Garlic Bread Two Ways

While shopping for the lasagna I had bought a nice bunch of basil , which ultimately was used up in a pesto. So I decide to make garlic bread sandwiches with pesto . On another occasion I had made a summer pudding for a friend and had some brioche left over , so I made garlic bread ....yes ....again ... a favourite snack of ours I thought I would serve with tea . Usually when I think brioche, I think desserts, but it worked well with this savoury, garlicky treat n was nice and crispy on the outside and very soft inside.

With all the gourmet options available for garlic bread, this recipe is pretty basic and simple. The garlic butter is the common ingredient in both the recipes , its just the topping that makes a huge difference .

For the garlic butter:

1 stick of butter, at room temperature,
1 - 2 tsp of garlic paste,
salt to taste
1 tsp. red pepper/chili flakes, or to taste.

Mix all the ingredients with a fork.

Basic Pesto recipe:

5 big handfuls basil leaves (about 2 hefty bunches)
1/2 C pine nuts or 3/4 cup walnuts
1/2 C fresh grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
Juice of 1 small lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled

salt and pepper to taste
3/4 C extra-virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients with 1/2 cup of the oil in a blender and blend. Gradually drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup of oil until pesto is thick and smooth.

This will yield about 2 cups of pesto, the left over stays well in an airtight container when refrigerated. Toss in some pasta or spread it on a sandwich or paratha for another quick fix meal.

To make the sandwiches, I apply the garlic butter to both sides of the bread , toast one side on medium heat, flip, cover the toasted side of bread (load it) with cheese (I usually use mozzarella or the cheese slices which I pulse in the food processor ), so the cheese melts as the other side gets toasted , remove from the pan , spread some ketchup or pesto or any favourite spread and enjoy . For the Pesto sandwiches I used the burger buns.