Quick and easy appetizer to prepare for a party or gathering. This dish is the perfect mix of crunchy and creamy!
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes
Serves:
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound fresh (or frozen) cranberries, washed
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 serrano pepper (more if you like spicy, less if not)
- ½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
- ¾-1 cup pomegranate arils or seeds (reserve a few for garnish)
- finely chopped fresh basil, for garnish
- 1 thin, good quality baguette, sliced about ¼ inch thick
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
DIRECTIONS
- Place the cranberries, sugar, and seranno peppers in a food processor
- Pulse on and off several times until cranberries are coarsely chopped. Don’t over-process
- Add basil and pulse a few more times. Not too much, you want basil bits to be visible in relish
- Transfer to a storage container and add pomegranate arils
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or till ready to use.
- For the crostini, preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Place baguette slices on prepared pans
- Brush lightly with oil
- Sprinkle lightly with salt and a grind of pepper (don’t leave this step out!)
- Bake for 14-18 minutes or until golden, rotating pans halfway through baking time.
- To assemble bruschetta, whisk cream cheese until creamy
- Spread about ½-1 tablespoon on each crostini
- Top with a scoop of the relish.
- Garnish with basil
RECIPE AND IMAGE CREDIT: Tabler Party of two blog by Andrea