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4.8 from 5 votes
This bright, fresh healthy appetizer makes a delightful bruschetta but there are tons of other delicious ways to use it - check it out!
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Cranberry and Pomegranate Bruschetta
Prep Time
3 hrs 4 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs 4 mins
 
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
Author: Chris Scheuer
Ingredients
  • For the cranberry-pomegranate relish:
  • 1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries, washed
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger don't worry about chopping it too fine at this point
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
  • ½ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
  • zest from one orange reserve a bit for garnish
  • ¾-1 cup pomegranate arils or seeds* reserve a few for garnish
  • finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish
  • For the crostini:
  • 1 thin good quality baguette, sliced about ¼ inch thick
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened (I always use the lower fat, not no-fat)
Instructions
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Transfer to a storage container and add pomegranate arils* and orange zest. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or till ready to use.
  4. For the crostini, preheat oven to 350˚F. Line 2 sheet pans with foil or parchment paper, if desired for easy clean up.
  5. Place baguette slices on prepared pans. Brush lightly with oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and a grind of pepper.
  6. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until golden, rotating pans halfway through baking time.
  7. To assemble bruschetta, whisk cream cheese until creamy. Spread about 1/2-1 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! :)