Zesty Garlic Crostini Recipes

GARLIC CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat broiler on low. Cut baguette into 1/4" slices and place on a cookie sheet. Brush each slice with olive oil.
• Place in the oven on a middle rack for about 2 minutes until golden brown. Keep an eye on this as it happens quickly.
• Remove from the oven and flip each piece. broil for another 2 minutes until golden brown.
• Once removed, use the cut side of a garlic clove and rub on the toast then sprinkle sea salt to top.

ZESTY GARLIC CROSTINI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400ºF.
• Brush dressing onto both sides of baguette slices; place in single layer on baking sheet.
• Bake 7 to 10 min. or until edges are golden brown, turning after 4 min. Cool.
• Rub edges of toast slices with garlic.

GARLIC CROSTINI WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. On ungreased cookie sheet, place bread slices. Brush oil on slices of bread. Bake 4 to 5 minutes or until very light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir together all remaining ingredients except garlic.
• Cut garlic cloves in half. Rub cut sides of garlic over toasted bread slices. Spoon mixture onto bread slices. Serve immediately.

GARLIC CREAM CHEESE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Set oven control to broil. On ungreased cookie sheet, place bread slices. Lightly brush each with oil. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat about 1 minute or until light golden brown.
• In small bowl, mix cream cheese and green onions. Spread mixture on toasted bread slices. Broil about 1 minute longer or until cream cheese bubbles. Garnish with thyme leaves and tomatoes.

CROSTINI

Steps:

• Set the oven to broil at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, butter and garlic. Set over medium heat, and cook until butter has melted and the mixture starts to bubble. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
• Dip each slice of bread into the garlic mixture, turning to coat each side. Place Parmesan cheese on a plate. Press one side of each piece of bread into the cheese, and place cheese side up on a baking sheet.
• Broil on the middle rack of the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

GARLIC CROSTINI

Steps:

• Mix olive oil and minced garlic in a heat-proof measuring cup. Microwave at half power for 30 seconds. Set aside.
• Note: depending on the size of your baguette, you may have to double the garlic oil ingredients.
• Preheat oven to 375*. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Slice the baguette, on the diagonal, into 1/4" to 1/2" thick slices.
• Using a pastry brush lightly wipe both sides of the bread slices with garlic oil. Arrange on the baking sheet.
• Sprinkle (one side only), lightly with kosher salt and black pepper (if using).
• Bake for 10 minutes. Turn slices over and continue to bake for another 5 - 10 minutes or until golden in colour and crispy. The baking time will depend on the thickness of the slices and the amount of garlic oil used.
• Remove from the baking sheet and let cool in a single layer on a cooling rack.
• You can use these immediately, or allow to cool completely for storage in an airtight container.

ROASTED WHOLE GARLIC CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Slice 1/2-inch off the pointed end of the garlic bulb to expose each clove. Place garlic on aluminum foil. Pour 1 teaspoon of olive oil over the top of each bulb and let it sink into the cloves.
• Wrap foil around garlic bulbs and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until exposed cloves are golden brown.
• In a dry saute pan over medium-high heat, toast pine nuts for approximately 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Toast baguette slices in oven or toaster oven.
• To serve, place garlic, cheese, pine nuts and parsley on a serving plate along side crostinis. Instruct guests to extract individual garlic cloves from bulb with a small fork, spread on toast, and top with goat cheese, pine nuts and parsley leaves.

RICK'S BASIC CROSTINI

Steps:

• 1. On a cutting board, finely chop the garlic and sprinkle the salt over it. Keep chopping and smashing the garlic and salt together to make a paste. Use a wide-bladed knife so you can smear the paste along its flat side. You can also do this with a mortar and pestle.
• 2. In a small bowl, mix the butter, lemon juice, and garlic paste. Fold the softened butter over and onto the garlic mixture, mashing it down with the back of a spoon or spatula. Season to taste with pepper and continue folding.
• 3. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Scrape the butter onto the plastic and use the plastic wrap to shape butter into a log, encased in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use. If not using within 3 days, you can freeze the garlic butter for up to 2 months. Let the butter soften before using.
• 4. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• 5. Lay the bread on a baking sheet and brush both sides with garlic butter. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, turning once, until golden brown but not too crispy. Let cool before using.
• Good Butter
• The difference between really good butter and all other butter lies with the butterfat content of the cream, which depends in large part on the cows and how the cream is handled before it is churned into butter. The best butter from Europe is made from raw or cultured cream and, particularly that made from raw cream, might not be imported to the United States. But never fear: At American companies such as the Vermont Butter & Cheese Company, the butter is made from high-grade cream (a high butterfat content) that is cultured and then churned. The butter is rich and flavorful and when it's salted, its salt content is significantly lower than typical salted butter. This is what I use in my crostini recipes, so depending on the salted butter you choose, you may not need to add any salt. As with all ingredients for these recipes, choose the best butter you can. It pays off in terms of taste.

OLIVE OIL GARLIC CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Slice baguette in half lengthwise. Brush each half thoroughly with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Broil 1-2 minutes, until bread is lightly toasted.
• Rub each piece of toast with the raw garlic.

ROASTED GARLIC CROSTINI WITH ASSORTED TOPPINGS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the garlic in a roasting pan and drizzle on the olive oil. Toss to coat thoroughly. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the garlic bulbs are very tender but not overly brown. Test by carefully giving a bulb a gentle squeeze while protecting your hand with a folded kitchen towel or an oven glove. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• 2. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut each head of garlic crosswise in half, midway between its leaf and root ends, to expose all the cloves inside. Their pulp will be golden brown and as soft as butter. You can squeeze it out of each half by hand or scoop it out with a small spoon or knife. Transfer the roasted garlic to a small bowl, pour in any olive oil from the baking dish, and stir and mash with a fork to form a smooth purée. You'll have 1/3 to 1/2 cup of purée, depending on the size of the garlic heads.
• 3. To make the Roasted Garlic Crostini, preheat the oven to 375° F. Brush the bread slices with the olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake them until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature. Spread the puréed roasted garlic evenly on the tops of the crostini. Top the crostini with any of the options listed above, or make an assortment. Spread some with 1 tablespoon each of goat cheese; then decorate the cheese with strips of roasted bell pepper or a mixture of sun-dried tomato strips and capers, or a smear of tapenade. In place of the goat cheese, top others with diced tomato tossed with some fresh basil, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar; with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese; with anchovy fillets and freshly ground black pepper; or with slices of Roma tomato and fresh mozzarella, topped with fresh basil leaves.