CLASSIC ITALIAN BRUSCHETTA RECIPE

A classic Italian Bruschetta Recipe with Cheese

Italian cuisine has always been one of my favorites. When I was little my mom took my brother and I to Italy for the summer and we stayed in this villa outside the small medieval town of Montalcino, smack in the middle of Tuscan wine country. The villa was owned by a winemaker and farmer and was situated on the edge of his vast property. I remember running through the rows of grapevines, chasing sheep, and stomping buckets of grapes for fun. A child's dream playground and also the place I was first introduced to Italian cuisine (at least as far back as I can actually recall) and believe me it was love at first taste!

Bruschetta is a typical antipasto that comes before your meal and opens up your stomach for the usual large plant of pasta to follow. I am a huge fan of a classic tomato bruschetta and making it at home quite often. Not only is a classic bruschetta actually quite easy and straightforward to make but it also takes no time at all. If you are looking for an easy authentic Italian bruschetta recipe to make for your next meal, check out my bruschetta recipe below!

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 3-4 as an appetizer

1/4 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-3 Cloves of Garlic (if you like garlic put more... obviously) - minced
3 Tomatoes (I use vine tomatoes) - remove seeds and chop into pinkie nail size bits
1/3 Cup of Chopped Fresh Basil Leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
French Baguette - Cut into pieces
Parmasan Cheese - optional garnish

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CRAVING ITALIAN FOOD? CHECK OUT THESE OTHER DELICIOUS ITALIAN RECIPES!

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HOW TO MAKE AN AUTHENTIC ITALIAN BRUSCHETTA!

In a small skillet, heat up extra virgin olive oil on medium - low heat. When ready, add in the garlic and allow to cook until aromatic and translucent (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat.

In a bowl, add your garlic and olive oil, chopped tomatoes, and basil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

An authentic Italian bruschetta with cheese

Cut the baguette into 1/2 inch slices and brush with olive oil on one side. Place them on a baking sheet, olive oil side up, and broil them in the oven until they start to brown (like toast). Once out of the oven dress the baguette with the bruschetta ingredients in the bowl.

Garnish with some more chopped fresh basil or parmesan cheese if you like and it is ready to serve!

An authentic Italian bruschetta with cheese

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO ON HOW TO MAKE BRUSCHETTA

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I hope you enjoyed this easy Italian bruschetta recipe. If you did please tell me about your experience in the comments below. If you want me to try something else I am always up for suggestions!!!!

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MOROCCAN BROCCOLI SALAD - GLUTEN FREE, KETO & VEGAN

Packed full of antioxidants, this delicious Moroccan raw broccoli salad is both beautiful to look at and packed full of nutrients. If you, like me, are looking for ways to eat healthier without compromising on taste, this gluten free, vegan, keto broccoli salad is perfect. Since it can be prepared a day in advance and keeps well in the fridge, it also is great for meal planning or a grab-and-go snack. Not to mention it takes only a few minutes to make!

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 4

- Dressing -
6 TBSP of Grape Seed Oil
1 TSP of Ras-El-Hanout Spice
1 Garlic Clove (pressed or chopped finely)
2 TBSP of Fresh Lemon Juice
2 TBSP of Balsamic Vinegar
1 TBSP of Honey (can be substituted with Agave if you are vegan)
Salt and Pepper to taste

- Salad -
6 CUPS of Broccoli Florets
1 Shallot (chopped Finely)
1 Jalapeno (chopped finely)
1/3 CUP of Dates (pits removed and chopped finely) - reduce the amount or leave out if you want more of a keto broccoli salad)
1/4 Cup of Roasted Pistachios (chopped finely)
Salt and Pepper to taste

- Optional Garnish-
1/4 CUP of Pomegranate Seeds
5-6 Slices of Pickled Beets (use sugar-free pickled beets if you want more of a keto broccoli salad)

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DIRECTIONS:

Remove sauce pan from heat and add in lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and honey (or agave). Salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool.

Next, add your broccoli, shallots, dates, jalapenos and pistachios to a large salad bowl. Dress with your ras-el-hanout dressing, toss and garnish with pomegranates and slices of picked beats. Salt and pepper once again to taste.

Cover and chill if prepared in advance otherwise enjoy!

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I hope you enjoyed this gluten free, vegan, keto broccoli salad recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

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TRADITIONAL ITALIAN HOMEMADE FOCACCIA (SO EASY)

Is there anything better than the smell of fresh bread?

Especially when it’s covered in all your favorite focaccia toppings?

My Achilles heel, sun dried tomato focaccia is one of those traditional Italian appetizers that I can never turn down. As soon as I spot it (usually across the room), you know I’m right there, having a slice - okay 2, maybe 3….

While in self-isolation I had time to perfect this amazing homemade focaccia dough recipe I learned while in Italy and I must say, it stands the test of time! The dough always turns out perfect - fluffy and doughy with a crisp bottom and golden crust. Oh, and did I mention it’s also a vegan focaccia!

I can’t wait for you to enjoy it too!

FOCACCIA BREAD INGREDIENTS:

Serving: 8-10 Servings

-Focaccia Dough-
1 3/4 Warm water
1 Package of Yeast
1 TBSP of Sugar
5 CUPS of All-Purpose Flour
1 TBSP of Kosher Salt
1 CUP of Olive Oil - Spilt in two halves

-Optional Focaccia Toppings-
Coarse Sea Salt
Cherry Tomatoes
Kalamata Olives
Basil
Capers
Rosemary
Garlic

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FOCACCIA RECIPE DIRECTIONS:

The first thing you need to do is activate the yeast so you will need to combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a bowl. Stir and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until it starts bubbling and becomes very aromatic.

When ready, in a mixer using the hook attachment, combine the flour, salt, half a cup of the olive oil, and the yeast mixture on the lowest speed. After it is well mixed, increase the speed to three (low/medium) until it becomes smooth.

Once smooth, remove the dough from the mixer and place on a floured surface. Kneed the dough by hand until the dough stops being sticky. If you need to sprinkle more flour to help it along, do so.

When ready, form a ball with the dough. Using the mixing bowl you used before, coat the sides of the bowl with some oil and place the dough once again inside. Coat the dough with a little bit of oil as well before covering it with a cloth or plastic wrap, and place somewhere warm for about an hour until it doubled in size.

Take your cooking sheet or jelly roll pan (pan with lip) and cover with parchment paper (including the sides). Put a heavy coat of olive oil on the parchment paper before putting the dough on top. Focaccia is a heavily oiled bread so be generous with the olive oil.

Place the dough on the pan and stretch out with your fingers, flipping the dough over to allow the olive oil on the tray to coat both sides. Use your fingers to stretch the dough the full length of the pan and create finger holes so as to give it an uneven texture. Place the stretched dough in a warm place until it once again doubles in size (approximately one hour).

When dough is close to ready, preheat oven to 450.

If you want to add toppings to your focaccia you can do so at this point. If you want it plain you should still liberally sprinkle it with coarse sea salt.

When ready, bake until the top is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving to your guest.

Buon Appetito!

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If you like this vegan focaccia dough recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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VEGAN PUMPKIN SOUP WITH @INSPIREDBYNICK!

Oh Hello There!

Welcome back to my blog!

I know it’s been a hot minute since I have posted anything on the ‘Food and Drink’ section of Soheila Online, but let me assure you that this was completely intentional. As I grow my brand I am also evolving and changing the direction of certain aspects of my blog. And although I love food (I mean, this girl loves to eat!) I wasn’t sure if recipe posts were where I wanted to concentrate my time and efforts. That doesn’t mean I won’t be sharing pretty food pictures with you anymore! It just means, instead of focusing my efforts on sharing my recipes, I want to share my food experiences with you in a different way - like through collaborations with my favourite food influencers!

So in the spirit of new beginnings I am back on the blog today to share a little festive autumn collaboration with my dear friend @Inspiredbynick! If you are guys are not familiar with Nick Joly he is a vegan food blogger based in Toronto that aims to promote healthier lifestyle habits and delicious vegan recipes. If you aren’t following him on Instagram already I definitely recommend you do!

@InspiredByNick and I at Downey’s Farm

Nick and I first met a couple months ago through our mutual friend Krystle (@dineandfash) and really hit it off. Since our first introduction over lunch at Cubano Restaurant I have been following Nick’s progress and really admire his positive attitude, health lifestyle habits, all round hustle, and drool-worthy vegan food pics! That is why a couple week ago I asked Nick if he wanted to collaborate with me on a little project I was planning for fall.

Usually not the biggest fan of letting go of summer, this year I wanted to embrace autumn by celebrating its cuteness in all its glory. For me this meant a little content creation road trip up to the pumpkin patch would need to happen, and I knew Nick would be the best partner in crime to collaborate with. So off we went to Downey’s farm in Caledon (a short 45 min drive from downtown Toronto).

Our plan for the collaboration was to go early, take a couple lifestyle photos, grab some picture perfect pumpkins, head back to Nick’s house to make a vegan recipe he had in mind, and style some Pinterest worthy photos. We were so prepared for our little road trip and for our food styling and pumpkin patch photos session that everything went off without a hitch. Nick had purchased mini pumpkins and ingredients ahead of time and I showed up with a red wagon (the perfect pumpkin patch photo prop) and a bag full of dollar store decorations for food styling. Together we took some super cute photos and created perfect autumn themed content. 

Nick of course being the master cook in this collaboration has shared the recipe to the Vegan Pumpkin Soup we (but really he - I just played with the dogs) made -> http://bit.ly/2CC1ATS on his blog while I get to share the cute pictures of us from the pumpkin patch with you here. Although I won’t be posting as many recipes anymore I really feel like there are so many talented foodies out there like Nick who’s Instagram could benefit a lot of people and instill more positive habits in everyone’s life - vegan or not. That is why I wanted to collaborate with Nick on my first post back and share his amazing platform with you as a way to find inspiration and positive reinforcement for your everyday life. Food after all is ment to be shared and Nick just does it so well!

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I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

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