves not so that they're completely diced or ginormous, but a sort of middle ground. Remove paper towels from both CS and BR. Place one chopped garlic clove in BR and sprinkle other on CS.

Slice thin strips of whole milk mozzarella and place over CS tomatoes. Save the other half for the BR bread. Take several nibbles of cheese just to "make sure it's not spoiled"....continue to take nibbles of cheese.

Take 3 or 4 medium sized basil leaves and cut into strips close in size to diced tomatoes. Add 2 or 3 splashes of olive oil and salt and pepper. Stir and let sit a while so that all the flavors get mixed. RESIST the urge to taste: the flavors need time to set in. If you taste it now, it will only be acidic and you will add too much salt and oil. RESIST!

As the BR rests, clip off beautiful and long pieces of basil and daintily place them over CS. Feel like a food Picasso.

Slice 8-10 decently sized pieces of Italian bread (shown here) or French baguette. Drizzle just a touch of olive oil and salt and pepper.

Slice remainder of mozzarella and place over bread. Put in oven under a medium broil so that the cheese has time to melt before the bread burns.

Drizzle olive oil over CS and sprinkle a touch of coarse sea salt and black pepper over each piece. Marvel at your mouthwatering creation and pretend your accepting your well deserved Iron Chef award.

Pull bread out of oven when cheese is soft and bubbly but not runny, and when bread is browned on edges.

Oh yeah remember that delicious concoction from earlier we had to let sit still? YOU CAN FINALLY TASTE IT! Add another splash of olive oil or more salt and pepper to taste.

Plate bread prettily. Oh, bread, you look so delicious.

Eat! Eat! Eat!

You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces--just good food from fresh ingredients. Julia Child.