Cottage cheese bruschetta with basil pesto

Estimated Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (4 Bruschettas):

1. One loaf of Ciabatta bread (if you can’t find one a simple French loaf or even garlic bread loaf can be used)
2. 250 g of fresh Cottage cheese (Paneer)
3. 1 red Bell pepper; 1 green Bell pepper
4. Extra virgin Olive oil
5. 2 medium Garlic cloves
6. Pesto sauce
7. Salt and Pepper
8. 25g Salad Rocket (Arugula) leaves or Basil leaves

Method:

Lightly sauté the Bell peppers with a little olive oil brushing in a pan and bake them on microwave grill for around25 minutes in a pre-heated oven. Temperature should be set to 200°C, and the peppers should be baked till they start browning.

Diagonally slice the loaf maintaining a uniform height. Toast the slices on both sides. One side should preferably be crunchier than the other.

Now rub the grated garlic cloves on each slice on the softer side. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on the slices. (You can also choose oil flavored with chili flakes or thyme).

Grate the cottage cheese (Paneer). Add salt to taste and crush some black pepper and mix.

Cut the bell peppersin thin slices and toss them with the salad rockets or Basil leaves in 2 teaspoons of the Pesto sauce.

Generously spread the Paneer on the oil-brushed soft sides of the bread slices and add the tossed mixture of bell peppers and Pesto sauce over.

Serve hot with a small bowl of Pesto sauce.