May 31, 2009

Bruschetta with Sauteed Sweet Peppers and Goat Cheese

The end of the month has snuck up on me once again. I'm excited that time is flying but I feel like I scheduled (and didn't quite finish) this post ages ago- can it be June already? That's a good thing, though, since my baby ticker informs me I have 113 (Arizona Summer) days to go. This Bruschetta from Ina is quick and easy for any of those- I made it with my brother and he even did all the slicing without any whining. If he can do it, you can.

I adapted the recipe for the ingredients I had (goat cheese and mini bell peppers from Costco) but it's plenty flexible- use your favorite cheese or veggie for endless variations. See the other Barefoot Bloggers for more ideas. And next time I'll try these on the grill to keep the flavor in and the heat out- especially important as the temperature rises!

Bruschetta with Sauteed Sweet Peppers and Goat Cheese
adapted from Ina Garten

Good olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon capers, drained
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Baguette
3 ounces creamy Gorgonzola or other blue cheese, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and cook until soft, about 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Stir in the capers and basil, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Slice the baguette crosswise into 18 thin round slices. Brush the bread rounds lightly with olive oil on 1 side. Arrange them in rows, oil side up, on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and toast in the oven until lightly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Top each toast round with a teaspoonful of the pepper mixture. Place 2 small pieces of Gorgonzola on top. Return the toast to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes and warm through. Serve immediately.

7 comments:

  1. I actually printed out Ina's recipe- and haven't had people over to try it yet. Looks excellent!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I made these last night following the original recipe. They were fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yay! I have some goat cheese in my fridge, and I cannot wait to make these bruschetta. They look so fabulous. Bruschetta is one of my favorite appetizers--in fact, often times, I eat so much bruschetta, it becomes my meal!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mmmmmm! I love goat cheese and anything bite-sized with goat cheese. These look delicious. Lovely photos as well!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh that is just perfect...looks delicious Anne!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Looks like a perfect appetizer!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is something I would definitely eat a lot of. It looks delcious. You can never go wrong with goat cheese.

    ReplyDelete