Grilled Italian Bread and Infused Oil

I {HEART} Curtis Stone...do you? I saw him grill some Italian bread once and I thought it was a great {EASY} way to make a simple meal a little fancy. Grilled Italian bread makes a perfect addition to pasta, soup and salads.

Grilled Italian Bread
1 loaf of whole wheat Italian bread, cut into 3/4 inch slices
A grill, grill pan or George Foreman grill

Infused Oil
About 2 cups of extra virgin olive oil

Your choice of herbs and seasonings:
1/2 - 1 Tbsp rosemary, chopped
1/2 - 1 Tbsp thyme, chopped
1/2 - 1 sage, chopped
1/2 - 1 basil, chopped
1/2 - 1 chive, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbls onion, minced
2 Tbls oven roasted red peppers, minced
2 Tbls sun dried tomatoes, minced
2 Tbls olives, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp lemon zest
...etc.

I LOVE to do a mixture of garlic and salt, basil, rosemary or thyme depending on what I'm serving it with.

1. Use a mortar and pestle or the back of a sharp knife to crush your choice of ingredients into a coarse paste.
2. Pour the oil and the seasoning paste into a small pot and ever so gently raise the temperature to a low-medium heat. Heat the oil till it's just barely warm, if it's too hot to put your finger in then it's too hot. Let is simmer like that for about 5 minutes.
3. Brush the oil onto both sides of the bread and then grill for about 2 minutes on eat side or until golden brown and crispy.

Any left over infused oil you can save and use for cooking, drizzling over pasta, steamed vegetables or salads or for dipping bread.

Indulge and ENJOY!