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

  1. Place the cranberries, sugar, and seranno peppers in a food processor
  2. Pulse on and off several times until cranberries are coarsely chopped. Don’t over-process
  3. Add basil and pulse a few more times. Not too much, you want basil bits to be visible in relish
  4. Transfer to a storage container and add pomegranate arils
  5. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or till ready to use.
  6. For the crostini, preheat oven to 350˚F.
  7. Place baguette slices on prepared pans
  8. Brush lightly with oil
  9. Sprinkle lightly with salt and a grind of pepper (don’t leave this step out!)
  10. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until golden, rotating pans halfway through baking time.
  11. To assemble bruschetta, whisk cream cheese until creamy
  12. Spread about ½-1 tablespoon on each crostini
  13. Top with a scoop of the relish.
  14. Garnish with basil

RECIPE AND IMAGE CREDIT: Tabler Party of two blog by Andrea