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Bruschetta & a SURPRISE Baby Shower for Aggie!

 

Baby Shower for Aggie

Aggie is a very dear food blogging friend.  I got to know her through an online bible study we did two summers ago with five women, such a sweet gal!  So thankful to call her friend. All that said…. I am very excited to be a part of her SURPRISE BABY SHOWER today!  Yeah Aggie!  I hope we surprised you 😉 I can’t wait for your babes to arrive…wish we werent’ so far away I’d love to be able to smooch his chubby cheeks.  So happy for you and your family.  Here’s wishing you all the best!!

Please take a minute and check out with everyone else brought to the party!!
Appetizers
Sundried Tomato Hummus from Robyn of Add a Pinch
Melon & Prosicutto Balls from Paula of bell’alimento
Bruschetta from Sheila of Eat2gather
Jalapeno Poppers from Ali of Gimme Some Oven
Grilled Naan White Pizza Bites from Jamie of Mom’s Cooking Club
Watermelon Feta Bites with Basil Olive Oil from Sandy of Reluctant Entertainer
Pesto Caprese Fried Wontons from Julie of The Little Kitchen
Blue Cheese Wedge Salad Crostini from Cheryl of TidyMom

Drinks
Toasted Coconut Milkshakes from Bev of Bev Cooks
Lemon Cream Soda from Angie of Eclectic Recipes
Peach Sorbet Bellini and Spritzers from Shaina of Food for My Family
Non Alcoholic Berry Spritzer from Lisa of Jersey Girl Cooks
Virgin Peach & Raspberry Bellinis from Milisa of Miss in the Kitchen
Italian Basil Sparkling Lemonade from Marly of Namely Marly
Italian Sodas from Laura of Real Mom Kitchen
Cafe Mocha Punch from Amy of She Wears Many Hats

Salads
Italian Chopped Salad in a Jar {with Creamy Caesar Dressing} from Brenda of a farmgirl’s dabbles
Caprese Salad with Mozzarella Crisps from Christine of Cook the Story
Pesto Pasta Stuffed Tomatoes from Suzanne of Kokocooks
Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad from Liz of The Lemon Bowl
Herbed Israeli Couscous Salad with Tomato and Mozzarella from Rachel of Rachel Cooks
Chickpea, Avocado, & Feta Salad from Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod
Lentil and Chickpea Layered Salad from Lisa of With Style & Grace

Entrees
Chicken Cacciatore from Meagan of A Zesty Bite
Zucchini, Bell Pepper & Edamame Stir-Fry from Cassie of Bake Your Day
Potato-Crusted Vegetarian Quiche with Zucchini, Tomatoes & Feta from Dara of Cookin’ Canuck
“Straw & Hay” Tagliatelle in Cream Sauce from Flavia of Flavia’s Flavors
Grilled Italian Chicken with Veggie & Bow Tie Pasta from Katie of Katie’s Cucina
Grilled Naan Pizza with Summer Veggies & Turkey Sausage from Kelley of Mountain Mama Cooks
Smashed Chickpea and Avocado Panini from Kathy of Panini Happy

Desserts
Fresh Blueberry Shortbread with Lemon Cream Frosting from Sommer of A Spicy Perspective
Crostata di Mango from Lora of Cake Duchess
Italian Ice from Kristen of Dine & Dish
Roasted Banana and Nutella S’mores Bruschetta from Jenny of Picky Palate
Italian Cream Cake from Deborah of Taste and Tell
Panna cotta from Leslie of The hungry housewife
Fortune Cookies from Shari of Tickled Red
Baby Vanilla Bean Scones a la Starbucks from Tara of Unsophisticook

 

IMG_8399Aggie is Italian, so today I am bringing Bruschetta to the party.  Pronounced (per Giada) Bru-sketta….roll the Rrrr long U, people.  I love to add cannellini beans to my bruschetta topping, they add great texture and they soak up the balsamic flavors giving you something more to bite into!

 

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Brew-shetta, OH whoops!, I meant Bru-sketta makes a great starter for any party.  It’s easy to toss the ingredients together ahead of time and assemble quickly just before serving or sometimes I like to serve the components separately for people to assemble themselves.  Here’s  how I make bruschetta….

 

Ribbet collageI start with a baguette or two 😉  Sliced thin on a diagonal so I get more surface space.  Place on a baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil on both sides, and rub with a clove of garlic.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes or until toasts just begin to brown.  Allow to cool completely before topping and serving.  This part of the appetizer is nice to make ahead of time. Allow crostini’s to cool completely and store in a zip-loc bag until ready to use.  Crostini’s can also be frozen you just need to pop them back int he oven for a few minutes to freshen them up.

 

IMG_8369Now for the topping.  This is where you can get creative.  Feel free…very free to make this recipe your own!  Use what you have.  Bruschetta is basically a delicious way to use up the leftover stale bread.  I’m sure Aggie would tell you that nothing goes to waste in an Italian kitchen and this is just one of many delicious creations that can be enjoyed!

 

IMG_8365I did a little googling on bruschetta just to see how everyone else does it.  To my surprise everything from crostini’s with thinly sliced meat to crostini’s with nutella and shaved chocolate popped up!  Well the nutella might be going a bit too far outside the bruschetta box for me.  I do like to add cannellini beans to my bruschetta.  I love these little buggers.  You will need one can drained and rinsed!

 

IMG_8374Add beans to a glass bowl then add chopped red onions, cherry tomatoes (I like to use red and yellow tomatoes for added color!), and basil, then season to your liking with salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.  Don’t have basil then use fresh rosemary, thyme, or oregano!

 

IMG_8375Give all this goodness a toss, let it marinade 30 minutes to 24 hours.  I can actually eat this little salad on it’s own…but OH momma when you lay it on top of garlic toasts and drizzle some of the juice over top letting it seep into the bread….can you say scrumptious?!

 

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Pretty on the palate as well as the plate!  Bruschetta is comforting, fresh, and satisfying!  I hope you ENJOY!

 

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Bruschetta
serves up to 10 people as an appetizer

crostini:
2 Baguettes, cut crosswise on a diagonal
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 large cloves of Garlic, peeled
topping:
1 16 ounce can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups diced Cherry Tomatoes
1/3 cup diced Red Onion
6 leaves Basil, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
fresh ground Black Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Cut baguettes in 1/2 inch slices crosswise on a diagonal, this gives you more surface space for your toppings. Place in a single layer on baking sheet. Brush each piece on both sides with olive oil. Take garlic clove and gently rub clove across each piece of bread. Place in preheated oven for 5 minutes or until bread slices just begin to brown. Remove and allow to cool completely before topping.
note ~ crostini’s can be made the day before, or even weeks ahead of time if you want to freeze them in a zip-loc bag pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to freshen them up.

2. Drain and rinse beans add to a glass bowl along with diced cherry tomatoes, red onion, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Allow bruschetta toppings to marinade at least 30 minutes before topping crostini’s with it.
note ~ this topping can be made up to 24 hours before serving, remove from refrigerator at least an hour before serving to bring toppings to room temperature before serving.

Assembling Bruschetta: Place crostini’s on a serving platter and spoon topping over top, making sure to get some of the juice from the toppings and drizzle it over so it soaks in to the toasts. If there doesn’t seem to be enough juice in the bowl for drizzling you can also drizzle with straight up balsamic and oil and feel free to also give an extra crack of pepper over the top and sprinkle of basil if you have extra.

An alternative to the above way of serving is to place all the components out separately…possibly even making a couple different bruschetta toppings and allow your guests to assemble their own bruschetta.

Enjoy!

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I hope you visit all the wonderful contributions to Aggie’s Surprise Baby Shower I am certain there will be some incredible cuisine to be had!!

Much love to you Aggie! Here’s wishing you happiness, healthy, and a speedy delivery! xoxox Sheila

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30 Comments

  1. Pingback: Panna Cotta
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    1. Cheryl thanks so much for stopping by…I’ve yet to visit everybody at the shower yet, but I’m making my way down the list! xoxo Sheila

  3. Oh Sheila – I was totally surprised!! And this bruschetta (I totally say it wrong) needs to get in my belly!! This looks amazing! I wish you could make it for me in real life!

    Thanks so much for cooking this up, love you friend!!

  4. I just LOVE that you all did this for her! SO sweet. And umm… your recipe? I’m pretty sure I’d eat the topping long before it made it to the bread. This is getting pinned to make for my book club soon!!!! hugs GirlFriend!