Well Fed Network

Posted by Mansi Desai on Just Baking.

I am very fond of entertaining, and hosting parties or gatherings is one of my favorite hobbies. An appealing feature is that I get to try different food, especially appetizers and hors d’oeuvres that we don’t usually cook in our day-to-day lives.

Though I’m not a great cook, I believe that presentation is as important as the taste of the dish; if what you see looks inviting, only then would you be tempted to put it in your mouth, right?!

I recently came across a cookbook that showcased only party-food recipes, and it really inspired me. All food does not need to be exotic, but just adding a different look in cooking or presentation can surely turn eyes, and impress your guests. Like these very simple Vegetable Bread Baskets filled with onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, and cheese. Quick and easy, these work great as appetizers or a snack with tea!

Vegetable Bread Baskets

• 6 wheat or white bread slices
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup green or red bell-peppers- chopped finely
• 1/2 cup onions - chopped finely
• 4 tbsp black olives- chopped finely
• 1/2 cup mushrooms - chopped finely
• Salt - to taste
• Black pepper - to taste
• 3 tbsp dried basil flakes
• 1/2 cup green chutney or pesto sauce*
• 1/2 cup tomato ketchup
• 1 cup mixed yellow and white cheese, shredded
• 4 tbsp margarine - melted

Method
Take the bread slices, cut off their edges and keep aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F, spray cooking spray on a muffin pan, then place each bread slice in the muffin cups. Shape them to form like a basket. You can even flatten them a bit using a rolling pin. Bake for 10-15 mins, making sure to check they they do not burn. They should just become hard and take the shape of a basket.

Heat olive or cooking oil in a pan, and saute the bell peppers and onions until a bit tender. Add the chopped olives and mushrooms, season with some salt, pepper, and dry basil flakes, and cook a little more.

Now take each bread basket, spread some green chutney with a knife, then add a spoonful of the mixture to it. Drizzle with some ketchup as desired, then spread mixed cheese on the top. Lightly brush the 4 corners of the basket with melted margarine so they don’t get burnt.

Transfer the cups back to the muffin pan, then bake at 200 degrees for about 7-8 minutes, just until the cheese melts. Now change the oven setting to Broil, and bake the baskets for another 1 minute.

Remove from the oven, let them cool a bit, and serve immediately. Don’t they look simply inviting?! These cute vegetable baskets are healthy, tasty, and definitely the perfect finger food at a party.

*I would strongly recommend using Green Chutney (Sauce) rather than pesto because it goes very well with the chosen vegetables. If you choose to use pesto, I’d say replace ketchup with something else or skip it altogether!

NOTE: Original Recipe and Image Copyright of Fun and Food