Giada's Bruschetta With A Twist

If you're looking to make an impressive and unique appetizer that comes together quickly and is sure to impress everyone, we have a great recipe for you! Food blogger Susan Olayinka, who shares recipes on The Flexible Fridge, has put together an incredibly tasty twist on Giada's bruschetta that is such a winner. One thing is for sure: This easy-to-make, totally delicious bruschetta will sweeten up your menu.

Olayinka created something so fresh and says, "I had so much fun making these, and they taste absolutely delicious. A new favorite in my house! The twist is ...instead of tomatoes, I used strawberries, and instead of mozzarella, I used mascarpone. This is a very similar recipe, but instead of it being savory, it is sweet!"

This twist on Giada's bruschetta turns the popular appetizer into an amazing small plate that everyone will love — and it takes just 20 minutes to put this dish together from start to delicious finish!

To make this yummy treat, you'll need one baguette, a cup of mascarpone, 2 tablespoons of honey, 10 medium-sized strawberries, ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar, ⅛ cup of sliced basil, and 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. 

Mascarpone is basically the Italian version of cream cheese. If you're vegan or dairy-free, there are options to make the mascarpone without any dairy. Health food stores sell vegan cream cheese. Or, you can make your own using Susan Olayinka's one-ingredient recipe. Get a container of full-fat coconut milk, and put it in the fridge overnight for it to solidify. Then, turn it upside down, open it with the can opener, drain the water, then whisk it with an electric whisk. It will have the same consistency as mascarpone!

Turn on your oven's broiler to preheat. As the oven heats up, prepare the balsamic reduction. Get a small pot, and pour the ¼ cup of balsamic into the pot, and set the heat at low to medium. Cook the balsamic vinegar for three to four minutes, stirring it consistently to keep it from burning. The reduction will be done when it has reduced in volume and gotten thicker. Finally, pour the balsamic reduction into a small bowl, and set it aside.

Grab the baguette and a knife, and slice it into thin rounds as you would for any type of bruschetta. Place the slices of bread on a baking sheet, and brush the slices with olive oil. (Pro tip: Spray olive oil works great for this!)

Put the cookie sheet of bread into the broiler for a minute until the slices are slightly brown and toasted. Remove the tray from the oven, and set it aside.

Now it's time to get down to the fun part. Get a mixing bowl out, and mix the mascarpone and honey together until they are well mixed and smooth.

Slice the tops off the strawberries, then slice them into small pieces. Put in a bowl. Shred the basil into thin strips, and put in the same bowl as the strawberries.

Take a fork, and mash the strawberries and basil together, which will release some of the juice from the strawberries and enhance the flavor of the dish.

Now, it's time to assemble Giada's bruschetta with a twist. Get the cookie sheet with the sliced, toasted bread. Top it with the mascarpone. Add the strawberries and basil. Then, get a knife and dip it into the balsamic reduction. Drizzle the knife full of balsamic reduction over the strawberry and basil bruschetta.

Repeat with each slice of bread until each piece is topped with the sweet mixture. This recipe serves three to four people.

The change made to celebrity chef Giada's De Laurentiis' bruschetta recipe is pretty simple. Instead of the traditional tomatoes, we used strawberries. Instead of fresh mozzarella, we used the sweeter-tasting mascarpone. And finally, our twist leaves out the garlic and black pepper used in traditional bruschetta. Our twist takes a popular appetizer dish and turns it into an elegant, unique, and delicious treat that your family and friends will absolutely love!