Mushroom and Vegetable Bruschetta

Italian cuisine tickles everyone’s taste buds with its rich variety of cheeses, breads, pastas, and delectable spices and herbs.

This morning, felt like eating something Italian.  Since pasta was already prepared last week, decided to use bread and prepare bruschetta and crostini.  Bruschetta is either served as an appetizer or part of the main course.  Crostini is also an antipasto like bruschetta i.e. they are served before the meal.      

Mushroom and Vegetable Bruschetta (pronounced brusketta)

Ingredients

Regular bread (or French loaf) – 8 slices

Finely chopped button mushrooms

Finely chopped mixed vegetables (capsicum, onions, tomatoes, cucumber, basil leaves)

Green or black olives

Crushed garlic

Olive oil

Grated cheese

Herbs and spice mix (pepper, chilli flakes, basil, oregano, rosemary)

Salt

Method

• Infuse olive oil with garlic, herb and spice mix.  Keep aside.
• Brush the bread slice with the infused oil and grill in pre-heated oven for 5 minutes.
• Add salt, pepper, and drizzle the remaining garlic-and-herb-infused oil over the chopped vegetables.  Add the mushroom and chopped olives to this and mix well.  
• Arrange the toasted bread on the tray and top each slice with the vegetable-mushroom mix.
• Sprinkle grated cheese over this and heat in oven for another 3 to 4 minutes until cheese melts.
• Cut into triangular-shaped bruschetta and serve hot with ketchup.