Thursday, December 9, 2010

Basil Cream Cheese Bruschetta

I've decided it was time for me to make another attempt at cooking. Yesterday, I decided to do something more simple and healthier. I've always love eating bruschetta in Italian restaurants, and it always looked easy to make, so I decided why not attempt a homemade version of it.

Overall, my version of this recipe turned out really pretty well despite substituing a couple of ingredients, forgetting to measure the ingredients, and slightley overbaking the bread. Instead of using French bread, I used multi-grain wheat bread. I have no real explanation as to why I chose to use multi-grain bread other than it was smaller in size. The french bread was almost a foot long, and I didn't want to keep it an additional day. I didn't use "ripe" olives either. Instead, I bought canned black olives with jalapenos because this recipe sounded a bit bland, and I thought the jalapenos would give it a little kick. It turned out to be a good decision! 

As I mentioned earlier, I completely forgot about measuring the ingredients, so I basically estimated how much onions, olives, cream cheese, and basil should be added as the topping. I blame my absent-minded nature due to the bread. This recipe didn't tell me that you needed to add some olive oil and/or butter to the bread before you broil it. Evidently, this is "common sense" if you are kitchen savvy. In my first attempt at broiling the bread, I literally added one maybe two miniscule drops of olive oil to the bread. I ended up burning the edges of the bread, and the bread was hard as a rock. I realized that I needed to be a bit more generous with the olive oil if I wanted to soften the bread.

Despite my mishaps, I learned a couple of things from my latest attempt at cooking:

1) I need to transfer my organizational skills into the kitchen. Before I begin any recipe, I need to have all the ingredients set up and ready to go, so I won't be running around in a flustered state.
2) I've realized that I need to learn how to properly meausure ingredients simply because it's a useful thing to know. It's   okay to experiment though! You'll be happy to know that I finally bought some meauring cups and spoons. =)
3) I don't really feel comfortable using knives. Maybe it's because I'm clumsy, and I'm concerned about cutting myself (I have yet to do that though). In the future, I think I'm going to invest in a vegetable chopper like the ones I see on tv.  
4) I don't recommend making large portions of this unless you are making this for a group of people. I was full after eating 4 slices.

Here is the recipe for Basil Cream Cheese Bruschetta:
  • 12 slices French bread (1/2 inch thick)
  • 1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato
  • 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
  • 1 tablespoon chopped ripe olives
  • 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
Place bread on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil 6-8 in. from the heat for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the tomato, onion and olives; set aside.
Combine cream cheese and basil; spread over the untoasted side Yield: 1 dozen.

2 comments:

  1. That's what frustrates me about cooking, all the "common sense" things! Yikes. I've never even used the stove before. For real. And I'm not comfortable with knives either! I saw these awesome rainbow hued knives at target today and thought "Hmm, these aren't so intimidating..." but the reality is, I totally wouldn't take those knives seriously (they're so pretty, not scary looking at all!!!) and would end up in the ER with a detatched finger. Haha, if you were a science major, 1 & 2 would be a cinch ; )

    ReplyDelete
  2. this is a great idea for a blog. May I suggest, however, that you include pictures? (of the final product). It would help me better decide which recipes I'd like to recreate at home.

    ReplyDelete