This bright, fresh healthy appetizer makes a delightful bruschetta but there are tons of other delicious ways to use it. Check out the post above for ideas.
Course
Appetizer
Prep Time3hours4minutes
Cook Time3hours4minutes
AuthorChris Scheuer
Ingredients
For the cranberry-pomegranate relish:
1poundfreshor frozen cranberries, washed
2teaspoonschopped fresh gingerdon't worry about chopping it too fine at this point
finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsleyfor garnish
For the crostini:
1thingood quality baguette, sliced about ¼ inch thick
½cupextra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
8ouncescream cheesesoftened (I always use the lower fat, not no-fat)
Instructions
Place the cranberries, ginger, sugar, honey and Sriracha in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off several times till cranberries are coarsely chopped. Don't process too much.
Add cilantro and pulse a few more times. Not too much, you want cilantro bits to be visible and mixture to be a bit chunky.
Transfer to a storage container and add pomegranate arils* and orange zest. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or till ready to use.
For the crostini, preheat oven to 350˚F. Line 2 sheet pans with foil or parchment paper, if desired for easy clean up.
Place baguette slices on prepared pans. Brush lightly with oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and a grind of pepper.
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 a bit of orange zest, if desired.
Recipe Notes
You should get about 50-60 crostini. If you don't use them all, store in an airtight container. They can also be frozen and warmed for just a few minutes before serving. * If you avoid pomegranates or are intimated by them because they're a pain to de-seed, BE SURE to check out this step by step tutorial: How to de-seed a pomegranate with NO FUSS, NO MESS, NO WATER, in less than a minute! It's quite life changing ............ at least when it comes to us pom lovers! :)