BRUSCHETTA

Tonight I made the prettiest, cheapest, yummiest (and almost easiest) meal ever! Bruschetta.

Ingredients:

4 Roma tomatoes

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 yellow or orange bell pepper

olive oil

big handful of fresh basil

small shallot or 1/4 red onion

1 can of Cannellini beans

1 loaf French bread (not a baguette, they are too hard)

butter

2 whole garlic cloves

Start by roasting your garlic. This is the easy way:

Peel all the cloves, toss in olive oil (1 Tbsp), salt and pepper. Put in a small baking pan. Pour in 1/2 cup of water into the pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375 F for 1 hour.

While the garlic roasts, dice the tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion (or shallot). Drain and rinse the Cannellini beans, and add to mixture. Toss, and set aside (refridgerate for a nice, cold topping).

You can either toss in olive oil and top with chopped basil, or, what I did, food process it into a sauce and toss.

Cut the French bread into 1 inch slices. Melt 1/4 stick of butter in a stove-top pan, and fry the bread. For less calories, do it grilled cheese style: spread butter on both sides of the bread and fry. You could also bake or grill. The leanest way (but not as flavorful) is to spray a grill with Pam.

Once the garlic is done, it will be a pasty, spreadable substance. Spread some onto each slice of toasted bread, top with the cold tomato mixture, parmesan cheese (only fresh is allowed, ever), and chopped basil if you didn't make the sauce. So good!

You'll feel the urge to brush your teeth after eating this. So garlicky and delish.