Bruschetta

For the first few months after arriving in the US, I was on a quest to find vegetarian dishes that suited my taste in the different types of popular restaurants here. After all, how long can one survive on Indian restaurants as the only option to eat out!!! Italian was an early favorite and bruschetta was one of the reasons why. It is a simple but tasty dish and while it is considered an appetizer there is no reason why you can't treat it as a meal.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 5 min
Makes: 5-6 servings

Ingredients:


French baguette/ french bread: 400 gms (about a loaf)
Tomatoes: 4 medium
Olive oil: 1 tsp + for brushing
Grated cheese: 3 tbsp+ more to add on top, if needed
Dry basil: 1/2 tsp
Italian seasoning: 3/4 tsp
Salt, pepper: to taste

Cut the tomatoes into really tiny pieces and add 1 tsp olive oil, the grated cheese (I used a mix of Parmesan , Romano and Asiago), the dry herbs, salt and pepper. Mix well until the cheese and oil are uniformly distributed.

Cut the bread into 1/2" thick slices and lay on a baking tray. Apply some olive oil on the entire surface facing up, using a pastry brush. This helps to get a nice brown colour and a crispiness on the outside. "Broil" this in the oven until light golden brown (about 2-3 min, depending on the oven). Remember to keep a very close eye on this as it can get burnt very easily.

To assemble, take a slice of the bread and put some tomato topping on top. Sprinkle some more grated cheese, if needed. Serve immediately, or it will start getting soggy.