Bombay Bruschetta

This is a mix of a classic bruschetta and a Bombay sandwich. The chutney base can be made and stored for a few days so it's also a good quick breakfast option.

For the chutney:
1 bunch of coriander
1-2 green chillies
2-3 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
Seasoning
1/2 cup water

Wash and dry the coriander leaves properly. Mix all ingredients in a blender and add water according to desired consistency. It should not be too watery else it'll get the bread soggy.

For the assembly:
Bread (hard bread like ciabatta or baguette)
1 finely chopped tomato
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped mint leaves (optional)
Seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil to drizzle

Mix the tomato, onion, and seasoning in a bowl. You can either add the oil to it now or drizzle on top after assembling the bruschetta.

On sliced bread, spread the chutney and top it up with the salad mix. Drizzle the olive oil and add crushed pepper on top.

Serve immediately.

Pesto

Sweet basil pesto has a charm of its own, but there are other leaves that will give you awesome tasting pesto as well.

I had an abundance of lettuce that was close to wilting and was in no mood to have that much salad, so I converted the batch into pesto - pretty much the same deal as with the basil version, except that I had a few more ingredients lying around I wanted to finish.

Grind together:
2 large heads of lettuce leaves (I had iceberg lettuce)
1/2 cup basil
1/2 cup mint
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1/4 cup walnuts
3-4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan or other hard cheese (optional)

Since this recipe already has a lot of greens, I don't need to add any more to the pasta. If needed, cook the pasta, drain, and stir fry with some garlic, onions and chilli flakes. The sauce is creamy enough without adding cheese, but you can add cheese on top.

You could also make this out arugula/rocket leaves. I used 1 bunch of chopped leaves to make 1/2 cup of pesto. It could also be used as a sandwich spread.


You can also mix sweet basil to either of the pestos to add flavour. Or just use a cup of basil on its own for a classic.

Pasta with Pesto Sauce and Grilled Veggies

I finally found a place that gives a good bunch of sweet basil leaves for a reasonable price to make pesto at home. Once that was taken care of, rest was easy.

For the grilled veggies:
2 tomatoes sliced 
1/2 of a large aubergine, sliced
Olive oil
Sea Salt (or regular would do as well) to taste

Line them up in a baking tray (separately) and drizzle some olive oil on top. Sprinkle some salt. Don't over-season as your final dish will also have salt. Put this in an oven and bake for about 40 minutes at 200 deg C. They'll come out nice and toasted.

For the pesto sauce:
1 large cup of basil leaves
1/2 cup cashew nuts
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or any other hard cheese like Gouda or Cheddar)
4-5 tbsp Olive oil
Seasoning

Add all the ingredients in a blender and mix till it is a semi-smooth paste. Add/subtract oil as per consistency.

TIP: Add an ice cube when blending to retain a fresh green colour.

To make the pasta:
2 cups cooked pasta of your choice
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil to cook
2 tbsp olive oil to serve
1 onion, chopped

Heat oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, then add the onion. Stir till onions are golden brown. Then add the pasta and pesto sauce. Coat the pasta in the sauce evenly. Add the the grilled tomatoes and aubergines. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.

For the cheese-crazy, serve with some grated cheese.

Hummus

I love hummus, and it feels good to indulge because it is also very healthy.
We made this and had it with baked thins from the leftover pizza base dough.

For Tahini:

2 tbsb sesame seeds roasted lightly in an oven or on a pan (they shouldn't brown)
2 tbsp olive oil

For Hummus:
Tahini
2 cups boiled chickpeas (they should be soft enough to mash with your fingers)
3 cloves garlic
3-4 tbsp water left over from the boiled chickpeas
4-5 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4-5 pieces of olives, sliced (optional)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
Coriander/parsley to garnish

Blend the chickpeas, garlic, tahini, and the water...adding some more water if needed. The consistency should be of a smooth paste.
While serving, top with lemon juice, olive oil, olives, chilli, and top with the greens.

You could also use this as a dip for salad, spread for sandwiches, or pasta dressing.

Sprout Hummus

Here's an alternative to the 'normal' recipe, not that we need one, but I had a bag of mixed sprouts lying around.

I added the following in a blender:

1 cup mixed sprouts

some garlic cloves

4-5 teaspoons of roasted sesame seeds (or Tahini if you have some...I didn't)

a bit o' ginger

a spoon of ground cumin

juice of 1 lemon

some olive oil (you'll need some more to sprinkle on top as well)

water (for a paste-like consistency)

Blend it all into a smooth paste. top with some olive oil and serve with some toast or fresh salad.