Cooking By The Seat of My Pants- Fast Ghetto Bruschetta

Last night was going to be really easy. I had some laundry to do, a few other tasks on my agenda, but dinner was going to be a snap. I was going to make Caprese Sandwiches, and I had picked up some yummy baked chips at the store this weekend to go with them. Pick some basil, slice a baguette, slice some tomatoes, slice some mozzarella, assemble, done. And that's precisely what I went about doing when I got home. Basil picked, baguette and tomatoes sliced, it came time for the mozzarella. Well, that's when I realized that I guess I'd had that ball of fresh mozzarella in the refrigerator for longer than I had thought. The "Use By" date was more than a month in the past. But, it looked alright, and had been in the refrigerator the entire time. I opened the package and the smell did not offend. I cut a slice, and the texture seemed a little weird. I took a bite and first impression was fine, but the after taste bowled me over. Mozzarella ball into the trash, I was stuck with already sliced bread and tomatoes and some basil. Immediately I figured bruschetta would be a good option, but it couldn't be my only option. First off, I'd never made bruschetta before. Second off, I didn't have enough tomatoes to top 8 slices of baguette. I did some pantry and refrigerator searching and came up with some olive-oil packet tuna, Parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, and red onion. I went to work and this dinner actually turned out to be really yummy. This is one of those really simple dinners that gives me hope that we won't starve to death when I start school in a month.

Fast Ghetto Bruschetta
Recipe by, uh, me; Serves 2

1 baguette, quartered crosswise, sliced lengthwise
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
Olive oil
1 6 oz. can olive-oil packed tuna, drained
2 tablespoons red onion, minced
Mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
Parmesan cheese, grated
Cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
Coarse salt
Fresh ground black pepper

• Brush your sliced baguette with olive oil and place cut side down on a grill, griddle, or grill pan over medium heat to toast.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl combine tomatoes and basil; drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss. Season with salt and pepper, add Parmesan to taste, toss again.
• In another bowl combine tuna, red onion, and add mayonnaise and Dijon mustard to taste.
• Once your bread is toasted top slices with tomato mixture and tuna mixture. Top tuna slices with cheddar cheese, if you are so inclined.

My notes: You could also pop your tuna toasts under the broiler to get your cheddar cheese melted, but I was in a hurry to eat because I had laundry ready for folding. Everything in this "recipe" is more or less to taste. Crazy about basil? Add more. My husband loves Parmesan, so I put plenty in. I also added a dash of garlic powder to my tuna mixture, that's one of those personal preference sort of things. Work with what you like and have on hand.