Bruschetta a Portuguesa

I’m reinventing the Papo Seco!

You’ll never waste any leftover Papo Secos again, once you make this easy recipe for Bruschetta; an antipasto from Italy whose origin dates back to the 15th century.

Bruschetta; is grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil. Many variations include toppings of tomatoes, grilled vegetables, beans and cured meats and cheese.

My Italian friend hates the English translation so he always makes us pronounce it correctly in Italian; (bru-sket-ta).

You can be creative with this recipe by adding your favorite variations of olives, cheeses and cured meats!

Don’t be afraid to make a double batch because there seems to never be enough of these little mouthwatering treats!

Ingredients:

3 – 4 Papo Secos – Portuguese Rolls or Baguette (day old or more)

2 medium ripe tomatoes (chopped very finely)

Or use 1/2 cup of my sun dried tomato recipe

1 slice of Presunto (finely diced)

1/4 cup finely chopped red onions

1/4 cup chopped black olives

1/4 cup roasted red pepper (finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (finely diced)

4  tablespoons of Portuguese Olive oil

1 teaspoon of finely chopped parsley

crushed black pepper

Instructions:

Slice the bread into very thin 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices and place each one flat down onto a large baking sheet.

Place one chopped garlic clove and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a very small microwave safe bowl and cook for about 30 seconds to infuse the oil with garlic flavor.

Brush the bread with the garlic infused oil, but leave half for the topping.

Place the tray with the slices of bread under the broiler to toast for about 2 minutes or until a light golden brown turning over to brown the other side.

*Caution: The bread will toast quickly. Always leave the oven door open when you toast bread in your oven broiler!

Drain the tomatoes to remove any moisture and place them in a plastic or ceramic bowl. Add the remaining ingredients including the remaining garlic clove and olive oil and mix.

Place 1 tablespoon of the topping onto each slice of toasted bread.