Easy Bruschetta

Ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, crispy bread, yum! Bruschetta is one of my favorite hot weather meals. It is also super easy and doesn't mean being in a hot kitchen forever.

Start by cutting the tomatoes. 

Saute some garlic in olive oil until it is very lightly browned.

Add thinly sliced basil and the garlic and oil to the tomatoes.

Throw in some chopped onion, a few splashes of balsamic vinegar, some salt, and pepper

Mix it up and bask in the glory of how gorgeous it is. Let it sit in the fridge for about an hour if you have time, if not, it is ready to serve immediately too.

Heat some oil, butter, bacon grease, or whatever your fat of choice is, in a pan and saute the bread until it is crispy and golden brown.

Top the bread with the tomato mixture and enjoy before it goes soggy! We like to eat it with sausages to balance out the meal, but I would be happy to eat the bruschetta by itself.

Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 6 ripe tomatoes
• 1 small onion, red if you have it
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4-1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
• 2-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• your favorite good, crusty bread, I used Wegmans rosemary olive oil bread
• Oil to brown the bread

Method

1. Chop the tomatoes, onion, and slice the basil
2. Lightly brown the garlic in the olive oil
3. Combine the tomatoes, onion, basil, garlic and oil in a large bowl
4. Add the balsamic, salt, and pepper. It is super important to just add a little at a time and taste it repeatedly. You don't want it too salty or vinegary. Allow the flavors to combine for about an hour in the fridge or serve right away.
5. Brown the bread in oil until golden brown and crispy.

Slow-Cooker Sunday: Balsamic Beef Roast

I love a good roast. The kind that you can't even slice because it is falling apart at the lightest touch. Pair it with some sweet and tangy glazed carrots and I am one happy lady. I also love freezer to slow cooker meals. I made a huge batch about a month ago and this is, by far, the favorite of all four of us. I don't have any pictures of the prep for the roast, but it could easily be done the morning of instead of doing it freezer meal style.

This is one of those meals that I actually messed up when prepping. I doubled the amount of balsamic by mistake. Turns out it was not as much of a mistake as I thought. It is delicious. the balsamic and orange zest are perfect together and the resulting drippings make a gravy that is just to die for. Seriously, you need this roast in your life.

First comes the easiest portion of this meal: the roast. The beef, carrots, and all the fixings go straight in the slow cooker. Turn that bad boy on low and let it go for 8-10 hours.

Once the roast is tender, pull it out and then separate the carrots and the drippings. The drippings will go toward an amazing gravy.

Melt half a stick of butter in a pan and add the carrots. Then add the brown sugar. Let it melt into the butter and reduce for 5-10 minutes on medium heat. This will thicken it up and help it stick to the carrots.

While the carrots are working, make your roux. The key to a smooth gravy is a smooth roux. Melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter and add 2-3 tablespoons of flour. Whisk it until smooth and then let it bubble over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes.

Pour in 2-3 cups of the drippings and whisk. Let it simmer for a bit to thicken and make sure to taste for salt level.

As soon as the gravy is the flavor and thickness you want, serve up that roast with a big old pile of carrots and a nice piece of crusty bread for sopping up the gravy.

Balsamic Beef Roast and Glazed Carrots

Adapted from: New leaf Wellness

Serves: 4

Roast:
2 pound boneless beef chuck shoulder roast
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
5 cloves of garlic, minced
Zest of 1/2 an orange

Carrots:
Carrots from the roast
1/2 stick salted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar

Gravy:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups drippings from the roast

1. Put all ingredients for the roast in a large slow cooker. Turn on low and let cook for 8-10 hours
2. Remove the beef and separate the carrots and drippings
3. Melt the butter for the carrots over medium heat. Add the carrots and brown sugar and stir to coat. Allow the carrots to cook in the glaze for 5-10 minutes.
4. Melt the butter for the gravy over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Allow this roux to bubble for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add about 2 cups of the drippings to the roux and whisk until smooth. Let the gravy thicken and taste for seasoning.
6. Portion the beef, top with gravy, and serve with carrots.