Catfish Out of Water

I didn't go into this intending to make bruschetta. I've been on a bread kick lately. Maybe potentially because I'm craving balsamic vinegar and it was inevitable that the two would intersect! But I decided today to make No-knead Dutch Oven Bread and Quinoa w/ Balsamic, Carrots, & Brussel Sprouts. With both of these just kind of lying around... I couldn't help but think, why not just combine them together? And now, I have Bruschetta w/ Balsamic Quinoa, Tomatoes, & Fresh Mozzarella!

I don't usually make bruschetta. I honestly don't think that I've ever gone in to a culinary endeavor intending to make bruschetta... I can see it being an incredibly fun thing to make for dinner parties or get togethers. So, maybe I'm feeling a little nostalgia for the good old days of social gatherings? Being during the pandemic and full on social distancing... Maybe making social food just for me is hitting the spot!

Bruschettas are usually a bit simpler. Spreading a batch of quinoa over the toast with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella is almost more of an open-faced sandwich than a true Bruschetta! Which typically is more toasted bread with tomatoes, basil, and some variation of vegetables, meats, and cheeses.

But food is meant to have fun with! And I'm counting it.

Gallery

Variations of Quinoa Bruschetta

I have been making several different forms of bruschetta lately. It's a quick and easy way to use the loads of toast that I have on hand because I can't seem to stop making No-knead Dutch Oven Bread during the pandemic.

Bruschetta w/ Avocado Dip, Tomatoes, & Runny Egg

Salmon, Poached Egg, Avocado Dip Bruschetta

Bruschetta w/ Spinach Dip, Mozzarella, & Runny Egg

Bruschetta w/ Balsamic Quinoa & Fresh Mozzarella

For a fun twist on an Italian favorite, I've thrown together quinoa bruschetta with brussel sprouts, quinoa, roasted garlic, carrots, shallots, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. It's not exactly the most traditional of bruschetta recipes out there. But it utilizes everything that I have in my refrigerator and is absolutely delicious! Which is, after all, all that really matters.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Servings 1 serving

Equipment

• Air Fryer (or Oven)
• Skillet (preferably cast iron)
• Stovetop

Ingredients

  

No-knead Dutch Oven Bread

• 472 ml. warm water ~100°F (2 c.)
• 2 ¼ tsp. instant yeast (1 package)
• 2 tsp. brown sugar (or granulated sugar, maple syrup, or honey)
• 570 g. all-purpose flour (4 ¾ c.)
• 2 tsp. salt
• oil to grease bowl

Quinoa w/ Balsamic, Carrots, & Brussel Sprouts

• 12 Brussel sprouts quartered
• 2 carrots diced
• 1/2 shallot minced
• 4 cloves roasted garlic (or 2 cloves unroasted garlic)
• 1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 c. white quinoa
• 3 c. water
• 8 oz. tofu (1/2 package)
• 1 tbsp. high heat oil
• 1 tomato diced
• dash salt
• dash pepper

Bruschetta

• 1 large slice bread
• 1/3 c. balsamic, carrot, & brussel sprout quinoa
• dollop olive oil
• 4 slices tomato
• 4 slices fresh mozzarella

Instructions

 

Prepare Ingredients

• I made bread, quinoa, and bruschetta all in the same day. The entire process took about 4 1/2 hours. Although you can easily prepare the bread and quinoa ahead of time. They both store well for a couple of days.

  I also made bruschetta just for myself, so I used one large slice of bread and just called it a meal! But you can easily scale up this recipe. Using smaller toast points is a great way to do this. For the entire batch of quinoa, you can use 6 large slices of bread (or 24 baguette-sized slices). This scales up to 24 slices of tomato (~6 tomatoes) and 24 slices of mozzarella (~2 16 oz. packages).
• Bake No-knead Dutch Oven Bread. You can easily buy a loaf of bread. If you want to make it, though, this is a quick and easy recipe. The entire process takes about 3 hours, with no need to knead the bread or plan for days long proofs!
• Cook Quinoa w/ Balsamic, Carrots, & Brussel Sprouts. This takes about an hour and requires a rice cooker or stove. You can also easily create a different flavor profile or utilize the produce that you have on hand. I almost always keep a batch of rice or quinoa in the fridge for exactly this purpose.

Toast Bread

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Meanwhile, preheat skillet on medium heat. On my stove, this is about a 5.
• Lightly oil the skillet and add a large slice of bread. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the bread is lightly toasted.

  For smaller loaves or baguettes, you can easily substitute 4 smaller pieces.

  This part is also optional. I prefer the bread toasted on both sides. Although you can skip this part and go straight to the oven, particularly if you want to save time!

Cook Bruschetta

• Remove from heat and flip so that the toasted portion is face up.
• Add quinoa, tomato slices, and mozzarella.
• Place in the oven and cook until the mozzarella begins to brown. This should only take about 5-7 minutes.
• Let cool slightly and serve.