Bruschetta with Warm Tomatoes

Serve this simple appetizer before an Italian meal with a glass of nice (organic!) red.

An hour ahead of time, combine 2 and 1/2 cups small tomatoes - choose any variety you like of grape, pear, or cherry tomatoes; you can also use a combination of red and yellow for a pretty look - with 3 tablespoons thinly sliced basil, 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/4 tsp. balsamic vinegar, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. black pepper and 1 minced garlic clove. Let stand for one hour.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add the tomato mixture and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan on the stove over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray - use a real grill if you have one at your disposal and prefer it! Add 4 (1-ounce) slices of ciabatta bread and grill for two minutes on each side. Cut a garlic clove in half, and rub the cut sides of the garlic over 1 half of each bread slice.

1 slice of bread with about 1/3 cup of tomato topping is 130 calories. You can also use sourdough bread in place of the ciabatta, if you prefer. Ciabatta will most likely be vegan, but double check ingredients with your bakery if you want to be sure.

Also, although the original recipe didn't say to cut the tomatoes in half, I did so without really thinking. I'm actually glad that I did though, because it meant that the tomato mixture piled more easily on top of the bread slices, all said and done.

Cost:
grape tomatoes $5.98
basil $3.49
shallot $1.24
garlic $0.39
ciabatta $2.29