Simple Cheese Bruschetta

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.”-James Beard

Bruschetta is one of the simplest things in the world to make, and can be very satisfying if you have good extravirgin olive oil.

Hub loves these...and so do I...so just made them to go with some hot cocoa this evening. Because thats all the cooking I am doing for today, (smile) going out for dinner in the eve.

Simple Cheese Bruschetta
Ingredients-
(quantity depends on the number of people being served and the number of helpings each)

bread, ideally freshly sliced Tuscan bread garlic extra-virgin Olive oil ripe tomatoes
cheddar cheese slices
dried oregano flakes

Method-
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the sliced bread with the olive oil.
On a lined cookie sheeat, place the bread slices and toast in the oven for about 5 mins.
Now, gently rub them with a cut clove of garlic.
After rubbing the slices with the garlic, rub them with a very ripe cut tomato as well.
Place a cheese slice on top of this bread and place in the ovenh again for a minute.
Drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle some oregano on the bruschettas.
Cut the slices in half, and serve.

This goes to the Bread Mania event hosted by Sindhura (of BayLeaf).

This also goes out to Cooking For Kids- Milk event, held at Neivedyam, to Sindhi Rasoi ; and to
and to a dear friend, Harini/Sunshinemom (of ToungeTicklers) for FIC-Yellow.

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Also I want to take this oppurtunity to thank all those who have recognized and awarded my efforts. Thank you once again for all the encouragement and belief in me- Sudeshna, Andhra Flavours, Usha ,Mediterranean Turkish Cook and Sahaja (most recent).

When I was given these awards I was fairly new to the blogging world. Now after three months (and after 50 posts) I finally pass the following awards to my friends and colleagues in the blogosphere. I am honoured and happy that I 've hit half a century here, and so sharing my happiness with you only doubles it ! :)

I pass the following Butterfly Award to some really colourful blogs of note--

Nihal, Usha, Andhra Flavours, Jenn, Teresa R, Barbara C. Thomas, Curry Leaf, Ann, Culinary Wannabe, The Key Bunch, AquaDaze, AK Mom, Pigpigscorner, Lore, Reeni.

I pass the following Lemonade Award to a few refreshing blogs I know--

Proud Italian Cook, Sudeshna, Sahaja, Arundhuti, Gattina, Tartelette, Yasmeen, Sangeeth, Soma, Rosa, 5 Star Foodie, AnuDivya, Medena, Srivalli , Harini.

(Only wish I could add more to the list of awardees...there are so many blogs I adore...I have increased the number to 15 instead of 10...and yet I wanted to add more, but I guess rules have been stretched and I don't really want to break them... sigh!)

The rules for the awards shared above, are as follows-

Add the logo in your blog.

Add a link to the person who gave you the award.

Nominate 10 other blogs of your choice.

Don’t forget to add links to those blogs in yours'.

Also leave a message for your nominees in their blogs, informing them about the award.

If you already have received this award and its redundant, excuse me please. Its the thought that counts..isn't it!

Share the joy and have fun friends!

N.B. If anyone has any problem saving the pictures(award logos) as I have disabled right click on this blog,(out of fear of the stealth of pictures/material, happening in the virtual world these days); do get in touch with me and I will personally email it to you. My apologies for the inconvinience.

Cheesy Udon with spicy sausages

Just returned from the library. Had finished reading "Map of Bones" by James Rollins and had to return the book. Awesome book. Although I read all sorts of books, I prefer thrillers and lately the genre has been biblical and historical, say the Dan Brown style. This book takes it to an all new level. The book kept me on the edge throughout. So, that leaves me with so little time to cook and lots of stomach rumbling. Hence the easiest options are always noodles. Since I am currently in Hong Kong, wanted to try out their famous udon here. Had purchased the udon but since my hubby doesn't really like the look of the thick noodle (almost worm like...as he puts it), had not cooked it yet. Udon is a kind of Rice noodle, generally on the thicker side. I added cocktail sausages and a little mozarella cheese in the end to give it an Italian-American twist and ofcourse to make it edible for my darling. And my husband surprised me by finishing the entire plate. Was it the dish or the hunger....? Thats' a mystery! '-)

Cheesy Udon with Spicy sausages
Ingredients-
2 packets udon
4 small cocktail sausages sliced (if going for the larger size, make it 2)
a dash of soy sauce
a dash of sesame oil
2 tbsp garlic infused oil (plain oil will also do..garlic just adds another flavour)
a little lemon zest ( about a pinch)
2 tsp Tabasco chilli sauce (depending on how hot you want it)
2 tbsp Tomato sauce/ketchup
1 tsp chopped chives (optional)
salt (to taste)
grated mozarella (as cheesy as you desire) :-)

Note: I have added no vegetables here, as hubby didn't want any today and I had neither the time nor the inclination. But you can add-capsicum and carrots.All julienned. Add them just after the sausages.

Method-
First boil the udon in a separate pan with enough water to immerse the noodles.
Strain and set aside.
Now, in a wok/kadai heat the garlic infused oil. Add the chives and lemon zest. Now add the sausages and the dash of sesame oil. Stir.
Add the noodles/udon and stir fry. Now add the soy sauce, ketchup and chilli sauce. Mix well so as to coat evenly all the noodles with the sauce. Add little salt. Sprinkle with the cheese while still hot and serve.

I served it with red wine, which was a birthday gift from friends here in HK. Guess the wine could be the reason my hubby ate all his udon. (I know I am quite filled with humility)..lol.

N.B. Remember that the sausages and the cheese will have some salt so be miserly with the salt.
The lemon zest adds a zing to the dish and sesame oil takes the flavour another notch up.