Broo-sket-tah, Italian for fabulous appetizer, is my go to dish for dinner parties and potlucks.  It requires minimal effort and you can bring something dazzling, flavorful, and healthy to the table.  A small batch of bruschetta goes a long way.  I made a small dish and it served 5, easily.

Consuming tomatoes provides an array of benefits to your health, including reducing bad cholesterol, improving skin, making stronger bones, fighting cancer, regulating blood sugar, making hair shinier and stronger, and preventing kidney stones and gallstones.  To avoid using white bread, I served bruschetta with whole grain wheat toast for a healthier take on the traditional recipe.

In terms of taste, they say the uglier the tomato, the tastier it is.  Here, I used 10 ounces of mini heirloom tomatoes from Trader Joe’s.

Recipe after the jump!

Ingredients (serves 5):

• 10 oz. mini heirloom tomatoes or any fresh tomatoes
• 15 leaves of fresh basil, thinly chopped
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• juice of 1/2 small lemon
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves of fresh, raw garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 4 slices of whole grain wheat bread or any other bread
• 4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Chop tomatoes.  I prefer a fine chop since I like smaller chunks to top on bread.  Keep the juices, pour tomatoes into a serving bowl. The juices will add a ton of flavor when they are soaked in the toasted bread.

I recommend mincing garlic with a garlic press to release more flavor.

To chop the basil, I recommend using kitchen shears.  They are a bit easier than chopping with a chef’s knife.

Mix in garlic, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, basil, and salt and pepper with the tomato mixture.  Taste as you mix to get the desired flavor.  The mixture should be pulpy like salsa.  Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to marry and absorb into the tomato chunks.

Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and place sliced bread in a single layer.  Drizzle bread with olive oil.  Sprinkle grated parmesan on top.  Toast for about 10 minutes.  French roll works best but for my healthier recipe, I used whole grain wheat bread, removing the crust before toasting.

If you have leftovers, the mixture should stay fresh in the fridge for about 5-7 days.  This tomato mix would be great with an egg scramble for breakfast.   Happy eating!