mitzireddy

One does eat with one’s eyes and credit has to be given to food styling to get us foodies to try out all kinds of recipes because the pictures look so tempting. When I came across this recipe in a You cookbook it was the attractive colours in the picture that caught my eye and when I saw that Emmenthaler cheese was one of the main ingredients I was sold (luv cheese).

It is not necessary to make bread from scratch with bread dough being available at local supermarkets – this makes it so much easier and less time consuming.

This is a very tasty snack to serve any time especially now with the Rugby world cup happening.

FLAT BREAD WITH CHEESE AND SALSA

Bread

700g bought bread dough

125ml olive oil

4-6cloves, crushed

4-6 sprigs rosemary

Coarse salt and black peppers

To serve

Emmenthaler cheese

Roasted red peppers cut into pieces

Tomato salsa

Preheat the oven to 200C and grease a few baking sheets.

Knock back the dough and divide into 24 small balls.

Roll out each ball on a floured surface until flat and about 15cm in diameter.

Arrange on the greased baking sheets.

Blend the olive oil, garlic and rosemary and brush each of the dough circles with the mixture.

Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper and bake for 10 minutes or until the bread puffs up in parts and is pale brown and crisp.

Stack each flat bread with cheese and roasted red peppers and spoon a little salsa on top.

Serve with brinjal spread if desired.

Salsa

Mix 4 finely chopped ripe plum tomatoes, half a onion, finely chopped, 1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped, 5 ml olive oil, 15ml rice wine vinegar, 2ml sugar, 15ml coriander and salt and pepper.

The brinjal spread is a recipe from DeonaTait’s cookbook and to quote her” The first time I tasted this spread I was not quite sure what it was. It was so delicious, however, that I begged for the recipe and discovered to my utter astonishment that brinjal was the main ingredient.”

I can empathizewith her – it is delicious and difficult to believe that one is eating brinjal.

BRINJAL SPREAD

1 large brinjal

½ small onion, finely chopped

175ml fresh white breadcrumbs

30ml plain yoghurt

1 small garlic clove, crushed

100ml chopped fresh parsley

15ml wine or cider vinegar

20ml lemon juice

100ml olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bake brinjal at 180 C for approximately 1 hour.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Pull off the skin and chop the pulp finely.

Add the remaining ingredients and process in a food processor until smooth.

Leave overnight in fridge.

Makes 500ml spread.