Southwesten Bruschetta Appetizers

Grilling doesn't always mean steaks and ribs.

Sometimes we like to use the grill to toast sliced French bread rounds for a light snack of bruschetta.

The key to great bruschetta is fresh ingredients and extra virgin olive oil.

We took this bruschetta to a whole new level by laying the traditional diced tomato mixture onto a bed of freshly prepared guacamole.

Great, simple eats!

Let's get started!

Step 1: Ingredients!

Fresh avocados, Roma tomatoes, limes and cilantro are essential for this dish.

You will also need about a cup of extra virgin olive oil.

A portion of the olive oil will be used for the bruschetta mix while the rest will be used for the toasted bread.

You will need a few other items from your pantry or refrigerator (French bread, Parmesan cheese and roasted garlic).

This is going to be great!

Step 2: Dice the Tomatoes

Start with a large Roma tomato.

Use a sharp knife to slice the tomato lengthwise into quarters.

Use your knife and remove the seeds from each tomato quarter.

Take each tomato quarter and slice it lengthwise into at least five strips.

Rotate the sliced tomato quarter horizontally and cut the strips into a dice.

Repeat for all of the tomatoes :)

For this recipe I used three large Roma tomatoes.

Step 3: Prepare the Bruschetta Mix

This part is really easy!

Placed your diced tomatoes into a bowl.

Add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Add three tablespoons of shredded Parmesan cheese.

Add three tablespoons of diced/shredded cilantro.

Add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or two teaspoons of diced roasted garlic

Mix everything up with a spoon and smile!

Note: Traditional bruschetta uses fresh basil instead of cilantro. We used cilantro since we had a "bunch" on hand for the guacamole.

Step 4: Prepare the Guacamole

This is another really easy step!

Slice open two avocados and use a spoon to scoop the fruit away from the skin.

Place the avocado into a bowl and remove the big seeds!

To the avocados add the following:

• Juice of two fresh limes
• 3 tablespoons diced/shredded cilantro
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Now mash it all together until smooth!

Note: Traditional guacamole would also include a small diced red onion. I don't like raw onions so I don't add them to my guacamole!

Step 5: Toast the Bread and Assemble

Slice a loaf of French bread on a diagonal for bite sized toasts.

Brush each side of the bread with olive oil.

The olive oil adds flavor and helps the bread look beautiful after toasting!

Toast the bread on your grill over High heat.

Do your toasting with the lid up and pay attention! It is easy to go from "beautifully toasted" to "burnt to a crisp".

Depending upon your grill you will need to toast for about three minutes per side.

You could also do this in the oven using the broiler. You know...just in case it's raining or something :)

Remove the toasted bread from the grill.

Spread a layer of the fresh guacamole onto the toast.

Pile the fresh bruschetta on top of the guacamole.

Take a big bite and smile!

I hope you enjoyed this Instructable! I would appreciate any votes you are willing to provide!