Italians call it “Bruschetta” [Italian pronunciation: brusˈketːa] while we Indians refer to it as “Open Sandwich”! Whatsoever may one like to address the open relationship between a slice of bread and toppings; I happen to tag it as “Glutton’s Jiffy Chicken Bruschetta”-a totally guilt free appetizer for us weight watchers! ;-)
Bruschettas are one of the easiest, quickest and one of the creative appetizers to prepare. And the best deal about it is that we get to play with the toppings based on our tastes, preferences and availability!!J
How did I come up with my Version?
Simple! A phone call from a friend that she would be dropping in to meet me in about ½ hour after work. Now, I belong to a family of perfect hosts who love to see that our guests, especially unexpected ones, are well fed...so the moment I disconnected the call, I ran to my refrigerator to check out the contents. Those close to me know that I am one of the laziest people around and just not the kinds to slog over a hot stove! But I love to play with food, raw ingredients are like water colours that I just want to bring to life on a plate as a perfect painting! J
So here I was, with a handful of ingredients and a bit of mental visualization of how to best use them....Chop! Chop! [In the electric food processor of course..Told you I am LAZzYyy].... Mix! Mix! [Have to do wrist exercise at times I guess!] and Voila! I was one happy camper!! J
Well, it turned out to be an edible success, as my friend enjoyed it to the last bite!
For all those who love good food without worrying about adding weight to their hips, do try this at home! J
JIFFY CHICKEN BRUSCHETTA RECIPE
Preparation time- 10 minutes
Cooking time-5 minutes
Total Serving time -15 minutes
Difficulty Level- Easy
INGREDIENTS
For Low Calorie Dip [Vegetarian]
Hung Curd - 200 gms
Low Fat Mayonnaise (optional)- 2 tablespoons
Red onion – 1 Or Scallions/Spring Onions- 2 or 3
Green Pepper – 1 [any coloured pepper can be used, whatever is there in the veggie compartment]
Garlic cloves- 2 Or, Green Garlic- 2
Green/Black Olives- 8-9
Green/Black Olives- 8-9
Olive oil- 2 teaspoon
Mustard Sauce- 1 teaspoon
Salt, Pepper to season
Dried Herbs- Oregano, Rosemary, Parsley [optional]
Paprika or chilli flakes to taste
For Bruschetta/Sandwich-
Multigrain/Garlic bread – 4 to 6 slices
Chicken Ham or Salami- 6-8 slices
Red Tomatoes- 2 , thinly sliced in rounds for garnishing
Instructions-
1. Finely chop all the vegetables mentioned for the Dip in a food processor or manually.
2. Mix the chopped vegetables with the hung curd and mayonnaise, olive oil and mustard sauce.
3. Add the seasoning, dried herbs, paprika as per taste.
4. In a microwave or on a hot non stick griddle pan [tawa], lightly toast the bread so that it is firm and does not become soggy from the toppings.
5. On the toasted bread, first layer the chicken ham/salami, making sure that the slice is well covered.
6. Top the bread and ham with the prepared Veggie Dip.
7. Garnish with Oregano, paprika and Tomato Slices.
ENJOY!! J
Chef's Note: This recipe is not limited for consumption by carnivores alone but my darling herbivores can enjoy it as well by just removing or substituting the non vegetarian ingredients in the recipe with anything of their own choice. J
