California Style Bruchetta

Preparation time:  15 mins

Cooking time:  12 mins

Serves:  4

Ingredients: 

2 tomatoes, halved, seeded and chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra, in needed

pinch of sugar

3/4 cup cooked cannellini beans

juice of 1/2 lime

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

4 tablespoon of olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 baguette, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, halved

How to make California Style Bruschetta:

1   Place the tomatoes in a medium serving bowl and stir in the salt and sugar.  Mix in the beans, lime juice, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.  Taste and add more salt if needed, then set aside.

2.   Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Place half of the bread slices in the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes total.  Remove the toasted bread from the pan and set aside.  Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan and repeat with the remaining bread slices.  While the bread is still warm, rub one side of each slice with the garlic.  Spoon some of the bean-tomato mixtures on top of each fried bread slice and serve.